Exploring New Zealand’s Quiet Coastal Roads

As someone who has had the privilege of visiting many countries and driving around to get a true feel of what they offer, I believe that New Zealand is one of the most serene countries in the world. Much of this tranquility boils down to the sparsity and the lack of population density. For instance, New Zealand is slightly bigger than the UK in terms of land, but it has a much smaller population—around 5 million to the UK’s 66 million. 

With that said, the UK, in parts, has several quiet coastal roads, too. There are similarities between the UK and New Zealand. Of course, New Zealand is still part of the Commonwealth. English is the primary language, and both countries have a similar sporting culture and approach to popular multi-billion-dollar markets, such as the casino gaming industry. 

Although casino markets have moved online, with online poker NZ becoming a growing arm of the industry for Kiwis, just as it is in the UK, there are stark contrasts between the two nations, too. For example, the quiet coastal roads in New Zealand are much quieter than those found in the UK. 

Motueka To Collingwood

Although the drive from Motueka to Collingwood goes inland for a period, both the start and end locations are right on the coast of the South Island’s most northwestern tip. As long as you don’t hit any severe traffic, which is highly unlikely, it is one of the top quiet coastal drives many tourists and Kiwis recommend. 

The Takaka-Collingwood Highway is our favorite part of this trip, but you can stop at many great little spots along the way. The parts of the route that come inland go through lush, green forests, and as another footnote, it is very smooth to drive on. 

Blenheim To Kaikōura

Travelling from Blenheim to Kaikōura should take around 90 minutes. Most of the trip covers the northwestern coast of South Island, so we recommend doing it in these stages:

• Blenheim to Seddon
• Seddon to Ward
• Ward to Kekerengu
• Kekerengu to Kaikōura

Personally, I think the coast road that makes up the final leg of this journey is one of the quietest and most pleasant in the world. Depending on the time you set off, you can sometimes go 5 to 10 minutes without seeing another car or person, just a beautiful view of the southern Pacific Ocean. 

Palmerston North To Wellington

Situated on the southern tip of the North Island, New Zealand’s capital city is the place to go if you want to drive from the North to the South Island. The ferry trip takes three to four hours and crosses the water stretch separating the two islands. 

The drive from Palmerston North covers a few different towns, but the coastal views from Paekākāriki make this drive particularly special. While the route gets busier the closer you get to Wellington, most of this drive is on quiet, coastal roads. It’s one of the more traveled routes on the North Island, but it gives you a glimpse of both the serenity of the countryside and what the country’s capital city has to offer. 

Te Anau To Milford Sound

Although Milford Sound is considered one of the more popular tourist routes, it is still undisputed that it is one of the most beautiful natural locations in New Zealand. The drive from Te Anau runs right alongside the side of Lake Anau. 

While it might not be right up on the coast like some of the other routes we’ve touched on today, it’s one of the best routes to take if you want to get a taste of what the southwestern tip of the South Island has to offer. Although Milford Sound is one of the busiest tourist locations in NZ, this route, from our experience, is one of the quietest. 

Final Thoughts

Some Kiwis and tourists visiting New Zealand regularly like to weigh the North and South Islands against each other. We’ve picked routes that cover both (sorry for sitting on the fence)—a country as beautiful as New Zealand shouldn’t be reduced to locality. 

Some travelers will argue the case between Australia and New Zealand, given their mostly friendly rivalry, but both have much to offer. We’d strongly recommend visiting both if you have the time and resources. 

There are also several other routes to explore, particularly in the South Island, but many hidden gems are scattered across the North Island, too. If you’re a coastal driving fan, you could spend months in New Zealand. We just handpicked some of our favorites today.