It takes 3 hrs to drive from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo (Takapō is the correct spelling of the lake town itself, which is called Tekapo) without any stops, but to truly make the most of the drive and see all you can along the way, you’ll want to take much longer than that! There are so many gorgeous little towns that you pass through on the way with great food, cute shops and a perfect garden to enjoy as well as an epic campground too. Why take three hours and see nothing but the views from the road when you can stop along the way and really take your time?
These are all of our favourite stops along the road from Christchurch to Lake Takapō, including the freedom camp we stay at, to really savour the drive and make the most of the journey. Do all the stops and spend the night under the stars or pick only a few and turn it into a full day to get from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo. It’s a beautiful drive that turns from city scapes to open country very quickly, before changing again to snow-capped mountains just before you reach the alpine wonder that is Lake Takapō.
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Cookie Time Factory
Cookie time is famous in New Zealand and loved by the world over. You can find a cookie time shop in most major cities in the country and pretty much all tourist hot spots. But the best place to get a taste of the cookie time cookies is from the factory in Christchurch. The shop’s stocks all the usual cookie time products along with their ‘Baker Imperfections’ range, perfectly good products that are just a little imperfect.
We love stopping in here and grabbing something from the imperfections section, as it’s cheaper than buying the perfectly shaped products, helps to prevent food waste and, in a lot of cases, involves less packaging too! It’s an all-round win for your wallet and the environment. If you don’t want to buy anything, then we would recommend skipping this stop altogether. Once you walk into the warm store filled with delicious cookie smells, it’s very hard to resist making at least one purchase.
Our first visit to the store was with my cousin, and we told ourselves we wouldn’t buy anything. That went out the window pretty quickly once we could smell the cookies! Thank goodness for the imperfections range! They really do make the perfect road trip snack.
Bonus Stop: Rakaia Salmon
Though it’s not something that we actually stopped at, we more just enjoyed it from the van window as we drove past. It’s worth mentioning the huge salmon statue in Rakaia as a little roadside stop if you are into massive sculptures. For us this one is just a little too close to Rolleston to ever stop on the way to or from Tekapo, but we did always like looking at it as we drove past and often said we should stop for a pic. We just never actually got around to it. So don’t miss the stop like we did if huge salmon sculptures are your thing!
Ashburton Domain
About an hour into your drive from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo, you’ll come across the town of Ashburton. The domain gardens here are the perfect place to stop and stretch your legs with a breath of fresh air before continuing your journey further south. There are beautifully kept gardens here with a small creek to wonder along, flowers to enjoy and a playground big enough for adults to enjoy too! There’s a great flying fox and an adult-sized hamster wheel, both of which are a great laugh for all ages.
We definitely had a lot of fun here, and it really breaks up the drive when you can get a little active in between long stints of sitting in the van. Wonder along the peaceful creek, step across the little island and just sink your feet into the grass for a moment. It’s so peaceful here. The perfect kind of road trip stop if you ask us.
Ashford Village
After stretching your legs at the Ashburton Domain, be sure to stop in at the cute little Ashford Village for some boutique shops and quaint little cafes all built around the famous Ashford spinning wheel. A giant wool spinning wheel and weaving loom that sit out in the garden area.
With the crafting theme, the place you can’t go past is walking into the Ashford store, which has a whole heap of wool and textiles along with some beginner kits to get you started in many a different craft. They even sell working spinning wheels and looms if the giant sculpture inspires you to take up this ancient craft. I got a little felting kit from here, as the looms and spinning wheels were a little too intimidating for me! It’s a cute little village for a relatively quick wander around, and you may find something you’ve been looking for in the various shops or walk away with a new hobby thanks to the craft shop!
Geraldine
Geraldine is the perfect place to stop for lunch if you are planning on making this trip into a two-day adventure by freedom camping on the way down to Lake Tekapo. If you aren’t doing the journey in one day, it’s still worth stopping in Geraldine to see the cheese shop and Barkers food store. If you are passing on the right day, they even have a little market lining one of the streets here. It’s a very foodie-focused town with heaps of cool cafes to choose from.
We always love the vibes at The Running Duck, but honestly everything here looks so good when you drive past. I don’t really think you can pick a bad place. The town even has a cute bookshop called The Page and Prose to make sure you have a great book to read once you get to your destination for the night. (Pick a book by a Kiwi author to really sink into the right vibes! There is nothing quite like reading a book in the country it’s written about.) If you are driving from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo in the one day, we highly recommend getting lunch at the Fairlie Pie shop instead of one of the cafes here.
Lake Opuha
A gorgeous little lake tucked away just 15 minutes off the road from Fairlie. This one is worth the stop for a great stretch of your legs and to take in some classic Kiwi countryside views. It’s also the perfect place to spend the night on the waters edge under the stars at one of the two freedom camping spots here. It can be rather popular, but it’s still a beautiful place to stop for the night and chill out on your drive down to Tekapo. It’s a small man-made lake that, because of its size, can often be found with a glassy water surface reflecting the hills and mountains surrounding it with impressive clarity.
You will need to be here early or late in the day to have a chance at seeing it with a reflective surface, as it’s a popular recreational lake with boats. This makes it an even better place to spend the night, allowing you to see the lake in all its glory in different lighting as the day turns to sunset, and then, if you’re lucky, a starry night. We highly recommend taking this trip slowly if you can and camping here for the night.
Fairlie Pies
Did you even really take a road trip to Takapō if you didn’t stop along the way for a Fairlie pie? Honestly the trip doesn’t feel complete without a pie from the most famous pie shop in all of New Zealand. We would know; we’ve driven this route countless times, and even though a few of those times we said we wouldn’t stop for a pie… We still ended up stopping in for a pie! Every single time! The pies are just that good. When you get close to the town of Fairlie, you just start dreaming about that flaky pastry and the delicious filling choices that could soon be warming up your belly.
We got to try quite the variety of fillings from the Fairlie pie shop. Our favourite by far was definitely the silverside pie, but they are all delicious. They even have a vegan pie! So there is something for everyone here. There is often a line out the door, but trust us when we say it’s worth the wait. The line does move pretty quickly too. Once you have enjoyed your pie, be sure to wander the town a little too. They have some great shops and even have some artwork displayed on the street just outside of the pie shop.
Three Creeks Vintage Village
This is a quirky little village that we honestly drove past a couple of times before stopping in for a look. The only reason we stopped was because we had my sister with us and she really wanted to see it. But I’m so glad she did make us stop because it really is super cool. It looks alright from the road, but once you get out of your van and have a look around, it just keeps getting quirkier and cooler!
The old general store, blacksmiths, 1950s service station and the trading post have all been somewhat preserved and converted into shops with a heap of eclectic goodies. There’s artwork, retro collectables, furniture, craft and general giftware galore. Scattered around the stores are plenty of old cars and machinery and a plethora of old signs. It’s really quite the vintage vibe, with some beautiful wooden benches and tables to sit on and soak it all in with a snack or hot drink from the retro coffee caravan.
Once you’ve admired all of this retro goodness, have a little wander up the road to look at the old church too. It’s rather cute and makes for a cool pic or two before you hit the road again with only 17 more minutes until you reach the town of Lake Tekapo.
Lake Takapō (Tekapo) Disc Golf
Just before you make it into the town itself, you’ll see a turnoff for Lake Tekapo Regional Park. Be sure to turn down here for an epic disc golf course on the side of the lake! It’s one of the most picturesque disc golf courses we have ever played at, and the only one we have ever done in the snow! If disc golf isn’t your thing, it’s still worth turning off here for a walk along the lake with far fewer people than the lakefront in town. This is where you will turn off if you are an NZMCA member, as the campground is right here with stunning views of the lake and mountains surrounding it. It’s one of our favourite NZMCA campgrounds and the one that you have the best chance of getting snow at during winter.
Be sure to spend a couple of nights at Tekapo exploring the town, swimming in the lake and enjoying the serenity. There is a lot to do here at one of our favourite lakes in all of New Zealand. Once you have soaked up the peaceful vibes of Lake Takapō, continue your road trip with us in next week’s blog post with our favourite stops on the road from Lake Takapō to Queenstown!
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