The long way
south

The route · at a glance

drive the islands, fly the gaps

Flights · at a glance

every leg, in order · all confirmed

Times are local to each airport. The LAX→Auckland leg crosses the international date line, so you depart Jan 2 and land Jan 4 (Jan 3 vanishes) — which is why you’ve booked the Auckland room from Jan 3. Coming home, the date line runs in reverse: you leave Christchurch on Mar 3 and land LAX earlier the same morning.

North Island · the appetizer

~14 nights · early January

The hinge · Australia

~5 nights · mid January

South Island · the main course

~39 nights · the prize

From friends who've lived it · Kim & Hudson

three months on the ground, distilled

Logistics · the moving parts

flights, cars & honest drive times

The flight chain

1. 1Savannah → LAX · Delta, on miles · ✅ booked — Thu Dec 31, then two nights in Manhattan Beach to reset before the big haul.
2. 2LAX → Auckland · Air NZ Business Premier · ✅ booked — Sat Jan 2, 8:00pm → lands Auckland Mon Jan 4, 5:50am. The long one; year-round, no seasonal cliff.
3. 3Wellington → Melbourne · ✅ booked — Qantas QF172 nonstop, Mon Jan 18, 2:35pm → 4:40pm (4h05m). Lands mid-afternoon — relaxed settle before Tue's opening AO session.
4. 4Melbourne → Queenstown · ✅ booked — Qantas QF177 nonstop, Sat Jan 23, 7:20am → 12:25pm (3h05m). Lands lunchtime — full first afternoon on the South Island (Hertz pickup 1pm — tight but fine).
5. 5Christchurch → Auckland → LAX · Air NZ, one ticket · ✅ booked — Wed Mar 3 (CHC 4:05pm → AKL → LAX 11:25am). Solves the Christchurch dead-end, no Sydney detour, bags check through.
6. 6LAX → Savannah · Delta, on miles · ✅ booked — Thu Mar 4, after an LA overnight → home.

Dates: depart Savannah Thu Dec 31 → 2 nts Shade Hotel, Redondo Beach ✅ → LAX→Auckland Sat Jan 2 (8:00pm) → land Auckland Mon Jan 4, 5:50am — book the Jan 3 night so the room's ready when you stumble in. Home: Wed Mar 3 Christchurch→Auckland→LAX (one Air NZ ticket, land LAX 11:25am) → overnight LA (Mar 3 — still to book) → Thu Mar 4 LAX→Savannah. The Delta bookends and the Air NZ ticket are separate tickets — keep the LA cushion each way; no through-checked bags across airlines.

Two one-way rental cars

No ferry-with-vehicle — two separate rentals, both on NZ's most popular one-way routes:

• North Island car: ✅ Booked — Hertz, Kia Sportage (midsize SUV). Pick up Auckland Downtown Jan 7 · 9am → drop Wellington Airport Jan 18 · 9am. Confirm Amex NZ coverage or add LDW.
• South Island car: ✅ Booked — Hertz, Kia Seltos (compact SUV). Pick up Queenstown Airport Jan 23 · 1pm → drop Christchurch Airport Mar 3 · 1pm (clears your 4:05pm flight). Add excess cover / LDW or confirm Amex NZ coverage before pickup.

Accurate drive times

Real distances and typical times — NZ roads drive slower than the kilometres suggest (winding, hilly), so these are honest, not optimistic:

Pins to remember

• TennisAO is Jan 11–31; you're catching first-week sessions Tue–Thu (~Jan 19–22), done by the middle Saturday. Weekday seats are easier than the middle weekend — but book early.
• SeasonFebruary is NZ's peak. Best weather, highest prices, and cars and lodging book out — Queenstown and Christchurch especially. Lock early.
• CarsTwo rentals, not one — a North Island car, then a South Island car after Melbourne. No ferry-with-vehicle, no big one-way fees.
• DrivesThe glacier coast → Nelson leg is the one long haul (~6 hr). Break it at Punakaiki. Everything else is ≤3.5 hr and scenic.
• AlpineMt Cook is east, the glaciers are west. Pick one as your alpine fix or detour to Mt Cook from Wanaka — don't try to chain both.
• PaceEvery base is 2BR and ≥2 nights, two week-long hubs anchor each island, and ~10 nights of slack let you slow whatever grabs you.