It takes just over 6 hours if you don't stop anywhere along the way. However, there are many nice places to stop & visit, and the scenery is spectacular for most of the drive, so count on at least a few stops for photo opportunities. It can take longer during peak holiday periods (Christmas, New Years, Easter etc) due to high volumes of traffic (many with boats, caravans, trailers, etc) as it is single-lane highway the whole way, with limited overtaking opportunities in some places. References : Personal experience – lived in Christchurch for >20 years & have made the trip quite a few times.
April 12th, 2009 on 2:00 pm
7hrs 15 mins – It's 486 km.
See source for more info.
References :
http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/driving.html
April 12th, 2009 on 2:17 pm
It takes just over 6 hours if you don't stop anywhere along the way. However, there are many nice places to stop & visit, and the scenery is spectacular for most of the drive, so count on at least a few stops for photo opportunities. It can take longer during peak holiday periods (Christmas, New Years, Easter etc) due to high volumes of traffic (many with boats, caravans, trailers, etc) as it is single-lane highway the whole way, with limited overtaking opportunities in some places.
References :
Personal experience – lived in Christchurch for >20 years & have made the trip quite a few times.