Lollies and chips can only sustain you so far. Here are five of our favourite New Zealand road trips, with burger pairings to enjoy along the way.

Auckland to Northland

I know not everyone is a fan of new roads being built, but the drive from Auckland to Northland is a perfect case study in the joys of a motorway. Once you make it out of the city, you’re quickly on the beautiful new Puhoi to Warkworth expressway – a glorious trip surrounded by vast gullies and lush greenery. At times, you’ll drive straight through perfectly carved out hills. Obviously, by the time you reach Warkworth you’re back on the old state highway one (unless you opt for the longer, windier and ever-so-slightly-more scenic back roads), but it has its own charm. 

From there you weave through Dome Valley, passing through towns like Wellsford and Te Hana (where you should absolutely stop for a pie at the Te Hana Cafe, then carefully cross the road to check out the excellent Hospice Shop). If you’re after another detour, or a perfect holiday destination, turn off a little further north and spend some time in Waipu – there’s a museum that’s well worth a visit and the McLeod’s brewery is an excellent lunch stop – I recommend pairing anything with one of their Paradise Pale Ales.

Once you’re back on the main road, your next main centre is Whangārei. Here you’ll find the resplendent Hundertwasser Art Centre (you can either pay to enter it or marvel at the architecture from the outside) perched on the edge of the water just out of the town centre. If you’re still in the mood for shopping, Whangārei has some of the country’s best op shops (I particularly love the Habitat for Humanity Restore) along with a pretty decent range of mall outlets. 

Heading further north, you’ll wind your way along to Paihia. It’s a tourist hotspot, so you’ll have to be prepared for a lot of summertime traffic – but you’ll probably be a tourist too, so who really cares? If you’re an adrenaline junkie there’s plenty to entertain you here, but I personally prefer an ice cream and a wander along the waterfront. Another beer can’t hurt, either. An afternoon stroll through the nearby Waitangi Treaty Grounds is a must and I also recommend checking out the excellent museum. Beyond this, go for a swim at Rainbow Falls in Kerikeri. It’s stunning and easy to access. What better way to start your summer holiday? / Stewart Sowman-Lund

Burger pairing: Take a pit stop at BurgerFuel Whangārei – I can’t go past the classic American Muscle – NZ beef, cheddar, pickles, mustard and aioli.

Picnic spot: Anywhere near the water – there are so many places to choose from! 

Christchurch to Tekapo via Tīmaru

One of the best things about driving through Te Waiponamu is that the scenery can change in seconds. A summertime road trip from Christchurch to Tekapo will take you from a bustling city to the rolling hills and aquamarine glacial waters of the Mackenzie Country in only a few hours. It’s one of the most contrasting drives in the country, and can you imagine if you throw a quick detour to Timaru into the mix? Your eyes can only handle so much beauty.  

Begin by driving south from Christchurch along State Highway 1, where you’ll marvel at how straight a single road can be. You’ll soon encounter one of life’s great pleasures, which is holding your breath across the entire 1765 metres of the Rakaia river bridge. If you’re feeling light-headed afterwards, be sure to stop at Rakaia’s magnificent giant salmon statue, while also enjoying the fine playground and ablution facilities nearby.

Instead of turning inland towards Geraldine (stop there on the way back though, it’s a delight), stay on SH1 and keep driving south towards Timaru. Why? This city may be famous for its woolly sheep, hardy shepherds and the world’s smallest penguins, but did you know its crime rate is also lower than the New Zealand average? What a town! Once you’ve had a bite to eat at BurgerFuel, take a fascinating visit to the Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre, followed by a refreshing dip at sweet Caroline Bay.

As you resume your journey, head north west towards the Mackenzie Country and don’t miss the Fairlie Bakehouse, home to the best pies in the country, or the quirky historic village at Burke’s Pass filled with charming Kiwiana and auto memorabilia. Once you reach Tekapo, be sure to visit the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of the lake. It’s worth staying the night, because as a UNESCO dark sky reserve, Tekapo is the perfect spot for stargazing. It may be only three hours away from Christchurch, but this road trip takes you to another world. / Tara Ward

Burger pairing: Stop at BurgerFuel Timaru for The Rodfather – a crumbed hoki mini burger with cheddar, sriracha coconut sauce, pineapple, tajin and lime seasoning – a good one to have by the sea.

Picnic spot: Overlooking the golden sands of Timaru’s Caroline Bay – while keeping watch for those penguins, of course. 

Auckland to the Bay of Plenty

An early start is best if you can bear it, cheating the universe by blatting it down a clear southern motorway. On this route you’ll be taking a left from SH1 on to SH2 along with the people about to have a holiday that isn’t as good as yours, in the Coromandel, but you might want to follow them for one minute off the roundabout to caffeinate at the Corner Stone Cafe. Swiftly back on to SH2 and south, with the Kaimai Range peeling down to your left. 

At this point you’re craving a beautiful and bucolic Waikato town, and you’re spoilt for choice. Matamata: charming. Morrinsville: charming. Could you ask for more charming than Te Aroha? (You could not.) A perfect size for a stroll around the old gold-rush beauty: a good playground, if you need it; some excellent op shops; and, obviously, pop in to the Four Square to stock up on that great classic of New Zealand fizz: Lemon and Te Aroha (no, really). If you need a bigger walk than that, tackle a chunk of the Mt Te Aroha summit track.

Make sure you’re sufficiently fuelled (or powered) before turning up into the resplendent Kamai Range itself, curling up and towards the Tauranga coast. After conquering the crest of the Kamai road, pop in to McLaren Falls for a cup of tea, a swim in one of the idyllic pools and – if that’s what you’re into – a bit of kayaking or camping or even disc golf. Marshalls Animal Park is right next door. If you want a more rugged plunge, then continue a few minutes further and hang a left on Poripori Road, where the cars parked on the grass verge will lead you to a deeply satisfying and satisfyingly deep river swimming hole. Now you deserve the great reward: just 20 more minutes on the road will get you to BurgerFuel Mount Maunganui. / Toby Manhire

Burger pairing: Bacon BBQ Roadster – it’s in the name. With NZ beef, cheddar, bacon, onion rings, salad, relish and aioli.

Picnic spot: Just a couple of minutes away, on the harbour coast at the feet of the Mount is the calm, idyllic, picnic-perfect Pilot Bay. 

Wellington to Wairarapa 

I love Wellington in summer but there is nothing like hitting the highway and seeing the harbour shrink in the rearview mirror with the promise of a warmer climate and the witchy shop in Featherston on the horizon. 

You’re going to want a healthy slather of sunblock for the road (as a 10th generation ginger I’ll never not bang that drum), sunglasses and water, too. The ideal car snack is of course the humble apple: the traveller’s fruit (especially if devoured core, stalk and all. If not, carry a compostable bag to throw the remains in). 

The road to the vineyard-spackled Wairarapa plains is full of promising adventures: you can stop off for a swim at Pito-one, and a coffee for the road at the famous Seashore Cabaret; turn off for an epic detour to Upper Hutt’s own animal paradise, Staglands; or go blueberry picking at Blueberry Fields to top up your car snacks. 

After Upper Hutt you come to the jewel in the crown of this pleasingly short road trip (it’s approximately 68km between central Wellington and Featherston, the gateway to the Wairarapa). The trick to the whole experience is treating the soaring, bush-cloaked Rimutaka range as a destination in and of itself. For those prone to motion sickness I highly recommend using the viewing point – The Remutaka Hill View Point Car Park – along the way as an opportunity for fresh air while you admire the sweeping valley. You’ll feel like you’ve truly left the city behind and it’ll be a welcome break before your descent.  / Claire Mabey

Burger pairing: Stop in at BurgerFuel Lower Hutt for the V8 Vegan with a side of Spud Fries and vegan aioli.

Picnic spot: Close by is the pretty Māoribank Park with plenty of green to picnic on and a playground for the kids to burn off their burger energy before you hit the Rimutakas, the last hurdle before the majestic Wairarapa unfolds before you.

Napier to Gisborne

A classic New Zealand road trip, made more raw and poignant due to the ongoing recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. That’s not a reason to avoid it, even though the cleanup remains very much a work-in-progress, more a reason to head down and support a region which desperately needs it.

Begin in Napier. Stretch your legs on the beach, hit the road, then wind through the Esk Valley, one of the most abundant growing regions in Aotearoa. It’s still studded with vineyards and orchards, some well and truly open for business, others still recovering. From there you enter a twisting, rising and falling stretch of State Highway 2, before hitting the best stretch of the trip, one ripe with potential detours which beg to be lingered over.

Stop at Wairoa, and follow the river down to Whakamahi Beach. Or, better yet, head west up to lake Waikaremoana, with spectacular views from on high or up close. Further around you enter a part of the country which feels like two worlds in one area, a cypher for where New Zealand is at as a country at the moment. 

Turn right for the Māhia peninsula, scenic and wild in its own right, but with Rocket Lab’s closely guarded spaceport right near its southern-most tip at Ahuriri Point. On towards Gisborne, rolling hill country takes you through towns which feel like a window into 1960s New Zealand, almost preserved in aspic. Then, minutes away, you re-enter wine country, with natural wine pioneers Millton alongside a host of exceptional vineyards. 

When you finally make it into Gisborne, you’re there – but also, keep going. A few kilometres up the road lies Wainui Beach, home to one of New Zealand’s greatest surf breaks. A rugged road, rich in contrasts, with plenty to distract you along the way, Napier-Gisborne is a classic slice of New Zealand, both its past and future in one. / Duncan Greive

Burger pairing: To fuel up before you head off, grab a Modifried Thunderbird from BurgerFuel Napier – crispy fried chicken, jalapeños, chipotle aioli.  

Picnic spot: High contrast Napier Beach, with its aquamarine waves and volcanic black sand, is just four minutes away.