Popular this month
Tesla Model 3 Performance
Best for couples and long driving days
Often booked for Christchurch to Queenstown trips
From NZ$230 per day
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South Island road trip car hire from Christchurch
Premium vehicles for multi-day drives. Enter your trip dates to see live availability and pricing.
From NZ$230 per day · exact rate for your dates in the next step
5.0 on Google · Christchurch local team · Flexible cancellation
Most booked for South Island trips
Travellers planning Christchurch to Queenstown and wider South Island loops often start with these three. Pick one and check availability, or compare the full fleet below.
Commonly chosen for the main South Island highway routes
Range Rover Sport (Diesel)
Top pick for alpine and scenic touring
From NZ$280 per day
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Check early for peak weekends
Mercedes-AMG GLB 35
Strong choice for groups and luggage
From NZ$250 per day
Check availability View vehicle detailsWhat kind of trip are you planning?
Choose the trip closest to yours. We will point you to routes and vehicles that fit.
Why Dream Drives?
We're not a standard rental company. Here's the difference.
We set up our fleet and service for South Island road trips and multi-day touring, not inner-city short hires. If that is your trip, you are in the right place.
| Standard rental | Dream Drives |
|---|---|
| Basic vehicles | Curated premium vehicles |
| Generic experience | Memorable driving experience |
| Anonymous service | Christchurch-based local service |
| Highly rated by travellers |
Simple, transparent pricing
From NZ$230 per day across the fleet. No hidden fees, and no surprise charges at checkout. What you see for your dates is what you pay for the vehicle.
Christchurch airport pickup can be arranged on your booking. Full inclusions are confirmed when you select your vehicle.
Our fleet
Hand-picked premium and performance vehicles for South Island road trips. Each car is chosen for the experience it delivers.
Popular South Island Drives
Imagine the journey, not just the car. Explore these iconic routes and plan the right vehicle for each.
Christchurch → Queenstown
Alpine passes, lakes, and one of New Zealand's most memorable drives.
Explore this route Christchurch → Lake TekapoBig skies, turquoise water, and an easy scenic escape from Christchurch.
Explore this route Christchurch → KaikōuraA coastal drive with ocean views, wildlife stops, and fresh sea air.
Explore this routeWhat our customers say
Rated 5.0 on Google
Had a wonderful time hiring out a Range Rover. The vehicle was very clean and ran beautifully. I was silly enough to curb one of the rims but Adam and Grace were great with communication and quickly found a solution. They were very respectful for such an annoying situation caused by me. 10/10 will be return customers when we are in the area next. Already eyeing up their collection of Suzuki Jimny's for our next adventure
Amazing experience renting from Adam and Grace at Dream Drives!!! I rented the Range Rover Sport, which was immaculately maintained and "drove like a dream." Throughout the rental process, the team at DD were incredibly responsive, accommodating, and helpful. Pickup and drop off were seamless, taking mere minutes. Rental rates were extremely reasonable, especially given the quality of the cars and the attentive service. There is NO reason not to go with Dream Drives!! Would easily recommend over any other NZ rental company.
We had an amazing adventure to Christchurch. The vehicle was beautifully presented and wonderful to drive. The communication was fast and easy. The pick up and drop off went extremely easily. We had a wonderful time and experience and are especially thankful for the added value of having carseats available.
So much fun driving the Tesla Model Y. Very affordable and awesome customer service. Highly recommend and will use the services in future again. Thank you Adam and Grace.
Good service and friendly staff. Was extremely happy with the car we hired. Definitely recommend Dream Drives!!
Family of five, two weeks around the South Island! We rented the Mercedes V Shuttle and it was honestly the perfect choice. It was super comfy for the long drives, really spacious (plenty of room for everyone and luggage), and surprisingly economical on fuel which made a big difference over two weeks of exploring. Adam was who we dealt with and his communication was top notch from start to finish - quick replies, clear instructions, and just genuinely lovely to work with. The whole process felt easy and stress-free (unlike the larger rental companies) and the vehicle was exactly what we needed for a family road trip. Highly recommend Dream Drives and we'd absolutely 100% book with them again!
Planning a trip in March or beyond?
Demand on the Christchurch to Queenstown route and other South Island road trip corridors runs year-round, with extra pressure in holiday periods. The quickest way to decide is to check what is still available for your exact dates.
Lock in your South Island drive
About 30 seconds to enter your dates and see instant pricing. Then choose the car that fits your trip, or ask us for a recommendation.