Auckland to Wellington on State Highway 1 with a caravan or motorhome
Auckland to Wellington on State Highway 1 runs 671 km from Auckland to Wellington. With a car and caravan, you're looking at about 11 hours behind the wheel. Our map shows it sealed the whole way.
We planned it on Motocamp's own router for a car and caravan and for a motorhome, at the sizes in the table below, so every number here comes from a real plan, not a guess.
The stops: Auckland · Hamilton · Taupō · Waiouru · Palmerston North · Wellington
Is Auckland to Wellington on State Highway 1 OK for a car and caravan?
Yes, on our plan. It gets through for a car and caravan without using a road signed too low, too short or closed to caravans. Here's what to keep an eye on.
- 4 km of it is steeper than 8%. The steepest kilometre is about 9% downhill on State Highway 1, at km 410.
- It keeps you off 8 nearby roads with a signed limit your rig wouldn't clear, like Lower Hobson Street (10.3 m long), Grand Drive (no caravans) and Hydro Road (8 m long).
The plan, rig by rig
| Car and caravan | Motorhome | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | 671 km | 671 km |
| Driving time | about 11 hours | about 11 hours |
| Unsealed | none | none |
| Steeper than 8% | 4 km | 4 km |
| Total climb | 4,295 m | 4,295 m |
| Longest gap between fuel | 61 km | 61 km |
| Signed limits it goes round | 8 | 7 |
| Planned at | 3 m high, 11.4 m long and 5.2 t | 3.4 m high, 7.6 m long and 6 t |
Towns on the way
Caravan parks on the way
- Huntly Camping and Caravan Park · km 92
- Hamilton City Holiday Park · km 128
- Cambridge Top 10 Holiday Park · km 150
- Glenview Holiday Park · km 211
- Taupo TOP 10 Holiday Park · km 276
- Great Lake Taupo Holiday Park · km 278
- Motutere Bay Holiday Park · km 310
- Motuoapa Bay Holiday Park · km 320
- Turangi Kiwi Holiday Park · km 329
- Palmerston North Holiday Park · km 532
- Paekakariki Holiday Park · km 629
Free camps on the way
- Cox's Bay Esplanade · km 1
- Moana Roa Recreational Reserve Freedom Camping · km 164
- Tokoroa Memorial Sportsground Freedom Camping · km 212
- Hinemaiaia Reserve Carparks · km 302
- Pillars of Hercules Carpark · km 345
- Simpsons Domain Campsite · km 464
- Tokomaru Domain Freedom Camping · km 550
- Donnelly Park (Levin) Freedom Camping · km 582
- Field Way Carpark Freedom Camping · km 614
- Marine Parade (opp. 54) Freedom Camping · km 620
- Mana Domain Freedom Camping · km 646
- Evans Bay Marina car park Freedom Camping · km 671
- and 34 more in the app
National park and other campgrounds
- Remuera Motor Park · km 7
- Glenview Club Motorhome Park · km 129 · fees apply
- Epworth Retreat and Recreation Centre · km 172
- Lake Taupo Holiday Resort · km 275
- Tongariro Junction Accommodation · km 329
- Abbassia Camp · km 386
- NZMCA Park Marton · km 488
- Kapiti Holiday Resort · km 618
- Plimmerton NZMCA Park · km 644
- Barnett Street Car Park · km 671 · fees apply
- and 24 more in the app
Rest areas
- Motorway Service Area · km 0
- Papakura Motorway Service Area · km 33
- Bombay Motorway Service Area · km 46
- Taupiri Service Centre · km 102
- Water Fill Point (Taihape) · km 420 · water
- Pukerua Bay Scenic Point · km 637
Dump points
- Dump Station · km 0
- at Cambridge Top 10 Holiday Park · km 150
- at Lake Taupo Holiday Resort · km 275
- at Taupo DeBretts Spa Resort · km 281
- Caravan Dump Station (Taihape) · km 419
- Playford Park Dump Station (Levin) · km 577
- at El Rancho · km 615
- at Capital Lodge Motor Inn · km 663
- and 12 more in the app
Fuel stops
- Z · km 0
- Caltex · km 7
- BP Takanini · km 27
- Z Bombay · km 46
- Gull Norton Road · km 122
- Mobil Lake Road · km 123
- BP Truck stop · km 213
- Mangaweka Retro Gasoline Station · km 440
- Mobil Otaki · km 598
- BP Roadmaster · km 671
- and 39 more in the app
Plan this trip for your own rig
Free for 14 days. Cancel any time.
Tell Motocamp what you drive, from an enduro bike to a motorhome, and it plans this trip for that vehicle: the roads it fits, the low bridges and closed roads to steer clear of, and places to stay on the way. The maps keep working where there's no signal.
Plan this trip for your own rig Already have Motocamp NZ? Open it hereCamps, fuel and road limits come from OpenStreetMap and state agencies, and some can be missing or out of date. Distances are along our plan. Always go by the signs on the road.