Canterbury is a large region and a car is the practical requirement for exploring it beyond the city. The distances are significant: Christchurch to Kaikoura is 2 hours north; Christchurch to Akaroa is 90 minutes east; Christchurch to Lake Tekapo is 3.5 hours southwest; Christchurch to Mount Cook is 4.5 hours. The roads are good and mostly well-signed.
State Highway 1 runs north-south through Christchurch, connecting Kaikoura and the Marlborough Sounds to the north, and Timaru and Dunedin to the south.
State Highway 73 (the inland road) heads west from Christchurch through the Waimakariri River gorge to Arthur's Pass and on to Greymouth — this is the road the TranzAlpine train follows.
State Highway 8 runs south and west from Timaru into the Mackenzie Basin, connecting Fairlie, Tekapo, Twizel, and on to Mount Cook. A circular route combining SH1 south and SH8 back north via the Mackenzie is the standard way to cover the southern highlights in two days.
Rental cars are available in Christchurch. InterCity buses serve the main routes but frequencies to Tekapo and Mount Cook are limited. The TranzAlpine train runs daily Christchurch–Greymouth.