A transplanted Yank hits the road in a compact motor home to explore New Zealand’s offbeat towns and eye-grabbing countryside.

Seeing the South Island of New Zealand from the air is a bizarre way to start a road trip, especially for someone who is afraid of heights. "Get ready now," shouts my tandem paragliding instructor, as we start running full tilt down the steep angle of Coronet Peak, dodging clumps of tussock grass and lichen-covered rocks.

"One . . . two . . . three," he yells, and suddenly I'm running on air, the ground sucked away from my feet as we catch a thermal and soar into the sky. I'm hitched into a tandem harness that's like sitting double on a swing, clutching the cords that rise to the brightly colored parachute arcing over our heads. The instructor controls our speed and direction; my job is simply to enjoy the ride.

I open my eyes a fraction, and all fear is lost in the view. Clouds snag and tear on mountains (aptly named the Remarkables) that soar up around us in colors that seem lit from within: Yellows flare like molten gold, and greens glow like algae. In the distance, S-shaped Lake Wakatipu winds through the mountains, swept by mysterious tides. Maori legend tells of a great monster named Matau, whose beating heart causes the rising and falling of the water. Off to the right I can see Queenstown, the crown jewel of Lake Wakatipu and the beginning of our road trip.

Queenstown is a small resort town with elegant schist-paved streets and a mercurial energy that has earned it the title of Adventure Capital of the World. Bungee jumping, paragliding, Zorbing, white-water sledging, snowboarding, heli-hiking—every adrenaline-fueled sport I can think of—is on offer here, including a few I've never imagined.

Although soaring like a hawk is a great way to feel the enormity of the landscape, driving is still my favorite way to experience it. New Zealand unveils wave after wave of jaw-dropping landscapes, one moment serene and pastoral, with golden wheat fields and wide, braided rivers, the next surging with the upheaval of snow-capped mountains more than 10,000 feet tall, then splashing out in turquoise seas that would make the Caribbean envious. Every time you get behind the wheel the landscape changes. To really see New Zealand, you need the freedom to take that road less traveled.

I'm an American who has lived in New Zealand for the past five years. I met Liz Kevey (a Kiwi from Whangarei) in Wellington two years ago; and a shared love of rugby, wine, and travel quickly forged our friendship. Liz is often bemused by my love affair with her country. She's familiar with Christchurch, but she hasn't explored much of the rest of the island, and so we planned a seven-day road trip through the heart of the South Island landscape: a crescent route starting from Queenstown, up the West Coast, climbing over remote Arthur's Pass, to the East Coast, and doubling back to Christchurch, with its standout gardens and parks.