Question on proposed new zealand itinerary?

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I have only visited the south island of New Zealand.

I would be inclined to spend a little longer than two days in and around Christchurch. On your way down from Wellington to Christchurch I would recommend a stop off, if only for half a day, at Kaikoura and go on a whale watching tour.

I assume you will be driving. Try and work in a drive through the southern alp mountains on highway 73 crossing from the west to east coasts or vice versa. Fantastic scenery. I'd almost go back just to do that again haha!

Whatever you do, I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy it. On reflection looking back on my visit to NZ, there is nothing I look back on now and think I shouldn't have gone to such a place or spent my time and money on that, it was all worth it.

Here are some activities you may already have found while researching your trip but in any event I recommend them.

http://www.franzjosefglacier.com/heli-hike.html

http://www.whalewatch.co.nz/index.asp

http://www.alpinejet.co.nz/

http://www.canterburyaviation.co.nz/
(I went on the Mount Cook and glaciers scenic flight, superb!)

Regrettably I missed out on Queenstown. Considering how good everything else was, it's quite an incentive to go back in summer 2009.

crunchie92

I did a similar route 6 months ago.
mine was 2nights in christchurch, 1 in arthurs pass, 1 at Fox Glacier, 2 in Queenstown, 1 in Lake Tekapo, 1 in Kaikoura, 1 in Picton, 1 in Taihape, 2 in Rotorua and 1 in Auckland.

I wouldnt suggest 2 days in Taupo. Taupo is only like an hr away from Rotorua, instead maybe a extra day in rotorua and u can do a day trip there. I haven't been to Napier and gisbornes. Christchurch there isnt much to do but 2 days would be plenty. Queenstown was what my family enjoyed the most. I spose because my sis and i are teens and Queenstown caters a lot for young adults. A must in Queenstown is a Helicopter ride, JET BOATING! and even a possibly bungy!. We stayed at Fox Glacier instead of Franz Josef which was like 30mins away. You wont need 2nights there, we were booked to go on a helicopter up to the glaciers but NZ experiences a lot of bad weather (like scottland, it can hve 4 seasons in one day) so regurlarly the flights dont go, this happened in our case. We also walked up a trail to go see the start of the glacier. This was around 45mins there and 45 back. Not suggested for young children, elderly and people not stable on their feet as can be very dangerous and slippery. There isnt anything really in Picton. We went to Picton because we were catchin the fairy to Wellington to go to the North Island.
In Christchurch, Rotorua and Queenstown there are Gondolas. I went on all 3, id have to say that i liked Christchurch the best, probably because it was my first time id been on one and had actually seen the country, but the queenstown one didnt include the luge, which was lots of fun. Wellington you wont need 3 days, id say 2.

I hope you have LOTS of fun, New Zealand is a beautiful country with beautiful, kind people... Also i wouldnt bother pre booking accomodation except for Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington. The other towns have MANY hotels and motels and if you call in the afternoon you could get your tariff for a lot cheaper. This worked well when my family and I went to Queenstown. We stayed at this wonderful place called 'The Glebe' (check out the website www.theglebe.co.nz) We asked for the tariff they said AUD$300 (i think, roughly round there for a 2bed apartment) We said we didnt want to pay that much so they said $220!!! My dad tried to see if he could get any cheaper and they gave us an apartment for $180 and it was EXCELLENT!! By the way hotels in Franz Josef can be very pricy!! Also if you are driving from Franz Josef to Queenstown, be VERY careful when you get to Fox Glacier because at Fox Glacier there is a last petrol(gas) stop. Where when we went they were asking for $1.70 per litre because they are the last petrol station for like a few hundred km!!! RIP OFF!! so try and refill before then!!

ABCDEFGHIJK

Hamilton Is A Quiet, Small Area Nothing Fun About It. Picton is The Same.

Ed W

You need to add a trip to the North of the North Island.
The Bay of Islands.
Keri Keri.
Sliding down the sand dunes.

Jon G

Sounds like a pretty good itinerary - makes me want to go back!!

The only things that we did and enjoyed that are missing are:

a) Milford Sound
b) Mount Cook
c) Kaikoura for the whale watching

Vic P

PLEASE try to fit in the Coromandel which is only 1.5 hrs from Auckland.My wife and I live in Tairua after living in Auckland for 30 years where I settled after leaving Romford.
Look me up when your here and I'll make sure that part of the trip is awesome. www.tairua.org .
It really dont matter where you go in NZ as its the people that make it the trip of a life time. It also helps if you like rugby!!!

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