gobear

I will be going to NZ with my wife next month and I have panned out a rough itinerary and hope you can check if they are ok

I hope you won't blast at me saying it shouldn't be timed schedule by schedule because most of the time, I am used to it and it usually works fine, but I just hope they look OK unless I am missing something

Thanks in advance!


Oct 17 Day 1 – Tue
2pm - Arrive Queenstown airport
3pm - Pick up car & go to supermarket next to car rental @ New World (1/12 Hawthorne Dr, Remarkables Park, Queenstown 9300) & Asian (4/5 Hawthorne Dr, Frankton, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand) to buy some food/drinks since we will be driving on the car and eat at home for savings
3:30pm - Drive to Arrowtown & drive past
4:30pm - Drive to Wanaka via Cardrona Bra Fence
5:30pm to 6pm - Arrive & check in @ Airbnb
6:30pm - Walk in Wanaka town & Lake
8pm - Hang around Wanaka Tree (for sunset photo) & have dinner nearby
Overnight in Wanaka

Oct 18 Day 2 – Wed
10am - Breakfast
11am - Drive to Treble Cone
11:30am - Arrive & take photos if there is snow
12pm - Drive to Rippons Vineyard
12:30pm - Arrive
1:30pm - Leave & have lunch in Wanaka (shop around if have time)
3pm - Drive to Farm Lavender Wanaka
4pm - Leave & drive to
- Lake Hawea Lookout (20 min drive)
- Lake Wanaka Lookout (10 min drive)
- 5064 Makarora-Lake Hawea Rd, Makarora 9382, New Zealand (15 min drive)
1 hour including photo taking
5:15pm - Drive back
6pm - Arrive Wanaka & walk in shops
DINNER + SUNSET
Overnight in Wanaka (total of 2 nights)

Oct 19 Day 3 – Thur
9am - Breakfast
10am - Head to Mt Cook via Peter's Lookout
1pm - Have lunch (our self pack food)
2pm - Hike for few hours including Hooker Valley Track & Tasman Glacier Car Park
6pm - Drive to Lake Tekapo for lake for lupins, Church Of Shephard etc
8pm - Dinner @ Lake Tekapo
9pm - Drive to Airbnb check in & arrive approx. 9:45pm
Overnight in Lake Tekapo (total of 1 night)


Oct 20 Day 4 – Fri
8am - Breakfast
9am - See the farm sheep, cows, deers @ Airbnb farm place for 30 min to 1 hour?)
10am - Head for Lake Tekapo, Church Of Shephards (if not yet done on previous day)
10:45am - Arrive & stay for half hour
11:15am - Head lunch @ Astro Cafe + Mount John Observatory beside (Astro Cafe, Mount John Observatory, Godley Peaks Rd, Lake Tekapo 7945, New Zealand)
11:45am - Take photos at Mount John Observatory
12:15pm - Lunch @ Astro Cafe
1:30pm - Leave & head back to Queenstown via Ohau Lakeview House
** If early, go to Arrowtown (if day 1 is not enough) + Coronet Peak if have time
7:30pm - Drive to Queenstown for Queenstown lake sunset
8:30pm - Dinner after sunset
9:30pm - Check in @ airbnb
Overnight in Queenstown

Oct 21 Day 5 – Sat
Milford Sound bus tour trip for whole day
Overnight in Queenstown

Oct 22 Day 6 – Sun
9am - Breakfast café in Queenstown + walk in town for a while?
10:30am - Drive to Glenorchy
11:30am - Walk for 1 ½ hours for Glenorchy Lagoon Boardwalk
1pm - Conclude & have something to eat self pack
2pm - Drive to Glenorchy Animal Experience
3:30pm - Drive back to Queenstown via Moke Lake Road
5:30pm - Queenstown Hill for hiking to enjoy sunset
8:30pm - Return to Queenstown for dinner
Overnight in Queenstown

Oct 23 Day 7 – Mon
9:30am - Breakfast in Queenstown
11am - Head for Mt Nicholas Farm Experience cruise + lunch
2:30pm - Cruise return back
3:30pm – Head to Queenstown gondola ride + luge game
7:15pm - Drive to Onsen Hot Poot Queenstown for 8pm session
9pm - Dinner @ Queenstown

Oct 24 Day 8 – Tue
9am - Drive to Coronet Peak, Queenstown Garden (or Arrowtown if not done on Day 1)
11am - Brunch in Queenstown
12pm - Head to airport for 3pm flight back home

Melnq8

Where are you flying in from? This will determine if you should even be driving your day of arrival.

Treble Cone closes Oct 1.

I won't 'blast' you for planning your trip to the minute, but I will say that by doing so you've left no room for contingencies, such as potential bad weather, road works, spontaneous side trips or unexpected surprises, let alone down time.

Scheduling every minute of a trip would send me screaming in the opposite direction, but if it works for you, so be it. I just hope that by doing so you don't get stressed if things go awry, as they so often do.

Otherwise, your itinerary looks full on, but doable.

You might want to make sure your Air BNB owners are happy with such late check-in times. I wouldn't be.

gobear

Thanks for the feedback
Yeah, I had aready confirmed with the airbnb owners previously and they are happy woth the late check in so its cool

In regards to Treble Cone, I also had contacted them and they said we can drive up there and take some photos even the snow season is over, so mainly is for the driving scenery and play some snow at the top!

Yes I have left the time for unexpected surprise, bad weather etc but guess what, I have confidence in some way because everytime I go on an oversea trip, it usually goes my way. I guess thats the law of attraction

Diamantina

You might be too early to see the invasive yet colorful Russell lupins in Mackenzie Basin.

Your itinerary looks doable. My major concern would be driving to Wanaka after arrival. This is not an easy drive for a tired person, that could be made worse by poor weather (fog, slippery road surface, etc). You'll have to pay great attention when traveling over Crown Range Road and be able to react quickly to other drivers who might decide to take risks passing in unfavorable or dangerous conditions (this is the sort of thing I mean: https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queens...us-crown-range).

There is a webcam for Crown Range Road you can check before driving and prepare you for the weather ahead.
http://www.metservice.com/national/t...ams/queenstown

NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) has predicted a warmer-than-average spring, but said, "It's important to remind people it doesn't mean there won't be cold snaps or chilly days." NZ's weather continually surprises. This was a day on Crown Range Road last November.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8690...-on-queenstown