Help! I did not plan this February 2011 New Zealand trip as I usually do by researching on the boards and with books to determine feasibility. Instead, I planned a little bit impulsively so I'm looking for pointers for how to make this work and other improvements I could make-I've secured a lot of reservations that will be hard to undo at this point. I also have a few gaps that I could use help filling in.
I do tend to pack alot in when I travel so please keep this in mind. Most of my trips have involved moving to a new place almost every day or every other day...
Details:
Day 1: Arrive at Auckland-stay overnight in Aucklans
Day 2: Drive to Taupo. Night in Taupo
Day 3: Night in Taupo. Drive to Hawke's Bay Napier for the day (?)
Day 4: Night in Taupo. Tongariro National Park
Day 5: Drive to Rotorua. Night in Rotorua
Day 6: Night in Rotorua. Drive to Waitomo Caves (?)
Day 7: Fly out of Rotorua to Queenstown. Night in Te Anau
Day 8: Milford Sound overnight cruise
Day 9: Night in Te Anau
Day 10: Drive all day to Franz Josef. Night in Franz Josef
Day 11: Franz Josef heli-hike
Day 12: Drive to Greymouth. Night in Greymouth
Day 13: not sure-Westport?
Day 14: not sure ??
Day 15: Abel Tasman Kayak trip
Day 16: Abel Tasman Kayak trip
Day 17: not sure ?? stay in Motueka?
Day 18: Drive to Christchurch (all day ?)
Day 19: Fly out of Christchurch
Thanks for the help...i'm a little nervous at this point so would really appreciate feedback on how I could improve this at this point. It's coming up very quickly.
Am I crazy...asking for trouble with this New Zealand Itinerary?
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I assume the things with question marks are what you haven't booked?
YOu sure have a lot of wobbling about between days 2 and 7. I don't think I'd drive to Napier. Instead why don't you look for a room in National Park (try the Park Lodge) and do the Tongariro Crossing. I was able to find a last minute room there in January and found it pretty nice (although no view from the room). You can drive back to Taupo on Night 4.
http://www.the-park.co.nz/
I think there is enough to see around Rotorua without driving round trip to Waitomo, usually people see them on Day 2 as they head south from Auckland.
Day 13 I might suggest a drive up to Karamea and the end of the Heaphy Track.
Day 14 you will want to drive to wherever you are locating prior to Abel Tasman.
Day 17 maybe Nelson, or drive partway to Christchurch on that day, stay perhaps around Kaikoura.
I assume you are locked into flying out of Christchurch? The drive from Motueka to Christchurch would be a really long day, and you wouldn't have any time to see CC. You could easily spend days 14-16 staying in and exploring the Abel Tasman/Motueka/Nelson area, and then fly from Nelson to Christchurch on day 17 and then have day 18 to spend in CC. We're devoting 4 days to AT for our upcoming trip in March. I think the rest seems fairly do-able, but I'll let the experts weigh in as I haven't been to NZ yet. Have a great trip!
I assume you know that Te Anau to Franz Josef is an eight hour drive (560 km)?
Are you committed to spending Night 12 in Greymouth? If not, I'd suggest you keep driving and spend that night in Punakaiki or Westport, then continue north the following day.
Assuming your base for Abel Tasman is Marahau/Motueka or Kaiteriteri, I'd suggest spending Nights 13 and 14 in Takaka...loads to do around Golden Bay, including exploring Abel Tasman from the opposite end.
On Day 17 you could head to Blenheim for a night or continue on to Kaikoura, which would make your drive day to Christchurh much shorter than from Motueka or Nelson and would give you a full day in Christchurch prior to your flight. Or, depending on your flight time on Day 19, you could spend a second night in Kaikoura, which would give you time to take a whale tour or whatever.