A few things to keep in mind as you plan:

<Not looking to do long days of driving>

It can be difficult to see much of NZ w/o quite a lot of driving, unless you plan to fly between some locations (and airports aren't necessarily where you'd like them to be).

For instance, Fiordland (Milford Sound) is a four hour drive each way from Queenstown, and two hours each way from Te Anau. The glaciers are a six hour drive each way from Queenstown.

It'll also be difficult to fit both Australia and NZ into three weeks, even if you only visit one island of NZ. You'll have to make some tough choices.

Distances in Australia are vast, and it takes much longer to get from point A to point B in NZ than you might expect, as roads are narrow, winding and generally just one lane in each direction.

January is a busy time in many parts of Australia & NZ due to school holidays (although 'busy' in NZ is relative) - the kids are out for summer and many families are traveling. Accommodation rates tend to soar during school holidays.

None of this is meant to discourage you - Australia and NZ are wonderful countries, but they both offer so darn much, that it can be hard to narrow things down.

The 'top spots' on the SI of NZ for first time visitors...the trip over Arthur's Pass, the glaciers, Wanaka, Queenstown, Milford Sound & Mt Cook. Those alone could fill over a week.

Abel Tasman & the Marlborough Sounds are also very popular, but in the opposite direction.

Yeah Melnq8 is right. For example, the ideal amount of time to spend on the South island alone would be 3 weeks. Given that you are likely to have probably 10 days - two weeks in NZ you will definitely have to prioritise.

For example, Wanaka, Queenstown, Milford Sound and the glaciers would be plenty in 10 days - maybe head across to Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula if you have closer to two weeks.

Hi Barbara, something to keep in mind is that January/February is the middle of summer here and it can be hellishly hot and VERY humid on the east coast of Australia. I'm not trying to talk you out of coming to visit us, but keep in mind that you may end up exhausted if you try to pack too much into each day if you aren't used to that kind of weather. Happy planning!

To expand on cathies' statement it will most likely be wet after the A Open in north Queensland and it may well be hot in the southern half of the continent. And I mean really hot! It gets much hotter down there than up here in the north.

Having only that amount of time and at that time of year, I would suggest the after the open you either visit Tasmania or one of the islands of New Zealand.

Since you're interested in seeing Lord of the Rings filming sites, be sure to pick up a copy of The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook by Ian Brodie. We found it very helpful when we visited the North Island in 2004.

Lee Ann

wow thanks so much for all that.. I was fearful you would all say what you did.. as I have been reading it seemed like it was going to be tough
We do plan to drive but not for example to Queensland from Melbourne...long days of driving and not getting to do anything else like I have seen other posters plan.
I guess we would pick two places and stay there if we did Queensland after the open then we would fly from there to Queenstown NZ and then hang there to see all you mentioned. I do realize we would have to drive a bit.. although I did read about some tours that pick you up and then take you for example Milford Sound. That would be an entire day right there.
So yes we would have to prioritize...here is where we were looking for your advice..there is just sooooo much to see but given our time constraints the best of the best..;
Now when Alan said its wet in the North would that include the Whitsundays? When you said visit one of the islands.. were you including them.. we were interested in seeing them and that is where the reef is..just wondered if the rain is really so bad it would ruin our trip
Also its only because we are huge Tennis fans and want to come for the Open that we are coming in Jan.. the question is --is it better to do all our other travel before the open and have the open be the last thing we do or have it be the first thing we do and then do everything else after.. from what I see of prices of airfare at least its cheaper later in Jan and early Feb.

<although I did read about some tours that pick you up and then take you for example Milford Sound. That would be an entire day right there>

Yes, this is a very popular option for those with limited time. The trip via bus takes about about 11-13 hours - that includes eight hours of drive time from/to Queenstown and a cruise in Milford, only four hours round trip from Te Anau. You can also take the bus/cruise/fly option, but it's quite expensive.

The SI of NZ is difficult to explore from one base, but you can see an awful lot if the base is Queenstown.

what about staying a few days in QUeenstown and a few days in te Anau.. and where would the best place to be to see Fiordland..right in the park?

Milford Sound is basically a boat terminal...there's only one place to stay, one cafe, one 20 minute walk trail, millions of sandflies, and well...that's pretty much it.

Most people visit Milford as a day trip, or spend a night on one of the overnight cruises, or pass through after finishing the Milford Track, then depart. There's really no reason to stay IN Milford.

The tracks, waterfalls, rivers and mountain scenery are situated along the road into Milford, which begins at Te Anau. This stretch of road offers all sorts of things to see and do, but no place to stay, unless you're camping.

I find Te Anau the best base for exploring the area, but many people only pass through on the bus to/from Queenstown. They have no idea how much they're missing. To really see the area, I think 3-4 nights in Te Anau is ideal, but it depends on your particular interests...I'm an avid walker, so the tracks are a major attraction for me.

Because you have plenty of time, I'd suggest staying in both QT and Te Anau. This will give you time to explore each area with less driving.

Te Anau also makes a good base from which to explore the Lake Manapouri area and to visit Doubtful Sound. The Doubtful Sound cruise leaves from Lake Manapouri, which is only about 30 minutes from Te Anau give or take. There's a day cruise to the sound (a very full day) and also an overnight cruise.

Which is better (Milford or Doubtful)depends on who you ask. I've visited Milford three times and finally got to Doubtful in June. They're both good. Milford is more accessible and cheaper. Doubtful is an ordeal to get to, but the journey's the thing. The better the weather, the better the cruise IMO.