Help fine-tuning 4 weeks in South Island. February

Old Dec 25th, 2013, 06:10 PM
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Help fine-tuning 4 weeks in South Island. February

I've read and received many good ideas to help us plan our trip. Our plan with hotels is below and wonder if there are changes we should make. Our interests are hiking, some biking, photography and nature. We will be driving. here 'tis...
Feb 11 arrive Christchurch from US. overnight to sleep, find an outdoor store to buy trekking poles
Feb 12. pick up rental car; Anzed. drive to Mt. Cook. 2 nights Aoraki Court Motel
Feb 14 drive to Otago Peninsula. 3 nights Outlook apartment in Portobello.
Feb 17 drive to Nugget Point 1 night. Curio Bay Salthouse.
Feb 18 as of now we have 3 nights in Te Anau, The Croft B&B. (we are considering changing to Feb 18 Knobs Flats, Feb 19 & 20 The Croft. Should we? Will this make less driving and more hiking along Milford Rd?. next stop is Glenorcy. We could also change our 3 night res to Feb 20 as the last night in the area. help!)
Feb 21 and 22. Glenorchy. Kinloch Lodge
Feb 23-25 Wanaka. 3 nights Riverview Terrace. hike, bike, wineries
Feb 26 Okarito 1 night. Okarito Beach House. (is this a good choice and idea. We want to break up the drive to Nelson and Pohara Beach).
Feb 27 Westport. 1 night. lodging The Steeples
Feb 28 Nelson 1 night. lodging The Palms. next morning market. drive to Pohara
March 1-3 Pohara Beachfront Motel. 3 nights. Abel Tasman, hike, kayak, explore Golden Bay.
March 4 Picton 1 night. Fernview B&B.
March 5 morning boat to start Queen Charlotte Track hike. lodging Cnoc Na Lear
March 6 QCT Mahana Lodge
March 7 Debretts
March 8 & 9 Marlborough/Blenheim. lodging St. Leonards Vineyard Cottages. bike, etc
March 10 Kaikoura last night. Bendamere B&B. peninsula walk, etc
March 11 drive to CC for 4pm flight to US

Regret not getting to Banks Peninsula but don't see how to change the routing. Some hotels have deposits paid, many do not.

Welcome suggestions especially if we should change our 3 nights in Te Anau. is Catlins a good idea for breaking up the drive from Dunedin/Otago to Te Anau?

Thanks in advance and Happy Holidays!
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Old Dec 25th, 2013, 09:46 PM
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Any particular reason you're not just taking your hiking poles with you? They're cheaper in the US and easy enough to pack.

<Feb 18 as of now we have 3 nights in Te Anau, The Croft B&B. (we are considering changing to Feb 18 Knobs Flats, Feb 19 & 20 The Croft. Should we? Will this make less driving and more hiking along Milford Rd?.>

It's only 60 km from Te Anau to Knob's Flat - I've stayed at both, and much preferred The Croft accommodation-wise. I don't think moving makes sense - switching accommodation will eat into time that could be better used exploring. The Croft is on the Milford Road, and provides pretty easy access. I suggest you get an early start to get ahead of the buses and spend the entire day exploring the walks along the road (and along Hollyford Road). You can fit a lot into a day if you plan well. There are also many walk options on the Te Tenau/Manapouri end, so perhaps spend one full day exploring each end.
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Old Dec 26th, 2013, 03:33 PM
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If you skip the Catlins and go straight to Te Anau from Portabello, your drive will probably take 3.5 to 4 hours, going through Gore.
Visiting the wonderful Catlins after Dunedin would be more of a scenic detour, rather than a way of breaking up the journey to Te Anau, but, unless the weather is abysmal, I don't think you would regret it. Two nights in the Catlins would be more relaxed, especially if you enjoy wildlife and coastal scenery, but one night is better than none. To get there, follow the Southern Scenic route, starting at Dunedin's Tunnel Beach. It continues south along the coast to Taieri Mouth, then cuts inland to Lake Waihola and doesn't come within sight of the sea again until reaching the Catlins coast, some 50 minutes later. Here's a link to the Southern Scenic Route brochure with its handy map:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...ns-journey.pdf
From Portabello, it'll probably take you almost two hours to reach Nugget Point, another 30 to 40 minutes to get to Porpoise and Curio bays. In mid-February the sun rises around 7 a.m. and sets at about 8:30 p.m.— enough time to enjoy a few Catlins highlights.
Salthouse is steps above the beautiful beach at Porpoise Bay. We stayed at the bach next door last March and could often see Hector's Dolphins surfing the waves. YEPs are also easily seen at Curio Bay (some will probably be moulting).
If you leave Portabello early enough, you might be able to visit Cathedral Caves after Nugget Point. Cathedral Caves can only be visited within two hours of low tide, which according to the website below will be at 10:50 a.m. on Feb. 17. Or, depending on your route to Te Anau, you might be able to go there after checking out of Salthouse, as low tide will be at 11:27 a.m. on Feb. 18. There is a $5 admission/parking fee because the track to the caves goes through private land. You can double-check tide times and conditions at the Catlins Information Centre in Owaka.
http://www.catlins.org.nz/businessde...?businessID=16
Below are links to a downloadable Catlins map and some other useful websites:
http://www.catlins.org.nz/userfiles/...Map12Front.pdf
http://www.cathedralcaves.co.nz/
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...al-caves-walk/
http://www.catlinsitineraries.com/in...e/nugget-point
Apart from Rippon Winery, I can't think of another winery open to the public in right in Wanaka. Archangel is in Wanaka, but I don't know if you can visit without an appt. Situated atop a hill, Rippon Winery has a truly spectacular view.
http://www.rippon.co.nz/
You can easily visit Amisfield Winery on your drive from Glenorchy to Wanaka. It's right above the junction of Gibbston Highway/SH6 and Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Road. You might be able to taste Otago wines in Kurow in the Waitaki Valley (Ostler Winery's Vintage Drop tasting room and Pasquale/Kurow Winery) on your drive from Mt. Cook to Dunedin.
I agree with Melnq8 on taking hiking poles with you, rather than buying them here. You can get an idea from looking at these websites below, but these are online prices. The choices in their retail stores will be more limited.
http://www.kathmandu.co.nz/accessori...les-htmls.html
http://www.macpac.co.nz/accessories/walking-poles
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Old Dec 26th, 2013, 11:30 PM
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By the way, if you buy hiking poles at Kathmandu, you'll get a discount if you become a Summit Club member, which I think you can do even if you are not a NZ resident. The membership fee is waived if you are 60 or older! Macpac also offers a members discount and membership is free.
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Old Dec 26th, 2013, 11:56 PM
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How lucky you are to have a whole 4 weeks in the SI - we only had 13 nights which was no way long enough.

I'll come back later with a few comments based on our experiences on our recent trip to NZ.
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Old Dec 27th, 2013, 06:12 PM
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Thank you all for the great info and replies!

Re the hiking poles - we have been hell bent lately on packing in only carry-on suitcases, so cannot bring them on the flight. I know it would be more convenient to pack them, if we are to check luggage. Hmmm... perhaps we'll reconsider! Too bad they are considered weapons by our friendly airlines!

Good advice Melanq8 to stay in Croft versus switch lodging. Makes sense. thanks for that.

I'd met someone who wish they'd spent more time on the Otago Peninsula, which is why we planned 3 nights instead of 2. If we add one to Curio Bay I suppose we could cut that to 2 nights, so we'd have 2 nights Portobello and 2 nights Curio Bay. Would that be too short in Otago? The southern coast looks beautiful.
Funny how even 4 weeks is not seeming like enough time.

A million thanks for the links, and directions and great advice. I can't imagine planning this trip without you experts willing to help us novice's.

keep traveling.... changemaven
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Old Dec 28th, 2013, 03:14 AM
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Glad to be of help.

The drive from Mt. Cook to Dunedin (by way of Omarama-Waitaki Valley-Oamaru) will take almost 4 hours. Maybe a little more to get to Portabello, on the peninsula. You must pay close attention to driving on Portabello Road as it's curvy.

If you leave Mt. Cook early, you can make the most of your first day in Dunedin/the Otago Peninsula, so two days there and another two in the Catlins could work for you. Two days in the Catlins also would allow a visit to a waterfall or two, a forest walk or two, viewing sea lions on more beaches, a visit to Waipapa Point lighthouse.

There are a few places to break between Mt. Cook and Dunedin. Pasquale Winery in Kurow, if open, has a small cafe for tea and coffee. The city of Oamaru has a beautifully preserved Victorian Old Town with buildings made of local whitestone (limestone) and many cafes, shops and restaurants. Moeraki Beach is know for its naturally round boulders. Katiki Lighthouse and Pa on Moeraki Peninsula, is a bit out of your way, but worth seeing and it can be a great spot for wildlife viewing.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...raki-boulders/
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec.../katiki-point/
http://www.historicoamaru.co.nz/buildings.html

As you drive through Waitaki Valley, instead of continuing straight ahead on SH83 to Oamaru and Highway 1, you can take a slight detour at Duntroon (after Kurow). This will still get you to Oamaru, just a few minutes later. The detour features dramatic limestone cliffs, huge and strange rock formations (the "Elephant Rocks"), and fossil sites ("The Vanished World Trail"). This roadway is also part of the newly created "Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail".
http://www.alps2ocean.com/#!8-duntroon-to-oamaru/c13it
http://www.vanishedworld.co.nz/index.php/about
http://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/resea...shedworld.html

When sunny, the Otago Peninsula and Dunedin, in general, is great for hiking in hills (they call it "tramping" here) and walking on long beaches. In addition to wildlife viewing at Penguin Place (endangered YEPs) and the Albatross Centre (endangered Northern Royal Albatrosses, Spotted and Stewart Island Shags, Royal Spoonbills, Little Blue Penguins), you can hike to Lovers Leap and the Chasm, down to Sandfly Bay, along Allans Beach or Victory Beach--for a start. If you enjoy gardens, you can visit Larnach Castle and Gardens. If it's sunny, you'll enjoy this area.

But the weather may remain unsettled until late February, meaning often cloudy, occasionally rainy, windy, sometimes foggy, hopefully sometimes sunny.

I was at Kathmandu yesterday, so I looked at trekking poles. The cheapest costs NZ$49 (each, not for a pair) and this was the heaviest. The lighter ones cost NZ$69 each (on sale). Ouch. Coincidentally, the last time I went "home" to California, trekking poles were on my shopping list, because they cost so much here. Really cheap through Amazon, but they won't ship them to NZ.
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Old Dec 28th, 2013, 04:29 AM
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The city of Oamaru has a beautifully preserved Victorian Old Town with buildings made of local whitestone (limestone) and many cafes, shops and restaurants.>>

I'm so glad that Diamantina mentioned Oamaru. We stopped there for a night almost by accident and were so glad that we did. The Victorian buildings are lovely, especially the newly restored opera house which we were shown round by a very proud barman who clearly loved his place of work with a passion. we also liked the botanical gardens, which are very fine. [should you happen to be in Timaru, further north up the east coast towards Christchurch, it too has a wonderful and unexpected gem of a rose garden]

The other main attraction is/are the fairy penguins but you would probably need to stay the night to see them as they only come ashore at dusk.
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Old Jan 4th, 2014, 08:22 AM
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Now that our trip is getting close... we are rethinking a few tweaks to the plan.
- would the SI experts recommend skipping Mt Cook (we now have 2 nights) and adding Akaroa/Banks Peninsula for 1 (or 2) nights and adding 1 night in Caitlins? Before you answer... we live in the Rocky Mountains so surrounded by beautiful mtns daily. So many people have raved about Akaroa and regretting its nowhere on our agenda now. Is Mt Cook so incredible, views and hikes-wise that its a must-do? We love both mountains and coast areas. Will have 1 night Kaikoura at the end.

- on the day we drive from Wanaka to west coast (lodging in Okarito)... would we have time to walk to Fox or FJ glacier? Didn't realize Okarito was beyond glaciers. If we wait until the next day we'd have to backtrack. From what I've read seems it'd be a whole days drive with stops. At Okarito we plan to do an early morning boat trip (or can do a later one). Advice?

- packing question - in Feb/March would we need waterproof pants?

that's it for now! thanks again for any advice....
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Old Jan 4th, 2014, 02:40 PM
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I am sure many others will weigh in.

Okarito is only about a 30-minute drive from Franz Josef, so you could easily visit a glacier and see Okarito. Lake Matheson walk, outside of Fox Glacier town, is also worth seeing (early morning or late afternoon/early evening is best for reflections on the lake).
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...matheson-walk/
I thought it was easier to get to the terminal face of Fox. A longer walk was required to Franz Josef Terminal face. I hope you are aware that the West Coast beaches can be popular with sandflies, especially near standing water; they are not as big a problem on the East Coast. In four years, I have never encountered one sandfly in Dunedin.
http://www.distancesfrom.com/travel-...y/3694737.aspx
Tack another 20 percent onto the above times because the roads can be winding, because you will want to stop to look and take photos, and because you might get stuck behind a slow-moving cararvan. Weather can also be a factor.

Waterproof pants can be handy anytime of year, if they are lightweight and you have room in your luggage, and you plan on doing a lot of tramping. I often carry them in my backpack because the weather can change rapidly. Otherwise, do you have quick drying hiking pants?

Mt. Cook/Aoraki is special because it is NZ's highest mountain. It was a training ground for Sir Edmund Hillary. It has historical and spiritual significance for both the Maori and non-Maori Kiwis. There are some wonderful easy hikes there, including ones that can take you to lookouts of Tasman Lake. One of the most pleasurable things I have done is take the Zodiac boat out onto Tasman Lake that will take you right up to icebergs floating in the lake and close to the terminal face--this isn't something you can do year-round as the lake becomes frozen in winter. Note, the quality and quantity of floating icebergs varies depending on glacier activity (calving and such). The road to Mt. Cook from Lake Pukaki is absolutely beautiful and not tough to drive (in non-icy conditions). Mt. Cook is very close to Lake Tekapo.

Personally, I prefer Kaikoura to Akaroa because of Kaikoura's dramatic setting (backdrop of Kaikoura mountain range). Akaroa is a charming seaside village with a little French character and you can do a Hectors Dolphin cruise or swim there, but if you are going to Porpoise Bay in the Catlins, you'll probably see them there. I've only approached Akaroa from the south, and the road into Akaroa through the Banks Peninsula was winding and slow-going. As you are also going to the Otago Peninsula and the Catlins, I think you'll be getting quality time in rural communities by the sea in these places, providing the weather gods spare some sunshine for you. It's tough having to narrow down your choices, but much of what you will be seeing will delight you. Your cup will be more than half-full.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...nsula-walkway/
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Old Jan 4th, 2014, 03:00 PM
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For comparison, have a look at the times on these itineraries. I think these times are more realistic. http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealan...rch/day-7.html
http://www.ourdriveguide.co.nz/guide...anz_josef.html

My husband and I plan on doing nearly the same drive as you in March because the weather tends to be fairly mild at this time. Our other favorite month for driving around NZ is April because of the autumn foliage (but you have your aspens!).

The drive through Haast Pass-Mt. Aspiring National Park-past Lakes Hawea and Wanaka is stunning.
http://www.nzine.co.nz/features/wanaka_to_haast.html
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Old Jan 4th, 2014, 03:34 PM
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I am sensing you really want to see Akaroa, and that if you do not at least see it, will leave NZ wondering if you made a mistake by not going there.

I have a crazy idea that I am just going to put out there. On the day you arrive you will be much too jet-lagged to drive, you will need to take it easy and recover your sleep, but you might consider a day tour of Akaroa from Christchurch that might include a bit of Christchurch sightseeing as well. You'd have to reserve it before leaving the US. You'd sacrifice a more leisurely time in Christchurch, but you could see Akaroa without self-driving (providing your flight isn't delayed--but you'll buy travel insurance, right?)

Akaroa has very different look and feel than the Otago Peninsula or the Catlins. It is more of a village, the others areas are more rural, rustic, sparsely populated. It is a charming, quaint place in a beautiful setting. It reminds me a lot of the communities of Russell and Paihia in the Bay of Islands. I think Akaroa can get busy in summer.
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Old Jan 4th, 2014, 03:37 PM
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Hi changemaven -

I'm originally from CO, so I personally don't feel that Mt Cook is an absolute must-see for those of us with 54-14ers in our backyard. Yes, it's on the top of most NZ first timer's wish list and yes, it's special for NZ. It's 12,316 feet high, but as it rises from sea level, it's quite a sight to behold when not socked in by clouds. The walks in the area are okay, nothing spectacular IMO, but the glacial blue pools set against the dark rock are definitely worth a look.

You can easily make the 55 km detour to Mt Cook en route between Christchurch and Queenstown or Wanaka - no need to stay the night.

Having said that, I hardly feel that Akarora/Banks is a must see. I've been there a few times and enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I'd choose it over Mt Cook.

Likewise, as much as I like the Catlins, one night there just isn't sufficient to explore the area, so to me, it's not worth doing unless you have at least two full days - one for the north and one for the south Catlins.

- on the day we drive from Wanaka to west coast (lodging in Okarito)... would we have time to walk to Fox or FJ glacier? Didn't realize Okarito was beyond glaciers. If we wait until the next day we'd have to backtrack. From what I've read seems it'd be a whole days drive with stops. At Okarito we plan to do an early morning boat trip (or can do a later one). Advice?

We always pack our waterproof pants on NZ trips as they take so little room and really come in handy. We wore them almost every day one trip, but it was winter.
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Old Jan 4th, 2014, 03:45 PM
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Sorry about that errant paragraph, I'd planned to answer it, not post it.

If you get an early start from Wanaka, I don't see why can't walk to one of the glaciers. We recently drove from Wanaka to Franz Josef, taking the 90 minute walk at Monro Beach, as well as visiting the Blue Pools and making a lunch stop in Haast. It was winter so days were short...you'll have long days in your favor and as mentioned above, Okarito is very close to Franz Josef.
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Old Jan 5th, 2014, 03:48 AM
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Lake Matheson walk, outside of Fox Glacier town, is also worth seeing (early morning or late afternoon/early evening is best for reflections on the lake). >>

absolutely agree, but do take your insecticide spray and use it before you get out of your car - this is prime sandfly country, but if you do get bitten, then roll-on deodorant works like a charm on the bites.

as for the glaciers, you can't now walk to the Franz Joseph glacier, you can only do heli-trips there, as it has retreated too far. If you want a walking tour to/of a glacier, it will have to be Fox, which is the first of the two centres you will come to anyway. you can find out when the tours are from the Fox Guides website: http://www.foxguides.co.nz/our-trips

There are several nice places to stop on the Wanaka - Haast road, but you may not have time to do them if you need to get to Fox to do a glacier tour, but as Melnq8 says, you will have a reasonable amount of daylight to play with.
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Old Jan 5th, 2014, 02:40 PM
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<as for the glaciers, you can't now walk to the Franz Joseph glacier>

Curious about this annhig, as we freedom walked to the terminal face in Sept along the path through the valley. Guided hikes on the glacier weren't possible, but freedom walking to the face was. Has this changed since Sept?
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Old Jan 6th, 2014, 02:00 AM
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Curious about this annhig, as we freedom walked to the terminal face in Sept along the path through the valley>>

melnq8 - i may have miswrote - i wasn't considering what you call freedom walking [ie just walking up to it] as i was wrongly assuming that the OP wanted to go onto the glacier, not just look at it.

The tail of the Fox glacier is of course accessible along the path that we were taken along, but it was a good hour's walk there, and it wasn't much to look at until you got onto it. Indeed, in a way you get a better view from afar, eg from the interminable road that goes down to the beach near Fox. It would be sensible for the OP to contact the tourist information office in Franz Joseph and ask them what the current state of play is.
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