New Zealand travel agents/itinerary

Old Oct 4th, 2016, 11:09 PM
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New Zealand travel agents/itinerary

From Seattle, planning 9 days in NZ in Dec. We'd like recommendations for a travel agency to save us time and research in booking hotels, car, internal flights and activities. Our plan includes: fly to Auckland, drive to Waitomo/Rotorua, fly either to Wellingham (1-2 nights) or directly to Queenstown/Te Anau. Drive to Milford sound/overnight boat. Drive to Invercargill then either go to Stewart Island or continue along Catlins Coast to Dunedin and Otago Coast. Finally fly to Auckland and back to Seattle, If we are going to Dunedin/Otago area can we skip Stewart Island? Or should we skip Queenstown and add Stewart island? We'd like natural beauty and birds but also don't want to be too long in potentially cold, rainy discomfort. Thanks, especially for travel agent referrals.
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Old Oct 5th, 2016, 02:54 AM
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Sorry, I can't help with travel agent recommendations. Black Sheep Touring is often recommended on Trip Advisor, but reviews are mixed.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/ShowTo...w_Zealand.html

Visitors to this forum are largely interested in making their own arrangements. I don't think you'd find it difficult to do the same for such as short trip. You're planning on self-driving on much on your trip, and contributors on this forum could help you with the rest, such as choice of hotels, car rental, internal flights.

With only 9 days, I would drop Wellington, even though I personally enjoy Wellington and, as birders, you'd enjoy its Zealandia. The city's also somewhat similar to Seattle, so you'd probably like the looks of it.

Air New Zealand flies from Rotorua to Queenstown, though you might have to connect in Auckland or Christchurch. Air New Zealand also flies from Invercargill to Auckland, though you would have to connect in Christchurch. Air New Zealand has several flights a day from Dunedin to Auckland, some direct.

Budget, Avis, Hertz, Thrifty, Rent a Dent, Europcar, have outlets in Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Queenstown invercargill, and Dunedin. if you don't go to Invercargill, you'll have more choices of rental car companies.

Dunedin, the Catlins and Stewart Island are vastly different.

Stewart Island is quiet, serene, largely untouched, with most of its native forest intact. It probably looks much like it did when the first humans arrived. It has a permanent population of under 400 people, most of whom live in and around Oban. While many endemic birds can be seen around Oban, the birdlife is abundant and most diverse on Ulva Island, a predator-free sanctuary that's only a 7-minute boat ride from Golden Bay. Golden Bay is a 15-minute walk from Oban. See:
http://www.rakiurawatertaxi.co.nz/day-trip.html
http://www.stewartisland.co.nz/organ...-island-ferry/
You can see birds there that you cannot see in the Catlins or Dunedin/the Otago Peninsula. I visited Ulva twice, the first time on a guided walk with Ruggedy Range. We saw everything we could possibly see, including kiwi during the day. Normally, kiwis are nocturnal birds, but on Stewart and Ulva island they can be nocturnal and/or diurnal. Bravo Adventure Cruises offers night kiwi-spotting tours, which are also excellent. Several companies also offer pelagic bird tours. So, of the three destinations, I would say you would enjoy your richest bird viewing on or around SI. Sometimes ferries are cancelled between Stewart Island and the mainland. When I was there for four nights, ferries were cancelled one day. While this did not affect me, it caused stress for several travellers I met who were on tight schedules and in danger of missing their flights home to the U.S. as a result of the ferry cancellations. During this same time, no flights were cancelled. Ferries leave from Bluff. Flights leave from Invercargill Airport (Budget rental cars is here as well).
https://www.stewartislandexperience....erry-services/
http://www.stewartislandflights.com/

Yes, it can be cold and rainy (and super windy) on SI, Dunedin or the Catlins.

Dunedin has a population of 120,000 spread over a large area, with most of them in the city center, while surrounding areas are largely rural. In Dunedin/Otago Peninsula, if the weather takes a turn for the worse you have the option of indoor attractions, such as museums, art galleries, Larnach Castle, the Railway Station (and train trips), restaurants, cafes and shops. The viewing hide at the Royal Albatross Centre is entirely enclosed, so protected from the elements. Penguin Place, home to penguins, fur seals and a penguin "hospital", has walking tracks and covered viewing hides, so, if it's raining, you'd only be exposed part of the time. Though my choice of best wildlife tour is Elm Wildlife, Nature's Wonder's takes people around their wildlife-rich Otago Peninsula property in covered (but not enclosed) all terrain vehicles, so in bad weather, you might find this more tolerable.

The Catlins is also sparsely populated, not nearly as forested as Stewart Island. Much of it is farms with sheep. In addition to birds, it has Nugget Point Lighthouse (and nearby Roaring Bay penguin hide), waterfalls, Curio Bay (fossilised forest, penguin colony, nearby Porpoise Bay), Cathedral Caves, Lost Gypsy Gallery, wetlands and forests. It's lovely as well.

FYI: Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. Being from Seattle, you might have been thinking of Bellingham, and ended up writing Wellingham.
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Old Oct 5th, 2016, 06:59 AM
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You can easily plan this trip yourself, but your current plans are too ambitious IMO.

It's difficult to see much of one island in nine days, let alone two.

Stewart Island doesn't usually show up on the wish lists of first time visitors to NZ. It can be difficult to work into itineraries, especially short ones, and it's not usually considered a 'must see'.

We visited the SI about 8-9 times before we managed to fit in a visit to Stewart Island, and then we spent three nights there. It's not a place one pops over to for a day and then pops back. It takes some time to explore, and as you only have nine days to work with and a wish list that includes three islands...I just don't think it makes sense.

If you haven't already, I suggest you look at a drive/distance calculator for NZ - you might be surprised at the time it takes to get from one place to another.
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Old Oct 5th, 2016, 12:17 PM
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Part of the travel fun is making your own choices! It's easy to make your own arrangements.
However in 9 days you have limited time.
Day 1 arrive Auckland, get over jet lag
Day 2 Waitomo Caves
Day 3 Rotorua
Day 4 explore Rotorua
Day 5 fly to Queenstown from Rotorua
Day 6 explore Queenstown
Day 7 Milford Sound day trip
Day 8 Wanaka/Glenorchy for the day
Day 9 fly back to Auckland and then home
Lots to do and see in the Queenstown area. Stewart Island would be difficult with such limited time.
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Old Oct 5th, 2016, 06:47 PM
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Thanks to all for your detailed replies! We're now going for 12 days. We dropped Wellington and are planning 3 days in Stewart Island (flying)with stops along Catlins coast on drive from Invercargill to Dunedin and an Elm's Wildlife Nature's Wonders tour to Otago. We'll fly to Auckland from Dunedin.
So tentatively it's: Auckland 1 night. Drive to Waitmo and then on to Rotorua 1 night. Spend day Rotorua then fly to Queensland 1 night. Bus/overnight boat tour Milford Bay 1 night. Boat tour bus drops us off in Te Anau 1 night. Drive to Invercargil, fly to Stewart island 3 Nights. Fly to Invercargill drive to Dunedin 3 nights. Fly to Auckland.
We'll have to see if the three internal flights can be made smoothly.
We're thinking of consulting with NZ First Light travel as well as Eliz. Holmes for hotels and details. Has anyone worked with First Light?
Your help has made us even more excited about this trip!
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Old Oct 6th, 2016, 03:51 AM
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Sorry, I’m not familiar with NZ First Light travel, nor Eliz. Holmes. But I found this post on Trip Advisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/ShowTo...w_Zealand.html

I'm glad you extended your trip, the more days, the better. Even so, you'll want to return to see more of the country and I hope you can.

Folks on this forum can recommend hotels for you. Just state your preferences and budget, i.e. b&b, hotel, self-contained (more like an apartment with cooking and laundry facilities), central and close to restaurants and shops, or quiet and removed from the hustle and bustle, views, parking, part of hotel chain, etc. Trip Advisor reviews are also useful. I check them before booking.

You won’t have trouble making smooth connections on Air New Zealand. If booking domestic flights with international flights you’ll probably get a bit of a discount on the domestic flights. I’m sure you’re aware December is high season, so you’ll have to move quickly. There are six flights a day from Dunedin to Auckland, three are direct, three connect through Christchurch.

Real Journeys might be the only company to offer overnight trips on Milford Sound.
https://www.realjourneys.co.nz/en/de...milford-sound/

Given the short length of your trip, three nights on Stewart Island might be one too many. (Some even fly in for just the day or a night and a day, enough time to take a tour or two.) I would add a day to Queenstown or Auckland. Queenstown is touristy and will be congested in December, but it has a beautiful setting and is close to more great scenery and offers a wide range of activities. I can't imagine anyone not being impressed with the drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy (45 minute drive along Lake Wakitipu). There are also some beautiful easy walking tracks beyond Glenorchy.

With an extra day in Auckland, you might be able to visit Tiritiri Matangi. Two days also would allow more time to get over jet lag. Tiritiri Matangi is comparable to Stewart Island's Ulva Island, in that it’s a predator-free island sanctuary. It has abundant birdlife, gorgeous short walking tracks, a lighthouse, beaches, views of other Hauraki Gulf Islands and the Coromandel Peninsula. Its birds are North Island species, distinct from those seen on Ulva Island. In December, Pohutakawa will be in bloom so it’ll be especially pretty. It’s an all-day trip, beginning with a 75-minute ferry ride from the Auckland waterfront (near ferry building). There’s only one trip a day and only from Wednesday through Sunday. Ferries are cancelled if sailing conditions are poor. http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/

With respect to Dunedin/the Otago Peninsula, I must clarify that Elm Wildlife and Nature’s Wonders are two different tours. Elm Wildlife Peninsula Encounters Tour is the best choice. It requires a couple of short walks up steep paths, unless you choose to do the “lite” tour. See reviews here:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...th_Island.html
Nature’s Wonders uses ATVs to look at wildlife, so if the weather is poor and you don’t feel like being too exposed, it’s worth considering. But I have not taken it myself. I’ve taken Elm Wildlife twice (in February when the weather is best), and it was great.

Please prepare for cold, wind, and a little rain in the south of the South Island. Of my four days/nights on Stewart Island—it was November, it rained on and off, but I still enjoyed it, couldn't get enough of Ulva Island and the local tracks around Oban, enchanted by the lush foliage and rich birdlife. If you have time to spare, walk the Fuchsia to Roroa Track, walk to Deep Cove Bay, walk to pretty little Bathing Beach. Here’s a link to short walking tracks around Oban:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...s-brochure.pdf
At night, walk down to the wharf to watch the Little Blue Penguins swim ashore near the fuel tanks.

Here’s a link to the tour I took of Ulva Island:
http://www.ruggedyrange.com/
Reviews:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...th_Island.html
Here’s a link to the Kiwi Spotting tour:
http://www.kiwispotting.co.nz/
Reviews:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...th_Island.html
I didn’t do a pelagic bird tour, but this keen birder often posts on Trip Advisor:
https://tikitouringnz.blogspot.co.nz...nd-part-3.html

Melnq8, birders visiting New Zealand often consider Stewart Island a “must-see.” When I was on Stewart Island, I met several people from the U.S. who were on their first trips to New Zealand and to Stewart island: a couple from Wisconsin, a couple from Minnesota, a couple from Houston, and couple with their college-age daughter from New York.
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Old Oct 7th, 2016, 08:46 AM
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We have worked with First Light travel for a 24 day trip in February 2017. Jo put together a great itinerary for us and I really liked the accommodations that were included. She also included a lot of extra tours and an in country flight. JO was also very responsive to all emails and any requests for changes that we made. I also received quotes from Fine Travels and Black Sheep Touring but they were much more expensive.
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Old Oct 7th, 2016, 03:11 PM
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Irongirl, Thanks for your helpful recommendation! I contacted First Light and Jo called me with an amazingly fast turn-around. Your review of her services fits my experience so far. We're pushing it by waiting this late to make our bookings and I appreciate her creativity (considering reversing the order of our sights) so we can see as much as possible. We envy your 24 days but that gives us a reason to return.
Diamantina, wow, your advise has been really helpful! Very interesting detailed information. I appreciate the links to the tours you took and then to ratings of the tours, so thorough! Thanks to you, I've asked for specific tours( which all sound fantastic). I also can picture the trip rather than thinking, "We want to go to some different places and hope to see some sorts of different birds and wildlife, somehow."
We're actually looking forward to the cold, rain and gusty winds; it's all part of the experience of being in someplace completely different. No penguins or albatross in Western continental USA!
Any other ideas you have, we'd appreciate. Your experience has greatly expanded my options.
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Old Jan 7th, 2017, 12:06 PM
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The issue I have in doing a tour in New Zealand is that I do not beleive at all their claim that the tour will depart with only one or even two particpitants because as an accountant myself it would not be economically feasible for any tour operator. Now will my money be refunded? I am confident it will except if the operator closes it door between the full payment which usually is due 45 days before the scheduled tour departure or if I use instead a travel agency that will pay that tour operator everything prior to the departure unless it does not work thay way if someone know otherwise
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Old Jan 7th, 2017, 12:37 PM
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I don't have the answer to your question peaceful, but unless you're visiting in the dead of winter, I highly doubt lack of participants on a tour will be an issue. NZ has grown in popularity over the years to the point that I'm rethinking a 13th visit, as I just don't want to deal with a lot of people.
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