tulip

Thanks for all your advice everyone! here is the latest rev... Anything you'd change?



2/6 SYD fly CHC (11:30PM flt, Onight CHC)

2/7 TranzAlpine Train--CHC to Greymouth
p/u car, drive to Fox, onight Fox

2/8--Hike Fox, onight Fox

2/9-2/10--Drive fox to lake matheson, drive wanaka, onight wanaka

2/11 Drive wanaka to QT, onight QT
2/12 Onight QT (bungee,luge,gondola)
2/13 Onight QT
2/14 Drive QT to TeAnau, onight TA
2/15 Drive TA to Milford Sound, day cruise, onight TA
2/16 Drive TA to QT, fly QT to Nelson, Pick up car at Nelson, drive to Marahau?
2/17--onight Marahau/Abel
2/18--onight Marahau/Abel
2/19---fly Nelson to CHC, onight CHC
2/20---fly CHC to SYD to SFO

1) Where do you recommend we base for Abel Tasman? We really just want to do 1 kayak day trip, and then relax on a beautiful beach for 3n/2 days. Any suggestions please along that area?

2) any change in allocation of days? is the greymouth to fox too rough? should we shorten our QT time? We like to stay at least 2nights per city.

Thanks in advance! if there are any B&B and hostels you'd like to send my way, i'd appreciate it! i've scoured this forum and fear many rec places will be booked already. So excited, thank you for sharing!

Melnq8

Your itinerary looks good to me.

Since you like beaches, suggest you base yourself in Kaiteriteri for Abel Tasman. We didn't discover Kaiteriteri until our 4th visit to the SI and we loved it. It's a short drive from the entrance to Abel Tasman (at Marahau) and also a short drive from the town of Motueka.

The following site has a few pictures of Kaiteriteri. If you do a search, you'll find an assortment of cottages, B&B, etc.

www.experiencenz.com/gallery7.cfm

The drive from Greymouth to Fox will take you approximately three hours.

Melnq8

Here are a few options in Kaiteriteri:

http://www.mudfish-bach.co.nz/
http://www.kaiteriteriapartments.co.nz/
http://www.kaiteri.co.nz/
http://www.thehaven.co.nz/
http://www.kaiteriteribandb.co.nz/

I wanna go!

tulip

thanks so much,Melnq8!
I was really interested in Kaiteriteri, so now I'll definitely station us out there.
I really appreciate your advice. Since you also love beaches, I would say--Thailand has beautiful ones as well!

Melnq8

Actually I'm more of a mountain person, but I do appreciate gazing at a nice beach.

Have a good trip.

Melnq8

Accommodation recommendations:

Lake Matheson Motel - Fox Glacier
Explorer Lodge - Te Anau

Bella Vista motels are located in several areas and are a good option too.

Can't personally recommend any hostels, but these sites might help:

www.yha.co.nz/
www.hostels.com/nz.html

And for B&Bs:

www.bnb.co.nz/