alwaystravln

Hi There, I am after some feedback on our itinerary please. DAY 1 We are flying into Christchurch, collecting a car and staying overnight. DAY 2 We plan to head out really early next morning and travel via Arthurs Pass to Franz Josef. I understand this is a long drive and over mountainous terrain but am wanting to cover as much of South Island as possible.(Planning to return again to the places that most interest us). DAY 3 Heading via Wanaka to Queenstown where we will stay 2 nights to be able to see Milford Sound and do a short cruise. DAY 5 Queenstown to Invercargill. Day 6 Invercargill to Dunedin. I am looking for advice on which way to go and where to stay for the 2 nights in between departing Dunedin and arriving in Picton on Day 9 where we will stay overnight before catching the ferry over to Wellington. As the 2 nights we are looking for suggestions falls right on Easter I know I have to try to book something now as their is limited options. Any advice would be appreciated.

tasmangirl

Crazy to attempt rushing through the West Coast. We've had some very unusual weather lately so anything can happen. Arthur's Pass was closed earlier in the year with slips from too much rain. Right now Cyclone Debbie over us with heavy rain all week. Forget Invercargill and stay another night on the coast.
Easter is next week.
You might have to take what you can get with bookings. It's also school holidays here and a public holiday on 25 April (Anzac Day).

Diamantina

Sorry, I must ask, as you plan on returning to NZ, why visit Invercargill or Dunedin on this trip? Invercargill is out of the way, Dunedin a bit out of the way. If you tell me what you most hope to see in Dunedin, I could better advise you, as I live here. Daylight savings ended last weekend. It gets darker earlier now and the days are getting shorter. You won't have many daylight hours for driving or sightseeing, so you must plan well.

Dunedin to Christchurch is about a 5-hour drive. The segment between Oamaru and Christchurch is not especially scenic. Dunedin to Oamaru is a pretty drive, especially at this time of year, providing the weather is nice. There are places to stop, such as Shag Point, Moeraki Boulders, Oamaru itself (Victorian precinct, Steampunk HQ, Bushy Beach Scenic Reserve, Botanic Garden, after dark, the Blue Penguin colony but numbers are down in April).

Alternate route from Chrischurch to Picton:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/traf...hway-route.pdf
http://www.doc.govt.nz/pictontochch

Instead of driving to Dunedin and then up to Christchurch, you could instead drive from Queenstown up through the middle (SH8). This is too long of a drive for one day, about six hours. Most people choose to break it up by staying in Lake Tekapo or Mt. Cook Village or nearby Glentanner. Mt. Cook Village is out of the way but highly scenic, it requires a detour off SH8, it's approximately a 45-minute drive from SH8 along SH80 (Mt. Cook Road). Mt. Cook Road is incredibly beautiful, and passes Lake Pukaki, which is a unique turquiose because of fine rock particles washed down from the glaciers.

At this late date, you probably couldn't find accommodation in Lake Tekapo, Mt. Cook Village or Glentanner., but you might find something in Twizel.

Twizel is about a 2.5 hour scenic drive from Queenstown. You could drive to Mt. Cook Village, maybe take a walk or just do this pretty drive (or part of it), then drive back to Twizel for the night, continue Christchurch the next day, stopping in Lake Tekapo enroute.

Twizel is not considered particularly scenic, but I like the area around Twizel, the hydro canals and pretty Lake Ohau, which, like Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo, is a glacial lake.

Melnq8

Considering you're travelling over Easter, you've really left this to the last minute (THIS Easter, right?).

This is a driving itinerary. Not a visiting itinerary. You might as well sleep in your car.

Day 1 and Day 2 are probably okay, assuming you have good weather and no road delays.

But Day 3 - why not at least spend the day at the glaciers? You've driven a long way to see them, yet you've not even left a day to explore them, you plan to hop right back in the car for another very long drive to Queenstown? Why?

Same with Queenstown - you've only allowed two nights - which is only one full day - if you're going to Milford, this day is totally shot - it's a 13 hour day to visit Milford from Queenstown, so you've left virtually no time to see Queenstown before you hop in the car again to drive to Invercargill? Seriously? Invercargill?

I assume you're flying from Dunedin to Picton? I sure hope so, as it's a nine hour drive. But this begs the question, why go to Dunedin at all? Just to get on a plane (I assume) to Picton?

You have virtually no time to explore the places you're driving to, so I don't see the point of going at all.

annhig

I can only echo what other posters have said - this is much much too much driving. We started off with an itinerary which was less aggressive than yours and even so we ended up cutting it down while we were there as we realised that it would be too much.

Virtually everywhere you mention staying is worth at least one full day if not two. Moving on every day you will quickly become exhausted and unable to enjoy anything. I strongly second/third revising your plans so as it give yourselves time to enjoy the place you will have travelled so far to see.

deSchenke

Things going against you:

Driving distances on South Island will take far longer than imagined.
You are leaving in one week's time with nothing booked.
You are traveling during the Easter holidays.
Kaikoura to Picton roadway is still closed after last year's earthquake.

Going for you:
You plan to return.
You have 9 days between Christchurch and Picton.

Why not plan to visit Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs, upper West Coast (Hokitika, Punakaiki, Karamea), Abel Tasman NP, Golden Bay, Marlborough wineries? Then save your plans for the south of South Island for your return trip.