Would love your feedback on possible N.Z. itinerary

Old Jun 11th, 2017, 05:04 PM
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Would love your feedback on possible N.Z. itinerary

We are going to N.Z. in February. I welcome your feedback on my first stab at an itinerary, which is below.

We like hiking, biking, kayaking, flora and fauna, beautiful scenery, local culture, and interesting museums.

We went to the North Island 10 years ago, but did not go to Wellington. We went to Tongariro on that trip but were not able to hike the Track because it was closed the day we’d hoped to do it. Hence, the presences of both of those on our itinerary. (Another reason for including Tongariro is that we’re going with a friend who’s a LOTR fan.)

I originally planned to go to Christchurch because we have two sets of friends there. But it is far from other places we are going, so I am considering dropping it. Ditto for Tongariro, because it’s in the opposite direction.

I have done more research on the beginning of the trip (Wellington and Tongariro) and the end (Queenstown, Te Anau, and Milford) than on what’s in between. For a lot of places we have in mind going biking, hiking, and/or kayaking. Please let me know if some of the places I have mentioned are better for those than others. I don’t want too much repetitiousness. Also, please let me know if you have suggestions of alternative places to spend the night during the middle of the trip.

The version of itinerary below has us staying in nine different places; I tried to minimize the number of one-night stands. I’d rather not stay in that many different places, but it may be inevitable given the distances between places.

I look forward to your feedback. Thanks in advance.

Tues., Feb. 13 – Arrive Wellington at 12:05 pm. (We are starting in Los Angeles.)

Tues., Feb. 13 - Thurs., Feb. 15 (2 nts.) – Wellington (possibly add one more night)
Tues. pm, Feb. 13 - rest and look around downtown Wellington (perhaps something listed under 2/15)
Wed., Feb. 14 - Te Papa Museum, Zealandia Eco-Sanctuary (perhaps it’s too ambitious to try to do both in one day)
Thurs., Feb. 15 - Something else in Wellington (e.g., Aquarium, National Tattoo Museum, Karori Sanctuary, Weta, cycling)
- Pick up rental car, drive to Tongariro (3-1/2 hrs.)
Thurs., Feb. 15 - Sat., Feb. 17 (2 nts.) – Tongariro (stay at Discovery Lodge) (possibly skip Tongariro altogether)
Fri., Feb. 16 - Hike Tongariro Crossing (12.5 miles)
Sat., Feb. 17 - ? am Something in the Tongariro area in morning
- Drive to Wellington (3-1/2 hrs.), drop off car, take ferry from Wellington to Picton
Sat. Feb. 17 - Mon., Feb. 19 (2 nts.) – Picton
Sun., Feb. 18 - Hike Queen Charlotte Track or kayak Queen Charlotte Sound or Marlborough Sounds
- ? National Whale Center (open till 6 pm; closed Mondays)
Mon., Feb. 19 - ?a.m. in Picton?
- Drive Picton to Nelson – 83 mi. (1 hr. 46 min.)
- Some time in Nelson (e.g., WOW, bike part of Tasman Great Taste Trail)
- Drive Nelson to Abel Tasman National Park – 41 mi. (1 hr. 13 min.)
Mon., Feb. 19 - Wed., Feb. 21 (2 nts.) – Abel Tasman N.P. (possibly only one night)
Tues., Feb. 20 - Something in park (hike, kayak)
Wed., Feb. 21 - Drive from Tasman to Christchurch (269 mi., 5 hrs. 46 min.) – LONG!
Wed., Feb. 21 - Fri., Feb. 23 (2 nts. ) – Christchurch (possibly skip CC altogther)
Thurs. and Fri. am - Visit friends
- Christchurch, Akaroa, Banks Peninsula
Fri., Feb. 23 – Drive Christchurch to Arthur's Pass (86 mi.)
- Spend time in Arthur’s Pass NP
- Drive Arthur's Pass to Hokitika (55 mi.) (or spend night in Arthur’s Pass)

(If skip CC, Abel Tasman to Hokitika is 213 miles (4 h 38 min). Abel Tasman to Arthur’s Pass N.P is 228 miles (4 h 54 min.)

Fri., Feb. 23 (1 nt.) – Hokitika (or Arthur’s Pass)
Sat., Feb. 24 - Drive Hokitika to Franz Josef (83 mi.) (Arthur’s Pass to Franz Josef is 132 miles
[2 h 48 min])
- Spend time at Franz Josef
- Drive to Haast (172 miles, 3 h 34 min)
Sat., Feb. 24 (1 nt.) - Haast
Sun., Feb. 25 - Spend time in Mt. Aspiring N.P. (e.g. Blue Pools Walk)
- Drive to Wanaka (88 mi., 1 h 47 min.)
Sun. Feb. 25 - Tues., Feb. 27 (2 nts.) - Wanaka
Mon., Feb. 26 - Tues., Mar. 27 am – Bike and/or hike in Wanaka area
Tues., Feb. 27 - Drive from Wanaka to Te Anau (140 mi., 2 hr. 55 min). On the way stop in Queenstown (e.g., bike ride in Arrowtown)
Tues,. Feb. 27 - Thurs., Feb. Mar. 1 (2 nts.) - Te Anau (perhaps add another night)
Wed., Feb. 28 - Day in Milford area, hiking and kayaking (Drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is 74 mi., 1 hr. 47 min., each way)
Thurs., Mar. 1 – Leave 7:30 am, drive from Te Anau to Queenstown (107 mi., 2 hrs. 9 min.), fly home.
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Old Jun 11th, 2017, 07:28 PM
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Another thing: It would be good to have some fallback plans in case of bad weather. So many of the activities now on the itinerary presume decent weather.
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 03:52 AM
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Whew! That's a lot of moving around.

Two night stays only give you one full day to explore an area.

One night stays give you mere hours. I personally find all that unloading and reloading of the car, moving luggage to/from accommodation, checking in and checking out, exhausting and a waste of precious holiday time.

I consider a day of moving from point A to point B, just that, a travel day. Especially in NZ, when it can take forever to get from one place to another due to narrow winding roads, one lane bridges, and constant stops for photos. Not to mention the possibility of bad weather, road issues, etc, all of which are quite possible year round in NZ.

I'm forever advising people against one (and sometimes two) night stays in NZ.

I went against my own advice on a recent trip to Iceland, and it was a flurry of non-stop activity and extremely exhausting. We had very little time to see the places we'd spent all day driving to (even though the sun didn't set until 11 pm - there's still the issue of energy!). We knew that going in, but we did it anyway against our better judgement. We shall not be doing that again.

I would never travel this way in NZ, never. It's too beautiful a place to zip through. Every minute should be savoured.

You are not only trying to see the north and south of the SI, but a big part of the NI too, in what, 16 days? IMO two weeks on one island is barely enough to hit the highlights, let alone both islands. It's just too much.

For example - Te Papa can take hours - it's huge and a wonderful museum. You may not have energy for a second activity that day, especially if you're still recovering from jet lag.

Likewise, a day hike along Queen Charlotte track is a full day comittment. The day walks can easily take five hours, then there's the time needed to get to/from the starting point via water taxi, etc. Before you know it, the day is shot.

What time does your flight leave Queenstown on your day of departure? It it were me, I'd spend that night in Queenstown. You're taking a big chance here, a lot can go wrong on a two hour journey, potentially causing you to miss your flight.

I suggest you trim, trim, trim.

Pick one island or just a few bits of both and fly in between.

I think your best fall back plan is to spend more time in each area. Pick what you absolutely don't want to miss and go from there. You can't see it all in so little time. You just can't.
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 06:46 AM
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As I read it (and that's been difficult) is you have:

2 nights Wellington
2 nights Tongariro
2 nights Picton
2 nights Abel Tasman area
2 nights Christchurch (which you are willing to give up)
1 night Hokitika
1 night Haast (NOOOO!)
2 nights Wanaka
2 nights Te Anau
Fly out Queenstown

I don't have the issue that Melnq8 has. A 3-night stay would be nice, but not obligatory. You have full day activities for your full days in places (the crossing, QCT, Abel Tasman, Milford Sound), and options for stops on the days you are driving.

You do seem to be blasting through the West Coast on a mad dash from Christchurch to Wanaka. And you really don't have any time in Queenstown - really none! Since you are willing to give up Christchurch, I suggest you do that. Drive from the Abel Tasman area to Punakaiki. There are loads of walks there. http://www.punakaiki.co.nz/walks/ Then the next day, drive to Franz Josef or Fox Glacier and spend 2 nights. (You could make the detour to Hokitika Gorge on this day) Haast is a big NOOOO because it has a reputation for sandflies - nasty creatures! Personally, I liked staying at Fox Glacier. The walk to the terminal face is a bit shorter than at Franz, you have Lake Matheson (go in am to get reflection views/photos of Mts Cook and Tasman), and Gillespies Beach. But maybe you'd rather stay at Franz Josef since is has more shops and cafes and you could look into kayaking Okarito Lagoon.

With your other day, spend that at Queenstown after Te Anau. We loved bike riding from Arrowtown to Chard Farm Winery, so keep that option in your itinerary! They pick you up when you call them, so we could sample wine without too much worry.

So now you have:
2 nights Wellington
2 nights Tongariro
2 nights Picton
2 nights Abel Tasman area
1 night Punakaiki
2 nights FJG/Fox Glacier
2 nights Wanaka
2 nights Te Anau
1 night Queenstown - fly out

Hope you have good weather for the Tongariro Crossing. There are short walks at lower elevations if that is not possible. Check out Taranaki Falls Loop. Or you could bike Old Coach Road from Horopito to Ohakune and check out the old railroad trestles.

There are museums and indoor activities at Wellington, Nelson, Wanaka (Puzzleworld). Hot Pools at Franz Josef and Queenstown. Te Anau is a bit tricky. There are the glowworm caves and the cinema. We encountered a storm there and had been to Milford Sound the day before in the drizzle. But now a full day (scenic flight canceled) and it was pouring. So we headed inland where it wasn't raining and explored Clifden Cave - it was great!

Bring a good rain jacket and shoes. We've soldiered on in rainy weather many times. If you're dressed appropriately, you're good.
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 08:44 AM
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Thanks very much, Melnq8 and deSchenke. I'm sorry the itinerary looked so confusing. It looks fine in my Word file, but the formatting didn't transfer to the Fodor's posting.

Our flight out of Queenstown is at 11:55 am. I was planning to drive from Te Anau that morning to avoid another one-night stand, but will reconsider that. We could spend the day before that doing things in the Queenstown area.

Thanks, deSchenke, for the suggestions of indoor activities.

I will remove Christchurch and Haast from the itinerary and revise accordingly.

I will talk to our friend who's a LOTR fan to see if he would be heartbroken to miss Tongariro. It does seem a bit risky and time consuming to go up there and face the possibility that we may not be able to do the Crossing. Are there other LOTR things in or near the other places on the itinerary other than the Weta Cave in Wellington? Is that worthwhile seeing?
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 09:31 AM
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The "barrel" scene in Hobbiton was filmed at Peloris Bridge. You drive right over/through it between Picton and Nelson/Abel Tasman. A quick stop if you just want to park and look over the bridge, or there are several short walks there. http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...idge-walks.pdf We did the Circle Walk which took us over a fun swingbridge. Or you can swim there, the water is not too cold.

Putangirua Pinnacles is a daytrip from Wellington. It's where the "Paths of the Dead" scene was filmed in the 3rd LOTR. Just beyond that is Cape Paliser lighthouse and there is a huge sea colony on the coastline. If you found out that the weather is going to be abysmal at Tongariro, this could be an option. http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...nnacles-track/
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 10:31 AM
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Sorry, that should read, "barrel" scene in The Hobbit.
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 10:32 AM
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And seal colony, not sea colony!

Gee, I really should proofread before hitting submit.
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 12:29 PM
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Not a problem. I really appreciate your advice and suggestions.
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 04:39 PM
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Just a few comments.

NZ will receive a large influx of Chinese visitors from holidays from February 15 - 21 for the Chinese New Year/Spring Festival holidays. Expect it to stay busy until the Lantern Festival on March 2. Accommodation rates rise at this time of year.

Zealandia and Te Papa are definitely doable in one day, and you'll probably have time to spare for other sightseeing as the summer days are long. You listed Zealandia and Karori Wildlife Sanctuary separately under your Wellington activities. Zealandia was formerly called Karori Wildlife Sanctuary and it's still sometimes confusingly referred to as "Zealandia and Karori Wildlife Sanctuary." Zealandia operates a free shuttle with convenient pick-ups several times a day from the I-Site office (near the waterfront, Te Papa, and the City Art Gallery) or from the top of the Cable Car (close to the top of the beautiful Botanic Garden) or once a day from Te Papa. See:
https://www.visitzealandia.com/shuttle

I've not heard of the Wellington Aquarium.

As you're interested in fauna and flora, while in Franz Josef, you might be interested in the Okarito Forest Kiwi Tour. As it takes place at night, it wouldn't eat into your daytime activities.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...d.html#REVIEWS
Near Franz Josef, at Whataroa, there's a popular bird attraction, the White Heron Colony:
http://www.whiteherontours.co.nz/
February will be the end of the breeding season, many chicks will have fledged.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native...-heron-kotuku/
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...th_Island.html
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 06:16 PM
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Thanks very much, Diamantina, for the good suggestions and for the heads up about the Chinese holidays. I'll try to firm up our itinerary soon so that I can book lodging. That does explain why some of the lodgings I've checked are booked already or seem to have higher prices than I was expecting. Perhaps the upside will be that there may be some festivals for the Chinese holidays.

Several people have suggested that we NOT spend the night in Haast because of the sandflies. I had it in mind as a gateway to Mt. Aspiring N.P. Do you suggest that we should still try to go to the park, or should we plan to skip that as well?
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 06:23 PM
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Another event that might (or not) affect you. Your schedule has you in Wellington on Feb. 13-15. There will be a Black Caps vs. England cricket game at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.
https://www.westpacstadium.co.nz/our...aps-v-england/

I live in Dunedin, and whenever the city hosts a cricket match involving England, there's an accompanying arrival of British cricket fans/travelers lending support. I think some of them refer to the themselves as the "Barmy Army."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barmy_Army
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 06:47 PM
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Get a copy of Ian Brodie's Lord of the Rings Location Guide, which contains information about all the filming sites, including directions and GPS coordinates. We've used it on both islands.

If you like, you could also take a look at my trip reports, since we visited several LotR filming sites on both the North and South Islands. The North Island info is from 2004, but the sites are still there.

http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...-june-2016.cfm

Sorry for the poor formatting on this one!
http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...april-2004.cfm

Lee Ann
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Old Jun 12th, 2017, 07:12 PM
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Yes, the Chinese New Year itself, on Friday, February 16, will be celebrated in major cities. The Lantern Festival will be celebrated in some cities, such as Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/new...n-Christchurch

Mt. Aspiring Park is large and you can approach it from different directions. You'll find this brochure from the Dept. of Conservation extremely useful:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/documents/par...k-brochure.pdf
Here's an excerpt from the above:
"Getting there
Three settlements act as a gateway: Wanaka (117km from Queenstown via State Highway 6), Makarora (Haast Highway State Highway 6), and Glenorchy (68km north of Queenstown on the Queenstown-Glenorchy Road)."

This is a link of short walks you can do along Haast Highway (enroute to Wanaka):
http://www.doc.govt.nz/documents/par...y-brochure.pdf

From central Wanaka you can drive out Wanaka-Mt. Aspiring Road to the Matukituki Valley. Here's the brochure for those walks:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...s-brochure.pdf

More info here:
https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/things-...view=list-view
https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/reveali...national-park/

FYI: Wanaka was more booked up with Chinese New Year visitors than Queenstown during the 2017 CNY holiday.

From Queenstown, you'll want to visit Glenorchy — if you can find the time (by cutting other destinations), you might prefer to overnight in or around Glenorchy. It's far quieter and more scenic than Queenstown (but Queenstown is fun, interesting and scenic, too, just way busier and more crowded)
http://www.glenorchyinfocentre.co.nz/daywalks.html
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...e-wakatipu.pdf

Good luck planning!
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Old Jun 14th, 2017, 03:58 AM
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We've always accessed Mt Aspiring from Wanaka and Glenorchy. Never from Haast.

You'll find plenty of sand flies along the West Coast, never fear. Not just Haast - but the glaciers, as well as Milford and, well many places, especially in the summer months.

Mt Aspiring Nat'l Park is incredible, do not miss it if you can.
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Old Jun 14th, 2017, 08:29 AM
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At least the glaciers and Milford Sound have something very special to visit that makes dealing with the sandflies worth the effort.

I think there's a jetboat that originates from Haast that goes into Mt Aspiring NP. But Haast isn't what I would consider a "gateway" to the NP. You drive right through Mt Aspiring NP between Haast and Wanaka. There are a lot of short walks to waterfalls and the Blue Pools to stop for along the way.

Consider the hike to Rob Roy Valley Glacier on your full day in Wanaka. Check with local authorities if it is safe to drive there yourself. The last portion crosses several fords. There is a shuttle that can take you there as well.

>>>Perhaps the upside will be that there may be some festivals for the Chinese holidays.
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Old Jun 14th, 2017, 01:06 PM
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Actually, there are Chinese New Year celebrations in NZ.

http://media.newzealand.com/en/event...nese-new-year/
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Old Jun 14th, 2017, 02:06 PM
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Well, you learn something new every day!
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Old Jun 14th, 2017, 06:28 PM
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They are huge and crowded events in Auckland which has 25% Asian population. Very popular and a great night out.
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Old Jun 17th, 2017, 12:17 PM
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Diamantina - You mentioned that the Black Caps vs. England cricket game will take place while we're in Wellington. Do you think that would be of interest to Americans who know nothing about cricket (but are big baseball fans)? When do the games usually start, and how long do they last? How much does a ticket typically cost?

Thanks!
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