asimm

Couple aged 40, with a child 13 years, frequent travelers from Pakistan in the months of June/July, are now planning our first trip to New Zealand and combining it with our 2nd trip to Australia(is a must, as close family in Melbourne)

We are now at the very initial stages of our planning. We have a good idea of our Australian trip, but not much about New Zealand, except that we need to reach Auckland in first week of June for a meeting & we will have about 12--14 days and then rent a car to mainly explore the South Islands beauty, greenery, scenic places, National Parks etc

We may enter New Zealand either from Melbourne or Brisbane and back to the other, meaning if we enter from Melbourne, then we need to return from Nz to Brisbane or vice versa. Which loop should we follow and which would be the best places to visit for a Newbie who would love to see the magical Nz with all the lovely and scenic beauty of Nz

We love to self-drive a lot in USA, AUSTRALIA etc and sure that Nz would not be any problems for us, rather we would enjoy the road trip.

We do not Ski, but maybe would like to see some snow, if close by.

Thanks a lot

Diamantina

Will you have two full weeks to visit the South Island or will the Auckland conference also be part of the two weeks? I know you're not interested in skiing (anyhow, ski fields generally don't open until mid-June), but what activities are you interested in? Hiking? Wildlife viewing? Wineries? Fine dining? Bungy jumping? Jet boat rides?

You will see snow, and "beauty, greenery, scenic places, National Parks". You might not actually see it snowing, unless you are in the mountains (mountain passes, ski fields, etc.) as it's still early winter. You'll probably want to fly into Christchurch and out of Queenstown (or vice versa) Or fly into or out of Christchurch, or into and out of Queenstown. Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island and has the greatest choices of flights and car rental agencies.

As you've mentioned snow, I'm guessing you know you'll be coming at the start of winter. So the days will be short and it'll be cold. You might encounter bad weather and road closures, but this can happen any time of year. Right now, for example, parts of the country are being hit by a fierce storm, even though it's summer. The West Coast of the South Island and Fiordland get the most rain year round.

These itineraries will allow you to spend time by the mountains, lakes and coast. A lot of visitors to NZ spend a couple of days visiting the glacier villages of Franz Josef and/or Fox. Many take scenic flights up to the glaciers or heli hikes on the glaciers. I'm thinking if you're coming from Pakistan this is no big deal for you. But please correct me if I am wrong. As in much of the world, NZ's glaciers are disappearing, but you can still see them, though they're not like they were even a few years ago. I won't go into detail about this. You can also see glaciers at Aoraki Mt Cook, which is a lovely place with easy hikes and can have excellent stargazing (it's part of a International Dark Sky Reserve).

These are typical itineraries:

Day 1 Christchurch
2 Punakaiki (via Arthur's Pass)
3 Hokitika
4 Franz Josef
5 Franz Josef
6 Wanaka
7 Wanaka
8 Wanaka
9 Te Anau
10 Te Anau (self-drive or coach tour to Milford Sound)
11 Queenstown
12 Queenstown
13 Queenstown

1 Christchurch
2 Hokitika
3 Franz Josef
4 Franz Josef
5 Wanaka
6 Wanaka
7 Te Anau
8 Te Anau (self-drive or coach tour to Milford Sound)
9 Queenstown
10 Queenstown
11 Aoraki Mt. Cook
12 Aoraki Mt. Cook
13 Akaroa

crellston

Have you considered a campervan as opposed to renting a car + Accomodation. Not for everyone but we wouldn’t do NZ any other way. In winter rental rates come down considerably and hiring a van from someone like Wilderness, you will get a very well equipped van which, being fully insulated is designed with winter travel in mind.

What we like is the flexibility it offers in that you can change plans on a whim, you don’t need to pack and unpack at each destination and it provides the opportunity to stay at some truly jaw dropping locations that are just not possible in hotels or B&Bs. For me at least it is the ultimate NZ road trip.

As for itineraries, even though we have done three, two month trips around NZ we still struggle deciding which way to travel and where to go. Diamantina has provided two excellent options, although I would say that using a Campervan would enable you to include more locations than would otherwise be possible or advisable.

In addition to those places listed, some of my personal favourites include Abel Tasman National Park, The Marlborough Sounds, Lake Tekapo. You won’t have time for everything so you need to be very selective and Theron lies the problem, there is just so much to see! I find this website to be very helpful in planning https://www.newzealand.com/int/ . If you scroll all te way down you can order a free, high quality touring map which has a number of pre planned touring routes which I find immensely helpful. There is also the facility to build and save your own trip online.

Diamantina

Asimm, sorry, I was in a rush earlier so could not include details about the stops I listed.

Day 1 Christchurch
2 Punakaiki (via Arthur's Pass) Pancake Rocks and Paparoa National Park3 Hokitika Hokitika town and nearby Hokitika Gorge4 Franz Josef village and home to Franz Josef Glacier, if you drive 35 minutes farther you'll reach Fox village, which is home to Fox Glacier and Lake Matheson; these are both part of Westland Tai Poutini National Park
5 Franz Josef6 Wanaka pretty lakeside town surrounded by mountains and close to Mt. Aspiring National Park. It has nice walks and is home to Puzzling World.
7 Wanaka8 Wanaka
9 Te Anau
10 Te Anau this small town is the gateway for self drives and coach tours/scenic flights to Milford Road and Sound (which are in Fiordland National Park). It also has nice walks glowworm caves, and a bird sanctuary11 Queenstown
12 Queenstown
13 Queenstown Many sights and activities in and around Queenstown!14 Fly to Australia from Queenstown

The second itinerary has you arriving in Christchurch and driving back to Christchurch, in other words, making a loop. This would also allow you to see Aoraki Mt. Cook National Park and Lake Tekapo, which is just a bit farther along. Aoraki Mt. Cook is NZ's highest mountain. Aoraki Mt. Cook village is not only highly scenic but home to an International Dark Sky Reserve. There are some beautiful, fairly easy walks here.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-re...national-park/
Lake Pukaki, which you'll pass on the side road that gets you to Aoraki Mt. Cook village, is like Lake Tekapo, a glacial lake. Lakes Tekapo, Pukaki and Ohau are a milky turquoise due to their high content of rock powder, minerals that have washed down from the glaciers and been ground down to a fine dust.See:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/...nd-new-zealand
I suggested Akaroa as a final stop because it's only a 1 hour, 20 minute drive from Christchurch. Akaroa is a cute village on a harbor surrounded by the scenic Banks Peninsula.
https://www.akaroa.com/

asimm

crellston We havent used a camper van before, though at the end of our last trip to California in 2019, i thought that maybe next time i should hire a RV or campervan, but we do like the relaxation of a hotel room after a tiring day and we dont cook on our holidays, therefore maybe i think we will stick with our regular pattern of hiring a car

I would also like to mention here, that my initial plan for 2020 holidays was for Europe mainly Italy, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark, but due to a family get together we are now planning this trip and i think that especially New zealand would not disappoint me in terms of scenic beauty as i compare Switzerland with New Zealand (i understand that Switz has a terrific transport system)

Diamantina thank you for the complete itinerary, which is under consideration and research and most questions would be put forward later

As mentioned before, Auckland is a must and maybe i may have to visit Wellington for another meeting, so my question is
1. Should i travel from Melbourne or Brisbane to Auckland. Does that make any difference
2. If i need to go to Wellington, is it worth renting a car and drive, as i understand that Airfare is cheap
3. At the moment, i dont think i would do the loop, so maybe Auckalnd to Wellington and drive to Christchurch and Queenstown and back to either Melb or Brisbane which ever is left

As you may understand that i am trying to figure out from where to enter Nz and from where to exit

Please suggest

Diamantina

1. Melbourne to Auckland takes about 20 minutes longer (approximataely 3 hours 35 minutes) than Brisbane to Auckland (approximately 3 hours 15 minutes), so really not much difference. I would pick which ever flight is most convenient and economical. In each case you have a choice of several airlines.

2, Yes, airfare is cheap. Otherwise, it's an 8 hour drive without stops (most people overnight along the way or make several overnight stops along the way), There's also a train that takes all day to go from Auckland to Wellington, the Northern Explorere, which is said to be very scenic.
https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/...gton-by-train/
https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/...e/the-journey/
https://www.seat61.com/northern-explorer.htm

3. Sounds like you'll have far less than two weeks for your South Island.driving trip.

I think you'll find that New Zealand is far cheaper than Norway and Denmark, and cheaper than Switzerland, maybe not Italy depending on where you go. I was in Denmark and Norway in June 2018. They were experiencing a heat wave. You won't have to worry about a heat wave in New Zealand in June! In fact, you'll need to dress warmly. New Zealand has a wide variety of landscapes: coasts, mountains, lakes, glaciers, temperate rainforests, fiords and sounds, geothermal areas, volcanoes, limestone glowworm caves, tussock grasslands, pastures covered with more sheep than you're likely ever to see, and so on.

asimm

Yes with these meetings and at different places we will have less days for South Island. At the moment i think i need to give 6 nights for Auckland + Wellington and maybe drive on this route, if i can find it interesting more than South Island, which would leave me with 8 days for South Island. So how to trim down the above itinerary.

The train is a nice idea but its quite expensive USD200/ or so, so why not rent a car and explore at your own pace and will.

I agree Nz is cheaper than most Europe hyped cities, where it is difficult to find a reasonably clean hotel, in a central location for a family of 3 for less than USD200/, whereas my initial re-search makes me believe that i can find nice, comfy, centrally located 4* hotels in under USD150/. Correct me if i am wrong.

Since we come from a hot city, Karachi, & can only travel in the months of June/July, we have been loving for the past couple of years our holidays in cold (not snowing/freeing), except Melbourne which was quite cold, places Australia, California, Turkey etc, so we are sure that we would enjoy Nz weather in June/July, though days are shorter and offcourse the sheeps, though Swiss cows are wonderful too

Diamantina

In June, NZ's South Island will definitely be as cold as Melbourne. The latitude of Melbourne is 37.8136° S, 144.9631° E; the latitude of Queenstown, NZ, is 45.0312° S, 168.6626° E. The elevation of Melbourne is 31 metres; the elevation of city of Queenstown is 310 metres. Queenstown is on the 45th parallel south, that is halfway between the equator and the South Pole.

With the exception of the mountainous regions of the North Island (particularly the North Island Volcanic Plateau), the lower altitudes of the North Island shouldn't be as cold, but will likely be wetter than the South Island. The South Island is particularly cold when the Southerlies winds blow up from the Antarctic. The South Island lies in the windy "Roaring Forties":
https://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/conte...oaring-forties

According to the Australia tourism website, with respect to Melbourne's weather, "In winter, average temperatures range from 6.5 - 14.2°C (43.7 - 57.6°F), and snow falls in the north-east of Victoria, known as High Country. The weather is frequently cold and cloudy, and nights can be accompanied by frosts. Heavy rain is rare at this time of year." Source: https://www.australia.com/en/facts-a...e-weather.html
You can check Queenstown's weather on their tourism website: https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/plan/...in-queenstown/
You'll see that temperatures will be much colder in Queenstown.

I am originally from California and was just there last month for a visit, so I can tell you that California is way warmer than New Zealand in June! In California June is summer (Northern Hemisphere). In New Zealand, June is winter (Southern Hemisphere).

The great thing about coming to New Zealand in June is that there will be fewer people and rates for accommodation and car rentals will be lower. You won't have to book all of your accommodation far in advance, as you would have to do in summer. Yes, you'll have fewer daylight hours to explore. It'll get dark at around 5:30 p.m. If you're self-catering, produce prices rise in winter and the selection is far more limited than it would be in summer. For New Zealanders, this is a popular time of year for ski vacations or, for those seeking warmth, to vacation in the South Pacific islands or Queensland, Australia.

In whatever season, NZ's weather is unpredictable. I live in Dunedin, one of the colder cities of mainland New Zealand, but we've been enjoying warm and sunny beach days for weeks. We've hardly had any rain. However, other regions of New Zealand have been suffering summer weather mayhem:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/118...ss-the-country
But the weather could change quickly, and we could experience a reversal, Dunedin could suddenly experience stormy weather, while other regions could enjoy fine weather. That's how it is here. So please be prepared for this, bring the right clothes and footwear.

asimm

Very informative , thanks

Higher altitude for Queensland than Melbourne , would mean more chilly in winters

We didn’t mind Melbourne at all , but yes it had the chill & we even travelled to Mt Hottam to explore more cold & snow, maybe cuz we are deprived of it in our city

California, I guess has a very pleasant weather all year round but since we drove for a few nights on the PCH1 which was great but due to the ocean it was cold there especially at the piers of Pismo, SF etc

I have been watching cricket being played bw Pak & Nz & I remember few places were too too windy & that is why we would be keeping our Beanies, -20cent gloves, mufflers etc

Diamantina

You wrote, "Higher altitude for Queensland than Melbourne , would mean more chilly in winters."
No, this is not correct, Queenstown, NZ, is at a higher altitude than Melbourne and farther south, thus colder.

asimm

In order to estimate a budget, i searched through booking.com for accomodations I have noticed that there are more Apartments on offer than hotels. Is that true ?

Are these apartments like full serviced apartments with room cleaning,toiletries, towels and breakfast availability or you need to do your own stuff at these apartments

Furthermore , we family of 3 (child aged 12) can settle down in a double bed, is that allowed in most hotels

Thanks

asimm

I love to drive on scenic roads and therefore i surely would be driving in the SI part of our Nz trip, but only in day time.

How would the road conditions be in the months of June from
Christchurch to Punakaiki (via Arthur pass) to Hokitika to Franz Josef to Wanaka to Te Anau to Milford sound cruise and maybe Queenstown

Normally, are there any road closures
Rains should be minimum in June(winters
Foggy conditions, that may be dangerous for driving
Any others

Thanks

Natatasha_Paul

Hi, i wish your good luck in y our trips. your writing depict that you are a frequent traveler. i just want to say that have you ever traveled with your pets or small animals. how is that kind of experience.? I am asking because i too want to plan travel in the modest of next year and own a Labrador that does not stay alone and even i cannot let him alone in my absence. Anyway, have a great time ahead.

Diamantina

Road closures are generally weather-related, so it is impossible to predict if you will encounter road closures in June. New Zealand has unpredictable, changeable weather year-round. For example, last week, most of the country was enjoying sunny, dry weather, and now the entire country has been hit with stormy weather bringing heavy rains, gales and a drop in temperature. And this is summer, when we get normally get the best, mildest weather.

The West Coast of the South Island and Fiordland get lots of rain year-round. Last week, nearly 1000 tourists were stranded in Franz Josef on the West Coast when a storm damaged the state highway both to the south and north. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-...est-coast-town
If these tourists could have predicted this happening, they would have made other plans. The road closures can last mere hours or could take weeks for repairs.

I recommend you purchase travel insurance for your trip and try to give yourself a couple of extra days at the end of your trip in case something goes wrong along the way. As I previously wrote, in June, you wouldn't need to book much accommodation in advance as this is not a busy time of the year (though it's good you're already researching your options). I would definitely book accommodation for the day/night you arrive and for the days/nights prior to departure. I would try to book accommodation that you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance. Or at least acquaint yourself with the cancellation policies.

Normally Queenstown (your final stop) is busy and popular year-round, but the ski resorts only open around this time (Queenstown's Remarkables ski field is scheduled to open on June 6), so it might be a little slower in early June--unless you'll be there during the Winter Festival, the weekend of June 18 – 21, 2020. Still, there's loads of accommodation in Queenstown and in nearby Arrowtown.

Whilst traveling through the country, continue to check weather forecasts on Metservice, and heed weather alerts and warnings::
https://www.metservice.com/
And check the NZ Transport Agency website for road closure information:
https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
Here's a link to their page on driving safely in winter:
https://nzta.govt.nz/safety/driving-...inter-driving/

You asked, "Are these apartments like full serviced apartments with room cleaning,toiletries, towels and breakfast availability or you need to do your own stuff at these apartments" You must read the descriptions of these accommodations thoroughly and if you have questions direct these to the accommodation as only they can supply you with a complete and up-to-date answer. For instance, I've booked accommodation with kitchenettes and on arrival learned that it would be prohibited to cook food with strong odors (such as "fish or curries").

Apartments and motels are supplied with linens, and generally have kitchens or kitchenettes, though you might not have a stove top or oven so you will have to read the decriptions thoroughly. If there's a kitchenette, you should be supplied with tableware, pots, pans and cooking utensils (but this can also vary). I tend to bring my own small flying pan if I plan on cooking. I have a friend who travels with a good kitchen knife. Cleaning is also variable; this service might be provided daily or every three days or weekly. You are expected to clean up your dishes when you leave. This is why you must read descriptions thoroughly and must contact the accommodations directly if you have more questions.

I would also check accommodation reviews on Trip Advisor, and check the listings on Wotif.com, and Hotels.com. You might want to check listings on https://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/

Here's a link to an article about wild weather at the start of June 2019. So this would be a worst-case scenario:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113...tures-and-rain

asimm

Thank you for everyone your suggestions

The basic itinerary is as follows

Arrive AKL on May 31 for 05 nights

02 nights at CHC

01 at Hokityvia ARTHUR pass

01 at Franz Josef

03 at Wanaka

04 at Queenstown to cover Milford sound - should I stay for 02 nights at Te Anau out of the 04 at Q/town

01 at Mt Cook

01 at CHC for departure to Melb

Need to Depart on June 17 from CHC

Your thoughts pls

Diamantina

If you want to self-drive on Milford Road to Milford Sound, then you should spend two nights in Te Anau. Then drive Milford Road to Milford Sound on your second day in Te Anau. But this will mean less time for Queenstown. Keep in mind, as it will be winter, there will be a small chance that Milford Road will be closed. You will also have to drive carefully as the road could be frosty. If you decide to drive to Te Anau, you should drive there after Wanaka, and visit Queenstown after Te Anau. This way you won't have to drive so far to get to Aoraki Mt. Cook. Te Anau to Aoraki Mt. Cook is too far to drive in winter. Because the days will be short. This also would leave you little time to enjoy Aoraki Mt. Cook.
Here are tips for driving in winter in NZ:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/driv...inter-driving/
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh...t-travel-tips/
This link will tell you if Milford Road is open (so check before you drive it)
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh...d-road-status/

asimm

Thank you for all your suggestions that have made things easy for me to decide.

I have decided not to self drive on the Milford and skip Te Anau. Instead from Wanaka i will be driving straight to Queenstown for 4 nights and from there will take a Milford sound cruise tour. Though the tour would be long from Queenstown but it will save me from the hassle of packing/unpacking and checkin/checkout

My Intl flight back to Melbourne from CHC is at 9Pm, so maybe i can drive directly from Mt Cook to the Christchurch airport and again this would save me from double packing/unpacking and checkin/checkout for a day at Christchurch

Thanks a lot

Diamantina

Sounds like a good idea. That's what I would do if I were in your shoes.
If you want to cut your drive time to Christchurch, you can spend one night in Aoraki/Mt. Cook, and then the next night in Lake Tekapo. The drive from Lake Tekapo to Christchurch takes about 3 hours. If you get to Christchurch early, you can visit the International Antarctic Centre https://www.iceberg.co.nz/ or the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve https://www.willowbank.co.nz/

asimm

Is Wanaka worth 03 nights or should i reduce it to 02 night and add it some other place.
Thanks

Diamantina

Three nights in Wanaka is fine. Because it's beautiful. Also, because the drive from Franz Josef to Wanaka will eat up much of your first day for Wanaka.

The only thing I would change is just one night in Christchurch at the beginning because you'll have another chance to see Christchurch at the end of your trip. I'd add this extra night to the West Coast or Wanaka, just in case you have any problems with weather. Because if you're going to have any problems with the weather these are likely to be on the West Coast, which gets a lot of rain. Of course, we can't predict how the weather will be at the end of May/beginning of June. I would say you don't have to worry so much about booking far in advance for the West Coast at this time of year. I also fear the Wuhan coronavirus will, sadly, continue to affect NZ tourism even in June, with few, if any, visitors coming from China, which means there will be even fewer tourists competing for accommodation.

The drive from Aoraki Mt Cook to Christchurch will take more than 4 hours, say, 5 hours or more with a stop at Lake Tekapo. You'll want to look at the Church of the Good Shepherd and the Sheep Dog memorial:
https://www.churchofthegoodshepherd.org.nz/
You also might want to drive up to the Astro Cafe on Mt. John. Road access is $8 but the view from the top is wonderful, especially on a clear day. It's also possible to walk to the top of the mountain, but you wouldn't have enough time for this unless you were to spend the night.
https://www.darkskyproject.co.nz/eat/astro-cafe/