Thanks Melnq8 for filling in, as I actually did not see this post for the last week.

Barbara, I felt we had allocated the right amount of time in each place, given what we wanted to see, and the time we had available. Of course, one could have easily spent a week in Queenstown, doing nothing, and just enjoying the scenery !

Melnq8 has given you the right info about both Glenorchy and Arrowtown. I would strongly suggest you visit both when you are at Queenstown. As for staying at Arrowtown vs Queenstown, that is really a matter of preference. The two are hardly 20-25 minutes drive away, so it really does not matter much. Arrowtown would be more quiet and quaint, and Queenstown will have more to offer by way of hotels and restaurants. Depends on what you prefer.

Hi indiancouple. I always recommend your trip report to those planning a fast paced tour.

The other main difference between Q'town and A'town is the "remarkable" view across the lake!

I once had an innkeeper in Clyde describe Q'town as "our Las Vegas".

bmking for planning our trip [hopefully!].

I just happen to be in Las Vegas at the minute and it's a complete zoo. I'll take the bustle of QT over the insanity of Vegas anytime, but I certainly can relate to the comparison from a Kiwi point of view!

Thanks mlgb for recommending my report. Quite a "remarkable" pun, when comparing Q-town and A'town !

If there are any two dis-similar cities in the world, they are Las Vegas and Queenstown !

Yes Melnq8 and indiancouple, it's all relative, isn't it!

What a coincidence that this TR has resurfaced just as I am starting to plan our NZ trip. I remember reading this a few years ago and visualising the awesome vistas... Nothing like seeing it for real. Bookmarking!

yes, thank you Barbara for topping it as the trip we are planning is almost the same length as the OP's.

I've just finished reading your TR, indiancouple and I loved it.

I've also found the link to the official NZ website and as another poster said, they have some excellent itineraries.

fo our 17 night trip, i really liked this one:

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/get...ext/print.html

I think that we might omit the trip to Stewart Island, and spend an extra night in Wellington, but apart from that, it looks very doable.

what do you all think about it?

Not my kind of itinerary, annhig. The last thing I want to do when I visit NZ is drive every single day. I want to explore, walk, take photos and experience; I just can't accomplish that from the seat of a car. But, for those short on time who want a snapshot of the country, it's as good an itinerary as any I guess.

Mt Cook is missing! I wouldn't take those drive times too seriously either. Queenstown to Franz Josef in five hours? Hardly. Christchurch to Dunedin? Least scenic drive in all of NZ and easily avoided.

mmm - there's the rub, Melnq8. we like to walk and do things too, but we also want to see as much as possible.

where to trim?

On NI, the Bay of Islands is a must, not too fussed about Auckland, want to see Rotorua and Wellington, so that's 6 nights minimum.

On SI, I'd like to spend a day or two at Abel Tasman, then the west coast glaciers, down to Queenstown and Milford/Doubtful sound, then back to Christchurch [not too bothered about staying there] for flight out after about 10 days.

Where would you pick as bases along that itinerary?

I feel your pain annhig, I really do. I still have trouble planning my own NZ itineraries and I've been a dozen times or so. I'm currently working on a month long visit to the SI and still second guessing myself.

But, sometimes, less is more.

Assume you're arriving on the SI via ferry?

You don't mention Mt Cook, which means you've already made one of the hardest choices - West Coast via inland route.

So....

Arrive Picton-drive Abel Tasman area (where specifically are you thinking - Nelson, Motueka, Kaiteriteri, Marahau?)

Abel Tasman area to Punakaiki (overnight to break up the drive)

Punakaiki to glaciers - if you plan well, you can probably even fit in the detour to Hokitika Gorge

Glaciers to Wanaka

Wanaka to Te Anau (for Milford access)

Te Anau to Queenstown

Fly QT back to Christchurch

Melnq8 - you are as ever a breath of sanity.

Yes we will be getting the ferry across but I wasn't aware of having made a choice against Mount Cook! I was already thinking of flying from QT to Christchurch so as to maximise our time in the south though.

as for the choice between Nelson, Motueka, Kaiteriteri, Marahau - who knows? I need to do some more research into the pros and cons of each.

your favourite?

My favorite?

I like Upper Moutere as a base for Abel Tasman...I didn't include it on the list above as most folks overlook it and I didn't want to confuse things, but confuse I will.

Upper Moutere is located about 10 minutes drive from Motueka and about 35 minutes from Nelson. I’ve found that Upper Moutere is a good central location for accessing the wineries of Richmond and Nelson as well as the Abel Tasman area. It's an area, not a town, so accommodation is generally rural.

Many visitors to Abel Tasman choose Nelson as their base, for reasons I'll never understand. Nelson is a good hour's drive from the entrance to the park at Marahau, so if the park if one's main focus, it makes more sense to stay closer to the park.

Motueka is the closest town to Abel Tasman Nat'l Park. Beyond Motueka is Kaiteriteri, a beachside settlement, Little Kaiteriteri (a residential beachside area) and Maraharu, a small settlement that marks the gateway to Abel Tasman Nat'l park from that side (the track/park can also be accessed from the Golden Bay side, beyond Takaka). Any of these make a good base from which to explore the park.

If your main focus is Abel Tasman Nat'l Park, and you have limited time, I strongly suggest you stay in Marahau, from which the track and kayak operations are literally at your doorstep.

If you plan to split your time between the park and say Nelson, (for which you'd need at least two full days), Upper Moutere makes a good base.

I remember reading a trip report by Songdoc when he stayed at Marahau, he highly recommended the place they stayed at.

I think this is it.

http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...bel-tasman.cfm

Hi annhig. Did not read the latest additions to this old TR until today.

Thanks for the compliments about the TR. Anything I can answer, let me know, although I see that Melnq8 is already taking care of you. I received excellent advice from Melnq8 when I was planning our trip, and I guess you will get sound advice there.

You can see both the west coast and Mt. Cook when looping through the South Island. Take the inland route from Queenstown back to Christchurch.

http://www.newzealand.com/us/feature...route-planner/

I do think indiancouple had an excellent fast-paced itinerary. There is just too much to see and choices need to be made!

in a blatant attempt at copying indiancouple's itinerary, I've come up with this for our 17 night trip:

Auckland - i night
Rotorua – 2 nights
Wellington – 1 night
Picton [area] – 2 nights
Moteuka – 2 nights
Fox Glacier/Franz joseph – 2 nights
Waneka - I night
Te Anau – 2 nights
milford sound cruise - I night
Queenstown – 2 nights
Lake Tekapo – 1 night
Early morning departure for Christchurch to arrive by midday.

i could refine it further by missing out Auckland entirely, and going straight from Auckland to Rotorua then onto Wellington etc.

that's only 16 nights - where would you spend the 17th night? Napier? - to break up the long stretch from Rotorua to Wellington?

Waneka? - to be able to do more treking/tramping?

Queenstown, to give us at least one 3 night stop?

I think your drive from Motueka to Franz Josef is too long for one day (technically possible, but too long a drive for one day). Suggest you break it up, and spend a night somewhere in between. Punakaiki is a good possibility, but there are other choices too. In contrast, the drive from Rotorua to Wellington is more "doable" in a day, and does not have many interesting places to stop enroute.

You mention 2 nights in Picton area. Are you planning on seeing the Marlborough Sounds ? If so, fine. Otherwise, perhaps too much time here.

Are you planning an overnight Milford Sound cruise ? Not sure if it will add much more from a day cruise. In either case, spending 2 nights at Te Anau + 1 night on the cruise is perhaps too much. You could either do 2 nights at Te Anau (including a day cruise), or 1 night at Te Anau + night cruise. So you will probably have another day to spare.

Any extra nights, I would recommend you just add to Queenstown. By far the best place in NZ, and worth as many days as you can spare.