sonaligupta2108

Hi All,
This is my first topic on Fodors. I have been reading many trip reports on Fodors and they all are great. After reading the trip report, I feel like going on vacation more often now 
About my upcoming vacation:
We are traveling to NZ for the first time from EAST coast USA. I (31) will be traveling with my husband (29) and infant (16 months then) from 10 Feb to 28 Feb 2018. Since we are traveling with an infant, we would be limiting our drive to maximum 4hrs a day and we are fine (flexible) if we do not cover all the places which are planning to do. We love scenic places (taking loads of Photographs). We are flying in and out of AKL and have 18 days for our NZ trip.
Below is our tentative itinerary:
Day 1: (Auckland) Flight will land at 6.30 AM. We should be out by 9 AM to our hotel - Hilton (will try booking Super shuttle). Since it will be long and tiresome journey, we are planning to do sky tower, strolling in and around Hilton hotel which is on .
Day 2: (Paihia) Morning ferry to Davenport and back to auckland. Around late noon, take an intercity bus to Bay of islands and explore Paihia town by Foot. We are not planning to drive for first 2/3 days since we are not used to left hand side driving.
Day 3: (Paihia) Hole in a rock Cruise. And evening explore Paihia & Russell. (Would like to know must do/must visit)
Day 4: (Hamilton) Intercity bus to Hamilton from Paihia. (We checked timings – it will take 5/6 hrs in total; so no activities planned)
Day 5: (Hamilton) Hobbiton movie set and Waitomo caves (self-drive)
Day 6 & 7: (Wellington) early morning flight to wellington. Visit Te papa, weta caves museum. If possible, scenic view of mount Victoria, riding cable car. Next day, Kaitoke Regional Park (via Pukerua Bay) and Putangirua pinnacles (since we like visiting LOTR filming locations) Please suggest if there are better things to do)
Day 8 & 9: (Christchurch): early morning flight to CHC. Activities planned:
- Botanical Gardens
- Punting on river Avon
- Antarctic Centre
- Cardboard Cathedral, inner city bus tour to visit museum to look at the rebuild after the Canterbury Earthquakes in 2010-11
Day 10: (Fox Glaciers) Transalpine train to Greymouth. Pick up car rental and drive to Hokitika town for refreshments and visit Hokitika Gorge. Stay near Fox glacier.
Day 11: (Fox Glaciers) Helicopter ride for both Glaciers, (Please advise if we should do helicopter ride one by one or can we take our infant in helicopter ride?) Lake Matheson for the remaining day
Day 12: (Wanaka): Self-drive from Fox glacier to Wanaka and stay one night, we would like to stop frequently for this scenic drive. Haast, river Hawae, Lake Wanaka (and its Tree), puzzling world are few activities planned.
Day 13 (Te Anau): Drive from Wanaka to Glenorchy (read that it is one of the most beautiful drives in SI). And then head to Te Anau.
Day 14 (Te Anau); Milford sound day tour in coach (no self-driving)
Day 15 (Queenstown): Drive to Queenstown. Visit Arrowtown, Gondola rides and may be Dart river jet boat. However, we would like to spend some time sitting (idle) in front of Lake Wakatipu and enjoying the view.
Day 16 & 17 (Mt Cook): Drive to Mt cook via Kawarau Gorge, Lindi Pass. Planning to do full Hooker Valley walk which takes 4 hours return, Glacier Explorer tour and sitting idle near Lake Pukaki for the view. We will try if we can go for Star gazing.
Day 18 (Auckland): Drive from Mt cook to CHC. Stop at Lake Tekapo and will take recommended scenic route # 72 to Christchurch. CHC to AKL late night flight. We will be leaving AKL following day around 10 AM.
Since we are traveling with an infant, we do not want to go Rotorua due to geothermal activities. (Please advise if Rotorua can be done with infant though my husband and I have already seen lava / hot steam vents in Hawaii). We will book our accommodation and activities in another week since we are going around peak time.
We would appreciate your views on this Itinerary - If we are missing something MUST DO or if we are too ambitious with an infant.

Melnq8

You have a heck of a lot crammed into your SI itinerary. I think it's way too ambitious with an infant.

You have some very long drive days planned and not much time to spend in the places you are driving to. Spending so munch time in a car is challenging for adults, let alone young kids.

Day 12 is a full day of driving (with stops) you will probably have very little time left for the activities you've mentioned.

Day 13 - Wanaka to Glenorchy is about a two hour drive, Glenorchy to Te Anau will take you about three. That doesn't leave much time for Glenorchy.

Infants up to 3 years old are generally free on helicopters in NZ, and must sit on parents lap. This may not be the case with every operator however, so do check with the one you want to take.

tasmangirl

Agree with Mel - this looks so hectic with a baby. Does he/she not need a nap or time or toddle around and look at the ducks somewhere?
How are you doing the Hooker Valley 4 hour walk with a baby? Bringing your own backpack I hope as I'm not sure it would be stroller friendly.
The time on the bus worries me. Take a car seat so at least they have a secure place to sit/sleep. Paihia to Hamilton is about 6 hours on the bus which is a looong time.
I'd plan about 1 activity per day unless your bub is extremely easy going and just goes with the flow.
Rotorua is fine for any age.

sonaligupta2108

Hi Melnq8,

Thanks for the response.

For Day 12: we are starting from Fox glacier and destination will be Wanaka. Google maps shows around 3.5hrs driving time. But obviously we will stop now and then during this beautiful drive for rest / view points / photos. Including these stops, I am anticipating we will can do this in 6/7 hrs. We are planning to start around 10 AM and should reach our accommodation around 7 PM in Wanaka. I though this will be doable ( puzzling world is not mandatory).

For Day 13: Same thing, if we leave from Wanaka around 10 AM. we should reach Glenorchy around 1 PM. Spend 2/3hrs around that area (we might sit at one scenic place / point if out Infant gets pissed off). We can then leave Glenorchy around 4 PM and try to reach Te Anau by 8 PM.

Let me know if this not possible or any other better way of doing this.

Thanks again
Sonali Gupta

sonaligupta2108

Hi Tasmangirl,

Thanks for your response.

We will be bringing Car seat, Stroller and back Pack with us. We might rent Mountain buggy for small hikes.

Yes, Full Hooker valley walk seems difficult. we might end up doing 1 or 2hrs walk only. I will check with our hotel (after we check in) what can be done with baby. We are flexible enuf to not cover/do what we are planning right now and change our plans after discussing with hotel staff or localities.

About long bus drive from Paihia to Hamilton, we are still debating what to do and how to avoid it. Agree it will be irritating and tiresome for all 3 of us.

Can you suggest me a better Itinerary for first 4/5 day (until wellington). Hobbiton is must for us. As I mentioned above, we are not planning to drive for first 2/3 days since we are not used to left hand side driving.

Melnq8

Google maps is generally inaccurate when it comes to NZ.

Six to seven hours on day 12 is a good estimate - for adults. I've never traveled with an infant, but I suspect your day could well be much longer than 6-7 hours.

And while doable, it leaves very little time to see Wanaka since you're leaving the next day.

What do you plan to do in Glenorchy? If you just want to see the village, sure you have time. If you want to drive to Paradise or take in one of the beautiful tracks in the area (which you may not want to with an infant anyway), you won't have much time.

This is a driving itinerary. Maybe that's what you want. But it wouldn't be my choice - even without kids.

sonaligupta2108

Hi Melnq8,

I got your point now. We have subtracted one day from NI and adding it to SI. I have 2 question:

1) If we have 4/5 hours to explore Wanaka, what do you suggest apart from lake Wanaka and Puzzling world. (if you suggest roaming aimlessly in the village, we are fine but let me know few shops / location which are must do in village)

2) we are adding full day for Glenorchy (drive from QTN). Please let me know what to see (points / location to be put in GPS) in and around Glenorchy. Please tell more about paradise drive. we would not like to miss recommended scenic drives / routes on our trip.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Sonali Gupta

tasmangirl

This reads to me like a wish list of places to go with not much consideration for how you will actually get there.
New Zealand is small and we do not have the transport infrastructure like the States. At the moment there are only 2 trains working in the whole country. Buses as well are not running hourly everywhere - in some place daily is more like it. This makes it harder to get around!
I'm not sure why you are taking the bus to Hamilton? Will you hire a car there and leave it where?
From what airport do you fly to Wellington from?
I would really forget going North with a baby and such long times on the bus. Auckland to Paihia is 4 hours by itself.
If you don't want to hire a car then stay in Auckland for a few days and do day trips.
Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World is fun and the little one will enjoy the penguins. Auckland Zoo is quite fun as well and the Auckland Museum.
Days 1 and 2 in Auckland day trips and recover from jet lag
Day 3 bus to Hamilton, hire a car
Day 4 day trip to Hobbiton
Day 5 day trip to Waitomo
Day 6 fly to Wellington.
Driving outside of Auckland will be easier to get used to as there is not so much traffic.
Day 7 in Wellington you can fit in Te Papa and take a taxi or bus to the Weta Cave.
How will you get to the Putangirua Pinnacles? It's about a 2 hour drive from Wellington city.

sonaligupta2108

Hi Tasmangirl,

With the help of your and Melnq8 comments, I have updated Itinerary for NI. I have subtracted one day from NI and adding it to SI.

Day 1: (Auckland) Flight will land at 6.30 AM. We should be out by 9 AM to our hotel - Hilton (will try booking Super shuttle). Ferry to Davenport. Since it will be long and tiresome journey, we are planning to do sky tower, strolling in and around Hilton hotel which is on.

Day 2: (Rotorua) Morning bus to Hamilton (2 hrs bus ride). Rent a car and drive to Waitomo caves. Evening if time permits, Agro dome sheep show (for our little one) and late evening Polynesian spa.

Day 3: (Rotorua) First stop will be Wai-O-Tapu till 2PM and then Te-Puia for later part of the day.

Day 4: (Hamilton) Drive to Matamata. Hobbiton tour. And stay near Hamilton hotel. return Car. Take taxi next morning for Hamilton airport.

Day 5 & 6: (Wellington) early morning flight from Hamilton to wellington. Will rent a car. Visit Te papa, weta caves museum. If possible, scenic view of mount Victoria, riding cable car. Next day, Kaitoke Regional Park (via Pukerua Bay) and Putangirua pinnacles (since we like visiting LOTR filming locations)

on SI, we are staying one more day in QTN.

Thanks
Sonali Gupta

Melnq8

Sonali -

I've never used a GPS in NZ. It's a small country with limited roads. Driving maps can be picked up for no charge in the airport.

Wanaka is basically one main street of shopping/cafes/restaurants. It won't take you long to cover the whole street. More info here:

https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/things-...-and-services/

Things to see/do in Wanaka:

Walk to the top of Mt Iron - fabulous views of the surrounding lakes on a clear day.

https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/explore/mount-iron-walk

Visit Rippon Winery - even if you don't drink, the views alone are worth the visit.

http://www.rippon.co.nz/

If you like beer, you might enjoy a visit to Wanaka Beerworks:

http://www.wanakabeerworks.co.nz/

For a quirky movie experience, you might like Cinema Paradiso:

http://www.paradiso.net.nz/

Glenorchy is tiny, but there are loads of things to do in the vicinity for those who enjoy the outdoors and are willing to explore.

Some options:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...th_Island.html

Regarding Paradise:

Only accessible when the weather is nice and there's not been any rain, as the road is rough in spots and has fords. Check your rental car contract first, as driving this road may be a rental car violation.

Pull out your trusty map, drive Paradise Road to Paradise Trust. There is any easy 1.5 mile loop track through the property. The views are wonderful. Lots of birdlife.

sonaligupta2108

Thanks again Melnq8.
I have added Wanaka town, Mt iron walk and Rippon Winery in my Itinerary.

For Glenorchy, we might take private tours for half day (full day tour wont be possible with our little one).

One more question:
which travelers health insurance is best in NZ.

I will soon post my updated Itinerary here.

Sonali Gupta

Melnq8

By traveler's health insurance I assume you mean trip insurance?

I can't help with that one - I never buy trip insurance. My various US policies cover me for most things like rental car insurance, urgent medical care, etc..

I have visited a doctor while traveling in NZ on two occasions for urgent care needs. Both times I walked right into a medical facility and both times the charges were quite reasonable, so I just paid-out-of-pocket.

Regarding a tour of Glenorchy - what do you have in mind? What do you want to do while there?

tasmangirl

That looks much better for the North Island.
Not sure about insurance sorry as I live here. You can 'walk in' to a clinic if the baby was sick or something minor happened and just pay for the treatment.
In a serious accident you will get hospital care and the bill afterwards but it's not as expensive as the USA.

sonaligupta2108

Hi Melnq8,

I will check my health insurance, if they cover overseas too.

About Glenorchy, my answer would be generic - scenic views or LOTR sights but not more that 2hrs walking /hiking.

I read that Lake Rere, Routeburn Track and lagoon walk can be good. though not sure; need your advice about how much walking is required. I have to prioritize among them as my Little one may not allow us to do all these.

Also, there are some 4WD half day private tours from QTN which have good reviews. Again, not sure; need your advice.

Thanks again
Sonali Gupta

sonaligupta2108

Hi Tasmangirl,

Thanks for the information regarding urgent medical services in NZ. I am much relieved now. However, will check with my current US insurance if they cover in NZ.

Also, would like your help in things to do in GLenorchy assuming we have 5-6hrs there. Our interest is - scenic views or LOTR sights but not more that 2hrs walking /hiking.

Thanks again
Sonali Gupta

Melnq8

Sonali -

By the lagoon walk, I assume you mean the boardwalk that is right in Glenorchy - this is an easy family friendly walk, and a good option for your group.

It's quite feasible to walk to the first hut and back on the Routeburn - I can't remember how long it takes, but I'd guess 3-4 hours. This section of the track is quite easy. The trail head is several miles from Glenorchy though and you'll need to drive on some unsealed roads to get there. Take a packed lunch to enjoy at the hut before turning around. If you look at the DOC site for NZ tracks, you can see if it's stroller friendly or not, I've never traveled with children, so I don't notice these things.

Lake Rere is not a walk I'd suggest, especially with a child.

Here's an excerpt from the trip report I wrote regarding Lake Rere:


<<<Egged on by Richard and Vladka, we’d talked ourselves into tackling the 4-6 hour Lake Rere Track, knowing full well that it’d probably take us closer to six hours than four.

We drove towards Kinloch, the road turning to gravel nine kilometers before the lodge, surprised that the parking lot was full this time of year. It was heartening to see so many tiny yellow mohua flitting about, once abundant, but now threatened.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/...ng-mohua-safe/

We crossed three water-filled fords to the end of yet another road, in this case, the Greenstone Track car park, about an hour’s drive from Glenorchy. We’d been advised to walk in from the Greenstone instead of crossing the swing bridge at the first sign to Lake Rere. So, we followed the well maintained Greenstone-Caples track, staying on the Greenstone when they separated. We eventually encountered a second turn off to Lake Rere; the trail boggy and poorly formed. Before long we were hopping from rock to rock across streams and traversing an intimidating scree field, wondering what we’d gotten ourselves into.

It took us almost 3.5 hours to reach Lake Rere, and frankly it was rather anti-climactic and underwhelming considering the effort it took to get there. After a picnic, we forged on, skirting the lake through heavy forest, dodging countless rocks, slogging through deep mud, crossing more streams – it was a veritable obstacle course. Just when I thought the track would never end, we crested a hill and immediately understood why we’d been told to take this route. Azure blue Lake Wakatipu lay before us sparkling in the sun, fringed by snow covered mountains reflected in the completely still water. It was INCREDIBLE.

The work wasn’t over yet though, as the track next led through a sheep and cow poop slalom the likes of which we’d never seen before. We’ve walked through our share of paddocks, but man, this one was something else.

I’ve never been so happy to see a swing bridge and a car park in my life. We were worn out, but we’d conquered Lake Rere (12 miles, 5.5 hours, more manure than you can imagine).

As we backtracked towards Kinloch we saw a man walking along the deserted road, miles from anywhere, not another soul in sight. The first words out of his mouth when we pulled over were “I am French”, as if that somehow explained what he was doing out on this lonely country road in dress shoes. We offered him a ride to Kinloch, which he gratefully accepted; he’d been walking for three hours, apparently having set out without realizing he’d have to walk all the way back.>>>>

sonaligupta2108

Hi Melnq8,

Thanks for information on Lake Rere. Will not go this time as it is challenging with infant.

will add Lagoon walk and first hut.
Any other suggestions for entire NZ. (must do/see/experience)

Sonali Gupta

deSchenke

You might want to consider the walk to Lake Sylvan - it's through a very pretty forest. If you do the loop, look for old railway ties along the track.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...-sylvan-track/

sonaligupta2108

Hi deSchenke,

Thanks for the suggestion. I have added this in itinerary. If time /little one permits, we will go.

Sonali Gupta

tasmangirl

Agreed to check with the car rental company that you can drive on unsealed roads. Also you may not have cell phone reception in some more remote places.
You can always come back for the more adventurous parts of NZ when baby is older or leave them at home with grandparents!
I considered the LOTR tour to Glenorchy last time we were in Qtown but decided it was too expensive for a guided walk around.
Mel - you should write a guide book to the far flung places of NZ. I can't find Lake Rere in my atlas.