I think....I think....that we'll spend all the time on the SI and save the NI for a future trip. I really want to add Stewart Island and spend some time in the Catlins, and I think by skipping the NI we'll have the time to do that. Also, fly in and out for Christchurch, instead of into Auckland and out of Christchurch. This way I can also add Kaikōura, yay! I'm happy with these changes, I think it's a better fit for our interests.
Diamantina, thank you for the Catlins link, very useful. We'll see the glowworms in Te Anau, I read that's a better experience than in FJ.
traveler318, thanks for coming back. We might reconsider the 4 nights in some places, but I need a more detailed list of things and places I want to see and do. Based on that we'll decide on the number of nights in each place. Queenstown is one of those places I'm not sure about yet, a lot of people seem to love it, so I might add it too, and mostly because of the Glenorchy area. Maybe stay in Queenstown instead of Wanaka? Or just add a night in Glenorchy?

A rough draft of the new itinerary: 2n Christchurch - 2n Kaikōura - 3n Abel Tasman - 1n Punakaiki - 3n FJ - 3n Wanaka - 1 n Glenorchy - 3n Te Anau - 2n Stewart island - 2n Catlins - 3n Dunedin - 3n Aoraki Mt Cook - 1 n Christchurch. This is a lot more rushed than what we normally do, but I think it makes sense for NZ. We did a similar thing in Iceland (yes, I know, smaller place, shorter drives), but that worked fine for us.

Is there any wildlife redundancy between Kaikōura - Stewart island - Dunedin? That might change the # of nights allocation.

Re Wanaka vs Queenstown: Many people love Wanaka but I thought two nights was plenty (except the food scene was good). It really depends on what you want to do. Because of my knee, hikes of more than about 2 miles were out. I did manage 398 steps up (same number back down) at Devil's Punchbowl Falls (Arthur's Pass) but was really quite slow at it. In Queenstown, we went up the lift, did the Dart River Trip (a highlight of both trips), went to Skippers Canyon (and the river with the bungee jumping can't remember the name) plus Arrowtown. To us, it didn't seem there were that many things to do as close to or from Wanaka. We took a slightly more than half day tour with Wanaka Water Taxis that was nice but not as good as most of the things we did in/from Queenstown. That being said, accommodations in Queenstown are more expensive but there are also many more choices.

So bottom line, my advice is study activities in both places to figure out what appeals most to you. I don't remember Glenorchy having much in the way of accommodation, but it has been a while.

We are a bit older than you and didn't find our trip too rushed. We stayed three nights only two places. Most were two night stays, and we even had four single nights spread throughout the 3 weeks. Now, we tend to be up and out early, even on vacation. Also, it's the amount of driving you do that you need to think about. It is more tiring than driving at home when on two lane roads (and there were few four lane roads on south island). We had a couple longer days of driving, but broke those up with activities in the middle.

We tend to prefer smaller towns, so Wanaka appeals to us. But I'm also intrigued by some of the activities in (close to) Queenstown, so I'll take your advice: make a list of what we want to see/do in both places and decide based on that. Glenorchy would be just an overnight, I'm sure we'll find something.
We are not constantly on the go, and tend to leave home later, unless we're birding on some sort of wildlife or other organized tour. We'll have a mix of both on this trip. Are you going to post a TR?

Stick with your original dates then. Holiday planning is tricky at the best of times and altering it can be a real pain. It won't be busy like New York is!
Yes I am female (my name is Maori for dragonfly). I live in Auckland so my advice is better suited for the North Island but with Diamantina in Dunedin we should be able to provide local knowledge over most of NZ.
I just loved the Catlins. We had 2 nights there are planned it to do 2 activities each day plus the high light of walking to Nugget Point lighthouse. We came from Dunedin, had 2 nights and then continued on to Invercargill. Owaka is very cute with a great little museum attached to the public library. Don't miss trying a blue cod in your fish and chips.
Stewart Island is on my bucket list but despite living here all my life I have not made it there yet. A day trip is possible from Invercargill if you fly.

Tarakona,
It seems my updated itinerary might work. It will include the Catlins and the Stewart Isaland, as well as Kaikoura for some whale and dolphin cruises. As of now I'm thinking 2 nights in each place, but we'll see. Dolphin cruise in Christchurch/Akaroa or Kaikoura? I know they are different, but how to decide? Whale watching cruise or albatross experience?
I was considering 2 nights for a full day on Stewart Island. If flying, can we leave the car at the Invercargill airport for a couple of days?

Yes parking is at Invercargill Airport - https://invercargillairport.co.nz/parking-transfers/
Umm...I used to like Kaikoura but we passed through on a road trip in December 2024 and I was underwhelmed by it. There were some nice cafes and gift shops and smart accommodations but apart from that there's not much to do. I'd read lots of reviews on the whale trips before committing to one.
Christchurch and Akaroa was a different story however! Much more to see and do and more interesting.

I can recommend Punakaiki Rocks Hotel and Garden Bar. They had fantastic food in the pub and out the back are nice motel units. Not flash but clean and comfortable and we like a place where we can have dinner/few beers/few gins and then just walk back to our bed for the night! It's walkable down to the beach from there as well.
There's no shops in Punakaiki apart from the big gift shop opposite the Rocks entrance and the pancake cafe.
It's a walk up the hill to the Pancake Rocks and they are best seen at high tide.

I didn't want to make assumptions, Tarakona. I'm glad my initial instincts were correct. I love dragonflies!

xyz99, excellent decision!

I have mixed thoughts about the direction of your trip. The south of the South Island is cooler than the north of the South Island, so if you’d prefer to be warmer in the south, maybe think about reversing the direction of your drive because the temperatures will start to drop as autumn settles in However, early March wouldn’t necessarily be drier than late March, it could be wetter but probably not by much. Blenheim (main town of Marlborough wine region) and the Nelson-Tasman district are known for many sunny days. Inland Otago and Tekapo are also known for fine weather from summer through April.Again, I can’t emphasise enough how predictably unpredictable our weather is.

On the other hand, by late March, the autumn leaves in Central Otago, Queenstown-Lakes District, Mackenzie region, Dunedin to Oamaru, through Waitaki Valley, Mackenzie region to Christchurch will start to show their autumn colours. Though these colors don’t peak until mid-April. These colors are celebrated with a couple of festivals, Wānaka’s Festival of Color and Arrowtown’s Autumn Festival

Autumn school holidays begin on Good Friday, April 3rd. It’ll be the last school vacation before winter. Australian families also visit NZ during their holidays (and vice versa). I believe school holidays in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Northern Territory will overlap with NZ’s. One of the biggest Easter weekend events is Warbirds Over Wānaka.

There are some fine walks for keen hikers in and around Wānaka. It’s considered the “gateway” to Mt. Aspiring National Park. I’ve walked Wānaka’s Diamond Lake & Rocky Mountain and Mt. Iron a couple of times. The view from the top of the Diamond Lake & Rocky Mountain track is especially wonderful. Other famous walks here, which might be considered more challenging include Roy’s Peak, and Rob Roy Glacier in Mt. Aspiring National. From its DOC webpage: "The track starts at the Raspberry Creek car park, 54 km west of Wanaka on the Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Road. The last 30 km are unsealed. The last 10 km is a fine weather road only and subject to washouts and flooded creeks that can be impassable. Check road conditions before you leave by contacting the Tititea/Mount Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre. The drive takes about an hour." Even more challenging is the Isthmus Peak Track (classified as Advanced), which is on private land that allows safari hunting for part of the year.

I haven’t done these more challenging hikes, though my husband and I intended to do Rob Roy and Roy's Peak. We drove in the direction of Rob Roy Track, but turned around short of the Raspberry Creek car park when we came across a ford that seemed too deep for our little compact car to cross. But up until then, it had been a gorgeous drive along Wānaka- Mt. Aspiring Road through Matukituki Valley. It’s always nice when you can be relatively close to town but feel as if you are in a very remote area. (Though we were passed by quite a few campervans.) We’d also set off a bit too late in the day, so if you go here--and you probably should, plan accordingly. And remember what I mentioned earlier about rental car restrictions, APEX will not allow their cars to be driven beyond the Treb;le Cone turnoff. We also briefly toyed with the idea of walking to Roy’s Peak, but the parking area was always full by the time we arrived (they’ve since enlarged the parking area). If you do this walk--and, again, you probably should, take enough water. A couple of my friends, a doctor and nurse from Arizona, ended up coming to the rescue of a German hiker who seemed to be suffering from the beginnings of dehydrationand had not carried any water.. They gave him water and electrolytes.

You might be interested in visiting an island on Lake Wanaka. Mou Waho seems to be popular. To get there, you'll take a water taxi. It's also nice to just walk along Wanaka towns's shoreline. I prefer doing this around or after sunset when it's a little less busy.

When in Wanaka, in my opinion, a visit to Rippon Winery is a must (its view!) Maude Winery is also in Wanaka and Nanny Goat Vineyard is about 15 minutes from Wanaka in the direction of Lake Dunstan/Cromwell. Cromwell is about 50 minutes from Wanaka and Bannockburn about 8 minutes outside of Cromwell. I've stayed here a few times just to more leisurely visit its wineries, as there are many.. Then from Cromwell to Queenstown, you'll pass through gorgeous Gibbston Valley, with just a few but very high quality wineries sharing this little valley. You can easily visit Gibbston Valley and the wineries around Lake Hayes if staying in Queenstown or Arrowtown. Gibbston Valley also has limited accommodation. NZ's first bungy jump operation is also here These areas are all famed for pinot noir (and its rieslings and sparkling wines are also standouts). It's worth mentioning that many of these wineries have a line of inexpensive, early drinking wines as well as their pricier more age-worthy wines.

SInce you will be going to Kaikoura now, you must also stop in Waipara/North Canterbury. You might have time for Marlborough now, too. After all these regions and Nelson. you'll be in pinot noir heaven.

You asked, "Is there any wildlife redundancy between Kaikōura - Stewart island - Dunedin? That might change the # of nights allocation." I'd say they complement each other. You could get by with just two nights in Dunedin, especially if you were driving up from the North Catlins. kaka Point and Nugget Point are both about 90 minutes from Dunedin, just a little farther if you chose to stay on the Otago Peninsula. So you could see the town center (Railway Station, Botanic Garden, maybe a little bit of a museum) on your first afternoon. Maybe blue penguins at night. Then do a wildlife tour on your second day. or a combination of Monarch Cruise. Albatross Centre, OPERA penguins, Allans Beach.. Then on the day of your departure, drop by Orokonui Ecosanctuary. on your way to Oamaru. Three nights would give you more wiggle room for the weather.

Kaikoura's beautiful, between the mountains and the sea. Queenstown is also blessed with incredibly geography and I always recommend a drive to Glenorchy when staying in Queeenstown. I've only stayed in Glenorchy once. I was nervous about sandflies, but it was okay. Sandflies are not active at night. At night, we took a short boat ride to Kinloch Wilderness Retreat for dinner. It was so nice. Skipper's Road with jet boat ride, which you do as a tour from Q'town, is interesting and fun. (Don't take your car to Skipper's Canyon Road, rental cars are not allowed). You might like the Ben Lomond Track. That's another track I never managed to do. It starts at the top of the gondola. Or you can walk up to the top of the gondola. Though development is rampant in Queenstown, Queenstown and Central Otago actually have a storied past for the 1860s Gold Rush. This history is still there.

Tarakona,
Thanks for the Punakaiki hotel recommendation. We too like to be close to home after dinner, so that one sounds perfect. We'll make sure to keep track of tides (just another thing to add to the list, LOL). I've also read that the tides are important for some Abel Tasman hikes timing, so we'll be prepared.

Diamantina,
I am so grateful for all the great info you are giving me, this trip will be amazing anyway, but you're adding so much more to it, thank you!!
I'm still not sure if we'll keep the original Jan-Feb schedule, or move the trip to March. I guess in case we stay with Jan-Feb the direction of the trip won't really matter. I know weather patterns seems to be completely unpredictable all over the world now, but it seems that March might be slightly drier than Jan, so maybe another reason to move to March. I'll have to see what flights we can get in March, we need FF miles flights.
While we hike, we don't do any challenging hikes anymore, I've broken my ankle twice in the last 3 years, so I'm taking is easy now. Gravel hikes are harder, forests easier. I'll take a look at the ones you posted, and see what's doable. Length is fine, difficult terrain is not. So it will be mostly walks...
There is so much I need to absorb in your prior post....let me do that, and I'll be back. And thank you!!! You are amazing.

It seems Rob Roy is classified as “easy”, perfect for children, which makes me feel worse that my husband and I never made it there. Because it looks beautiful and it’s easy. My husband has bad feet and both of my knees have been operated on.

There are a lot of steps on the Diamond Lake track, so this might be difficult if recovering from a broken ankle. Twice in three years. How awful. It can also be a little slippery at the summit, though you needn’t go that far. The first part of the Diamond Lake track is a short flat loop around a small lake.

I think gravel is spread on a lot of tracks to prevent erosion and muddiness. I know the first part of Hooker Valley is clay/gravel, and part of it is wooden boardwalk. I never really thought about which track surfaces were gravel. I wish I could be more helpful. I have no doubt that you can find You Tube videos of all of NZ’s popular walks.

xyz99, you asked, "Dolphin cruise in Christchurch/Akaroa or Kaikoura? I know they are different, but how to decide? Whale watching cruise or albatross experience?" I can tell you about my Kaikōura whale watch and dolphin swim excursion.

My husband and I took Whale Watching Kaikōura in March 2014. We booked the 10 a.m. departure because the morning trips are supposed to be calmer and less windy, but we should have gone out even earlier. This company is owned and operated by the Ngāti Kuri people of Kaikōura, a Māori sub-tribe of the South Island's larger Ngāi Tahu tribe (iwi). They are the only company offering whale watch cruises off Kaikōura, which they have been offering since 1989. They offer an 80% percent refund if your tour does not see a whale.

They use a big, solid, comfortable boat but there were big swells, too. The whale watch boats go out farther to deeper water than the dolphin swim excursions. The waters off Kaikōura are home to the nutrient-rich submarine (2 km.-deep) Kaikōura Canyon, which attracts an abundance of marine life.

We travelled to four spots to listen to sperm whales echolocating beneath the water, but they did not ascend to the surface. Finally, we raced to a fifth spot and saw a juvenile male sperm whale at the surface, then raced to a sixth spot where we saw a second juvenile male sperm whale. He was magnificent, though not very large. We were told and I have read that all of Kaikōura’s resident sperm whales are males. My husband and I have been on many whale watch cruises and have often seen them from land as well but it was such a thrill to see sperm whales for the first time, and relatively close to the boat. (One of my husband’s favourite novels is Moby Dick.) I could see the curve of the whale’s squarish head! After he dove down, returning to the deep depths of the ocean, we started to make our way back to Kaikōura, encountering a juvenile blue shark, strangely drifting along the surface, and a few seabirds, possibly gannets or Buller’s albatrosses (mollymawks). I didn’t jot down what kinds of birds they were. Other whales are often seen as these waters are part of their migration path, such as Southern Right and Humpback.

According to the US Govt. NOAA fisheries website (I know, whales are not fish but mammals!): "Sperm whales hunt for food during deep dives that routinely reach depths of 2,000 feet and can last for 45 minutes. They are capable of diving to depths of over 10,000 feet for over 60 minutes. After long, deep dives, individuals come to the surface to breathe and recover for several minutes before initiating their next dive." So there was no reason to wait around for him to resurface.

Then I got sick over the side of the boat, even though I had been wearing a Scopalamine patch and been drinking warm ginger tea.. After we returned to the dock, I could barely walk and stretched out on the nearest concrete bench. The subsequent whale watching cruises of the day were cancelled due to rough conditions. The day was perfectly sunny and warm. When I felt steady enough, we walked to the car and drove back to our accommodation, "Waves.". I showered and slipped into bed for several hours. I had never been so seasick.

On our first trip to Kaikōura more than 20 years ago, our pre-booked whale watch cruise was cancelled due to rough conditions so my husband and I did the dolphin swim instead (back then you could just sign up at the last minute). It was brilliant. We must have seen more than a hundred Dusky dolphins. We were encouraged to make dolphin noises to attract their attention and this seemed to work as they came so close I was able to exchange looks with a couple. Eye to eye contact! The water was cold. Though they gave us a wetsuit, hood, snorkel, mask and fins, I brought my own neoprene gloves and booties and a snorkeling vest for added confidence and warmth.

In August 2011, we did the Black Cat Cruise out of Akaroa. Though many passengers on our cruise opted to swim with the Hector’s dolphins, we were content to just observe them. They are the world’s smallest dolphins and one of only two NZ endemic dolphin subspecies, with the other being the critically endangered Maui dolphin. We also saw some white flippered (little blue) penguins swimming around. These white-flippered penguins are unique to Canterbury. We hadn’t intended to go to Akaroa. We had booked flights to New Caledonia, went to the Dunedin Airport on the morning of our departure, only to be grounded by fog Many of us missed our international connections that day. We were not able to arrange for new flights to New Caledonia, so drove to Akaroa instead. Even though it was winter, the weather was mild and sunny. There very few visitors in town. The waters of the harbor were very calm. Akaroa Harbor, like Otago Harbor, was formed by the erosion of a now-extinct volcanic complex.

I think you would be able to get good photos of seabirds from Kaikōura’s Albatross Encounter because they chum the water, which draws the birds in. The Monarch Cruise off the Otago Peninsula does not do this, so you will only see natural animal behaviour. mlgb, an avid birder who often contributes to the NZ forum, has done the Albatross Encounter. I’m sure you could find his 2022 (?) NZ trip report, though I don't think he said much about his Albatross Encounter.. They also offer pelagic bird tours off Stewart Island.

I'm sure you would be able to find videos of all these experiences on You Tube.

FYI: NZ's largest little blue penguin colony is located on Motunau Island off the coast on north Canterbury, but as it's a conservation island, visits are restricted.

Diamantina,
Good point about sea-sickness. That's something I haven't considered, but I know I should. I'm not interested in swimming with dolphins, but seeing a large pod would be a great experience, maybe we'll go for that. I'm still not sure what to choose, but I have a better idea of differences between the various options. Thanks.
I found mlgb's TR and I'm getting comfortable...I'll start reading now