2 Week Honeymoon Itinerary - Sydney & New Zealand (South Island)
 

Ok everyone - I'm just starting to work on my Honeymoon planning and just wanted some thoughts. Quick background story. My brother use to live in Melbourne Australia and a few years ago I went visit for a few weeks. Out of that time we spent a few days in Sydney - so I've been there a little before but my fiance has never been. When my brother got married he went to NZ and did a very similar itinerary so he seems to think that its doable. I figured I would ask you guys (and gals) thoughts.

Day 1 - Arrive Sydney 8am
Day 1 - 3 - Explore Sydney
Day 4 - Depart SYD for Christchurch
Day 4 - 5 - Explore Christchurch
Day 6 (This is where the fun begins) - Pick up Campervan / RV and drive to Dunedin (4 1/2 hr drive)
Day 7 - Explore Dunedin
Day 8 - Drive to Te Anau (4 hr drive)
Day 9 - Drive to Milford Sound (1 1/2 hr drive)
Day 10 - Drive to Queenstown (3 1/2 hr drive)
Day 11 - Explore Queenstown
Day 12 - Drive to Manaka (1 hr drive)
Day 13 - Drive to Mt Cook National Park (3 hr drive)
Day 14 - Drive to Christchurch (4 1/2 hr drive)
Day 15 - Depart for US

Thoughts? It seems like a little bit of driving - but we wanted some adventure and freedom. Most places that have a longer drive to get to (Dunedin, Queenstown) we are staying for multiple days.

Thanks!!!

After speaking with my brother a little bit - I think we will replace Day 7 with Invercargill

Hi bsdubois - congrats on your upcoming nuptials. NZ should be a great place for a honeymoon.

However, I have to say that I suspect that you are biting off rather more than you can chew with that itinerary. We only had a car to drive, not a van, but we found the roads very hard going and needed quite a long time to recover after any drives longer than 3-4 hours.

From why I gather, you are planning on driving for [at least] 4 hours on 3 consecutive days which is definitely not something that I would contemplate. you will also be missing out a load of good things en route because of trying to get to the next place. BTW, I would think that it's at least 6 hours from C/C to Dunedin, rather than the 4 your have estimated,

Based on our experience, I would suggest driving from C/Church to Oamaru [an astonishing little victorian town with lots to see, including an opera house and a little blue penguin colony] then driving to QT, and doing Milford Sound from there.

That would give you this:

Day 6 - Pick up Campervan / RV and drive to Oamaru (4 hr drive)
Day 7 - Explore Oamaru area
Day 8 - Drive to QT (4 hr drive)
Day 9 - Day trip to Milford Sound (1 1/2 hr drive and back)
Day 10 - Queenstown - ? Glenorchy day trip
Day 11 - Explore Queenstown
Day 12 - Drive to Manaka (1 hr drive)
Day 13 - Drive to Mt Cook National Park (3 hr drive)
Day 14 - Drive to Christchurch (4 1/2 hr drive)
Day 15 - Depart for US

I don't know Manaka, [?spelling] but I would drop the night there and stay 2 at Mt Cook in order to make the most of the area before going back to C/C.

Do you really want to drive almost every single day? You've left very little time to explore most of the places you're visiting - other than from behind your windscreen.

No offense to those who live in Invercargill, but it's probably the least interesting place on the SI - it's a flat, agriculture town with not much of interest to tourists, especially those short on time as you are.

Re: Manaka - assume the OP means Wanaka

well, I was thinking that too, Mel, but hoped that you would join in as there might, just, have been somewhere called Manaka that I hadn't heard of.

Not that I'm aware of annhig, although there is Manuka, as in honey :)

of course, Mel, I knew that it sounded familiar.

I'm confused on Annhig's itinerary about a 1 1/2 hour drive to Milford Sound from Queenstown. It's about a 4-5 hour drive, one way!

My suggestion:

Day 4 - arr Christchurch

Day 5 - explore

Day 6 - drive to Dunedin

Day 7 - explore

Day 8 - drive to Te Anau

Day 9 - coach tour Milford Sound, stay Te Anau

Day 10 - drive to Queenstown

Day 11 - explore

Day 12 - drive to Wanaka

Day 13 - explore

Day 14 - drive to Mount Cook

Day 15 - drive to Christchurch, fly out

If confirmed flight is early in the day, then best to cut the full day in Wanaka and bump up the other days to drive to Christchurch on Day 14.

You're right, de Schenke, i got it confused with Doubtful sound which is the trip we did - the drive was about 90 minutes each way from QT.

The OP could cut down on any driving by flying to Milford Sound at least one way, which would make QT feasible as a longer term base.

My major comment on your suggestion is that although better than the OP's previous attempt, travelling one day, resting the next is still pretty tiring. Stays of 3 nights in a place are MUCH better than 2 night ones, in fact I might throw in a one night somewhere in order to get a three night somewhere else.