I think Hokitika would be just perfect for Matthew and I would certainly look at 2 nights there in fact. There is a lot of wonderful things he can do whilst there and nearby.

All:<BR><BR>I really do appreciate the help everyone has given me, and have always tried to make that clear in these posts. I have no reason to dislike anyone and am, in fact, quite excited to visit Australia and New Zealand. Text can be a poor representation of one's intent - clearly my initial take on Pen's email was wrong and I was unnecessarily rude. For that I am truly sorry - I guess my temper got the best of me! Everyone who has visited Aust/NZ before or lives there does a great service to those of us who haven't/don't. I guess all I'm really hoping to glean from this thread is an idea of what each place is like in a context that I can use. If I've botched the deal, sorry, nevertheless I am grateful!<BR><BR>Feel free to email me as well if you want to exchange info outside of these posts. Thanks.<BR><BR>-M

Matthew:<BR>Have a glorious wedding!! Plan your honeymoon as you two would like it (and don't worry about travel agents they really don't know YOU!) If you're unhappy with your TA, let him/her know what part of the trip they're working on and what part that you're working on. I was in Hokitika and found it had a number of artists there - kinda special. Sorry though I didn't stay there can't recommend. Your honeymoon sounds wonderful and you've quite a budget to do it with. So enjoy and do go back every couple years for an anniversary celebration.<BR>

matthew<BR><BR>honestly - ther eare better places to spend time on the west coast of NZ than Hokitika, but if you just plan to use it as a rest stop i guess thats up to you! Personally, I would continue down a bit to the glaciers which are a natural wonder (unlike hokitika)...the moeraki lodge is not too far (maybe 1.5-2hrs if i remember rightly) but it would be a shame to get to the wilderness lodge late after a long drive from Hoki...<BR><BR>As I said before, I live in Aussie and think NZ is just heaven on earth and we are planning to go there for our honeymoon too - so I know where you are coming from...<BR><BR>I have driven across the South Island every which way (there arent that many choices, especially in Winter)...I can tell you this...if youare driving via Arthurs Pass on the way to Queenstwon...make sure you drive back via Mount Cook and Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo...they are the MOst beautiful turquoise lakes I have ever seen...<BR><BR>Things are pretty spread out in NZ and it would be a shame to stay somewhere lame just for the sake of driving an extra hour...we drove all the way from Christchurch to the Glaciers via Arthurs Pass in one day just so that we could do a glacier ski plane langing thing...had to return to christchurch 1st thing the next day - but it was worth it...<BR><BR>Well...just wanted to say that perhaps such a regimented itinerary is not such a great idea - at that tie fo yaer many hotels will be screaming out for guests and we have always found that NZ offers so much that we dont want to miss anything simply because of a schedule dreamed up back home...<BR><BR>Anyway - well done for chosing 2 great places for your honeymoon - you will hae an AMAZING TIME whatever you do!

Matthew: We also needed to get from Queenstown to Christchurch on one leg our honeymoon itinerary. We drove from Queenstown to Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge with a couple of short hikes in the Mt. Aspiring National Forest along the way. Lots of waterfalls and gorgeous scenery. We really enjoyed our two night stay at Lake Moeraki, especially the penguin watching and kayaking. We then drove to Franz Josef, stayed in an unremarkable hotel/motel and enjoyed a hike on the Fox Glacier. I would not do it again but the glacier was impressive (even in the cold rain). From there, we drove to Greymouth dropped off the rental car and enjoyed the TranzAlpine Express to Christchurch. In Christchurch, we stayed at the Charlotte Jane (which we loved). Have a great trip.

Hi Matthew,how are your plans comming.I see you may be stopping in Taupo.We have a 5 star homestay and if you want to get away from the hotel scene we can offer you great hospitality and a great honeymoon suite.We can be seen at www.pillarshomestay.co.nz Looking forward to hearing from you.Cheers <BR>