4 weeks in New Zealand
 

Hi,
We are planning a four week trip to New Zealand and would really appreciate your help with the itinerary. I am traveling with my wife, we are active and well traveled, and the itinerary below is based on self driving.

So far, I have managed to develop an itinerary but don't have a lot of details and I am not sure if the duration in each place is appropriate.The trip is being planned for mid Jan 2018 - mid Feb, 2018 so changes, suggestions for alternatives, lodging, ways to save money.... really, any help/suggestion that you can make would be most welcome.

Day 0-2: Arrive in Christchurch and spend time in the city
Day 3: Drive from Christchurch to Greymouth via Alpine Pass, spend the night in Greymouth
Day 4: Drive Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, don't know where to stay
Day 5: Drive to Queenstown
Day 6: Drive to Anau Downs to spend the night before Milford track
Day 7-9: Milford Track stay in huts
Day 10: End of trek, boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound
Day 11: take a bus from Milford Sound to Anau Downs, pick up car and drive from Anau Downs to Lake Takepo
Day 12: Drive Lake Takepo to Christchurch and spend the night
Day 13: Drive to Kaikoura and spend the night
Day 14-15: Drive to Abel Tasman Park, spend two nights and spend time on the beach and kayaking
Day 16: Drive to Marlborough and spend the night
Day 17: Take the ferry to Wellington and spend the night in wellington
Day 18: Drive to Napier and spend the night
Day 19-20: Drive to Te Urewera National Park and hike Lake Waikaremoana: Panekire Bluffs. Stay in huts
Day 21-24: Drive and stay in Lake Taupo with excursions to Rotorua - Waitomo - Tongariro Crossing
Day 26: Drive and spend the night in Tauranga
Day 26: Drive to Hahei Town and Coromandel Town
Day 27-29: Drive to Auckland stay in Auckland with excursion to Goat Island
Day 30 - Drive and spend the night in Paihia
Day 31: Drive back to Auckland spend the night and fly out

It's a driving rally not a holiday!
You have planned far too much in your time here with driving all day only to rush off the next day somewhere else. I was exhausted just reading it! Is this an itinerary from one of those crazy NZ tourism websites who have probably not even been to New Zealand
Pretty sure you will need to make hut bookings for the Milford Track at that time of year.
Kaikoura had an earthquake in late 2016 and the road to Picton may not be fixed by then.
Tongariro Crossing needs 1 whole day for walking it with 2 nights close by. Not many tourists venture to Lake Waikaremoana as it's an awful road in and out and no cell phone reception in the area.
Cut out about half of your activities - that will make it cheaper for you.

I agree with tasmangirl's comments that your itinerary is too rushed and not allowing enough time for your destinations, and that you should make some cuts. The road between Kaikoura and Picton is supposed to fixed by Xmas, but, as she wrote, it might not be, especially if it's a bad winter.

I would spend more time, and take your time, through the South Island. You won't want to rush through these South Island drives from one town to the next, you'll want to savour these in-between drives as well as your intended destinations. You'll want to be surprised by the landscapes you didn't expect to see, and want room in your schedule for a little spontaneity.

Here's a link to drive distance calculator.
https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/time-and...ce-calculator/

You're probably aware that, apart from around the main cities, there are few multilane roads. You can expect one lane in each direction, and might have to slow down for the occasional one-lane bridge. Because South Island roads often snake through mountain passes or hug the coast, they can be curvy and narrow, with drop-offs to one side. You'll be coming during the busiest time. You will get stuck behind slow-moving campervans, most will pull over to let those behind pass when possible, but some won't. Many tourists are not used to driving on the left and, sometimes, a few forget and drive on the wrong side of the road or cross the centre line. You might encounter careless or forgetful drivers.

A few comments about your South Island itinerary.

You might consider staying in or near Punakaiki instead of Greymouth. I can understand staying in Greymouth, as it offers more accommodation and dining options, shops and supermarkets. But at least try to see Punakaiki for the iconic rocks, the walks, the dramatic coast.
http://www.punakaiki.co.nz/

Between Greymouth and the glaciers, you'll want to visit Hokitika Gorge, maybe Hokitika itself, known for its pounamu (jade) shops, Lake Kaniere, a free glow worm dell (night only), Kiwi centre, treetop walk, beach with nice sunsets. I'm not saying you'd want to see all these things, but it's an attractive town with good services. If you're staying in self-catering accommodations at the glaciers, you'll want to shop for groceries here. You can save money by staying in self catering accommodations (motels/motor lodges/hostels) instead of dining out all the time.

Two nights at the glaciers would be better. In addition to the glaciers, you'll want to see Lake Matheson (near Fox), maybe Okarito Beach and its lagoon.

The drive from the glaciers to Queenstown is long, demanding, and often stunning. You'll want to stop for the views/photo ops, short walks, comfort stops.

Only one night in Queenstown? I get how you might not care for the crowds and pace of Queenstown in peak season, but the road to Glenorchy and the areas beyond are wonderful. On the other hand, I shouldn't suggest more activities for your already jam-packed schedule.

You're not spending any time in Wanaka or visiting Mt. Aspiring National Park?
https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...s-brochure.pdf
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...s-brochure.pdf
Many opt to stay in Wanaka after the glaciers, as it cuts more than an hour off the drive (as opposed to driving all the way to Queenstown). Wanaka's quieter and the traffic is not as congested (less of a bottleneck, more roads in and out of town). Also, in general, Queenstown accommodation costs more.

You'll stay in Lake Tekapo, but not visit Aoraki/Mt. Cook Village? If you opt to go to Mt. Cook Village, it's best visited over two days. Tekapo and Mt. Cook have limited accommodation. Glentanner, near Mt. Cook, also offers accommodation.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...ki-mt-cook.pdf
Again, I'm somewhat reluctant to point out highlights you'll miss in your rush, as you've already got a busy schedule planned.

A comment about the North Island. Forget Paihia. It's too far to drive, about three hours each way, just to spend one day/night. Bay of Islands is lovely. Save it for another trip, when you can spend more days. And, if you're economizing, consider the cost of petrol for this drive, see: http://www.aa.co.nz/cars/motoring-blog/petrolwatch/
I see you're from Colorado. The above price is per litre (3.78 litres to a U.S. gallon).

For accommodation, check current ratings/reviews on Trip Advisor. In addition to the usual booking sites such as Hotels.com, Booking.com, Wotif.com, AirBNB, you can also check
https://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/
and
https://www.bookabach.co.nz/
In high season, some will require a two-night minimum stay.

Arghhh...

Yet another NZ marathon. I count 16 one night stays. Do you really want to spend all of your time checking into and out of accommodation? Loading and unloading your car? Rummaging through your luggage? On the move every single day?

You've left absolutely no wiggle room for contingencies, and believe me NZ is full of potential contingencies - bad weather, poor road conditions, slow moving caravans on single carriage ways, winding narrow roads, lots of other gawking tourists ahead of you, one lane bridges...not to mention the temptation to stop every five minutes and soak up that beautiful scenery that you seem hell bent on rushing though.

My suggestion? Start over. Unlike most visitors to NZ you have a nice chunk of time to work with - take advantage of that luxury - relax, actually explore the places you most want to see, enjoy the stunning landscapes, endless walking tracks and incredible hospitality of the Kiwis - likely the most friendly and helpful people you will ever meet.

My suggestion? Start over. Dedicate three weeks to the SI and one to the NI. Spend 2-3 nights in a handful of locations. Trim that itinerary to the areas highest on your wish list. Then relax and breathe in that fresh NZ air. You'll be glad you did.

karore, we had 17 nights in NZ, the majority of which we spent in SI. WE started in NI and within a few days we'd realised that we'd bitten off more than we could chew [despite the advice I'd had here, though our itinerary was a lot less aggressive than yours to begin with] and we made some changes so that we cut out all the one-night stands as we realised that they were impossible.

We ended up with this:

Day 1 - arrive Aukland. drive to Coromandel. one night. [should have been two]
Day 2 - drive to Napier. [the drive was far too long. Stay 2 nights - we toured the town, did some wineries, and saw the gannet colony]
Day 4 - drive to Wellington. Again far too long. stayed overnight and most of the next day before catching ferry to Picton. Drive to Nelson.[3 nights]
Day 6 & 7 - in and around Nelson; included one day abel Tasman.
Day 8 - drive to Franz Joseph. Long drive but actually less tiring than most other other long days. stay 2 nights.
Day 9 - glacier walk [you can only do helihikes now] and drive to Lake Mateson. Day 10 - drive to Wanaka. stay 3 nights. [originally it was only going to be one night followed by 2 in Te Anau but we dropped them and stayed in Wanaka for 3 nights instead. time spent in and around Wanaka - walking, boat trip, wineries,
Day 13 - drive to QT. 3 nights there. same as Wanaka plus day trip to Doubtful sound.
Day 16 - drive to Oamaru. not booked in advance but it was where we ended up en route to Christchurch. Great place - lovely old buildings, botanical gardens and penguins.
Day 17 - drive to C/C; stay night and fly to Oz on day 18.

Even so we could perhaps have done with longer in Coromandel, Wellington, and QT; probably another week overall.

You'll be flying to NZ in high season. If you plan on buying a ticket on Air New Zealand (flights out of LAX, SFO and Houston), you might be able to cut your costs by signing up for Air New Zealand low fare alerts, so you'll learn about these low airfares ASAP.
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/find...r-lowest-fares
Qantas also sometimes has good deals on flights from the U.S. to New Zealand. Last year, they sold US$250 return flights from Los Angeles to NZ. These were for off-peak travel, still, what a deal, and, as you can imagine, they sold out fast.
Fiji Airways has a sale on flights from Los Angeles to Christchurch now:
https://www.fijiairways.com/bookings...land-from-usa/
I've never flown with Fiji Airways, so I can't comment on their performance record.
A number of U.S. airlines also now fly to New Zealand during the busy summer season, including United, Hawaiian Air, and American Airlines.

To your great credit, it's wise you're checking "if the duration in each place is appropriate" now, because once you've booked the Milford Track (and, I'm sure you know, for the popular summer season you'll have to book as soon as you can), you'll be committed to being there at that time, and have to work your schedule around those fixed dates. It seems bookings have not yet opened for next year.
https://booking.doc.govt.nz/Menu.aspx?sg=MIL
https://blog.doc.govt.nz/2015/03/19/...hings-to-know/

Oops. The link I gave for Air New Zealand low fare alerts was for the NZ site as that's what my browser defaults to. I'm sure you can find low fare travel alerts on the U.S. website.

Thank you so much for the feedback. We don't want a driving rally, and I was not aware of road conditions.

I am really thankful for all the suggestions. So, I will have a rethink and make it more manageable. I will post an updated itinerary for your comments.

ok, so I have revised the itinerary by extending the stays in some places and also excluding the nelson-wellington-napier drive. Let me know if this makes sense.

Day 0-2: Arrive in Christchurch and spend time in the city 
Day 3-5: Drive from Christchurch to Abel Tasman Park, spend 3 nights
Day 6: Drive to Punakiki and spend the night
Day 7-8: Drive to Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, stay 2 nights
Day 9-11: Drive to Queenstown stay 3 nights
Day 12: Drive to Anau Downs to spend the night before Milford track
Day 13-15: Milford Track stay in huts
Day 16: End of trek, boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound
Day 17: take a bus from Milford Sound to Anau Downs, pick up car and drive from Anau Downs to Lake Tekapo 
Day 17-19: Spend time in Tekapo and around Mt Cook
Day 20: Drive Lake Tekapo to Christchurch and spend the night
Day 21-23: Fly from Christchurch to Napier spend two nights in Napier
Day 23-27 Drive and stay in Lake Taupo with excursions to Rotorua - Waitomo - Tongariro Crossing
Day 28: Drive and spend the night in Tauranga
Day 29-30: Drive to Hahei Town and Coromandel Town spend 2 nights
Day 31-33: Drive to Auckland stay in Auckland with excursion to Goat Island

Day 9 - Queenstown is still too far for one day. Most people stop in Wanaka.
Day 23 to 27 give you just TWO DAYS for the excursions planned and they are all in different directions so just pick two.
If you are walking the Tongariro Crossing you should stay nearer the start of the track and this option will take up the 2 days.
Waitomo is about 2 hours drive in another direction.
Day 28 - stop in at Rotorua on your way to Tauranga. If you go the Pyes Pa road they are only about 45 minutes apart.
Or forget Tauranga and go from Taupo to Hahei. Hahei is very small but a lovely beach.

I respectfully disagree with tasmangirl.

Driving from the glaciers to Queenstown is doable - we've done it many times. It takes us all day - 7-8 hours with hiking and sightseeing stops. It is a long day, no doubt, but certainly possible.

You will have lots of sunlight- long days - in your favor in Jan & Feb which will help tremendously.

The trick is to leave the glaciers early and choose your stops wisely. For instance, if you stay in Franz Josef for two nights and want to see both Franz and Fox, you'd do well to visit both glaciers from your Franz Josef base on your one full day there.

This means backtracking from Fox to Franz (about 40 minutes or so) and then driving through Fox again on your way to Queenstown, but by doing this you can sail right through Fox on your way to Queenstown and prevent making your day even longer, as you'd have already seen what you want to see there.

OR, because you're driving from Punakaiki, you might prefer to visit Franz en route, then spend two nights in Fox. This will trim some time off the drive to QT the next day and still allow you to see both glaciers.

Stopping in Wanaka for a few nights is even better of course, but not essential.

I also prefer to drive to Te Anau from Wanaka, which is about an hour shorter than Te Anau to Queenstown.

If it were me, I'd go glaciers-Wanaka-Te-Anau-Queenstown-Mt Cook-Christchurch.

Also, Mount Cook makes a better base than Tekapo IMO - you can see Tekapo on the way in or out of Mount Cook. No reason to spend the night in Tekapo unless you're there specifically to visit the observatory.

I'll leave the NI to those who know it better.

Your itinerary looks much more relaxed, with more time to check things out along the way.

As in my earlier posting, I still think Wanaka, for the reasons I gave before (shorter drive, quieter, less congested and a little cheaper than Queenstown), would be a better choice after the glaciers, if only for a night. Though two nights would be ideal, if you'd like to do some hiking/tramping, or simply care to drive into the beautiful Matukituki Valley. I would add Wanaka also has a more relaxed feel than Queenstown, and it's just as beautiful but with less commercial development.

Here are links to some popular hikes near Wanaka:
https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/explore...mountain-walks
https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/explore/mount-iron-walk
https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/explore/roys-peak-track
https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/explore...-glacier-track

Queenstown is only a little more than an hour's drive from Wanaka via Crown Range Road. so you'll be able to make the most of your first day in Queenstown (if you decide to stay in Queenstown after Wanaka). If you were to drive to Queenstown from the glaciers, you wouldn't be arriving until late afternoon, especially if you're stopping along the way (and you will).

Queenstown has a beautiful setting and many attraction. It's a busy resort town, especially in January (school holidays). Its center is full of shops, restaurants, tour agencies, hotels, and more. It's an action-adventure-thrill centre, known for jet boat rides, bungy jumping, so forth. It also attracts young partiers. The main road leading into its center can be clogged with traffic, including trucks and tour busses. If this sounds too busy for you, you might prefer to stay in Glenorchy or Kinloch (beyond Glenorchy).
http://www.kinlochlodge.co.nz/
Wanaka to Glenorchy would be a two-hour drive without stops, but you'll want to stop. Here's a link to a brochure for walks around Glencorchy:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...e-wakatipu.pdf

The exit off SH8, to Mt. Cook village is to the south of Lake Tekapo, so you'd go there first. You'd need to spend two nights here, because the drive from Te Anau Downs would be a long one. You'd need a second day to do some of the hikes here. This is another small popular village and accommodation is limited. Luckily, you're planning well ahead! From SH8, it's approximately a 45-minute drive from on SH80 (also known as Mt. Cook Road). Mt. Cook Road is incredibly scenic, and passes Lake Pukaki, which, like Lakes Tekapo and Ohau, is a unique turquiose because of fine rock particles washed down from the glaciers.

Mt. Cook Village has walking tracks, a few motels, hostels, the large Hermitage hotel wtih tourist attractions/services (Sir Edmund Hillary Centre, night sky tours, etc.). The village itself has no commercial center, no petrol station or grocery store. Even though you're from mountainous Colorado, I think you'll find Mt. Cook impressive. It's in a valley surrounded glaciated peaks. The village sits at 2,450 feet, but Mt. Cook itself rises to 12,316 feet, so you'd be looking at a vertical gain of almost 10,000 feet (though the apex is often obscured by clouds). Sir Edmund Hillary, the NZ beekeeper who climbed Mt. Everest, practiced for his historic climb on these peaks. Mt. Cook, also known as Aoraki or Aorangi, is considered a sacred ancestor by the South Island's Ngai Tahu tribe.

Many people view Lake Tekapo as nothing more than a place to use the toilet, top up petrol tanks, and take a few photos of the Church of the Good Shepherd and the dog statue. I find it more Interesting than that, when the night stars are out or at sunrise. The views from Mt. John Observatory are fantastic. This being said, Tekapo is tiny, the town centre, if you could call it that, is a commercial strip along SH8, near the lakeshore with a few shops and restaurants, motels, public toilets, tourist info centre, the aforementioned church and dog statue, nearby a holiday park, hot pools, and holiday homes. In summer Tekapo will be overwhelmed by bus tours and other visitors. Just something to be aware of. Without knowing what you specifically hope to do or see in Tekapo, you might to just visit it for an hour or so enroute from Mt. Cook to Christchurch.
http://www.tekapotourism.co.nz/

Melnq8 - disagreeing is fine! Good to get different opinions so the posters can make their own decisions.
Karore - driving here is quite hard work really. It requires concentration and focus and there are no wide highways (least not in the South Island)so you can just cruise along. In fact there is about 200 km of motorways in all of New Zealand. Try and plan your driving to about 4 hours per day.

Thank you, so so, much for taking the time to share your thoughts. A special thanks to Diamantina for the very detailed explanation.

I get the point that with a little planning the drive to Queenstown is possible, but I agree with everyone that we would prefer the quieter, tied to nature Wanaka. I didn't realize that Queenstown was so commercial. We had selected Tekapo as a stop-over to break the drive, but since we are spending time, we will ignore Takepo and just goto Mount Cook.

So, the adjusted itinerary for this part is now:
Day 9-11: From Glaciers, drive to Wanaka stay 2 nights
Day 12: Drive to Anau Downs to spend the night before Milford track
Day 13-16: Milford Track back to Milford Sound
Day 17: take a bus from Milford Sound to Anau Downs, pick up car and drive from Anau Downs to Queenstown. spend the night in Queenstown
Day 17-19: Drive to Mt Cook and spend 2 nights
Day 20: Drive Mt Cook to Christchurch

Btw, thoughts on 3 nights in Abel Tasman.. is this the right amount of time.

For the north-island, we will keep the Rotorua excursion till later, spend the day in Rotorua and the night in Tauranga. So, the adjusted itinerary is:

Day 23-26 Drive and stay in Lake Taupo with excursions to Waitomo - Tongariro Crossing
Day 26-27: Drive through Rotorua and spend the night in Tauranga
Day 27-29: Drive to Hahei Town and Coromandel Town spend 2 nights
Day 29-32: Drive to Auckland stay in Auckland with excursion to Goat Island

Is this about right? We still have an extra day in the plan, which might be useful once we start booking the itinerary.

Thanks again for sharing your opinions. I will definitely have more questions as I start booking the itinerary.

Looking much better.

I assume you're staying at Fiordland National Park Lodge? Is that part of a tour? If not, you might prefer staying in Te Anau - more choices, and not that far a drive from Te Anau Downs.

Re: Abel Tasman - three nights (two full days) will give you a taste, but there's tons to do in the area, depending on your interests of course.

Your revised itinerary looks good.

In its defense, Queenstown is gorgeous, on Lake Wakitipu and backed by the Remarkables. The area around is also beautiful, more so as the commercial development gets left behind. But it's good to know for what to expect. The first time I visited Queenstown, about 19 years ago, I didn't expect traffic or so many shops. Now I when I go there, I enjoy it for what it is: busy but still pretty and with lots of activities on offer.

Queenstown has a lovely Botanic Garden and an attracive waterfront with lively bars and restaurants. Its Skyline Gondola has great views from the top. You can also pick up the Ben Lomond Track near the top of the Gondola, or start this walk from down below. See:
http://www.backpackingmatt.com/backp...nd-queenstown/

Never walked Ben Lomond myself. Planned to twice but the weather turned ugly. New Zealand has unpredictable and changeable weather, even in summer. This January there was dumping of snow in the south of the South Island:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/new...n-alpine-areas

If you enjoy wine tasting, there are some great and beautiful wineries close to Queenstown. The closest is pretty Amisfield, on Lake Hayes Road to historic Arrowtown.
http://amisfield.co.nz/

There are more wineries in pretty and compact Gibbston Valley. Chard Farm has the most scenic approach. The turn-off for Chard Road is close to NZ's original bungy jump, the Kawerau Bridge Bungy. You might want to view the bungy jumpers. Peregrine and Brennan's are among the Gibbston Valley wineries worth visiting.
http://www.chardfarm.co.nz/our-story/chard-road/
http://www.bungy.co.nz/kawarau-bungy-centre

Central Otago wineries are world-renowned for their Pinot Noirs. Their rieslings and rosés are among my favorites.

The aforementioned Glenorchy is only 45 minutes from Queenstown, but feels a world away. The road to it is one of the South Island's prettiest drives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrrZ1cugb7M

There are great views from the road to Queenstown's Coronet Peak Ski Resort. The road to the Remarkables Ski Resort is also supposed to be scenic, but I've not been there. Maybe someone else can chime in about it.
http://www.newzealand.com/ca/article...-coronet-peak/

You'll have many options for your one day in Queenstown. There's many reasons it continues to grow in popularity.

I didn't mean that you should ignore Tekapo. I just wanted to alert you to its popularity in summer and small size. Because you need to drive through it, you can't ignore it. The views from its Mt. John Observatory are great, but I believe you must pay to drive up this special access road as it's privately maintained.
http://www.earthandsky.co.nz/

Regarding Abel Tasman, as Melnq8 says, "there's tons to do in the area." She knows it far better than me. I'd add the Abel Tasman/Nelson/Golden Bay area has some of New Zealand's sunniest weather. Since you're going all that way, maybe you should spend another day. You'd probably enjoy the drive over Takaka Hill to Golden Bay then to Wharariki Beach. There are some nice short walking tracks along the way.
http://www.goldenbaynz.co.nz/
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...golden-bay.pdf
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...t-brochure.pdf
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/new...ectid=10802947

For Christchurch, you wrote "Day 0-2." Does this mean two or three nights in Christchurch?

Hi Karore,
This string is very informative, we are going to NZ in March 2018 for a month. I don't know if it's cool to butt in on your post but I thought since you were getting such great info, I could tag along!
We have two timeshares that we will be staying at and taking daytrips. Would you kind folks give me some feedback also?

0-3 in Auckland, first day we will be zonked!
4-5 in the Coromandel Rapaura Gardens and Whitianga
6 -11 Rotorua Timeshare, will do day trips
12- Napier - I'm an Art Deco fan
13 - 14 Wellinton
15 - Nelson
16 - Greymouth, but checking out the other option mentioned
17 - Franz Joseph Glacier
23 - 29 - Wanaka Timeshare
30 - Timaru - Need alternative suggestions
31 - Christchurch and then home the next day.

Thanks for any input!
Tdiddy

Hi Melnq8
In Te Anau Downs we were planning to stay in the Fiordland National Park Lodge so we can take the first ferry in the morning for the hike. This is not part of a tour, we are doing the trip our selves and plan to book the hike through the park system.
http://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/milford-track/

Diamantina,
Thanks again for the information, very useful as usual. I guess there something for everyone in Queenstown.

Day 0 is arrival day and we plan to spend two nights in Christchurch. We haven't booked flights yet, so we might change this to three nights if the flight arrives late in the evening.

Tdiddy
Based on the feedback I have received (see above) day 12-17 will be a rush and probably more exhausting then fun. what are you doing between 17-23?

Hi Karore,
I screwed up somehow!

Day 6-12 Rotorua which pushes everything up a day after that

Day 19-25 is in Wanaka not 23 -25 ( those are the actual dates!)

26 Timura

27 Christchurch
28 fly home from Christchurch

Karore, two nights in Christchurch should be more than enough to get over jetlag and see the city center attractions (on foot). Most Air New Zealand flights from the U.S. to Auckland arrive very early in the morning (two days later because you cross the International Dateline), with connecting flights arriving in Christchurch between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Not sure about the other airlines that fly from the U.S. to New Zealand.

"I guess there something for everyone in Queenstown." That's a good way of putting it.

Thanks again Diamantina, Melnq8, tasmangirl and everyone for your input. I will be updating this link as I book travel and excursions.

Tdiddy, it would be best if you started your own thread so this thread doesn't lose its focus on karore's trip.

Tdiddy -

Your SI itinerary needs some serious tweaking. It's best to start your own thread as Diamantina suggests, but let me start by saying that 15-16-17 ain't happening!

As far as Timaru - why? See you over on your new thread.

Thanks Diamantina and Melnq8, I have started a new thread!

I am having a rethink on the North Island itinerary and would like some input.

The original plan was based on flying to Napier for two days, then driving to Taupo for 4 days, followed by couple of days in Hahei before getting to Auckland.

Here is the revised version:
Day 20-21 Fly from Christchurch to Auckland, drive straight to Rotorua and spend the night
Day 21-24 Stay 3 days in Lake Taupo with excursions to Tongariro Crossing
Day 24-27: Drive through Waitomo to Auckland spend 4 days
Day 27-30: Drive to Paihia spend 3 days
Day 30-31: Drive to Auckland to spend the night before flying out.

The question is should we skip Coromandel for bay of islands?

Why not fly Christchurch to Rotorua? There are nonstop flights every day.

Money is a consideration here. If I rent a car from Rotorua and drop off in Auckland the price is $480USD; vs pickup and drop-off in Auckland $210USD.

"The question is should we skip Coromandel for bay of islands?"
Yes for the first time tourist the BOI offers more. There are great beaches, the cute village of Russell, a trip to Cape Reinga and of course Waitangi the birthplace of NZ.
I'm not dissing Coromandel - I love the area but BOI is probably more interesting.

If you go Bay Of Islands and have enough time, in addition to the attractions suggested by tasmangirl, you could also visit Hokianga Harbor and Waipoua Forest (home to NZ's giant kauri trees). I expect it will be busy during the time of year you'll be there.
http://hokiangatourism.org.nz/
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...aipoua-forest/
http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/kauri/

Looking over your itinerary, did you already book the Milford Track?
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/trampe...red-price-rise

Thanks a lot for the response.

So, we are definitely going to BOI and skipping Napier and Coromandel. I think 3 nights in Paihia might make it 4 nights in the area if we have to visit Cape Reinga.

Diamantina,
Yes, I booked Milford Track on the day it became available, the website was extremely slow because of traffic, it took about 4 hours to book but I am glad that I spent the time, since my dates were sold out the same day. I have made reservations for most of the South Island and will post the complete details as soon as I finalize everything.

Congratulations! I'm glad you got your places for the Milford Track. I figured you would have kept your eye on the website, but thought it wouldn't done any harm to remind you.

ok, so here is the complete itinerary, as usual please provide any feedback. There is still time for changes.

We are flying Fiji Airways roundtrip from LAX with a stopover in Nadi, this was $984USD which is a great deal considering the alternatives. I have points at Hilton, so I have used Hilton where possible.

1/18/18 1/20/18 Christchurch Stay in Doubletree Christchurch
1/20/18 1/24/18 Drive to Abel Tasman Park
1/20: Equestrain Lodge in Motueka. Full day Kayaking on the 21st
1/21-24: GoldenBay Hideaway Little Greenie, http://goldenbayhideaway.co.nz
1/24/18 1/25/18 Abel Tasman to Punakik stay at Te Nikau Retreat
1/25/18 1/27/18 See Franz Josef Glacier stay at West Haven Motel Fox Glacier
1/27/18 1/29/18 Drive to Wanak stay at Wanaka View Motel
1/29/18 1/30/18 Drive to Te Anau stay at Aden Motel Te Anau
1/30/18 2/2/18 Milford Track 3 nights, stay in Huts. http://www.doc.govt.nz/milfordtrack
We are doing a self guided hike, it will be interesting since we are staying in huts
and will be carrying our food
2/2/18 2/3/18 Sandfly Point to Milford Sound and bus to Te Anau. Stay in Aden Motel Hotel
2/3/18 2/4/18 Te Anau - Queenstown stay in Hilton Queenstown
2/4/18 2/6/18 Queenstown - Mt. Cook stay in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park Lodge
2/6/18 2/7/18 Mt Cook - Christchurch stay in Doubletree Christchurch
2/7/18 2/8/18 Fly Christchurch - Auckland and drive to Rotorua stay at VR Rotorua Lake Resort
2/8/18 2/11/18 Drive to Lake Taupo stay at Hilton Taupo. Day trip to Tongariro Crossing
2/11/18 2/14/18 Drive Lake Taupo to Auckland via Waitomo stay at Hilton Auckland
2/14/18 2/17/18 Drive Auckland to Paihia stay at Cook's Lookout Motel
2/17/18 2/17/18 Fly from Kerikeri Airport to Christchurch. Flight from Christchurch to Nadi, Fiji
2/17/18 2/19/18 Stay on night in Hilton Denarau Island and second night in
Lomani Resort http://lomaniisland.com

If you're picking up a car from Auckland Airport dropping it off at Kerikeri (Bay of Islands) Airport, make sure you won't be charged a hefty one-way drop-off fee. This link might be useful:
http://www.bayofislandsairport.co.nz/parking-transfers/

Sorry, but I had trouble understanding you travel dates. You'll spend three nights in Auckland, right? The Hilton Auckland has a great location. I've not stayed there, but I've stayed at the nearby Sebel Viaduct Harbour. Nice water views, great access to the restaurants, ferries, and buses. It's a short walk to the stop for the Sky Bus (shuttle to bus) to the airport.

As you enjoy hiking, you might want to take a trip to one of the islands in Hauraki Gulf. Rangitoto Island is not far away, a volcanic predator-free nature reserve, and home to NZ's largest pohutakawa forest (its blooms peak around Xmas).
http://www.doc.govt.nz/rangitoto
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...-summit-walks/
https://www.fullers.co.nz/destinatio...gitoto-island/
Looking out at Hauraki Gulf from Auckland, Rangitoto Island is the most distinctive landmark, a local icon. It's connected to Motutapu Island.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/motutapuisland

Tiritiri Matangi Island is another island nature reserve in Hauraki Gulf with rare birds, a lighthouse and walking tracks, but the ferry doesn't sail there every day, and the trip takes longer and costs more.

Waiheke Island, with wineries, walking tracks and beautiful beaches, is another popular day trip from Auckland but based on your previous comments, I think you'd find it too busy and commercial.

Looking at AA Drive Distance calculator (https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/time-and...ce-calculator/), you know you'll have some long drives on the South Island. But what it won't tell you is how curvy some of these drives can be. Takaka to Punakaiki, for example. Take a break along the way. A lot of people stop at the Buller River swing bridge in Buller Gorge. If you'll need groceries for Punakaiki, you can shop for these in Westport. There's also a pretty walkway to a fur seal colony near Westport at Cape Foulwind. But maybe you wouldn't want to take the time to see this.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...lwind-walkway/

Christchurch to Motueka will also be a long drive. What time of the day will you be arriving in Christchurch? Early or late? Will you have two full days in CC?

The coastal road (SH1 from CC to Kaikoura to Blenheim or Picton) will probably be open in time for your trip. Maybe instead of spending two days in CC. You could spend your first day/night in CC, then your second night in Kaikoura (providing you've recovered from your jet lag and had time to see CC on your first day). It's a beautiful spot that faces the rugged sea and is backed by the Kaikoura Range.

Christchurch to Motueka will also be a long drive. What time of the day will you be arriving in Christchurch? Early or late? Will you have two full days in CC? >>

5 ½ hours according to the AA website; you need to drop the brackets to make it work, try this:

https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/time-and...ce-calculator/

i'm sorry to say that I think that this is mad. I'm finding the way you lay out the dates very confusing to read, but as I see it, you have arrival day and Day 2 in C/C then on Day 3 you set off and on your first driving day in NZ you are going to spend all day in the car!!

from personal experience, [and in our case we are used to windy roads and driving on the left] driving in NZ is quite tiring and takes some getting used to. It seems to me that you may have some days elsewhere that you could "borrow" to make your first few days less of a chore, but I've had to put your itinerary into separate days to understand it:

18 Jan Arrive C/CStay in Doubletree Christchurch
19 Jan Christchurch
20 Jan Drive to Abel Tasman Park, stay Equestrain Lodge in Motueka
21 Jan Full day Kayaking stay Golden Bay Hideaway, goldenbayhideaway.co.nz
22 Jan
23 Jan
24 Jan Abel Tasman to Punakik stay at Te Nikau Retreat
25 Jan Drive to Fox, stay at West Haven Motel Fox Glacier
26 Jan 1/27/18 See Franz Josef Glacier
27 Jan Drive to Wanak stay at Wanaka View Motel
28 Jan Explore Wanaka
29 Jan Drive to Te Anau stay at Aden Motel Te Anau
30 Jan - 2nd Feb Milford Track 3 nights, stay in Huts. http://www.doc.govt.nz/milfordtrack self guided hike,
2 Feb Sandfly Point to Milford Sound and bus to Te Anau. Stay Aden Motel
3 Feb Te Anau - Queenstown stay in Hilton Queenstown
4 Feb QY
5 Feb QT
6 Feb Queenstown - Mt. Cook stay in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park Lodge

Etc. The way you have set it out means that you are in danger of double counting days, particularly the ones that you are using for travel.

what occurs to me from the above that you could take a day from Abel Tasman and use it as an extra travel day from C/C to Motueka, as Diamantia suggests; that would give you this:

18 Jan Arrive C/CStay in Doubletree Christchurch
19 Jan Christchurch
20 Jan Drive to Kaikora
21 Jan Drive to Abel Tasman Park, stay Equestrain Lodge in Motueka
22 Jan drive to Golden Bay Hideaway, goldenbayhideaway.co.nz
23 Jan Full day Kayaking
24 Jan Abel Tasman to Punakik stay at Te Nikau Retreat
25 Jan Drive to Fox, stay at West Haven Motel Fox Glacier
26 Jan 1/27/18 See Franz Josef Glacier
27 Jan Drive to Wanak stay at Wanaka View Motel
28 Jan Explore Wanaka
29 Jan Drive to Te Anau stay at Aden Motel Te Anau
30 Jan - 2nd Feb Milford Track 3 nights, stay in Huts.


I have also moved your kayaking a day so that you're not doing it just after a full travel day.

Hope that helps!

mmm - looking at the AA website, it is possible that you can't presently get through from Kaikora to Blenheim, so it's distorting the travel times, but hopefully the road will be fixed by Jan '2018. Perhaps locals will know more about that?

Personally, I would not count on SH1 being open by mid-January. They say it will open in December 2017, if there are no more setbacks. But I'd honestly not count on it and would plan on SH1 being closed. If your trip were in March or April, I'd assume it would be open. Not so in January.

Hanmer Springs would be a good point to break up the drive between Christchurch and Motueka, if that's what you want to do.

Yes, I even advised Karore early on that SH1 from CC to Picton might not be open by Xmas (which has been the government's goal) because the original itinerary had included Kaikoura. I guess I'm hoping to feel more optimistic now.

When I think I might have to change or cancel my plans close to the date. I'll make a booking that allows for free cancellation up to 24 hours before. So, if you want to break up that drive from CC to Motueka, a booking could be made for two different destinations along the way to Motueka, each allowing for free cancellation. If the road isn't isn't open by Xmas, cancel the Kaikoura booking.

I just plugged in a random January 2018 date for Kaikoura accommodations on Hotels.com and it returned about a dozen places with free cancellation.

Winter's only begun, and the portion of the road that's already been opened remains "fragile." http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9243...-for-christmas
http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/931781...rthday-weekend

Hi Diamantina and Annhig

Thanks a lot for the feedback and sorry about the confusion with dates.

I agree that Christchurch to Motueka and then Pohara to Punakiki are long drives. I was thinking that the two nights in Christchurch will give us some rest. We arrive in Christchurch on Jan 18th around 2pm, so we can start the drive on the morning of Jan 20th, which should allow us to add stops on the way. I had planned the 4 nights in Abel Tasman to recover before the second long drive.

I agree that if SH1 to Picton is open then a stopover in Kaikoura would be ideal. I will make a reservation and if the road doesn't open we can keep the schedule as-is.