9.5 days in New Zealand
 

Hi all:

My wife and I booked one of those awesome fares from LA to Auckland. We have 9.5 days from wheels down in AKL to wheels up in AKL. Looking for some advice on what to make sure we hit. We are ok flying between cities in NZ and/or renting a car.

Here is a very early idea... please lend your thoughts.

Day 1: Early morning flight from AKL to Queenstown. Arrive Queenstown. Take bus to glenorchy and do the dart boat tour (we want to enjoy the scenery not necessarily do a thrill ride on the faster Jetboat). Explore Queenstown for the evening.

Day 2: Pick up rental car, drive to local hot springs (which are the best in the area?), drive Te Anau and spend the night.

Day 3: Take bus or drive to Milford sound, do cruise. Drive or fly back to Queenstown.

Day 4: Drive to Wanaka, ski Treble Cone, spend the night in Wanaka.

Day 5: Drive up the west coast to Fox/Franz Glaciers tour the glaciers and stay overnight OR drive the mountain pass towards Christchurch stopping somewhere.

Day 6: Drive to Nelson and Fly to AKL OR drive to Christchurch and fly to AKL.

Day 7: Drive to Rotorua?!? Stay overnight in Rotorua

Day 8: Hot Springs in Rotorua and drive back to AKL. Stay overnight in AKL

Day 9: Explore AKL

Day 10: Depart AKL

Overall questions would be:

Rotorua and Hamner Springs are the two hot springs I've heard most about...is there any near Queenstown? And if so should we go to one near Queenstown or the two more well known ones?

Skiing- my wife and I are intermediate level skiers and want to hit one resort for one day...what would be a good resort for us?

Winery- My wife also wants to fit a winery in here...any suggestions?

Overall thoughts on our itinerary? Anything we are missing that is a must do?

I don't know of any hot springs near Queenstown, however its Onsen Hot Pools is popular. These hot tubs are on Arthur's Point Road, so they have great mountain and Shotover River views. Plus, they provide courtesy transport, so you wouldn't need a car to get to them.
http://onsen.co.nz/bookings/courtesy-transport

I think it's best you just enjoy Queenstown itself on your first day, as you'll be tired and jet-lagged. Take the Skyline Gondola, explore the town centre, waterfront, botanic garden and its lakeside track. Then, late afternoon or evening, maybe go to Onsen Hot Pools, have dinner, a couple of glasses of Central Otago wine, then go to bed early. Get up the next morning refreshed for your trip to Glenorchy and the Dart River. Wouldn't you rather be well-rested and refreshed when you do this?

Dart River Wilderness Jets or Funyaks will pick you up from Queenstown.
http://www.dartriver.co.nz

If you're hoping to ski, I guess you're coming in winter, but it's better to ask: when are you coming here, what month? This can affect your plans to drive on Milford Road.

I think you should do the all-day coach-cruise-flight tour from Queenstown as you have so few days. In bad weather, the flights from Milford Sound can't fly, so you might have to return by bus. If this happens, you can just sleep on the bus, as you'll probably still be tired and jet-lagged, and a little exhausted from getting up early and from sensory overload.

Amisfield WInery is only 10 to 15 minutes drive from the centre of Queenstown. The local Connectabus also goes from Queenstown to Amisfield. See:
http://www.amisfield.co.nz
http://www.connectabus.com/_media/fi...ble%203-15.pdf

The wineries of Gibbston Valley are a bit beyond Amisfield. See:
http://www.newzealand.com/int/featur...ley-vineyards/

In Wanaka, don't miss the view from Rippon Winery.
http://rippon.co.nz

"Must-dos" are a matter of personal taste. You can't possibly see all of NZ's highlights in 9 days, and I'm sure you know this, but you'll still enjoy great experiences and see some of the best that NZ offers.

Your itinerary looks too ambitious for such a short time, given the difficulty of some of your drives, especially in winter (if this is when you are coming). According to the AA Drive Distance Calculator, it will take 4 hours 48 minutes to drive from Wanaka to Franz Josef Glacier and this is in good conditions. There are some difficult stretches along here, where the road is narrow and curvy. There's only one lane in each direction. Franz Josef to Christchurch will take 5 hours, and again, there are some narrow and curvy stretches. The days are shorter in winter. Franz Josef to Nelson would be a little over 6 hours. Because South Island roads in winter can often be frosty early morning, it is advisable to not drive on them before 10 a.m. So much of your daylight hours would be spent driving between these places.
http://www.aatravel.co.nz/main/time-...calculator.php
http://rasnz.org.nz/in-the-sky/sun-rise-and-set

You could easily just base yourselves in Queenstown and Wanaka, and do activities/tours from here. Or 6 days and nights based in Queenstown and Wanaka, and then fly to Rotorua for a couple of nights before flying or taking the Intercity bus to Auckland for your last day and night in NZ.

I haven't skied in NZ, but here's a link to an online article that lists intermediate terrain at South Island ski resorts:
http://www.newzealand.com/sg/article...n-new-zealand/

Listen to Diamantina, she knows what she's talking about.

You've tried to fit a three week itinerary into 9.5 days.

Things start going seriously wonky at Day 5.

Wanaka to the glaciers is a full day. Wanaka to Christchurch via Arthur's Pass (let alone in winter) is just silly.

You're traveling in the winter! Days will be very short. It will get light around 8 am and will get dark around 5. Roads are often frosty (think black ice) until about 10 am. This makes driving treacherous.

You've left not a second for contingencies, such as bad weather. I visit NZ often in the winter months, and believe me, you need lots of wiggle room for torrential rain, fierce wind, potentially closed roads, landslips, etc.

My advise - stay on the SI and extend your nights in QT, Te Anau and Wanaka and don't even think about driving beyond Christchurch. What is the point of driving to Nelson just to fly to Auckland?

There are hot tubs in Franz Josef, manmade, but a nice set up just the same. In fact, I enjoyed them more than the natural hot springs at Hanmer Springs.

Please rethink this. You will be exhausted.

I do envy you that airline deal - would have loved to score one of those but didn't hear about them until they were gone.

I'd leave the West Coast and Nelson for another trip. You don't have time for either one of them. Just getting there will take an entire day and then you plan on leaving the very next morning. In particular to Nelson, you realize flights from there to Rotorua will connect in Christchurch!

From Wanaka, drive Lindis Pass and stay the night at Mount Cook. The next morning, drive to Christchurch.

Do a coach tour from Queenstown to Milford Sound. If budget allows, do the coach/cruise/fly. Driving yourself is only reasonable if you stay 2 nights in Te Anau and you don't have time for that.

Ooops, you're flying Nelson to Auckland, not Rotorua. But my advice still stands on skipping Nelson - you've left no time there, flights and car rental return will just add to your cost with little benefit whatsoever.

Hot Springs - do in Rotorua. Skiing - do in Queenstown (Coronet Peak or Remarkables) or Wanaka (Cardrona). Wineries - do in Queenstown or Auckland (Waiheke Island).

First- thanks for everyone's initial thoughts. We are indeed visiting in Winter (July 29-Aug 7). Many of you are right- I didnt plan to go to Nelson other than to fly direct to AKL.

So are folks suggesting just to base in Queenstown and not drive up the west coast OR the inland route to Christchurch and just fly back from Queenstown to AKL? If doing this, can we catch a bus/tour to Rotorua from Auckland?

Which spings, etc in Rotorua are the best?

Do you think this is too aggressive:

1 arrive Auckland, fly to Queenstown, explore

2 bus to Milford Sound, cruise, fly back to Q'town

3 Dart River (Glenorchy), collect rental car - drive to Wanaka

4 ski Cardrona (perfect for intermediate) or ski Treble Cone (advanced skiers)

5 drive Lindis Pass to Aoraki/Mt Cook, explore

6 drive to Christchurch

7 fly to Rotorua

8 explore

9 bus to Auckland via Waitomo caves greatsights.co.nz/new-zealand-tour-destinati…

10 fly out

<Do you think this is too aggressive:>

It would be for me, and I've been to NZ a dozen times.

Day 2 is a 13 hour day, eight hours of it on a bus (assuming to take the bus both ways). In the winter, about four of that 13 hours will be in the dark.

Yes, it's done all the time, but keep in mind that Milford Road does sometimes close in the winter months due to ice and snow. Sometimes the road is only closed for a matter of hours to blast for avalanches, but a delay is a delay, potentially making a very long day even longer.

If you happen to be there on a day that the weather is bad and the road is closed...here is where being flexible works to your advantage. And by being flexible I mean giving yourself an extra day or two to work with, just in case.

The flight back to QT is a great (yet very expensive) alternative, weather providing.

Day 3 - this will work if you take the morning tour. The afternoon safari will mean you will return to QT around dusk and drive to Wanaka in the dark. To me, driving in the dark defeats the whole purpose of visiting NZ - you'll miss the spectacular scenery.

Where is the time to visit a winery and have a tasting and a nice meal? As mentioned above, Amisfield has beautiful Pinot Noir and lovely food, but the last seating is at 5:30 - be sure to book!

Mt. Difficulty (Bannockburn) is another wonderful choice, my favorite in fact - it closes at 4:30.

Wanaka to Mt Cook is roughly a three hour drive, which gives you about 1/2 a day to explore Mount Cook. Doable? Yes, but only if you're not planning any big hikes.

If it were me, I'd give the NI a pass. I'd spend 3-4 nights QT (or vicinity), which will give you a contingency day in case of bad weather for Milford, and give you time to actually see QT and the vicinity - wineries included.

I'd then spend 2-3 nights in Wanaka, two nights in Mount Cook and one night in Christchurch before your flight.

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful trip.

Yes, your itinerary could work, I think, but you wouldn't see much of Wanaka. I'd thought about the Wanaka-Mt. Cook Village-CC option, but thought it wouldn't give you enough time in Wanaka, which is a nice place. But it's your first trip to NZ, so maybe getting a quick look will be enough this time.

It will be a rushed trip, but at least it won't involve too much winter driving. Mt. Cook Village is beautiful, with splendid walking tracks. By the way, there are also manmade hot springs in Tekapo (Tekapo Springs), but you wouldn't have time for these.

Melnq8 is quite right, in winter you need to be flexible due to road closures. Look at this article from last winter.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/35...way-metservice
But not every day is like this. By and large, winter days are clear on the South Island.

I agree with Melnq8. Mt. Difficulty in Bannockburn is my favourite as well, its restaurant has great views and good food, the servers at the wine tasting bar are the friendliest, and the wine is terrific. I like most if not all of the wineries in Bannockburn. It's farther from Queenstown than Gibbston Valley. It'll take you about 50 minutes to get from Q'town to Bannockburn. Cromwell also has good wineries. The drive from Cromwell to Wanaka takes about 40 minutes and it's relatively easy.

If Great Sights will take you from Rotorua to Waitomo then to Auckland, then that seems like a good option.

How does everyone rate Rotorua vs Hamner Sprins vs any other hot springs/spas?

How about glow worms in waitomo vs Te Anua? I heard the que at Waitomo can be long and the tour short.

It's been eons since I was in Rotorua (ever been to Yellowstone? If so Rotorua might be a let down - it was for me anyway).

I've visited the thermal pools in Hanmer Springs a couple of times (always in winter) and visited the hot pools at Franz Josef once. Although man-made, I much preferred the Franz Josef option. It might have been timing - a winter day following a full day of hiking - we were two of about 10 people in the entire place, so it was pretty wonderful.

The pools at Hanmer Springs get very busy over weekends, due to its proximity to Christchurch.

There are also hot pools in Omarama, also man-made, haven't tried those yet.

Glow worms are glow worms IMO. Having said that, I did enjoy Waitomo on our first ever visit to NZ (underwater rafting as I recall). I'd take the path of least resistance. You can see them free of charge at many places, you just need to know where to look.

Glowworms: There's only one operator for the glow worm caves in Te Anau. There are half a dozen in the Waitomo area. Do a bit of research and you may find something that you'll really like.

But in agreement with Melnq8, they can be found along trails and gullies if you know where to look - ask a local.

Hot pools/tubs/thermal areas: I like a warm pool, but I get bored after about 20 minutes in it. Because of this, I wouldn't pay extra to go into one. We stayed in our campervan at Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, entrance to the pools was a bonus to our powered campsite stay. It was commercial, but kept it's natural beauty. We also visited Kerosene Creek, which was fabulous! But I hear it's not always so, as it is un-regulated. We caught it just as a group on a bus left.

Spa Park we caught at a bad time when a Kiwi Experience bus had just unloaded. There were cases of beer along the banks and everyone in the water had a glass or bottle in hand. We didn't stay long - not our crowd.

We stayed in Hanmer Springs, but didn't go to the pools there. It seemed very crowded. That isn't what I would want to go to a thermal "retreat" for. We were there on a Friday night. Be aware that Christchurch locals head to Hanmer on their weekends.

If caught at the right time, a natural, un-commercial experience is unbeatable. But there are no guarantees on that.

We really enjoyed blackwater rafting in Waitomo in 2004, but if you don't want that kind of experience http://www.waitomo.com/black-water-r...labyrinth.aspx I would take one of the other suggestions.

Lee Ann

Elendilpickle: looks like the link you posted (black water) is only available in summer. We will be there in winter.

I'm assuming some others are closed in winter as well?

Filler03 -

Unless I'm missing something, it appears that the rafting is offered year round, there are just more trips available during the summer.

Granted it was forever ago, but we took a similar excursion well off season (I'll never forget putting on cold wet wetsuits and jumping into freezing water). Yowsa.

Just put in some random dates for July, and the website asked for credit card details, so looks like winter is a go.

Also, we originally booked a seat for my daughter (will be 14 months in July). Now torn between taking her or leaving her stateside so that we can explore NZ a little easier. Thoughts on taking a 14 month old to some of the attractions would be great.

Melnq8, we went blackwater rafting in April and it was still pretty cold - but so much fun!

Of course, Filler03, you couldn't take a 14mo to do that, and if you want to ski, you'd probably need to find some kind of child care. If you can leave your daughter home, that might be easiest for all of you.

Lee Ann

When visiting NZ it is "trip de jour" to bum around in a campervan for a while. It can be cheaper than car/hotel depending on your requirements and who you go with.
check out http://ecampervanhire.com for campers

Go where you want, when you want, stay overnight places for free, change your mind each day, stop and have a stretch when you like - be your own boss. I've done it twice.

Ok, after more research I'm getting back on our itinerary. If Rotorua is just 20-30 mins of sitting in thermal pool and seeing hot springs we may strike that off the list.

What is everyone's thoughts if we were to use air new Zealand's grab a seat and just do a round trip flight from AKL to Queenstown? Maybe a day in AKL when we land, 4/5 days in QT and then 3 days in the Auckland area on the back end.

Completely opposite of my original jam packed itinerary, and still more conservative than my last thoughts but I'm trying to take your advice about the driving and it being too aggressive. Are we missing too much of NZ by only doing these two areas? And what are some recomendations around AKL (bay of islands maybe)?

Certainly wouldn't suggest a campervan in mid-winter!

I'd personally have no troubles basing in QT for the bulk of the trip (I prefer Arrowtown, quieter and more sedate, but lots of options on the outskirts of QT that would also do nicely).

From QT you can see a lot - Glenorchy - Arrowtown - Wanaka, short trips up the West Coast if you really want, not to mention Te Anau and Milford. Lots to do from there.

In other words, I think it's a grand idea (but I'd spend less time in Auckland, unless you just really, really like big, busy cities, which I don't, so I'm biased).

Could we do a 2 day trip from QT/Wanaka to Mt. Cook area? Looked into buses for that but Naked Bus doesn't have their schedule for July/August yet. (Qt/Wanaka to Twitzel) Do the run those in winter? Also Cook Connection doesn't show a schedule from Twitzel to Mt Cook in the winter either. Therefore, is it conceivable to go to Mt. cook in winter? What could we do there in winter?

Or is it a good idea to rent a car and do the Wanaka-Mt Cook-Christchurch drive? (Or bus)?

Also, the other places that were mentioned earlier (glenorchy, amisfield/mt difficulty, etc)?

Yes, it's feasible to got to Mount Cook in winter. Very easy to get to, just drive yourself instead of fiddling with buses. Much more efficient, and you can stop en route as you see fit.

Queenstown to Mt Cook takes about four hours each way, about 2:45 from Wanaka. You'd have to double back, but that's no drama if that's what you want to do and you're willing to spare the time.

Lots of walks in Mount Cook - I don't think the glacier trip runs in the winter, but its still worth going to Mount Cook - keep in mind weather can be iffy - rain - and the mountain might be socked in. But then again, it might not!

Amisfield (Arrowtown), Mt Difficulty (Bannockburn) and Glenorchy are all easy drives from Wanaka and QT too.

Melnq8 and others- you have been so helpful, can't thank you enough. I just booked my flight from AKL to QT on Air NZ's grab a seat so I want to run this by all of you before my 24hr free cancel expires. Here goes:

Our flight lands at AKL on July 28th at 11:30pm, seeing as how our options would be either sleep in the airport that night and take the 7:10am departure to QT, pay for a hotel for 5 hours and take the 7:10am departure, or revise the itinerary and see Auckland/NI first we are leaning towards this last option.

7/28- land AKL, skybus to downtown Auckland hotel
7/29- explore Auckland and get over jet lag OR take day drip to gloworms and back. Sleep in the same Downtown Auckland hotel.
7/30- Explore Auckland, fly to QT in the afternoon. Hotel in QT
7/31- Bus/cruise/bus option OR Fly/cruise/fly option to Milford sound (depending on weather and budget). Hotel in QT.
8/1- Glenorchy and explore QT. hotel in QT.
8/2- Pick up rental car, drive to Cardona (ski) stay overnight in Wanaka
8/3- drive to Mt. Cook. Explore Mt. Cook, stay overnight Mt. Cook village
8/4- explore Mt. Cook some more, afternoon drive to Wanaka. Hotel In Wanaka.
8/5- Explore Wanaka, drive to winery (haven't decided which one), return to QT. Hotel in QT.
8/6- Explore QT, return rental car. Hotel in QT
8/7- Fly early morning flight from QT to AKL, change to international terminal for 1:20pm departure to USA.

I've taken a lot of your advice and cut down on the one night stays (Auckland 2 nights, QT 2 nights x 2). But just want to make sure this is a solid plan before I'm locked into the afternoon flight from AKL to QT on 7/30 and also before I book the QT to AKL flight on 8/7!

Please let me know if you see any kinks!

Have you checked to make sure the Skybus runs that late?

You might consider the Novotel right at the airport - incredibly convenient, especially after such a long flight. It's literally right there.

Of course that would necessitate a few return trips on the bus into town and back if you plan to spend two nights, but it's an option. The Novotel isn't cheap, but you can't beat the convenience to the airport - it's not convenient to town though, so it may not work for you. There's also an Ibis very close and less expensive, not sure if they provide a shuttle, though.

I doubt you'll get much Auckland exploring into the second morning of your stay, as you need to get to the airport by afternoon - what time is that flight?

8/3 and 8/4 are a bit unrealistic IMO - I'd understood you'd spend two nights in Mt Cook not one - one night with a 3-4 hour drive on either side won't give you much time to explore much, so I have to question the point in driving so far just to turn around and drive back the next day. Your travel style may vary vastly from mine though.

Overall, it's a very busy itinerary and not one I'd personally choose - especially in the dead of winter, but it's doable, weather providing.

Do keep in mind that check out time in NZ is usually 10 am - that means stashing your luggage in your car while you explore. I strongly recommend you get a car with a concealed trunk, not a hatchback.

The Novotel is sold out for that night on Expedia, hotels.com, etc. The only way to book is through the hotel directly and i can't justify $150+ when I can use hotel points in downtown Auckland. And yes, skybus runs to 2am, checked.

Afternoon flight on 7/30 is at 4:55pm, so would need to be at the airport around 3pm.

I know it might be considered "busy" but we did cut out a lot of things (Rotorua, Franz/fox, Christchurch) and we probably aren't getting back to NZ in our lifetime so we'd like to see as much as possible.

Any thoughts on the bus/tours to Waitomo for glowworms, is it worth it?

Also, how do you rate/compare the many different Milford sound operators?

Fair enough.

Haven't been to Waitomo for eons, so will defer to others on that one.

I've taken cruises through several Milford operators. To me they're pretty much the same. It's the same sound after all, so you see what everyone else sees despite the operator. The major difference is boat size, length of cruise and amenities offered on board - food, etc. I think some operators tout going in a bit closer to the ocean than others, or getting closer to a waterfall, but honestly it's six of one half a dozen of the other IMO.

We usually just turn up and walk onboard the boat that is getting ready to leave. You won't need to book in July - cruises run less frequently in the winter, but there are still plenty of them - just be sure to check the time for the last cruise of the day and plan accordingly.

Have a wonderful trip!

Mel, I think they are taking a tour from Queenstown. Wouldn't it be the tour operator that dictates which boat you get on?

But you are right, they all go the same route. And large or small, they can all get as close to the waterfalls and shoreline as the next -- those rocky mountains go straight down into the water, so even large boats can get very close. There may be a difference in lunch options, if that's important to you, which will affect the price.

Some buses have windows overhead, which would be great for more panoramic viewing. I think that's Real Journeys, but not sure -- and others may have it too. If wanting a smaller boat, Mitre Peak tours.

<<Mel, I think they are taking a tour from Queenstown. Wouldn't it be the tour operator that dictates which boat you get on?<<

Yes. I was thinking like a self-driver again, forgot Filler03 would be taking a tour from QT.

Filler03 - you will have to commit to a particular cruise/operator when you book in QT. I've been on Real Journeys, Mitre Peak and more recently Jucy.

Mitre Peak was my favorite, but it was more about the ideal circumstances (last cruise of the day, perfect weather, and having the boat mostly to ourselves) that stand out in my memory, not so much the cruise or the operator) if that makes sense.

How much longer is the drive from mt cook to Christchurch vs mt cook to Queenstown? And is it much more scenic?

Mt Cook to Christchurch is about four hours.

Mt Cook to Queenstown is about 3.5 hours

There are a couple of options for Christchurch to Mt Cook - the route down the east coast to Ashburton and Timaru is the least scenic stretch of road on the South Island IMO.

I prefer the 'back way' via 77/72 to Geraldine and Fairlie. It takes longer though.

As for which leg is more scenic, that's very subjective, but they both have merits.

If you take a look at some of my trip reports posted here, you'll find the routing I prefer from Christchurch and my descriptions of both legs.