9 days in the South Island: Driving Itinerary
 

Hi all,
I have read almost every post on this board about driving the South Island! I really wish we had more than 9 days, but we don't... Here is the itinerary I've come up with. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for modifications. We are most interested in seeing dramatic scenery, and we don't mind long drives (luckily)!
I originally thought about flying to Queenstown fron CHC, but I do not want to miss the west coast scenery and the opportunity to take a heli-hike to the glaciers.
Any accomodation suggestions? We'd like to spend around US$100 per night, with ensuite facilities. I am looking at the Discovery Lodge in Queenstown but am open for suggestions in any other locations.


Prior to NZ: 9 days in Sydney area

NZ:
Day 1: Arrive in CHC in evening; overnight
Day 2: Drive to Glaciers via Arthur's Pass (6-7 hours)
Day 3: Glaciers; Drive to Haast (2-3 hours)
Day 4: Drive to Queenstown (5-6 hours); gondola/luge
Day 5: Milford Sound overnight cruise
Day 6: Back to Queenstown at 3:30; TSS Earnslaw dinner cruise at 6
Day 7: Dart River Safari Jetboating in Glenorchy; visit a winery?
Day 8: Drive to Christchurch via the central route, visiting the Church of the Good Shepherd and the Tin Shed (store in Geraldine)
Day 9: Morning visit to the Antarctic Centre; Flight to AKL leaves around noon.

Then from AKL off to Fiji for some relaxation!
Thanks so much! Liz

I'd suggest not spending a night in Haast, but continuing on to Wanaka, if you can get all your driving done during the daytime. You also may want to spend the next night in Te Anau, which is a bit closer than Queenstown to Milford.
You should be able to find lodging at one of the B&Bs on Armagh Street in Christchurch for $100 US. It's a great location unless you have no interest at all in Christchurch city, in which case there are lots of motels near the airport for your budget. I'd recommend a visit to the Arts Center/Botanic Gardens/Canterbury Museum at a minimum, rather than the Antarctic Center, if you can fit it in. The upstairs exhibit on the Antarctic explorers at the Canterbury museum is fantastic, including Shackelton artifacts. The only advantage of the Antarctic Center is the trip on one of those tractor things, which didn't appeal to me, and I've been plenty cold without paying to be freeze-dried.

Did a similar trip in 2000 but came from Wellington - took the interisland ferry and drove to Greymouth I think on the west coast which is close to where you will be when you drive over the pass - i hear the train ride is also majestic but then you need a car on the west side. We drove along the coast making stops on the way to the Franz-Joseph glacier, stayed for a heliflight and glacier walk the next day - majestic experience and stayed overnight nearby. Drove over the Haast pass to Wanaka-i agree this place has a great setting by the lake. Next day to Queenstown and overnight. We took a hot air balloon flight the next day and the luge etc and after lunch drove to Te-Anau and went on the glowworm cave visit that evening- this town places you near the Milford Sound next day and you beat all the tourist buses if you go early for a cruise and then beat them back also (dont forget it rains 2 out 3 days there). Te-Anau is a nice town but you could return to Queenstown in the afternoon for the dinner cruise. My trip ended in Q'town but you could Jet boat the next morning and work your way back to CHC from there. Cheers

Agree with mlgb regarding Wanaka and Te Anau. Keep in mind Queenstown to Milford Sound is 5 hrs one way. Time and weather permitting, en route back to Chch, the drive to Mt Cook along Lake Pukaki is superb for scenery....you'd need an extra 2-3 hrs for the round trip, 1.3 hrs bare minimum with no stopping.

I agree with the others. Wanaka would be a great place to stop. It's a beautiful area ( Shania Twain has chosen this area to live).

Given your time limitations, your itinerary looks good. Are you driving to Milford on your own and then catching the overnight cruise? or are you joining the tour in Queenstown?
It's quite a long drive and you could probably relax more on the bus and enjoy the views.

Have a great time.

Thanks to all who replied!

Per your suggestions we will attempt to make it to Wanaka instead of Haast. I am really really hoping that our heli-hike will not be cancelled due to bad weather conditions, and if it is, we are still able to get onto the glacier via a 1/2-day hike or something!

At the end of day 4, perhaps we will drive to Te Anau (and see the glowworms, which do interest me) and then take the roundtrip coach for the Milford Sound overnight cruise from Te Anau on days 5-6.

How am I going to wait 8.5 more months?

Hi Liz, That sounds like a good plan. With all the driving I did, I enjoyed being on a bus for a little while. SO you will be able to really enjoy the view from TeAnau on to MIlford Sound.

Oh, the time will go quickly for you....but not too quickly, I hope. Don't wish away my summer...just when the weather is starting to finally get nice where I am!! I miss the beautiful summer weather of NZ.
I hope you are as lucky as we were in NZ. We had sunshine every single day.

Liz -

I strongly suggest you book your helihike in advance since you'll only have one shot at it (the morning of Day 3). Not to discourage you, but we visited the glaciers on four separate trips, staying three nights each time, before we were finally able to take a helihike on our fourth visit - all due to weather issues. Perhaps we just had really bad luck, but you might want to have a back up plan just in case.

We liked the Punga Grove Motel in Franz Josef and the Lake Matheson Motel in Fox Glacier.

Have fun.

Melnq8 is right about having a backup plan for bad weather on the west coast. Especially with your short time, it would be a shame to drive long hours and see little. I always had some plans for bad day itineraries, and even once did my trip in reverse direction. I would suggest not going to the west coast if it is going to be nonstop storming (possible for extended periods). You could stay east of the Alps which will block some of the weather, spend more time in Kaikoura, or Dunedin/Otago/, or inland Maniototo which has cloud formations in bad weather.

yes skip Haast. Are u sure you wanna do the milford cruise. For me the 3 hr cruise was pretty much enough. The surrounding landscape is beautiful doesnt need one night to enjoy.The dart river jetboat is not as exciting as the original shotover river jet as it does not have the narrow and sharp edges.Moreover Glenorchy is a 1.5 hr drive away.

It all sounds pretty good- But I would suggest skipping Haast if you don't mind doing the looong drive. We stayed there overnight (in between Queenstown and Franz Josef), and felt that the time would have been better spent elsewhere.

R