judilie

We will be spending a week on the North Island, Nov. 11-18, ariving in Auckland at 4:30 pm on Sunday, Nov. 11 (from Sydney) and departing from Auckland on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 7:45 pm (for Los Angeles). I'd originally considered spending time in Auckland and then renting a car to see other parts of the N. Island. I'm still working out exactly which other parts. Key candidates include Bay of Islands, Coromandel, Waitomo, Rotorua, Taupo, Tongariro, Hawkes Bay. (We'll save Wellington and the South Island for another trip.) I realize that we won't have time to visit all of these in a week. I'd welcome suggestions that would help me reduce this list to something do-able. We are particularly interested in nature, hiking, kayaking, and Maori culture. Not particularly interested in wineries.

I'm now thinking that it might make more sense to fly, say to Napier, and then rent a car there rather than driving south and then north again. (Taupo might be another good flight destination, but the last flight of the day departs too early for us, given our 4:30 pm arrival in Auckland.) I've been worried by what I've read about traffic in Auckland, though we are arriving and departing on Sundays, which probably makes traffic less of an issue.

Also, should we try to spend our time in Auckland at the beginning of our week, which would mean weekdays, or at the end, which would mean the weekend?

Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions.

heathy

Hi Judillie

By the time you collect your luggage, rental car organised etc it will be about 6: 30pm. I would travel south towards the Coromandel -there will be little traffic heading that way - at that time. ( Alot coming towards you tho - Aucklanders returning home after weekend ). It should take you well under 2 hours to arrive in Thames. It will still be light and you will have no problems. Spend the night in Thames. Explore the Coromandel Peninsula. Kayaking , gorgeous beaches , bush walks , history. Allow at least two days in this region. A slow leisurely trip along coast - stopping off again at great walking spots, dotted all along the way, spend a few hours at Mt Maunganui Beach - very handy to Rotorua. Perhaps make Rotorua a base for a couple of days, visit the Blue and Green Lakes,bush walks abound. Waitomo caves quite close. Onto Taupo - an hour and 1/2 from Rotorua - further again to the Tongariro Nat Pk. Napier is 1 - 2 hrs from Taupo. Im not sure if you'll have time to see much of Hawkes Bay. (" Go the Bay !!! &quot Whatever you decide I would consider ditching the rental car and flying directly back to Auckland from Napier/ Rotorua/ Taupo.

Im sorry not to be able to include the glorious Bay of Islands and Northland. I would advise you not to spend any time in Auckland City - but Im not an Aucklander !

heathy

Hello again ! Just had another idea! Spend a couple of days in Coromandel and then travel onto Napier along the East coast. It is extremely scenic , not much traffic and not touristy. Hicks Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne, Mahia Peninsula, Napier. Then across to Taupo.Finishing off in Rotorua. Again fly back to Auckland.

judilie

Thanks very much, Heathy.

We would like to try to do the Tongariro Crossing.

If we're going to take an intra-N.Z. flight, might it make the most sense to do it immediately after arriving in N.Z. (so that we only have one trip to/from the Auckland aiport)?

I hadn't thought about skipping seeing Auckland altogether, but will consider it.

heathy

Good evening judillie

Yes I know what you're saying. Am just wondering what the connecting flights out of Auckland would be like on a Sunday evening . It really would be awful to have to waste a night at a horrid airport hotel. The airport is south of Auckland city. Its really a " simple " matter of getting onto the southern motorway and heading towards the Coromandel - well sign posted. You wont have to go anywhere near the main centre. The traffic south honestly wont be that bad. I have travelled from airport sth a number of times in the evening and its been straight forward and not hectic. Well I guess its easy for me to say - my husband does most of the driving ! I just feel it would get your holiday off to a nicer start to wake up in a pretty little township. Ideally if you can fly out to the provinces then do - even better to fly back to international airport.

My husband and I have tramped the Tongariro Crossing pre children. November should be an ideal time of year. There may well be plenty of snow to make it esp. scenic. Be prepared for wintry conditions.

Happy to answer any questions if able - this site is driving me mad ! But I am so delighted that people such as yourself are coming here for a holiday - that I feel responsible in some weird way for ensuring you have a great time. Bye

judilie

Thanks, Heathy. I really appreciate all of your advice. I did find some flights that could get us to Napier or Rotorua shortly after we arrive in Auckland (i.e,. no need for staying in a hotel by the airport). We don't mind driving, so perhaps should just plan on driving south and then back to Auckland. It's not clear that taking an intra-N.Z. flight will save us much time.

It appears we won't have time to go to the northern part of the North Island. We'll just have to plan to come back to N.Z.!

Where in N.Z. do you live?

heathy

Good morning judillie . You seem to have researched very well ! Im sure you'll work out a very doable itinerary.
Iam in the Bay of Plenty . I was primarily brought up in Hawkes Bay but have also lived in Wellington, Waikato, Coromandel, Otago and Southland - Oh and 2years on the Chatham Islands - was quite young . My husband is from Northland.
Is it correct that Americans only get two weeks annual leave ? Thanks

judilie

Heathy - The amount of leave (or vacation, as we usually call it) that Americans get varies. Some people get as little as 2 weeks a year but other get as many as 5 or 6 weeks. My husband gets "comp time" instead of pay for working overtime, which can be used for additional vacation days.

I'll think more about our itinerary in N.Z. and will undoubtedly have some additional questions.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

emarl

I would recommend skipping Rotorua and getting to Napier/Hawke's Bay....amazing place...great wineries, restaurants, shopping.

judilie

Here's a tenative itinerary. Please let me know your reactions. I'd appreciate suggestions of places to stay (locations at this point; I'll work on specific lodging later), particularly ways we can avoid staying in a different place every night.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Sun., Nov. 11: Fly from Sydney to Auckland (on NZ 104), arriving in AKL at 4:30 pm, and then fly from AKL to Napier/Hawke's Bay (NZ 5721 5:25 – 6:25 pm [Is 55 minutes sufficient for connecting time?] or NZ 8409, 7:30 – 8:30 pm, NZ$99). Spend the night in this area

Mon.: Explore Napier and Hawke's Bay. Drive to Taupo area (94 miles).

Mon. nt. – Wed. nt..: Taupo, Tangariro Crossing

Thurs.: Rotorua

Fri.: Waitomo Glowworm caves, drive to Coromandel

Sat.: Coromandel (kayak) and drive to Auckland

Sun.: Auckland and fly home (dep. AKL at 7:45 pm for LAX).

I had originally planned to have more time in Auckland and to possibly go to the Bay of Islands, but there just isn't enough time (unless someone can suggest something we could give up).

Of the places I have in mind, where would be the best to go to a hangi dinner and show?

heathy

Hello again Judillie
A relo in Rotorua just sent me the following :

I think the Heritage Hotel has a good hangi/concert combo.

Adults $65

6:30pm start (doors open at 6:15pm)

Don't know if its the best but has been in operation for well over 20 years (so you'd hope it was sorted by now!!!).



Or the more expensive option that would keep them entertained for the whole evening is:

TAMAKI MAORI VILLAGE

Night Tour

Duration: 3.5 hours
Price: Starting from around NZ $93.00 per person

A visit to Rotorua is not complete without participating in a traditional Maori Hangi and Feast. No other dining experience offers such an evening to remember. Tamaki Maori Village will take you on a cultural journey back onto the marae (Maori Village) where the life force of this country's indigenous people is strongest.

The journey through time unfolds when your coach travels to a pre-European village set deep within the forest 15 minutes from Rotorua. The coach turns imaginatively into a Maori canoe (waka) and everyone on board paddles toward the village. Your guide will instruct you on the protocol for visiting Marae (meeting grounds). A chief is selected, a song learnt and the eerie cry of the welcome is heard before entering into a world of ancient Maori and proud warriors.

You will experience the Powhiri (welcome ceremony) before you enter the village with crackling open fires in front of traditional whare (houses). Hear ancient Maori instruments and see the activity of days gone by. In the wharenui (meeting house), Rangiatea culture group offers a powerful display of haka, song and dance. As new friendships are forged, dine on the traditional hangi, where the food is cooked slowly beneath the ground in earthen ovens.


Rotorua is probably the best place for visitors to to experience Maori culture. ( in a touristy way )
NB: Our supermarket has just started selling hangi meals !

judilie

Thanks, Heathy, for the hangi suggestions. I'd welcome your (and others') reactions to my first stab at an itinerary for our week on the North Island.

heathy

Good evening Judillie
Im becoming a bit obsessed with your holiday plans ! What Im going to do is print off your itinerary and show it to a few friends. I will see what they suggest.
Im off to Rotorua this weekend to see family. Do you have any questions about Rotorua that I could run by them?
I certainly think the Tamaki Bros hangi would be a good option.

judilie

Thanks so much, Heathy, not only for your own suggestions but also for seeking those of others. If your relatives in Rotorua have any specific suggestions about how we could best (and most efficiently) spend our limited time there (including suggestions of things to see and do, places to eat, and a place to stay), those would be most appreciated.

Judilie

Elizabeth_S

We spent 3 weeks in the north island in February - following are some comments regarding your itinerary

- re connection time at the airport - do you land at the international or domestic terminal? If the international you have to change terminals (bus or walk) and you'll have to take your luggage with you (Air New Zealand has a connecting desk in the int'l terminal but there are signs posted that if your flight is less than 60 minutes then you should take your luggage with you).

We flew onto Napier from Auckland, changing terminals - it's really quick going through the domestic terminal as there's no security for intra-NI flights - which we found really surprising.

Do I understand your itinerary correctly - you land in Napier on Sunday evening and leave Monday evening for Taupo? That's not much time in Napier/Hawke's Bay for all the journey, and I wouldn't want to drive to Taupo in the dark (although we had just started to drive on the left hand side when we were in Napier so that might be influencing that comment).

Anyway - places to eat near Napier:

- Terroir Restaurant at Craggy Range Winery - stunning location and very good food about 45 minutes drive from Napier
- Te Ana Winery
- Sileni Winery

The latter two were good but Terroir was exceptional.

Waitomo

Are you planning a wet or dry cave excursion? We did the Black Labryinth Rafting tour offered by the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co. It was fun but involved much more walking and crawling than advertised (due to water levels being so low).....they also have dry excursions.

Whatever you do in Waitomo - do NOT stay at the Waitomo Caves Hotel ..... the facade looks quite charming but the interior is terribly in need of refurbishment and the staff are completely disinterested.....they've heard all the complaints a million times! There are not many other alternatives - the Glowworm Motel and a Backpackers place .... might want to keep driving that day after your tour.

We had a good pizza at the Morepork Cafe.

Here's a link to our blog - photos of the Blackwater rafting are midway down

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/2...and/index.html

judilie

Thanks, Elizabeth, for your feedback and for sharing the wonderful photos and commentary about your trip.

We hadn't originally planned to go to Napier/Hawke's Bay. I chose it because it got us as far as we wanted to be (actually futher south than we want to be). We cannot fly to Taupo because the latest flight leaves at exactly the time we arrive from Sydney. (In response to your question, I don't know whether the flight from Sydney to Auckland is treated as a domestic or international flight. Does anyone know?) We could fly from Auckland to Rotorua, but since that's only a 3-hour drive, it's not clear that that saves us any time (factoring in the time between flights), and it would cost more money. Perhaps we should go back to Heathy's suggestion of driving to Coromandel after we arrive in Auckland. (See possible itinerary below.)

We have not yet decided on what we'll do in Waitomo. The glowworm cave sounds interesting to me, and a friend recommended the Ruakuri Cave. I'd welcome suggestions about this. (I'm not down to this level of fine-tuning quite yet. I'm still trying to decide where we're going to go.)

Possible new itinerary:

Sun., Nov. 11: Fly from Sydney to Auckland, arriving in AKL at 4:30 pm, and then rent car and drive to Coromandel area, and spend a night or two there.

Next: Rotorua

Then: Taupo/Tongariro Crossing (What would be the best place to stay if we want to attempt the Crossing?)

On to: Waitomo

Ending in Auckland. Fly to LAX at 7:45 pm on Sunday, Nov. 18.

Recommendations regarding the number of days/nights in each place would be appreciated. We have a total of 7 days and 7 nights. Is it possible/reasonable to go from Taupo/Tongariro to Auckland, seeing Waitomo along the way, in one long day, or should we plan on staying in the Waitomo area? (I'm looking for ways to minimize the number of different places where we stay.)

Thanks, everyone.

Judilie

Elizabeth_S

Here's info I copied from the Qantas site (if you're flying Qantas or Jetconnect)

Qantas flights: There are 2 terminals in Auckland.

Auckland International Terminal
Qantas flights QF1-QF399 and oneworld flights operate from this terminal.

Qantas Domestic Terminal
Qantas flights QF4000-QF4999 operated by Jetconnect operate from this terminal.

Re your new itinerary - can't really comment as we didn't go to Cormandel (went to Bay of Islands instead) or Rotorua.

heathy

Judillie - I have been in contact with a trusted travel agent here in NZ. She says that the minimum connection time between international and domestic flights is 1 and a half hours. Sorry about that. Your flight from Sydney lands at the international terminal.
Elizabeth S raises some good points about Hawkes Bay. I am a huge fan of The Bay - as it is my home turf - read my comments under " North Island March 2008."
You could easily spend all your time in this region - however understandably you are hoping to see a lot more. The trip from Napier to Taupo will take you about 2hours ( generous ) - you cross the Kaweka ranges , which are quite scenic in themselves. Its a very good road - well I think it is and should be fairly quiet on a Monday evening. ( Maybe a few trucks ). I wont bombard you with any further info for now - it will all become too confusing !

judilie

I am leaning toward the second itinerary I proposed (the one I posted on 05/10/2007, 02:43 pm) -- i.e.,, not taking any flights within N.Z. and saving Napier/Hawke's Bay for another trip (along with Northland, Wellington, and the South Island). I'd rather hit the road after arriving in Auckland than spend 3 hours in the Auckland airport between flights. I'd appreciate your comments on that itinerary and your responses to the questions I asked in that posting.

Thanks!

heathy

Hello again Judilie . The general consensus amongst friends and family ... 2 nights Coromandel Peninsula - Rotorua 2 nights - 2 nights Tongariro National Park - visit Waitomo caves on way back to Auckland - 1 night.

There are endless opportunities for water based activities , bush and mountain tramping , etc, etc.in every region. Its actually quite mind numbing.
If you can, try and take some scenic flights. Consider a flight to White Island perhaps.

The best place to stay in order to do the Tongariro xing would be the Whakapapa village, or Turangi.

I note your question re; Tongariro - Waitomo - Auckland in one day . Yes quite easily - especially if you are planning 1 night in Auckland.

In regards to Rotorua accommodation - options beyond measure ! The Millenium has always been good for us. Polynesian pools across road, walk down road to Government House and gardens (v.good museum ), the lake so very close. Tamaki Village for best Maori show etc, Perhaps an evening meal at the Cableway restaurant. The Lime cafe for breakfast. Lots to see and do.

Id better stop here. Will endeavour to answer any questions you may have. Heathy.