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Advice for ~10-day New Zealand itinerary?
For you Kiwi veterans out there - we're considering a trip to NZ next April from Singapore (amazingly about the same distance as traveling from LA, although it doesn't seem like it should be). We are seasoned travellers and will have our 16-year-old boy along, who is also a golfer.
My priorities are as follows: 1) playing two spectacular golf courses that are not close to one another (Kauri Cliffs up north by Kerikeri, and Cape Kidnappers near Napier); 2) hitting a few wineries (Pinot specialists if possible) and enjoying some nice restaurants; 3) a bit of historical culture and natural-beauty sightseeing - in that order. Couldn't care less about Lord of the Rings stuff. Surfing beaches would also be nice, but I don't think The Boss will let me spend the whole time on my hobbies! So with 10 days max (about my limit when it comes to any vacation, and due to school holidays), the problem appears to be logistics. I don't mind driving, but it looks to be 3-4 hour drives from Auckland (in opposite directions) just to get to the two courses. You can also fly, but to Kerikeri it's just tiny puddle-jumpers, which I prefer to avoid. So maybe we rent a car and drive up north for Kauri, drive back to Auckland and then fly to Napier for Kidnappers? Then how best to incorporate a bit of the South Island? If we're only going one place down there I suppose it should be Queenstown/Milford and plan to spend maybe 3 days for some biking/rafting/etc.? Anyway, any logistical advice is appreciated as to how to structure this trip with minimal backtracking and avoiding very long drives (more than 4 hours). Our Singapore flights will go in and out of Auckland, of course. Thanks! |
The good news is that the flight from Singapore to Auckland is about three hours shorter than from LAX.
The logistics however, are a bit more problematic - and a recurring theme for first time NZ visitors (and even us veterans) It's very difficult to even scratch the surface of one island in 10 days, let alone both. Drive times can be daunting, even under the best of circumstances. And with your very specific 'must dos' already selected, I think you'd do best to just stick to the North Island this time, and leave the South for another trip. Martinborough is home to some of New Zealand's best Pinot Noir - unfortunately, it throws a spanner in the works, as it's located south of Napier. This list of wine regions might help you zero in on an area that you can incorporate into your golf itinerary: New Zealand Wine Regions | Wineries | Wines of NZ And this list of surfing beaches: https://www.backpackerguide.nz/6-pla...-north-island/ Here's a list of 'hatted' restaurants, most of which seem to be on the North Island, which is in your favor: 2017 HAT WINNERS |
Thanks, Melnq, I will look into those recommendations. But as I don't know when or if we'll ever get back, I'm sure we're going to have to see something on the South Island (i.e., I won't get away with booking my golf itinerary if I try to skip it). Would you suggest flying in and out of Queenstown would be the best way to do that? If you could only go one place down there, would that be it?
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Hi again Clark -
Yes, Queenstown would be my choice - one can do quite a lot from a Queenstown base. It's one of the few places in NZ that works well for day trips - in addition to seeing QT, which has a lot on offer, one can easily get to Arrowtown (25 minutes). Glenorchy (about 40 minutes), Wanaka (~90 minutes) and less easily get to Te Anau (two hours) and Milford (four hours). Some folks even make a day trip to Mt Cook from Queenstown, although it's not something I recommend. The issue of course is that one needs time to see these places. Three nights is only two days and while it will give you a taste, it will no doubt leave you wanting more. You can definitely see a good bit of QT and the immediate area in this time frame though. |
Melnq8 is far more of an expert than I am. However, my two cents--as someone that tends to "go at" touring fairly hard, would be that you can make your idea of North of Auckland, Napier and QT work. We are leaving NZ today--will post more on my trip report next week. Our favorites by far were the wineries and food, particularly in Hawke's Bay and Marlborough. The Pinot noirs around QT are fantastic, though--we particularly enjoyed Felton Road (Bannockburn), Gibbston Valley and Amisfield. You can go the latter two for a meal which can be quite fun.
I don't know your taste in hotels, if you like nicer ones I would highly recommend Mangapapa in Hawkes Bay area, Hotel deBrett in Auckland and The Rees in QT. The Rees is a bit out of the main part of QT, which makes it closer to the wineries. Two wineries that we particularly liked in Hawke's Bay were Te Mata and Craggy Range. The latter has cottages/houses to rent as well, I believe, fwiw. We found it quite rainy and much colder in South Island, and since I love sun, we enjoyed our time in North Island equally with South Island. Yesterday we had a wonderful trip to Waiheke Island which is an easy ferry ride from Auckland. The island is stunning--particularly the east and northern areas. We took the advice of brenda_md and purchased the combo rental car/ferry ticket which allowed us to cover quite a bit of ground on our own--and I think, further east than the hop on/hop off bus covers. Of course, your mileage may vary re. itinerary. You will enjoy NZ, it is a stunning spot with lovely people. |
Golf courses in and around Queenstown:
https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/thing...f/golf-courses Millbrook Resort in Arrowtown is home to the Handa New Zealand Open: https://www.millbrook.co.nz/ In April, Central Otago, and in particular Arrowtown, are major destinations for autumn leaves admirers. It's beautiful at this time of year. https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/stori...-do-in-autumn/ https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/golf/8...0-golf-courses No shortage of world-class pinot-noir-producing wineries around Queenstown. Some as close as nearby Gibbston Valley, but you also wouldn't want to miss Cromwell and Bannockburn, which are approximately a 50 minute drive from Queenstown. Many excellent wineries here, including Felton Road and Mt. Difficulty. As your time is short and you're determined to visit both Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers, you should fly to save time. At least consider flying to Kerikeri and renting a car for getting around there for a couple of days. This is the most practical option. Because, otherwise, as you've noted, you'll be doing a lot of driving, and you might not have enough time to visit Queenstown. The drive from Auckland to Napier will be more than 5 hours and you'd probably want to break this up by staying in Rotorua or Taupo. Rotorua is a popular stop for first time visitors for its Maori culture and geothermal sites. As Melnq8 noted, Martinborough produces world-class pinot noir (and many other lovely varietals) and from Napier to Martinborough would be a 3.5 hour drive. Then from Martinborough to Wellington is about 1 hour 20 minute drive (part of it on curvy, steep Rimutaka Hill).. Wellington is a wonderful city: NZ's vibrant and beautiful capital. If you follow this driving itinerary (Auckland-Rotorua-Napier-Martinborough-Wellington), stay one or two nights in Wellington, then fly to Queenstown and back to Singapore from there. This itinerary would take about a week or 8 days, not including the trip to the Kerikeri or days in and around Queenstown. I've flown into and out of both Kerikeri and Napier with Air New Zealand and not only survived but gone on to have a great time after arrival. I live in Dunedin on the East Coast of the South Island and sometimes have had to fly on smaller propeller planes (Canadian-made Bombardier 300) between Christchurch and Dunedin. Bad weather can make the trip a little rough, but this would apply even to the larger planes. Statistically, here in NZ, you're probably safer flying than driving. Last year, there were 380 fatalities on New Zealand roads. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/ind...ial-air-travel I'm not saying this to scare you off from driving but to reassure you that commercial flights in this country are generally safe and comfortable (of course, there are no guarantees). Oddly enough, the riskiest flight I've been on was from Tioman Island to Singapore. The hydraulic landing gear wasn't working and we had to spiral down into the KL airport instead. Fire trucks and emergency vehicles were waiting for us on the runway. But it turned out okay! |
I forgot to ask what does "The Boss" (your words, not mine) like to do while you're pursuing your hobbies?
If you hope to visit Milford Sound from Queenstown and you'll only have a few days there, take a coach to cruise tour, or scenic flight-cruise-coach tour. |
If you skip Martinborough and Wellington, you can fly from Napier to Queenstown, shaving a couple of nights off your time on the North Island and allowing more time for the South Island.
There are no direct flights from Napier to Queenstown, so you'd have to connect in Wellington or Christchurch. The total flight time would take 3 to 4 hours (including connections). Not bad. From Napier to Wellington, you might be on the Canadian-made Bombardier 300 or the ATR 72. See: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/ind...w-atr-aircraft If you catch a morning flight, you'll be able to enjoy your first afternoon and evening in Queenstown. These are sunrise/sunset times for NZ, which will give you an idea of how long the days will be for sightseeing, driving around. http://rasnz.org.nz/in-the-sky/sun-rise-and-set The autumn equinox will be on Thursday, March 21, 2019 and in 2019 daylight savings will end on April 7. On this day, we'll set the clocks back an hour. In New Zealand, 2019 school holidays are from Saturday 13 April - Sunday 28 April (includes Easter and Easter Tuesday and ANZAC day). Some Aussie schools will also be on break at this time. NZ is a popular vacation destination for Aussies. |
Thanks for all the tips, folks. It appears the best option is either a) to drive up and back to Kauri Cliffs from Auckland, then fly down to Napier to do Kidnappers and some wine stuff in that area, then fly on to QT for maybe three days there. Or b), fly up to Kerikeri and back, then get a car in Auckland and drive down to Napier, staying over halfway as you suggest. Is Rorotua worthwhile, or is it kind of cheesy with all the Maori stuff? Kind of like a hotel luau for tourists in Maui? Which would be the more scenic drive, the one going north or the one going southeast?
(And yes, I'm not so worried about safety on Air NZ, I fly 250k miles a year and survived lots of flights on Aeroflot back in the late '80s. I just much prefer jets to the claustrophobia of little props). Normally, going to this trouble with the travel, I'd like to get in two rounds at each these incredibly scenic courses. But the green fees are close to Pebble Beach rates, and the lodging is even more ridiculous - close to $2,000/night. So we'll need to find somewhere else in Kerikeri and Napier that is a bit more budget-friendly. And yes, Diamantina, there is the issue of what to do with my lovely wife - she's not a golfer, and usually my son and I do these golf trips on our own, so it is a total guy's agenda. So it will be a bit tricky for the days we are golfing. She's into nature and wildlife, so if she can find anything like that, she'll be all over it. Then we can all go to Queenstown and enjoy the scenery there without any golf distractions. Also, I thought we'd spend at least one day touring Auckland, if there is much to see. Better to spend that day touring around town or take a day trip to one of the islands? Also, it looks like rental cars are needed in most places just to get around and see the sights - any recommendations on who to use down there - the usual National/Europecar/Hertz etc? Thanks! |
One more thing on my to-do list - I'd like to drive over to see Kare Kare beach (not to be confused with the town of Kerikeri up north; this is just west of Auckland). I'm a huge fan of the criminally underrated Kiwi-Aussie band Crowded House, who recorded the outstanding Together Alone album there (and is also the name of the excellent opening cut). It also happens to be the stunning beach location that Jane Campion used for her film The Piano back in the '80s. Not sure how long the drive takes, but it is something I'd like to add to the program.
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Sorry, "Rotorua"
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While you and your son are on the Kauri Cliffs golf course, your wife might consider going out on a dolphin cruise or dolphin swim. These depart from Paihia or Russell but she could probably arrange for a pick up from Kerikeri.
https://www.dolphincruises.co.nz/bay...olphin-cruise/ Dolphin Discovery | Bay of Islands | Opportunity to Swim with Dolphins | Marine Wildlife | New Zealand There's a possibility of seeing kiwis in the wild on a guided walk at Aroha Island, a 16-minute drive from central Kerikeri. Kiwis are generally nocturnal so maybe you can go together. Walks - Aroha Island Eco Park A day tour to far north of Cape Reinga/90 Mile Beach is one of the most popular day tours out of Paihia, Kerikeri or Russell. https://www.dolphincruises.co.nz/bay...ty-mile-beach/ Another popular destination is Hokianga Harbour and onward to Waipoua Kauri Forest: https://www.dolphincruises.co.nz/bay...a-tane-mahuta/ You might want to visit Haruru Falls, just outside of Paihia. And near Kerikeri, Rainbow Falls. Haruru Falls - near Paihia in the Bay of Islands I've stayed both in Kerikeri and Paihia. They're about a 22 minute drive from one another. Kerikeri is a 32-minute drive from Kauri Cliffs golf course. Paihia is about a 47-minute drive from it. Paihia is more scenic. It's right on the water and you could easily find seaview accommodations. You'll find a selection of restaurants in both places. Dolphin cruises leave from Paihia. You could catch the ferry to historic Russell from Paihia. From Paihia, it's an easy walk to one of NZ's most historic spots, Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Russell | Bay of Islands | New Zealand | The historic town of Russell - Kororareka Waitangi Treaty Grounds & Museum - Bay of Islands, New Zealand In Paihia, I stayed at the modest Cook's Lookout Motel. Great views. Bay of Islands Accommodation - Paihia Motel Accommodation Paihia also has wonderful beachfront accommodation, such as Paihia Resort and Spa: Welcome to Paihia Beach Resort & Spa https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Hotel_...th_Island.html More accommodation choices here: https://www.northlandnz.com/visit/accommodation You wife would probably enjoy the Cape Kidnappers gannet colony. The young birds fledge and the colony disperses in April, so she might want to enquire before booking: The Gannets - Cape Kidnappers Hawke's Bay » Gannet Safaris American billionaire Julian Robertson Jr., who owns Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers golf courses, is also part owner of the Cape Sanctuary, a wildlife restoration project on Cape Kidnappers peninsula. I don't know if it's open to the public, but, if so, I think it would be interesting. He also owns one of Martinborough's best wineries, Dry River. Cape Sanctuary - Cape Kidnappers - Hawke's Bay https://www.facebook.com/CapeSanctuary/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/annabel.../#5343827519ce You might see fur seals, bottlenose dolphins, albatrosses, and, if you're lucky, Fiordland Crested Penguins on your Milford Sound cruise. If you have time, you might consider an overnight cruise. If you decide to hit the golf course while in Queenstown, your wife would have many options. She could drive out to Glenorchy and/or beyond for hiking, sightseeing, birdwatching. She could take a tour to historic Skippers Canyon. https://www.skipperscanyonjet.co.nz/...enic-tour-jet/ She could do a Dart River adventure: https://www.dartriver.co.nz/ She could take a cruise on Lake Wakitipu: https://www.realjourneys.co.nz/en/ex...mship-cruises/ She could drive or take the bus to Arrowtown (gorgeous in autumn). Home » Arrowtown She could walk along Queenstown's Botanic Garden's lakeside track or ride to the top of the Skyline Gondola and, if the weather is fine, walk a bit of the Ben Lomond track: https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/stori...in-queenstown/ https://www.skyline.co.nz/en Ben Lomond Track: Walking and tramping in Queenstown area There's also a Kiwi Bird Park attraction in Queenstown. It's near the base of the Skyline Gondola. Welcome - Kiwi Birdlife Park Karekare Beach is about a 50 minute drive from downtown Auckland and part of the route will be winding. It's one of the black sand beaches on Auckland's wild West Coast, along with Piha, a popular surfing beach also known for it treacherous rips and as the setting for the NZ reality show, Piha Rescue; beautiful Bethell's Beach; and Muriwai, which is below the Muriwai gannet colony. There are good wineries around Kumeu. The Waitakere Ranges are a nice place for a walk, though I think it may be closed to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease. Kauris are NZ's most treasured trees, and among the world's largest and longest-living trees. They are known for their great girth and the finest examples are in Waipoua Forest. https://www.aucklandnz.com/visit/des...-coast-beaches Kauri: New Zealand native plants There are also tours from Auckland that will take you to Karekare Beach. Beach tours from Auckland with Bush and Beach You'd probably enjoy a trip to one of islands in Hauraki Gulf. Waiheke is a top choice, with wineries, fine dining, and beautiful beaches. https://www.waiheke.co.nz/ https://www.fullers.co.nz/destinations/waiheke-island/ Your son might be bored on a wine tour, nonetheless these are popular. He'd probably enjoy the zipline. https://www.fullers.co.nz/experience...ne-food-tours/ Another option is the ecosanctuary of Tiritiri Matangi Island https://www.fullers.co.nz/destinatio...atangi-island/ There's also Rangitoto Island, Auckland's youngest volcano. https://www.fullers.co.nz/destinatio...gitoto-island/ You'd probably find the Maori performances (also known as "kapa haka") in Rotorua "cheesy" (your word). All the same, Maoris take great pride in their ancient and living traditions. Every two years, the country's best Maori performing arts groups face off at the Te Matatini cultural festival, which in 2019 will be held in Napier. Rotorua is a center for Maori culture. About 37% of the population is Maori (compare this with where I live, Dunedin, where only 7.7% of the population is Maori). It's home to some of NZ's finest Maori carvers, tattoo (tā moko) artists, and weavers. One of the popular attractions is Te Puia, with mudpools and a geyser, but what I was most impressed with was its Maori carving school. You can judge for yourself. This is the powhiri (welcoming ceremony) for spectators at Te Puia: Watch: Barack Obama gets official NZ welcome, then wows crowd at Auckland event - NZ Herald While in Auckland, I recommend a visit to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It has an outstanding collection of Maori treasures and a wealth of objects from throughout Oceania. They also have daily Maori performances, which you might view as a living complement to the Maori treasures in the galleries. The Auckland War Memorial Museum is in the Auckland Domain, a 75-acre park and Auckland's oldest park. M?ori galleries - Auckland War Memorial Museum M?ori cultural performance - What's on - Auckland War Memorial Museum Apex is a popular car rental. You can also find Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Ezi, Go, Omega, Ace, Jucy and many others. Not sure about National. |
We always use APEX for car rentals - we've had very good luck with them.
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Diamantina has given you great advice. We did stop in Rotorua and actually found the small Anglican Church on the edge of town, with a Maori meeting house across from it, to be quite moving. We did not visit any of the other hot springs attractions there, but did see one near Taupo. It is amazing to see the hissing steam from the ground. That said, it is a pretty challenging drive from Auckland to Napier (and we've driven in 45 countries, so we have lots of experience with twisty winding roads). Knowing what I know now, I would skip that drive to have more time in other places in NZ.
If budget is not an object, the Robertson's lodge at Cape Kidnappers has (according to another traveller I met in NZ) tours to see the gannet colony. The tariff, when I looked was close to NZ 2000/night (all meals included), fyi. Another option for the Milford cruise is to take the helicopter there from QT. Our boat had a heli pad on it (Fiordland Jewel), though we did not take that option. It would save time though, if that is an issue. If you drove one way and helicoptered the other you would still get to see the scenery along the way one time. I think (you'd have to check) that you can arrange someone to pick up the rental car at Milford if you park there, and plan to helicopter out. HTH |
We are using Apex right now and have found them to be good on price. Our car is a little older but chugging along!
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Wow, Diamantina, you are a font of information! Do you work for the NZ Tourism Board? :) That is outstanding research - I will dig into it.
And yes, my wife will love something wildlife-related while we are golfing. Sounds like lots of good options. And you're right, it looks like we need a month down there! And I didn't mean to insult any Maoris with the "cheesy"comment - I played rugby against those dudes years ago and would never knowingly insult them! The adjective was meant to refer to bad tourist traps, not the culture by any means. Speaking of which, is there any sort of All-Blacks museum at Eden Park? That would also be cool to see. I wanted to get to the Rugby World Cup there about five years ago but couldn't swing it. Thanks everybody else as well; now I have some work to do before we book the flights next month. I'm thinking: -2 days Auckland -fly to Kerikeri, play Kauri Cliffs, overnight -fly back to AKL, rent car and head toward Napier, staying overnight halfway 2 days Napier, including Kidnappers -fly to Queenstown, 3 days there -Back to AKL and home. Probably more like 11 days, but doable. |
While you're in Auckland, your wife would probably enjoy a visit to Tiritiri Matangi Island. When you book the ferry, you can also book a guided nature walk during which volunteer guides point out native birds and plants. Or you can just go walking on your own. This is an island ecosanctuary that has been cleared of predators (stoats, rats, mice, possums, cats, so on) and thus populated with rare endemic birds that are hard to find in other parts of NZ. So many birds! The ferry only sails once a day from Auckland and back, Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays. It takes 75 minutes each way. So it's harder and more expensive to get to than Waiheke or Rangitoto Islands, but for the birdwatcher it's worth it. The ferry can be cancelled in rough conditions (anyhow, you wouldn't want to go out at these times)
"Do you work for the NZ Tourism Board?" I wish! The money would come in handy for funding my explorations around New Zealand. Seems like there's an NZ Rugby museum in Palmerston North, otherwise check this out: News Details | allblacks.com You might be able to catch a rugby game while here. Check the schedules before you come. It's a shame you don't have more time for your trip. My husband and I found Rotorua very touristy on our first visit, probably the most touristy place in all of NZ. It also smells of sulphur. On our second visit, we knew what to expect. We wandered into a tourist souvenir shop. In a corner, a Maori artist was carefully carving a jade ('pounamu") pendant that clearly demonstrated his skill and knowledge of traditional Maori symbols and designs. That's something you can't see everywhere. It's the same with Queenstown. When we first visited, we were stunned by the traffic, crowds and tourism, but now, knowing what to expect, we enjoy it. Despite being busy, it's still a beautiful place. |
OK, latest planning update - due to work now requiring me to be in Shanghai during what was supposed to be the second week of our trip, it now looks like we’ll break it up as follows - golf on the North Island for the first week, then i’ll depart and my wife and son can fly to Queenstown and do the nature sightseeing there.
So, I’m thinking we do this: Sat - all day flight to AKL. Sun - Auckland sightseeing Mon - drive 4 hours to Kerikeri, possible afternoon round on Kauri Cliffs (if time) Tues - morning round on Kauri, afternoon beach sights Wed - Drop car at Kerikeri airport (Apex won’t allow, but Hertz does), fly to AKL and on to Napier Thurs - play Cape Kidnappers Fri - other sightseeing around Napier, play 2nd round if I haven’t run out of money by this point. Sat - I fly to AKL and on to Singapore, family flies to Queenstown for 3 days there. Sound reasonable? (I know, not to non-golfers it doesn’t). |
Just an FYI that Queenstown is a complete zoo these days - development has gone crazy. We just drove through it again today after a three year absence. Yikes.
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A few questions. Will that three days in Queenstown include the travel day? If so, this is only two full days. Can your wife and son extend their trip to Queenstown by a few days?
Do you think you might not be able to visit the South Island all together as a family on a future trip of greater duration (more than 3 days)? |
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