Thanks everyone. I know it sounds like I haven't poured over maps and consulted the driving distance calculator but I actually have. I guess being from Texas a 6 hr drive is nothing. But I do take everyone's point and will not see both islands. I've revisited Abel Tasman and we would like to stay a couple of nights in most places. Love the Ocean View cottages site and would like to hunker down there for weeks!

I chose St. Arnaud because it was in an itinerary from an adventure company.

I will take a breath and revisit the books and see what else is a must see (other than Abel Tasman). I was depending on the obvious ones like Mt. Cook and maybe I will start with fresh eyes. It is easy to get caught up in all of the ones that a country is known for. If anyone was to ask me whether they should see The Alamo in all honesty I would have to say no... Of course I am open to all ideas. Wine, hiking, adventure and absorbing the beauty is what we want. No rush.

Thanks again everyone for the links and helpful feedback.

charli, just to pep you up amidst all the criticism you are getting.. http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...ew-zealand.cfm

Please bear in mind though that they had at least 2 drivers to take care of the strains of driving.. enjoy the planning bit, it's definitely one of the many joys associated with an NZ trip!!

BTW a 9 days timeframe, which is good for most unidimensional tourist traps, falls short even for visiting half the attractions of the South Island. The fact that Mt. Cook and the western glaciers are just a hop away geographically, yet really so far humanly is a disheartening (and strangely charming) fact.. add to that the similar whims of nature and the willingness of NZ to submit to those whims (rather than fight and destroy it) is what makes NZ such a unique destination. Sample a few and sample them well, you will come back for more and more!!

Texas does not have the road, topography and weather that are common in NZ! Two lane roads, usually one lane over bridges, slowing down every 500 m or so for a curve (you CANNOT do the 100 kilometer per hour speed limit which is what the time calculators use). And they give speeding tickets anywhere that you actually can go fast (I learned this the hard way).

Here is the section of the newzealand.com website that has driving routes. You can string several together and fly back from a different city.

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/get...ub=Find+Routes

Thanks everyone and especially to niteshchandra for the trip report. We've decided to stick to the top of SI and concentrate on wine tours, Abel Tasman and end up in Christchurch on the 25th in time to take our flight to Auckland on the 26th. Staying at the Ocean View Chalets per recommendation and now need accommodation recommendation in wine touring areas (Blenheim, Hamner Springs area. Also wasn't sure whether Kaikoura is just a lunch stop or an overnighter. The Akaroa Harbour is intriguing to me as well. So any help on accommodations for these areas is greatly appreciated!

We like the Settlers Inn in Hanmer Springs, although we haven't been there for a few years.

http://www.settlersinnmotel.co.nz/

Most people stop in Kaikoura to do the whale-watching or swimming with the dolphins. It is also a lovely small town. My sister-in-law who lives in Sydney loves visiting there. I live in Nelson and haven't done the either the whale-watching or the swimming with the dolphins, for some reason locals don't seem to go and see the sights in their own country!!!}, but it's an absolute top tourist thing to do.

Hi charli
We decided to spend a couple of nights in Blenheim (after Abel T) so we could visit vineyards and maybe do a mailboat trip. To stay where we wanted, we had to split up: We're staying first at the stylish and mod Walnut Block cottages http://www.walnutblock.co.nz/Walnut%...20Cottages.htm -- who wouldn't love to sleep in a vineyard like that?

We're also staying at Radfield House in Blenheim: http://www.radfieldhouse.co.nz/. HIstoric house in lovely garden, top rated B&B on TripAdvisor. Very helpful hosts when making the booking.

Of course, this is recommending without actually visiting the places yet! But I did a ton of research before I picked them. Good luck with the decisions!

I was born in ChCh, left when I was 24 and go back and forth to NZ with my husband. Lived in NY, Boston now Vancouver.

When I plan our travels to NZ, I think of things that can't be seen easily or not as well done in other parts of the world. Family of course and good old Kiwi sights!

I love AKL and think it is worth a day or two. Ferry to Devonport, walk around Parnell/Remuera. Best cotton nightdresses in the world bar none in Remuera!!
Fabulous food and great harbor sights.

Drive from AKL to Taupo. There is a small thermal park just north of it. Very interesting. Forget smelly tourist trap Rotorua.
Drive thru Martinborough overnight along the way. (Would like to suggest Napier/havelock North but you have no time.)

Stay in a motel along the way. They are the best buys in NZ -clean and well set up.

Wellington is very pretty and has the fantastic Te Pape National Museum that really gives an oversight of Maori culture. Arrange for a guide before going if you can.

Ferry from Wellington to Picton is as others have said. The drive down the Kaikoura coast is wonderful. Forget the dolphins etc you can do that anywhere.

Eat crayfish by the side of the road before you get to Kaikoura if it is a sunny day and they are in season.

Take the small winding road that cuts off to Culverden, Hanmer Springs and drive to ChCh that way.

ChCh is where I was born. Very English. And never changes. Nice people. Akaroa pretty but can take time to get there if a lot of traffic.

Sumner is the suburb I grew up in. All I can say is...... never thought anyone would tour it!!! Always seemed sleepy to us but it grew up like I did!!

Drive up the hills to overlook the Canterbury Plains. Fabulous views.

Lots of motels on Papanui Road or Bealey Ave. Our fave restaurant (for foodies) is Saggio del Vino.
Drive to Queenstown via Omarama, Tekapo, Lake Te Anau for fantastic sights. There is a pretty countryside road to get there. Ask a Kiwi they will know. Definitely don't go down East Coast road.

Queenstown pretty but a pricey place to stay. Arrowtown charming. Wanaka is the real hot spot for Kiwi vacationers.

Try to fly/bus to Milford Sounds one day. Risky planning due to inclement weather.

Fly to Oz from Queenstown. But allow enough time for connecting flights cause NZ weather is very changeable and flights get delayed easily.

Hope this helps.
Kia Ora!!

I was overwhelmed trying to plan our NZ trip last year, and after MUCH map studying and internet research, we spent our 5 days on the South Island like this:

SFO-AKL-Dunedin. We arrived by 9am in Dunedin, and suffered no jet lag!

Dunedin 2 nights -- LOVED Lanarch Castle, and took a Wildlife Tour to Albatross Center, Penguins, etc.

Drove from Dunedin to Te Anau (via the Catlins, because the weather was beautiful). A long drive, and Invercagill was nothing special, but glad we went that way.

Te Anau - stayed 2 nights at amazing B & B's (The Croft and Dunluce). Got super lucky and spent the most beautiful sunny day at Milford Sound.

Drove from Te Anau to Queenstown, stayed one night at Crowne Plaza. Loved Arrowtown and Glenorcy, and would have rather stayed out in country vs. in town.

Flew out of Queenstown on to Sydney for rest of the Holiday.

Can't wait to go back and explore the Northern half of the South Island, and very glad we didn't try to do TOO much. New Zealand is beautiful and worth taking your time to properly see it all!

Your itinerary looks good, but have you thought about doing either NZ or OZ. I was just on the South Island of NZ for 2 weeks and did not see everything. I got to Milford Sound and Mt. Cook, but never did the Franz Josef glacier. NZ is larger than you think and the roads are slow.

I did do another trip to NZ and did about half of the North Island. That one was 2 weeks as well.

charli47 - I notice you live in Houston (so do my husband and I). We lived and taught in Australia long ago - just came back from 3 wks in NZ and 10 days in Brisbane (Oct/Nov 2009). We are just going to Australia Oct. 24th (when you will be in NZ/Oz. This time of year is great for you. I would suggest (as someone above) go directly to the south island for this short trip (we have been to both) - the south is absolutely majestic. Definitely do Franz Josef and Mt. Cook if possible. You are INSANE not to go to Milford Sound - IT IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST! Would you go to Lake Tahoe and not look at the lake??? When (if) you go to N. Queensland DO take the tram which goes through the rain forest - it is a DEFINITE / gorgeous (if you like nature).
Back to NZ - IF you do the north island and drive to Wellington and take the ferry (as you mention above) the town of Kaikoura on the NE coast is a GEM! We were so surprised as we had been to NZ in about 1973 but did not go there - we DID go in 2009 and LOVED it - small, MAJESTIC SCENIC AREA - you can also take a boat tour to see whales which is one of the only places they stay all year. Anyway, if you want more info contact me by e-mail and I can give you more info on our trip: [email protected]. You will love whatever you do. With your short time I truly recommend forgetting the Auckland and north island. In fact, I agree with the person above - Christchurch has a great garden/museum BUT in this short trip I would do: get to Mt. Cook / Fox Glacier (it sounds like you are willing to pay to fly there). Rent a car after you arrive at Mt. Cook - also, if time, do the glacier boat expedition - do Fox Glacier and take a flight over the glaciers. The town is very picturesque. GO TO MILFORD SOUND - stay in their chalet (you said something really different - this is one of the most awesome things....). You will NEVER forget this. In other places we stayed at "caravan parks" - they are little cabins (self-contained), very inexpensive for NZ, and clean - very basic/nothing fancy. Again, feel free to contact me by e-mail and I will give you LOTS of info. Hope that all made sense. Oh - we drove around the complete island of NZ - all the way to the southern-most also / just to do it..... it wasn't really worth it but we just had to. We had just retired and a friend also went with us. You will like whatever you do AND you can always go back!

Hey Hula.

It has been a while since I checked back on this post so sorry for the delay. Great to hear you live in Houston as well. I am ready to escape the heat. Here is our final itinerary which sadly didn't include the lower 2/3 of the South Island but we decided we wanted to take it easy and enjoy a leisurely time traveling around the top bit. Here it goes and thanks to everyone who gave me input. It really helps to have suggestions from fellow Fodorites.

Oct. 17 - We leave Houston for LA in the a.m., spending a day in LA (booked the Radisson at LAX via Priceline for 65.00) waiting for our flight to Auckland at 11:30 at night...argh The price you pay when you use miles.

Oct. 19 - We arrive two days later and will have a few hours to collect our luggage, thoughts, brain cells and get to the domestic terminal for the flight to Nelson.

Oct. 19 - 23 - We stay at the Ocean View Chalets for four nights recovering, relaxing, wine..ing, sleeping, hiking, kayaking, etc. We plan to buy some groceries en route and I will report back on whatever great eating establishments we come across. We plan to visit Abel for a couple of outings plus maybe do a 4WD tour to Farewill Spit.

Oct. 23 - We will spend 1/2 the day at the Nelson market on Saturday which I am happy about. We will then drive to Picton/Haveloch area, have lunch at Sprig & Fern maybe and try some mussels. That Saturday night (the 23rd) we will celebrate our anniversary and 50th birthdays by going to Herzogs for dinner. We are staying in the Watson's Way Lodge in Renwick for this night.

Oct. 24th and 25th - On Sunday we will drive about an hour to the Waiopai Valley and stay 2 nights in a authentic high country merino station at the Cob Cottage at Spray Point Station. The views look amazing and I love that they have bathtubs outside on a ledge with a view. We plan to hike and participate in one of the "ranching" activities....

On Tuesday, the 26th we will drive "out of the valley" and head to Christchurch, via Kaikoura. We have to turn in our car and take our 6:45 p.m. flight to Auckland. We needed to get to Auckland the night before since our flight to Cairns on the 27th is so early. We are staying at the Holiday Inn at the Auckland airport.

Oct. 27 - We take an early flight to Cairns. We will rent a car in Cairns and stay in the Martinque on Macrossan in Port Douglas. We will spend the rest of the day on the beach, eating, drinking,etc.

Oct 28 - We drive to the Daintree Wilderness Lodge where we will spend 3 nights.

Oct 31 - We have an unplanned day to either do a day trip out to one of the reef islands - not actually sure. We will probably stay overnight in Cairns in order to get a noon flight to Sydney on the 1st of Nov. Unless anyone has a suggestion for an over-nighter somewhere that is close enough that we can still catch a noon flight out of Cairns.

Nov. 1 - Fly to Sydney for five nights. Fortunately, we are staying with some friends but will do one over-nighter in a wine b&b somewhere outside of Sydney.

Nov. 6 - we take the first leg on our long trip home....Sydney to LAX and then LAX to Houston.....

Phew, I am tired already. We can't wait.