Hi all,
Here is our final itinerary. Any last tips? Cute shops? Restaurant recs? Short hike (under 2 hours) recommendations for NZ?
Thank you very much for all of your assistance in planning this vacation. I will definitely post a trip report when we return.
Liz

Day 1: Fly from Minnesota to LAX to Sydney

Day 2: En route

Day 3: Arrive Sydney 8am; Our dear friends will pick us up and take us to their home; Taronga Zoo

Day 4: Sydney Explorer Bus, Rocks District, Harry's Cafe de Wheels, Bridgeclimb 5:00-8:30pm, meet friends at Opera Bar for drinks

Day 5: Visiting with friends and the northern beaches

Day 6: Bondi, shopping, fireworks (New Year's Eve)

Day 7: Open, may relax depending on the previous night's level of craziness

Day 8: Blue Mountains day tour with Sydney friends

Day 9: Fly to Christchurch, drive to Kaikoura (Anchor Inn Motel)

Day 10: 5:30am dolphin swim, drive to Hanmer Springs (Settlers Inn Motel)

Day 11: Drive Lewis Pass to Punakaiki Rocks to Glaciers (Punga Grove)

Day 12: Heli-hike and walk around Lake Matheson (sp?) (Punga Grove)

Day 13: Drive to Queenstown via Wanaka (Puzzle World and/or Rippon Vineyard?); (Browns Boutique Hotel)

Day 14: TSS Earnslaw, Gondola, Bungy? (Browns Boutique Hotel)

Day 15: Dart River Jet Safari, drive to Te Anau, glowworm tour (Campbell Autolodge)

Day 16: Drive to Milford Sound and back (Campbell Autolodge)

Day 17: Doubtful Sound Overnight

Day 18: Doubtful Sound to Dunedin, possibly stopping somewhere in the Catlins if time allows (97 Motel Moray Place)

Day 19: Moeraki Boulders? (1 hour drive each way) Baldwin Street, Tunnel Beach Walk?, 3:30pm Elm Wildlife Otago Peninsula Tour (97 Motel Moray Place)

Day 20: Fly Dunedin to Christchurch, Antarctic Centre, Fly Christchurch to Auckland to Fiji (Matamanoa)

Days 21-24: Matamanoa Resort

Day 25: Pick up from Matamanoa by Blue Lagoon Gold Club Cruise

Days 26-27: Blue Lagoon Cruise

Day 28: Cruise dropoff in Lautoka, day room in Tanoa, flight leaves at 10pm.

Hi, Liz,

I don't have any tips for you. As you know, I was also planning a similar trip.

Our trip to NZ was cancelled due to work schedule and we will be going only to Sydney for Christmas.

I wish you a very good trip. Have fun!

<<Day 3: Arrive Sydney 8am; Our dear friends will pick us up and take us to their home; Taronga Zoo>> Made me laugh!

I think it sounds like a great trip, on New Years day just find a nice beachside cafe and relax, its not like in the US where they will hassle you to leave.

Geordie

Tim&Liz: A few ideas re New Zealand--
Day 9: Stop at Pegasus Bay Winery in Waipara for tasting and/or lunch (if there's time) on the way to Kaikoura.
Day 13: Yes to Rippon Vineyard! Dinner recs in Queenstown include Boardwalk & The Bathhouse (higher $), The Cow (mid-range), Dux DeLux (lower $).
Day 14: Take the gondola for the view from Bob's Peak; you can bungy jump, then ride the luge or parasail back down if you like. TSS Earnslaw is great--daytime trips include tour of Walter Peak Station, sheep-shearing demo and tea & crumpets; evening trip also includes dinner.
Day 15: The Dart River Jet Safari should be a memorable trip. Sit in the second or third (best) row of the jet-boat, if possible; the front row will be bone-jarringly bumpy.
Day 20: If you have time in Christchurch, check out the Botanic Gardens and go punting on the River Avon. Across from the Gardens is The Arts Centre--a great place to shop for the folks back home, and you can catch lunch at Dux DeLux (if you missed it in Queenstown) or Annie's Wine Bar.
Sounds like a great trip!!
John

Tim and Liz,
It seems your trip has been a long time in the planning and now your departure date is just around the corner. You must be so excited.
It's been almost a year since I departed for my trip and I have such beautiful memories. I wish I was going again this year.

Your plan looks great. For a cheap quick meal, don't forget the meat pies. They sell 'famous' meat pies everywhere and I loved them. And don't forget to buy TiM Tam's . Mmmmmm, you could bring some back for me.!!

Good on ya mate!! ( You'll hear that a lot) And I hope the weather is "FINE". YOu'll hear that on all the weather forcasts. FINE weather.

Have a wonderful trip! Travel safe !

The Australian Oxford Concise Dictionery lists 14 major connotations of "fine", one of them being "(of weather etc.) bright and clear with sunshine, free from rain". It's standard weather reporting talk and when used in that sense doesn't carry the emphatic "That's just fine!" sense.

The way things have been the last few dry years, if it rains most of us think that's fine, but the Bureau of Meteorology doesn't. Obviously another case of the confusion caused by the same word being used in a slightly different way in different countries. Which is why Australians are puzzled to read about "fanny packs"...

Tim and Liz -

Stay left & have a great time!

My only tip is to NOT go out of your way for the Moeraki boulders. I'm not sure it was even worthwhile to get out of the car for them.

Maybe consider the Cabdury factory tour while in Dunedin. Our guide reminded us of an oompa-loompa and it was quite memorable.

Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks, Neil, for clarifying the use of the word "fine' in regards to the weather for those that might not know.

We don't use it here in Canada, or at least the weather forcasters don't use it.

BUT when we were in NZ, we soon learned to love hearing that the weather would be fine. We knew we'd have good weather! ( and we did... every single day).
We loved every single thing about NZ , including the different phrases.

Tim and Liz, enjoy everything and have a great time.

The Moeraki boulders are a true wonder. Do not miss them.

Thank you for your additional suggestions! Now only 10 more days...

Glad you're doing Bridge climb...amazing If you have time do Bondi-Coogie walk..then back on Explorer.
While you're at Harry's, check out the loo in W hotel!!!!a wonder!!!\we also love Annies in Christchurch. they have a wonderful new Art Gallery not far from art centre.
Have a great trip...we're a week behind you!

OK, I'm a bit puzzled.

What is wrong with fine weather? What do they say in other countries when it is a fine day?

I had no idea it was an amusing thing to say.

I seem to be missing something......

Hi Tim and Liz,
Have a ball in NZ. The weather has been superb this past 2-3 weeks. The Maori have a saying "if the cabbage trees flower before Christmas we are in for a long hot summer" - they've been flowering since the middle of October!!

Who knows - we might see you somewhere around the South Island. We sail south on 29/12 to Motueka, then head down as far as Te Anau before going up the other side to Christchurch for a week where we catch up with family and friends.
Not long now.

"Day 3: Arrive Sydney 8am; Our dear friends will pick us up and take us to their home; Taronga Zoo"

I also got a bit of a giggle over this one! Nice to have friends with a home in such an interesting location. Makes those of us living in the suburbs feel quite ordinary!

Take the advice of whoever suggested chilling out at a beach cafe on New Years Day - it's only sensible.

Have a wonderful time here!

Just to make myself clear., I did not mean in any way , shape or form, to offend anyone , regarding "fine weather".
We enjoyed every single thing about NZ including the phrasing and different words used. Enjoying something is not the same as finding it amusing. we loved the accent,( yes, we DO all have different accents) and when I am somewhere I love, I also love to hear the accents and different terms used.
I meant it only in a very GOOD way.

Yes, we do use the term 'fine', but it isn't something our radio announcers would use when giving a weather report.

The same as we don't really say, " Good on you , mate". But I LOVED hearing it on my trip.
I hope that clears up any misconception.
I absolutely loved everything about NZ.
Thinking of fine weatehr brings back such warm, wonderful memories.
Especially since we are having a snow storm here!!

Well Tim and Liz, all your research has paid off and you have a great trip coming up! I am not familiar with NZ but the Australian side of your holiday is well thought out. And as for the Blue Lagoon cruise, you will swoon with pleasure! It is lovely.Good on you mates and I hope it is fine all the way for you!

I love the differences when we travel. It is one of the joys, and the reason we do it.

When we were touring Hobbiton on the North Island of NZ last year, I overheard an Anerican tourist asking the guide if the bus takes them straight back to town. The Kiwi guide said 'No worries'.

The American nodded and went over to his friend and said: 'He said no worries, what does that mean?' They both looked puzzled but, as you do when you are on holidays, they went with the flow and behold, the bus took them straight back to town.

lol

You get so used to your own speech patterns, you forget they must sound strange to visitors.

I am in no way offended by the fine weather, I would be fascinated to hear what it is called in other countries. And also any other differences that make you smile when you hear them.

Regards,
Jenny