kia ora!

i have been to nz a few times, but never to the south island. i'll be solo this trip while dh does business nearby and wanted to ask for your helpful suggestions.

i very much enjoy auckland and will stop there, i also love simple small sophisticated ag towns, hence my namesake, kerikeri, was ideal for me for a few days.

i plan to do abel tasman in some way, but, separately would like to know where on the south island you also recommend. for example, when visiting wellington, i took the ferry across the way to some small community with a few shops and a cafe and that pace suits me just fine.

i don't think a farm stay would be right as i would feel isolated.

so, would i want to be right smack in the middle of nelson? literally which street?

or is there a smaller town in that area with plenty of shops and cafes?

what about christchurch? is there a logical way to combine the two?

believe it or not, i do not want to do the milford sound parts without my dh, so basically i'm seeking an auckland, or wellington type experience on the south island: arts and crafts, little cafes where a solo will be comfy.

thanks in advance! traveling late october, if that matters. don't mind driving myself. i'll have about a week on my own.

kerikeri

Hi kerikeri -

Nelson sounds like your cuppa, but if you're looking for something smaller and very laid back, suggest you consider Motueka and Takaka.

There are many arts/crafts studios on the road from Nelson/Richmond (60) to Motueka, but it's more of a country setting and the crafters tend to work from their homes.

We were just on the SI last week and we discovered Sumner and Lyttelton, both near Christchurch. They and Akaroa might also fit the bill.

ta for that Melnq8.

would you suggest overnighting in sumner or llytelton, or are they more day trips ex christchurch?

also, if you know, what's the "parnell" or "ponsonby road" of nelson or chirstchurch, if you know what i mean?

(the high street, but still residential).

thanks, again!
kerikeri

oh, sorry.

one more for anyone who knows: should i consider the drive from christchurch to nelson, or flying only (i don;t mind long drives with stops in between).

kerikeri

If you just want to check out Sumner and Lyttelton, you can do it in a day trip, but either one would make a good alternative to CH if you don't want to stay in the city.

We had two nights and one day at the end of our trip in CH. We had a very full day driving from CH to Sumner where we walked the Taylor's Mistake Walkway, then on to Lyttelton for a nice alfresco lunch. We con't on to Akaroa, took a short hike, then went back to CH via the Eastern Bay Tourist Drive.

From near Lyttelton, you can go back to CH via a tunnel, which makes a much shorter trip.

This site on Nelson arts might be helpful:

http://www.nelsonartists.co.nz/

Be sure to check out the Wearable Arts complex near the airport in Nelson if you go.

According to my trusty drive distance calculator, the drive from CH to Nelson will take you over 5 hours, but it took us close to 9 hours the first time we drove it as we made a lot of stops. Personally, I think driving is the way to go.

Sorry, can't help with your high street question, but perhaps the respective visitor's centers can be of help -

http://www.nelsonnz.com/
http://www.christchurchnz.net/

you are super-helpful!

thank you again for those web sites and driving details. sounds like a perfect way to spend my days!

kerikeri