Hi Fodorites!

Planning our first trip to NZ for 14 nights in January, following a New Years 2011 celebration in SYD. We are a 30-something couple interested in a more active vacation, including hiking, swimming, kayaking, and possibly scuba diving. We also want to do a winery in Blenheim/Marlborough.

We would love to hear what you think about including Bay of Islands for a first time trip. Most of our interests do lie on the South Islands but we are very intrigued with Bay of Islands as one of the top dive sites in the world, and we have enjoyed scuba in the past (though we are beginner level). However, we have also heard that swimming with the dolphins in Kaikoura is an experience not to be missed, as well as the scenery and other wildlife activities. We have also heard that the Bay of Islands also offers swimming with the dolphins.

Here are 2 very rough and tentative itineraries below - Bay of Islands is on the second one whereas Kaikoura is on the first one. We will be driving around the South Island and staying in B&B type accomodations. Thank you for any feedback, as we are struggling with an optimal schedule. So jealous of you all who get longer vacation time!!

Itinerary #1
Day 1 Travel from SYD to CHC, Drive to Kaikoura
Day 2 Dolphin and/or whale watch, Kaikoura
Day 3 Winery Tour, Blenheim
Day 4 Nelson
Day 5 Abel Tasman, Nelson
Day 6 Abel Tasman, Nelson
Day 7 Travel to Punakiaki Resort
Day 8 Travel to Franz Josef
Day 9 Franz Josef Glacier
Day 10 Travel from Franz Josef to Queenstown
Day 11 Queenstown
Day 12 Milford Sound cruise, Queenstown
Day 13 Queenstown
Day 14 Fly ZQN to AKL
Day 15 Morning in AKL, Fly Home

Itinerary #2
Day 1 SYD to Queenstown
Day 2 Milford Sound cruise,Queenstown
Day 3 Queenstown
Day 4 Queenstown
Day 5 Travel from ZQN to Franz Josef Glacier
Day 6 Franz Josef Glacier
Day 7 Travel to Nelson
Day 8 Abel Tasman
Day 9 Abel Tasman
Day 10 Marlborough wine country
Day 11 Fly from Nelson to AKL, drive to Bay of Islands
Day 12 Bay of Islands
Day 13 Bay of Islands
Day 14 Drive back to AKL
Day 15 Morning in AKL, Fly Home

Forgot to explain that we booked our flight back home out of AKL, but we can fly from SYD to anywhere in NZ (tix not booked yet).

I assume you're referring to scuba diving Poor Knights? If so, be prepared for some cold water...

I can't help you choose between Bay of Islands and Kaikoura, but just a comment about your proposed SI itinerary... Abel Tasman is about a 30-45 minute drive from Nelson, so if you plan to spend two full days in Abel Tasman, you might consider staying closer to the park. There are several areas to choose from such as Marahau (right at the entrance of Abel Tasman), Kaiteriteri, Motueka, Mapua, Upper Moutere, Tasman, etc.

Bay of Islands or Kaikoura ? Based on a recent visit to both locales, I would recommend the Bay of Islands. But that doesn't mean it is the right choice for you. You also indicated the desire to optimize your schedule which clearly favors itinerary #1. To help you decide if the Bay of Islands is worth the extra travel time and perhaps more importantly the lost activity time, you might want to visit - http://www.bayofislands.net/
and yes, swimming with dolphins is an option -
http://www.explorenz.co.nz/Dolphin-D...-Dolphins.html
http://www.dolphincruises.co.nz/dolphin-swim/
Enjoy your trip.

Thank you Melnq8 and freetoroam for your quick replies. Both your comments are so helpful. I will take time to consider the Abel Tasman/Nelson accommodations and will also check out the Bay of Islands links.

If anyone else has comments, I'm all ears! Also, would love any first-hand feedback on what diving is like in Poor Knights.

No first hand experience.

There is branch of warm Aussie water that reaches the Poor Knights, temps depend on what time of year you go, of course. In summer the Poor Knights surface temps are around 22-24 Celsius and 10 degrees colder in winter. If you're diving they will fit you out in appropriate wetsuits.

DOC web page.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/...ights-islands/

Hi cng545 -

Spouse dived (dove?) Poor Knights when we visited the area several years ago. He described it as 'okay diving' in cold water. I'll ask him for more details and will post back.

Hi again cng545 -

Checked with my spouse, who said he used a 5 mm wet suit and hood, all provided by the dive company. He said the kelp was interesting as he'd not experienced kelp before, but otherwise the diving was average. Neither of us can remember the exact time of year we visited, but we're thinking March-April.

Hope this helps.

Thank you mlgb and Melnq8 for your feedback. After much debate, we have decided to forgo Bay of Islands for this time around and will start tweaking the first itinerary. We'll try diving in Kaikoura if possible!

Brrrr...

FYI - water temps in Kaikoura are about 14-18C in the summer.

Yikes! Thank you for enlightening me. Is there any place in NZ for warmer swimming in January?

Check this out:

http://www.divenewzealand.com/index....ving+Distances

Your first choice, Poor Knights, and other sites along the northeast coast of the north island are in the "warm" current. The water isn't bath water tropical warm, it's more like Hawaii.

Not to split hairs, but my scuba diving spouse tells me that Poor Knights was the coldest place he's ever dived, and that Hawaii is bath water by comparison. The NI will be much 'warmer' than the SI though, no doubt about that.

A major disadvantage to cold water diving for him is all the bulk....being trussed up like a turkey, barely able to move... and needing a lot more weight to compensate for all the extra rubber.

But people go into the water in NZ all the time...how bad could it be?

Did he go in winter Mel? There's quite a difference between summer and winter surface temps. And there's also quite a difference between surface temps and temps at dive depth.

Obviously he's never been diving off Southern California!

We think it was March-April mlgb. No, he hasn't dived in CA, and he's definitely not a cold water diver, so perhaps that's why he remembers it so well.

Neither am I, which is why I promptly gave up diving when I decided to stay here in So Cal. Went thru the PADI and got certified because I thought I might move back to Florida.