Besides airfare I'm wondering what the approximate total cost of a two-week trip to NZ would be for 2 people - flying into Auckland and then heading down to do either the Milford Trail or Routeburn; and possibly Queenstown. It seems the exchange rate against the dollar is pretty weak right now. After watching a GlobeTrekker episode we're hooked & really want to go; just wondering total cost. Thanks!

In 2005, we 2 couples went to NZ, did a car trip all over for 3 weeks.

Besides airfare (we got BC on FF), I figure that we spent about $6500/couple, excluding the day before in LA. At that time, the exchange rate was essentially the same as it is now.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34602230

It really depends on a lot of things. If you don't mind staying in a youth hostel (they really are pretty good there, and often have private rooms) your room will run around NZ $100/nt. A moderately priced meal in a restaurant around NZ$25 pp, an inexpensive meal around $10 pp (but if you stay in hostels and cook your own food, it can be much less if you only buy locally produced and not imported items). If you want to go mid-range, double that.

Car rentals are quite expensive, starting around $300NZ per week, plus gas...$$$.

The most important thing is that if you are wanting to do the Milford Track as an independent walker, you need a reservation in advance, and they book up well in advance (there isn't anything open til late March 2009). Booking is also needed for the Routeburn, but it's a bit easier to get. Info is available on www.doc.govt.nz.

Just to clarify - the reservations mentioned above are for the huts.

You don't need a reservation to walk part of the Milford or the Routeburn as a day walk. There's no charge for independent walking although there's often some expense in getting to the tracks. For example, to access the Milford Track, you have to take a boat from Te Anau Downs, then take the boat back if you're doing the day walk. You can drive or take a bus from Te Anau to Te Anau Downs to catch the boat. Milford can only be walked in one direction (except when you backtrack on the day hike). The Routeburn Track can be accessed from the road to Milford, or from the Glenorchy side, but you'll need transport to get to both ends.

Agree with mlgb that how much you spend in NZ can vary wildly; it all depends on how you plan to travel.

We generally rent a car (Apex has good rates, but it's still expensive by US standards) and stay in moderate motels/cottages (NZ $125-185 per night). Car insurance runs the price up even more.

Self-catering accommodation allows you to make your own meals and is the cheapest option food-wise. Eating out can get expensive in a hurry.

If you plan to partake in activities such as the helihike in Franz Josef/Fox Glacier, you'll need a big budget - $395 per person last I heard.

Thanks for the tips; it's good to know you really need to book the huts well in advance. My DH & I are both pretty fit, but not avid hikers. We were thinking of hiring a guide to do the Miford Trail - do you think it's necessary?

You definitely do not need a guide to do either trail. The tracks are well-formed and huts are comfortable. At Milford, you will be hiking with 40 (I think) independent people all doing the track at the same time, and there are rangers at the huts who will be able to give you weather reports and handle any emergencies.

There is one company that conducts a "catered" walk but it is very, very expensive. In return, you don't have to carry all of your food, and you get hot showers and drying rooms. If you have your heart set on Milford and it is sold out, you can probably get on the guided walk on short notice.

http://www.ultimatehikes.co.nz/

However I thought the hut placement was actually better for the independent walkers.

If you have a local hiking club or Sierra Club it would be a good idea to join them for an overnight hike to see if you can handle carrying a pack. One nice thing is that with the NZ hut system you don't have to carry a tent if you have reservations. Also, since the hikes have some long downhill stretches, it's a good idea to learn how to use hiking/trekking poles (at least one), and how to protect your toes from downhill walking. There are a number of ways to do this, the low-tech one is to wrap lambs wool around the toes.

You can find some good packing lists on the Ultimate Hikes website.

You'll cry over the price of petrol down here!

If you are not moving around every day or two, and include multi-day hiking, you don't necessarily need a car the whole time. You can also use minishuttles and taxis to get around, although with two people it may be cost effective to rent a car.

EG if you fly into Queenstown and head out the next day, you can use a track transport company and then don't have to pay for hiring a car that is sitting in storage somewhere. Track transport options are listed on the DOC website, and they do recommend booking ahead for those. There is also a network of minibus shuttles in the South Island, Atomic Shuttle is reliable.

http://www.atomictravel.co.nz/