Hey there

We're getting great help on this forum and through our travel agent and we're leaving in about 2 weeks. Right now, we're trying to book more things but also budget our money a bit. I wish it wasn't that way but that's life! Anyways, our TA has us booked for two day cruises: Bay of Island and Milford Sound. One trip is full day, the other is 1/2 day. Price is $624 for 4 tickets (includes on for hubby). That seems REALLY high and we're thinking about only doing one. Any suggestions on which one is better? Also, if we nix one, how should we fill in that day?

Thanks in advance for the help~

Is that price in NZ$? Also, does that price include transportation to and from the tour location? If the answers to both questions are YES, then it sounds like a reasonable price. If not, then no.

A full-day Bay of Islands boat tour costs about NZ $85 for an adult. A 2-3 hour Milford Sound boat tour costs about NZ $60, depending on operator and time of day. You should not pay much more than that, unless the tour cost includes driving you to either of those locations. Many Milford Sound tours leave from Queenstown, and take all day, traveling to other sites along the way.

The Milford Sound trip is wonderfully scenic (weather permitting!). The Bay of Islands trips are not as scenic, but are quite nice too. You should not visit NZ without visiting Milford Sound. If you don't go on a Bay of Islands cruise, there's lots to do around Paihia, Nelson, and nearby Waitangi instead; mostly involving the early history of English settlers.

I can't help yo much with the Bay of Islands information, but I'm booked on a Milford Sound Cruise in January. Are you going to have a rental car? As Alf says, it depends on where you join the tour. If you have a car and can drive to Milford Sound, then the tour is about $60 each ( As ALF said), but if you join the tour in Queenstown, then the price jumps to $190 each. You can look at the web site and book your own tours. The company I have used is
www.realjourneys.co.nz
Good luck....and have a great time.

Kodi,

Will you be driving a rental car to Milford Sound?

If so, wait until you see how dark it is in the tunnel on your way to Milfor Sound.

HI Dick. Yes I will be driving to MIlford Sound. Is the tunnel something I should be worried about??? I'm planning on leaving Queenstown early in the morning to beat all the buses I've heard about. Then I'm going on the overnight cruise and really looking forward to it.

Kodi,

We were ther a few years ago..it may have changed, but I doubt it.

The tunnel( hrough rock) was beyond dark...it was unlit and there was a total absence of any light. There was a sign in the tunnel that referrred to a "passing zone". But it wasn't the kind I was used to. IT was just a spot in the tunnel where it was wide enough for two busses to pass in opposite directions. Apparently, some years previosly, to vehicles got stuck while try to pass each other in opposit directions.

We had left our hotel in Te Anau early, becasue we wanted an early cruise...before all the tour busses load up the boats. Our cruise had so few people, it was delighful. The captain allowed my wife to take the wheel as a photo op.

Leaving early...the tunnel was dark, even with headlights.....kind of eerie....but we didn't face any vehicles coming in the opposite direction.

On our return, I was a little nervous going against the traffic.( and I grew up in Boston)...so I waited outside the tunnel for a bus and got behind and used the bus as shield.

On ou

Well, Dick, that's the first I've heard of the darkness of the tunnel. It sounds kind of scary.
But you may have helped me make a new decision.
I'm being told not to do the cruise on Milford Sound , but rather , the Doubtful sound Cruise. SInce I don't have time to do both, I'd miss out on the tunnel and the whole drive to Milford.
SO I may opt for the more expensive Doubtful Cruise. BUt I have to find out if it is worth missing the drive to Milford Sound.
Thanks for the heads up....

We're also going in December and booked the Milford Sound trip via coach from Te Anau which runs $128. That includes pick up & drop off at our b&b. We'll also be doing the Fullers Bay of Islands Cruise which runs $95. There's another trip to consider in Bay of Islands. It's also $95 for a full day trip to CAPE REINGA VIA 90 MILE BEACH, with 4X4 dune buggy ride and boogie boarding on the sand dunes.

Hi, kodi,
Getting close to your visit now, isn't it, and the chocolate tour!
We did the Milford trip two years ago. Absolutely loved the drive there and back although the tunnel was mighty scary to start with. Well, to be honest, I was extremely uncomfortable going through to Milford. I do suffer from mild clastrophobia though. Coming back was nowhere near as bad, and I WOULD do the same trip again. I guess given the choice I would opt for the overnight cruise although I haven't been on this trip. Milford was really lovely, and we went with realjourneys.
When do you land in NZ, and where?

Hi Dotty,
I do't arrive til the middle of January, I'm just prematurely excited!!! I land in Auckland and ahve a car rented for 25 days.... so , hopefully that will give us a good timeframe (it's never enough time, is it?) to see the best of NZ.
I'm very excited about the chocolate tour and all the tours I've lined up. I've decided to do the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise and sacrifice the Milford Drive. From what I've been reading, the Doubtful Sound drive and cruise is awesome...and I can't do it all.Besides, then I won't have to deal with the tunnel. I'm just waiting to hear from the tour company about changing my reservations.

Sharon, what site or tour company does the tours in Bay of Islands? They sound great!

I too would pick the Doubtful Sound overnight trip as the best choice - there will be FAR less boat traffic, the dusk and dawn views are incredible, and using one of the kayaks to paddle about in near-total silence was awe-inspiring.

As for the Homer Tunnel - Jeez! Its not that big a deal! I certainly would not opt out of a trip to Milford Sound because of the tunnel. As a matter of fact, the drive from Te Anau to Milford is wonderfully scenic, particularly the part from the Tunnel down to Milford. Yes, the Homer Tunnel is dark and narrow, but that's what headlights are for! Admittedly, it makes one nervous to drive past a vehicle going in the opposite direction because the road is so narrow, but we are talking about a distance of slightly over 1 km!

Hi kodi. The fullers bay cruise info is at http://www.fullers-bay-of-islands.co.nz/. the 90 mile beach trip is http://www.nzinfo.com/dunerider/ and click on cape reinga. Don't know if you're interested but we're doing black water rafting at waitomo too.
One question about the all-important chocolate tour! I e-mailed the form from their website (and got an immediate acknowledgement - i guess automated) and the message said they'd confirm within a couple of days. That was about a week or more ago. Did you get additional confirmation from them or did you have to call? Thanks. Sharon

ALF, that is just what I wanted to hear! I got my confirmation and am going on the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise. And you make me feel even better about my decision.
BUt I agree about the tunnel. If I was not going on the overnight tour, the thought of the tunnel would not have stopped me from doing the drive to Milford Sound.

Sharon, I will check out the web sites. Thank you.
I don't know if I'll do the black water rafting. I'm a bit of a chicken about it, but Elendilpickle did it and said it was a lot of fun.
I, too, go the automated reply from Cadbury's, but then it was the very next day that I got another email with confirmation . And it states on the letter that I need to bring it to the tour.
SO I would suggest sending them an email. YOU don't want to miss out.

Kodi, the only remotely scary part of cave tubing was jumping off a waterfall that is maybe six feet high. You can put the tube around your waist and jump in facing forward, which one woman in our group did, or you can turn around, hold the tube on your hiney, and jump in backwards.

I opted to jump in backwards (the recommended way) because I didn't really want to see what I was doing. It was fine, not scary at all, and I was kind of proud of myself afterwards!

Lee Ann

Wellll! Maybe I'll try it!! I'll see when I get there. Do you have to be a strong swimmer or anything? Or are you on the tube the whole time?
That's the problem I'm having about swimmng with the dolphins somewhere. I'm not a swimmer at all.

Blackwater rafting was one of the highlights of our NZ trip. You don't have to be much of a swimmer - you are either walking along, carrying your tube, or floating along. In many of the floating areas, the water depth is not over your head. The toughest part was indeed jumping off the waterfall, but it ended up being fun.

ok, you guys are convincing me!!!! Maybe I'll give it a shot.

Has anyone done the 4wheel ATV tours anywhere? They look like a lot of fun.

sharon815 -

Hi, it's Sandi from the Africa Board. I just planning trip to NZ for end March '05 and would appreciate if you could let me know what your NZ plans include so I can see if these would fit in with what we would like to do. If you would, email me at: [email protected]

... how's the Africa itinerary coming along? Thanks.

Hi Sandi. We have to stop meeting like this! I've sent you a (very) long e-mail with all the NZ info and also more about the africa trip (mostly questions). Talk to you soon.