I just booked my first trip to New Zealand and, taking the lazy way out, DW and I will be using a Road Scholar program, our first. (I know, I know....)

The program ends in Dunedin on Mar 19 around 3:30pm. On Mar 23, we start another Road Scholar program in Melbourne (I know, I know....)

The question is how and where to spend Mar 19, 20, and 21. We could stay in NZ or head to Melbourne. The Road Scholar program has us spending 4 nights in Melbourne, so I think that will be sufficient. We are nature lovers so I'm also thinking these extra days would be best spent in NZ.

On Mar 19 we will arrive in Dunedin in the morning from Balclutha and will visit the Botanical Gardens, weather permitting. The program ends at 3:30 that day with a trip to the airport for those interested.

In reading up on Dunedin, there are certainly some things to see and do there (the birding is a positive), but probably not enough for 2.5 days considering that we really love glorious landscapes, hiking and wineries. So I'm thinking we may be better off getting on the 3pm Dunedin bus to Queenstown on the 19th which would give us 2 full days there, a city we won't have visited on the Road Scholar tour (which visits Wanaka for 2 nights and Te Anau for 2 nights).

We could then fly from Queenstown to Melbourne on Mar 22, spend the night, and meet up with the Road Scholar group on Mar 23.

Are the buses between Dunedin and Queenstown reliable? Am I crazy for wanting to go to Queenstown instead of staying put in Dunedin?

Thanks!

I'll choose Queenstown over Dunedin any day of the week, and that's from someone who is put off by the overall busyness of Queenstown (we were just there - in addition to tourism, they've gone mad with construction). While there's plenty in Dunedin to keep you occupied for many days (local Diamantina is a fountain of knowledge and will probably chime in soon) Queenstown, IMO is much, much prettier and has loads more to see and do. Keep in mind that you'll need some sort of transport to get to the wineries and walking tracks.

My preference is to stay on the outskirts of QT (or better yet in Arrowtown), but you'd need a car for that and it sounds as if you're not interested in renting a car?

As for Melbourne, you could easily add your time there too - you've not mentioned the Great Ocean Road, so I assume you're spending your four days IN Melbourne?

NZ in March will be cooler than Melbourne in March if that's a concern.

Mel, I was hoping you'd chime in. Thanks. I'm envious of your 15 (?) trips to NZ plus having lived there. I'm thinking this is one place we'll go back to and do it on our own once we've been educated by the upcoming trip.

These 2 trips came together rather quickly, so now the logistics kick in. Maybe we rent a car for a couple of days in Queenstown. Dunno. We'll be getting into Queenstown around 7:30 pm. I suppose we could Uber it to our lodging upon arrival and then Uber to the car hire place the next morning? I haven't looked into tours for those days, which might be the way to go unless they are real pricey.

As for lodging, I was thinking of Villa del Lago (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...th_Island.html). By then a washer/dryer would be very nice, if not essential, lol. But I'm just starting to think about where to stay. Why Arrowtown?

I do love Queenstown ..I know it is touristy but it has some charm and character and a bit of history thrown in when you think about it. The TSS Earnslaw steaming across the lake is a lovely sight. It's the oldest operating steamship in the Southern Hemisphere and was built in parts in Dunedin and then taken on the train to be assembled on the lake. I'd go to Queenstown any time but less inclined to see Dunedin again. However we hope Diamantina will post some good suggestions.
Your bus timings are not going to work - getting in at 3.30 pm and catching the 3 pm bus to Queenstown? There's a local bus service called Catch-a-bus (more of a mini van than big bus) which might do a trip that works for you.
Without a car I would stay right in Queenstown. We like walking to places for dinner and then walking back home. Not only for having a wine or two but for just not being in the car.

Just looked it up but Catch a bus does not do a Dunedin-Queenstown run. We are using them in late June for transport from Invercargill to Queenstown as the rental car one way prices were too high. Intercity bus will probably do a trip.
If you like cars and motorbikes have a look at Bill Richardson's Transport World in Invercargill :
https://www.transportworld.co.nz
See a bit more of New Zealand while you are here! Mt Difficulty vineyard and restaurant look fabulous - friends went there in April. There's a wine tour from Qtown that goes there.

tasmangirl, thanks for your input! Regarding the Intercity bus from Dunedin to QTown, sorry I wasn't clearer. We'll be arriving in Dunedin the morning of the 19th, and the Road Scholar program concludes around noon that day. Road Scholar is offering a ride to the airport at 3:30pm for those interested. So we shouldn't have any difficulty catching the 3pm bus to QTown.

<<As for lodging, I was thinking of Villa del Lago (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...th_Island.html). By then a washer/dryer would be very nice, if not essential, lol. >>

That's where we stayed, dcd, and we thought that it was very good value for the money, if a little out of town for our tastes as we like to be able to walk into town and back in the evening so we can both drink what we like; neither of us likes to over-imbibe but it's a shame to be somewhere like QT and not to be able to taste the wine without worrying who's driving.

We didn't make it to Dunedin but I would agree with Mel that if you've got the chance to go to QT you should go.

dcd -

We've not lived in NZ (but have visited many times as you note). We lived in Australia for seven years.

As for where to stay in QT, we've stayed at Villa del Lago a few times, although not for many years. We like the location, close, but not too close. Having said that, QT has grown so much that Villa del Lago no longer feels out of town!

If your main criteria is washer and dryer though, keep in mind that most motels have a laundry room on site, as does most privately owned accommodation (most cottages, AirBNBs have at least a washer) and quite possibly hotels as well.

Why Arrowtown? We prefer it over busy QT - while it does get busy with day trippers, it's very quiet at night. It's home to our favorite NZ restaurant, some nice tracks and its closer to the wineries.

It works well for us, but may not be an ideal choice for you since your visit is so short.

Can't help with Uber - we always have a car in NZ.

tasmangirl - Mt Difficulty Winery is fabulous, its one of our usual haunts, although we were a bit disappointed with their food this time around. Perhaps growing pains with the incoming new ownership.

Thanks for all the great input. I decided to rent a car in Dunedin and drive to Queenstown on the 19th. Any can't miss spots along the way?

In Queenstown, I found this AirBnb and snagged it for the 19, 20 and 21: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1922698...0-57527079397f

We'll have 2 full days and a half day on our last day.

I'm thinking one day we'll drive to Glenorchy and another day we can do a short hike in the QT area and hit a winery or two (any good hikes near the wineries?). Maybe on our half day, we can walk around QT.

We love wineries, so if you guys have a favorite in the Queenstown area, please let me know. I take note of the Mt Difficult Winery.

Any fav restaurants in or near QT?

Any hidden gems in the area?

You'll go right through Clyde and Cromwell on your way to Queenstown - Clyde is a pretty little town and a good place for lunch - we really liked our lunch at Oliver's. Cromwell is well known for it's Pinot Noir and fruit - you might want to stop for a wine tasting and some fruit ice cream.

Or alternatively, make a lunch booking at Mt Difficulty in Bannockburn near Cromwell. Fabulous views from their terrace and we adore their dry Riesling. There are also wineries around Alexandra. If you print a wine map (or collect one in the area) you can plot your course.

Alexandra Basin Winegrowers - Wine Map and Directory of Central Otago Vineyards

https://media.newzealand.com/en/news...fers-new-wine/

We also like Aurum and Wooing Tree (wineries) in Cromwell.

You'll also go right by Amisfield in Arrowtown - nice bistro (book) and they're known for their Pinot Noir, which weirdly, we've loved in the past, but didn't care for this time around.

There's a walking trail near some wineries outside of QT - let me see if I can find the name. Otherwise, Mt Crichton (between Glenorchy and Queenstown) is a nice walk and there are some trails at Bob's Cove (which has grown a lot of late).

https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/things-to-do/wineries/

Do you like Indian food? Our favorite Indian food restaurant is in Arrowtown - Mantra. Tell Shammi Bill and Mel from Colorado miss her food.

Mel, those are some great ideas! Thanks.

I live in Dunedin and am sorry I couldn’t reply sooner. I’m on vacation (I was in beautiful Norway and am now in delicious Spain again). But it looks like you got sage advice from Melnq8 and tasmangirl, and it seems you were leaning toward visiting Queenstown to begin with. I agree it’s a scenic highlight of New Zealand and well located for the activities you’re interested in. Be aware from Dunedin to Queenstown you have a choice of three different routes, which all converge in Alexandra.
The Dunedin Botanic Garden is lovely, though the best time to visit is in October when the rhododendrons peak. It has a significant rhododendron collection. It is NZ’s oldest botanic garden, founded more than 150 years ago, and was originally much larger. But the construction of the main highway, SH1, required some of the original garden’s grounds. I love the botanic garden but if I had only one day in Dunedin I’d spend it on its Otago Peninsula, viewing the beautiful beaches and wildlife.

Diamantina, being a bit of a garden nut I dragged my poor DH round several of the botanical gardens we came across in NZ - Christchurch, Oamaru, Timaru, [terrific rose garden] - but not Dunedin as we didn't go that far south.

dcd - unfortunately Oamaru, which we loved, is a bit too far north for you to add to your route to QT I think, but if you take the most northerly of the 3 possible routes [per google maps] which goes through Palmerston, a short detour north takes you to Moeraki where there are the most extraordinary stones on the beach. They don't take long to see but they are well worth it, IMO.

Thanks, annhig. Hadn’t heard of those boulders before. We’ll see how were doing for time and plan accordingly.

Google says that Moeraki is about an hours drive from Dunedin so you could make a trip to the boulders then have a coffee break - i seem to remember that there was a nice cafe there too. After all you may never pass that way again!

Dunedin and Queenstown bus is reliable, check on Intercity's website. If you have limited time, why try to do so many things?