tripplanner001

Thanks again mlgb. This is exactly the type of feedback I'm looking for. And I understand that it may not make sense to make stops if the weather is too poor; planning for the best and prepared for the worst.

kiralikbahissitesii

Thank you DawnRoss and thanks again Diamantina

Diamantina

tripplanner001, to review, you will be going to Christchurch - Aoraki Mount Cook - Queenstown - Te Anau - Dunedin for the last two weeks of December. You mentioned a day trip to Aoraki Mt. Cook from Christchurch by private transport and wanted to know where to stop along the way. Yes, you can quickly and easily stop at the Church of the Good Shepherd because it's right on the main highway (SH8), so it won't take you out of your way. The other place I think quite striking is Mt. John Observatory, but if you have just one day for Aoraki Mt. Cook, I would not add the Mt. John Observatory detour as you should spend as much time in Aoraki Mt. Cook as possible. There is more than enough to see there. In fact, one day, especially if that one day is rainy, will leave you wishing for more time in Aoraki Mt. Cook.
Will you be spending the night in Aoraki Mt Cook or continuing on to Queenstown that afternoon?
Will you be traveling on to Queenstown - Te Anau - Dunedin with the same private transport?
How many days do you plan to spend in each place?

Diamantina

Mt. John Observatory in April after recent snowfall.

Tekapo in April after sunrise.

tripplanner001

Diamantina

Regarding seeing the Catlins, you might to investigate doing a day tour to the Catlins from Dunedin and weigh this against the cost of a private driver from Te Anau to Dunedin via the Catlins.
Elm Wildlife offers a Catlins tour:
https://www.elmwildlifetours.co.nz/o...ins-encounters
I've also read some great reviews for a new tour operator who does customized wildlife tours in Dunedin. I don't know if he takes folks down to the Catlins. You'd have to check.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...th_Island.html
Or
Back to Nature
https://backtonaturetours.co.nz/tour/catlins-tour/
You're smart to book early as it'll be cruise ship season, as well as school holidays.

Diamantina

So many nights in Christchurch. Are you doing day trips to Akaroa, Kaikoura, or on the TranzAlpine train? Good to know you'll be spending two nights in Aoraki Mt. Cook!

tripplanner001

Thanks Diamantina. Appreciate the info on the options out of Dunedin. As for what I'm doing in Christchurch, I've not settled it yet. My international flights are not booked yet, but the options I'm looking at have us arriving into Christchurch around 10 or 11pm on the first night. With a late start on the first full day, I'm looking at 1.5 days in Christchurch itself, possibly 2 if we decide to get up early. Do you think this is too much? We may take a day trip to Akaroa if we feel we've had enough of Christchurch, but I probably won't go up to Kaikoura on this trip nor go on the TranzAlpine.

Diamantina

Strange arriving so late in Christchurch. This being the case, I think you'll agree, the first night really doesn't count. You'll want to experience Christchurch the next day, the Botanic Garden, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery, the street art, the 185 Empty White Chairs, the tram, the Transitional Cathedral (designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Shigeru Ban), maybe check out the progress of the historic Christchurch Cathedral, which was damaged by the 2011 earthquake and is now being restored at the cost of $104 million. On Saturday mornings, if you're there then, there's a Farmers Market at Riccarton House and Grounds; I've not been to it, but I've heard it's good.

If doing a day trip to Akaroa, you'll need to spend a third night. Its cruise ship schedule will be out probably by NZ spring 2019.

So, in answer to your question, if you'll be arriving late, two nights is not too much and three nights will be needed if planning on a day trip to Akaroa.

tripplanner001

mlgb

Interesting to read about the changes in ChCh, Diamantina. My last visit to Christchurch was just a year or two before the quake. My favorite lodging near Cranmer Square was demolished due to the quake.... Windsor Hotel https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/windsor-hotel/

Melnq8

mlgb -

You wouldn't recognize the place - we've visited several times since the earthquake - we saw the destruction, the beginnings of recovery and the full on building boom that has gone on since. The transformation has been a bit discombobulating for us, I can only imagine how the locals feel.

tripplanner001

Diamantina

Kiwis, as you probably know, are nocturnal.
A couple of places with Nocturnal Houses where you can see captive kiwi in Christchurch:
New Zealand Animals | Orana Wildlife Park
https://www.willowbank.co.nz/about-u...at-willowbank/
Willowbank reviews:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...th_Island.html
In Queenstown:
https://www.kiwibird.co.nz/

Dunedin has Orokonui Ecosanctuary, which serves as a permanent home to free-roaming wild adult kiwis, and has a kiwi creche that serves as a temporary home to juvenile wild kiwis (rare Haast Tokoeka) who will be released into the forests of South Westland or predator-free islands once they reach the size when they can defend themselves against stoats (at around 6 months of age). But Orokonui Ecosanctuary is not a wildlife park and does not have a Nocturnal House. It is what is known as a "mainland island sanctuary", a fenced-in pest free piece of land where native birds and reptiles can wander as they like and are generally free from predation. I say "generally" because small birds can still be hunted by larger birds, like the NZ falcon (karearea).
Orokonui is only open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. so there's very little chance you'd see one of their kiwis, but you would see the takahe, another rare flightless NZ bird. There are only 375 takahe in NZ. The takahe was thought extinct until 1948, when it was rediscovered in Fiordland. You can also see takahe for free in Te Anau, but they will be enclosed.
Takahe at Orokonui:



Just for the record, kiwi are regularly seen during the day on Ulva Island (off Stewart Island). And they've been venturing out during the day in Northland as well because of extra dry conditions:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/...search-of-food
They've also been seen during the day on the Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park in the northwest corner of the South Island.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/867...-a-true-rarity

You won't be going to Wellington, will you? Because wild kiwi can sometimes be seen at Zealandia Ecosanctuary during their night tours (80% chance of seeing one).
https://www.visitzealandia.com/ZEALANDIAbyNight
Wellington Zoo also has kiwi in their Nocturnal House.
Wellington has plans to re-introduce wild kiwi to the city's suburbs.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/...to-the-suburbs

tripplanner001

Melnq8

In my dozen + tips to NZ I've only seen a kiwi once and it wasn't in the wild - it was in Hokitika:

https://thenationalkiwicentre.co.nz/

We'd scheduled a nocturnal kiwi seeking tour in Okarito once - with the only licensed kiwi tour operator on the South Island - Okarito Kiwi Tours South Island New Zealand, but we had to cancel at the last minute, so never got to go.

Per your itinerary, you'll be going right through Hokitika and Okarito.

mlgb

I saw my kiwi in the wild by spending the night on Kapiti Island, booked through https://www.kapitiisland.com/tours-a...-spotting-tour

Apparently they kept the kiwi in a box so that Prince William could hold him a few days later.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/...ealand-day-two

Melnq8

Gives 'box of birds' a whole new meaning.

Diamantina

You'd probably enjoy Wellington and could see a lot in one full day: Te Papa, the national museum; the City Gallery; ride the Wellington Cable Car from the CBD to the Botanic Garden; visit Zealandia Ecosanctuary; meander along the waterfront and Oriental Parade. The city center is compact and walkable. It's a pretty city that reminds me of my hometown, San Francisco.

I saw a wild kiwi in Okarito Forest. I saw another during the day on Ulva island. They can barely see, so it just wandered out onto the walking track, oblivious to our group. We were too stunned to take photos. The following night, I took the Bravo Adventure Cruise, which is now managed by Real Journeys, and saw another wild kiwi on Ocean Beach at Paterson Inlet. I've seen captive kiwis in Nocturnal Houses at the Auckland Zoo, Wellington Zoo and the National Aquarium in Napier. I had high hopes of seeing them on Tiritiri Matangi; as I could hear their shrill calls and knew they were close and all around me, but they remained hidden, though others saw them elsewhere on the island. It was like this in Oban, on Stewart Island, as well, they're often heard, but only sometimes seen. Long ago, before I knew that kiwis were nearly always nocturnal, I visited Aroha Island kiwi preserve in Kerikeri, Northland. This was during the day so there were no kiwis to be seen, but it was a beautiful place that I'd like to return to. Kapiti Island is definitely on my wish list!

tripplanner001

Thanks for all the additional feedback. We're going to stick with our itinerary for this trip, but have started a list for a future visit.