Favorite Winery in New Zealand?
 

Soon I will need to start working on our itinerary for our trip to New Zealand (hopefully!) in late November early December 2018.

I know there's a ton of wineries, we love good wine, but I think most of the New Zealand wine is pretty good!

So we are looking for one or two older, maybe historic wineries, with great views, and a wonderful lunch. Either North or South Island or one on each, would love suggestions.

How much time will you have for your trip? Any rough idea of your itinerary?

Mission Estate Winery in Hawkes Bay comes to mind as historic and with a restaurant, but Napier/Hawkes Bay might not be on your itinerary. It claims to be NZ's oldest winery, having sold its first wines in 1870.
http://www.missionestate.co.nz/our_story/index.htm
Craggy Range Winery and Restaurant in Hawkes Bay is not historic but has a dramatic setting below Te Mata Peak.
https://www.craggyrange.com/
Another newer Hawkes Bay winery, which I've not been to but wouldn't miss is Elephant Hill, as it seems to have a restaurant with a spectacular view:
https://www.elephanthill.co.nz/
Hawkes Bay offers other enticing reasons to visit, such as Art Deco architecture, the Cape Kidnappers gannet colony, a lively food scene, and coastal views.

There are loads of wineries with great views throughout New Zealand, but my guess is most were established just decades ago. Furthermore, some of the oldest wineries have updated the looks of their cellar doors over the years. For instance, Montana/Brancott is one of the older wineries in Marlborough but its cellar door/restaurant is modern and nearly new (but well-worth a visit):
https://www.brancottestate.com/en-nz...and-restaurant

As you'll likely spent time in Auckland, it's worth considering visiting Waiheke Island. The water views from its many island wineries are outstanding. Most are new with contemporary architecture.
A few with views restaurants include:
Mudbrick
http://www.mudbrick.co.nz/
Cable Bay
https://cablebay.nz/
Both are close to Waiheke's Matiatia Wharf ferry terminal and easily reached by taxi (or you can walk but it's uphill). I think you'd prefer the older look and landscaping of Mudbrick. Both are fantastic places for lunch on a sunny day.

Tantalus is a newer winery on Waiheke but it's housed in an older looking Spanish-style building and also has a restaurant. Te Motu is another beautiful winery with lovely views and restaurant, adjacent to Tantalus.
https://www.tantalus.co.nz/
http://www.temotu.co.nz/
There are two other winery/restaurants nearby, Wild on Waiheke and Stonyridge, making it a convenient stop for wine tasting. Stonyridge has great views and well-known wines, but I found the tasting fees steep.
The above four wineries are farther from Matiatia Wharf than Cable Bay or Mudbrick, but easily reached by local bus or taxi. It would be the same bus stop for all of these wineries, which are a short walking distance from one another.

There are many more wineries with views on Waiheke, but I'll stop with these, as they're the easiest to get to. Waiheke Island wines are excellent and hard to find outside of NZ, so this alone might make it worth a visit.

Villa Maria's tasting room and restaurant is a short taxi ride or long walk from Auckland Airport. They also have a cellar door in Marlborough.
https://www.villamaria.co.nz/cafe-an.../vineyard-cafe

On the South Island, Amisfield Winery and Bistro, a 15-minute drive from central Queenstown or 10-minute drive from Arrowtown, has one of Queenstown's best restaurants (reservations recommended):
https://amisfield.co.nz/
About a 50-minute drive from Queenstown in Bannockburn is Mt. Difficulty Wines. The architecture is modern, but its restaurant has fantastic views over the valley (reservations recommended).
https://www.mtdifficulty.nz/pages/cellar-door
The winery was sold to a new owner a few months ago, so I'm hoping they won't make big changes.

Many of Central Otago's best wineries are in Cromwell and Bannockburn, so you might want to spend a night in the area, if you'd like to do extensive wine tasting (there aren't that many wineries, but it'd still take time). This area is best known for its pinot noirs and rieslings, nice sparklings, too.

A 55-minute drive north of Christchurch in Waipara, Pegasus Bay Winery's restaurant has a pretty setting and a romantic, historic look (though it's not actually old).
https://www.pegasusbay.com/pages/restaurant
One I haven't yet been to in Waipara is Black Estate. Its restaurant has won accolades:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/ne...in-the-country
http://blackestate.co.nz/

I forgot to add, if you do a wine tour of Waiheke Island, it'd likely include lunch at one of the wineries.

Waiheke is hard to beat in the North Island. Most places have some view (not Peacock Sky)and as the island is a ragged shape with many little inlets and bays the view around every corner keeps changing. Thee Batch has probably the best panorama of the Hauraki Gulf.
We have just been for lunch at The Shed at Te Motu which was outstanding. The menu is a bit different and the flavour combinations are delicious.
In Nelson we enjoyed going to Mahana which has a grass roof. In Queenstown we went to Gibbston Valley. It's hard to make a wrong choice really. Pick your favourite wine style and visit a winery that specialises in that.

Thanks Diamantina and tasmangirl!

We will have 3 weeks, maybe a little more if I can convince my husband :)

I don't think we're going to do much on the North Island north of Auckland. We would really like to see the giant Kauri trees, but don't know if we want to allocate the extra time.

However it might make sense to pick up our rental car and head to the Ferry to Waiheke for 2 nights to "recover" from our trip.
I'll investigate, but do either of you know of a Winery/Vineyard on Waiheke with acommodation and a restaurant? Mudbrick does, but cottages etc are more than we want to spend

We know we want to stay somewhere around Hobbiton and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, then head towards Hawkes Bay area.

I think we might stay at Craggy Range in their 1 bedroom Cottage for 2 nights, then head towards Wellington to cross over to the South Island.

Stay again in at a Winery/Vineyard near Blenheim? Nelson? with acommodation and a restaurant?

After that we will head south along the west coast

I'm pretty sure we will have 6 nights near Queenstown.

We love most wines except Rose, so actually wine style is not as important as the scenery, and we really like to enjoy the wine with lunch or dinner, and then walk back to a cottage or room. I don't like being the designated driver, nor do we really like "wine tours" so staying at a Vineyard with a restaurant works well for us.

Also, we don't like oaky Chardonnays, I love Prosecco, we both also like dry or half dry Reislings

I hope you can convince your husband to extend your trip. You'll probably take at least two flights to get to Auckland, with the transpacific flight alone taking 12 to 13 hours, so you'll want to maximize your time in New Zealand. You'll be able to see more, spend more days in each place, and travel at a more relaxed pace.

For instance, if you were to visit someplace like Aoraki-Mt. Cook, two days would give you more time to explore, relax, and increase your chances of having at least one good weather day while there. The weather can be changeable here, even in November-December.

Driving trips around New Zealand require driving on many two-lane roads (just one lane in each direction). There are frequent passing lanes, but sometimes you can still get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle. On the South Island, you'll likely be driving on some curvy, narrow, mountain passes. You'll encounter one-lane bridges. Passing through the beautiful scenery, you'll want to pull over (when you can legally do so), to snap photos, maybe take short walks or short side trips along your route. One longer drives, you might want to pause for breaks. Please a look at this link:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/driv...iting-drivers/
I'm used to using the AA Drive Distance Calculator, but Google Maps would probably be fine.
https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/time-and...ce-calculator/

To get to Waiheke from Auckland International Airport, you could take the Sky Bus or a shuttle to Queens Wharf. The Sky Bus used to stop right by Queens Wharf, but now you'll have to walk a few blocks. Fuller's ferry from the Auckland ferry building to Matiatia Wharf takes 40 minutes. Then you'd have to arrange for transport from the ferry terminal to your accommodation. This could be exhausting if you'll be tired and jet-lagged. Keep in mind, after arrival in Auckland, it'll take you about an hour to go through customs and immigration (depending on how busy they are).

Instead of staying on Waiheke after arrival, consider then flying on to the South Island. It'll be another flight, but you won't have to leave the airport. Once you've exited the international terminal, you just take a super short bus ride to the domestic terminal, or you can walk 10 minutes to it. I always prefer to walk. It's a pleasant walk---you just follow a green line to the domestic terminal. If you'll be catching a domestic flight on Air New Zealand, you don't have to transport your check-in luggage because there's luggage transfer desk in the international terminal for those connecting to Air New Zealand domestic flights. Otherwise, you'll have to bring all your luggage with you to the domestic terminal, but luggage carts are provided free of charge.
https://www.aucklandairport.co.nz/tr...r-terminal-bus

While in the airport, you'll have plenty of time and opportunity to collect travel information and brochures from the I-Site desk:https://www.aucklandairport.co.nz/in...rmation-points

Queenstown would be a lovely place to start your stay as it's by beautiful Lake Wakitipu. There's a wide range of accommodation and much to do. You wouldn't require a car to get around for a day or two.

Kinross Cottages in the Gibbston Valley (a small, beautiful valley dotted with wineries) is about a 25-minute drive from Queenstown Airport. If you decided to go there upon arrival, it's be best to take a taxi, though I'm not sure how much it would cost. You can probably get around the few wineries of the Gibbston Valley on foot or by bicycle, but you'd need a car to go beyond the valley as there is no public transportation to or from Gibbston Valley.
https://www.kinrosscottages.co.nz/

According to Google, there's also vineyard accommodation at Stoneridge Estate near Lake Hayes, which would only be a 15-minute drive from Queenstown Airport (and quite near Amisfield Winery as well as pretty and quaint little Arrowtown). I'm not at all familiar with this accommodation, but it looks luxurious (and pricey):
http://www.stoneridge.co.nz/

Lots of great dry rieslings in Central Otago and Marlborough. Over oaked chardonnays are not common in New Zealand. Though I live in New Zealand, I'm from Northern California (San Francisco and Marin), so I can assure you that the chardonnay style is different.

I forgot to mention there is a car ferry to Waiheke. So you could pick up a car at the airport and drive to the SeaLink ferry terminal, but I'd strongly caution against driving upon arrival. Too many accidents are caused by newly arrived visitors. The car ferry would also be pricey if you're going over for just two nights, though you might be able to get a Super Saver special fare.
http://www.sealink.co.nz/travelling-with-us/terminals

The car ferry goes to Kennedy Point and there's vineyard accommodation nearby:
https://www.kennedypointvineyard.com/
I know nothing about it, but I doubt you'd be able to walk to restaurants. Kennedy Point Vineyard does have a cellar door menu.
https://www.kennedypointvineyard.com...llar-door/menu

If you stay on Waiheke at the start of your trip to "recover", the local bus service is pretty handy--depending on where you stay. Waiheke is also a beach destination. If you enjoy the beach, the weather tends to be warmer and sunnier in December than November. Could be a nice treat for the end of your trip. My husband and I were in Auckland in November a couple of years ago and passed on visiting Waiheke because it was raining so hard. More NZ native pohutakawa trees will be in bloom in December than November.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/phot...tukawa-flowers
http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/pohutukawa/

Volcanic Rangitoto Island, which, like Waiheke, is in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf, is home to NZ's largest pohutakawa forest.
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/rangitoto/

Earlier this year, my husband and I spend five nights in Waiheke at Onetangi Beach. The bus goes from Onetangi Beach to several wineries and the ferry. We rented a car for our last couple of days to get to those that couldn't be reached by bus. Onetangi Beach has a few restaurants. There were a couple of wineries that were walking distance from Onetangi Beach, but it was easier to drive (Casita Miro, where we had dinner one night, and Obsidian, which, regretfully, we never got around to visiting).

I also forgot to mention that Waipara, the wine region to the north of Christchurch, also has terrific dry rieslings. I think (though can't be certain) that Melnq8 has stayed at vineyard accommodation in Waipara and she'll be staying in Bannockburn this autumn. If wine tasting and beautiful scenery are priorities, you'd love Bannockburn, about 50 minutes from Queenstown. Melnq8 might respond after the holidays.

In Marlborough, Rock Ferry Winery has accommodation and a popular restaurant, which I've not been to. I'm assuming the cottage is near the winery, but maybe not! You'll have to ask them.
http://www.rockferry.co.nz/discover/...y-cottage.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Restau...th_Island.html

Hans Herzog Estate in Marlborough has a popular restaurant and accommodation.
http://www.herzog.co.nz/

For Nelson (region):
http://www.winesofnz.com/vineyard-ac...ion-in-nelson/

The giant kauri trees in Waipoua Forest are impressive. You might be able to see kauri trees around Auckland and on Waiheke. Their survival is currently threatened by kauri dieback disease, which has led to the closure of some areas:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-a...kauri-dieback/
http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/cascades

Prosecco is popular in New Zealand, but it'll be from Italy or from "across the ditch" (Australia). During our current heat wave, I've been drinking my fair share of Aussie prosecco and sparkling shiraz.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/20...irst-prosecco/
NZ does good sparkling wine. Quartz Reef in Cromwell is my favorite. I also like Akarua Rose (try it, you might like it), Daniel LeBrun, and Deutz. Lindauer Reserve Brut Cuvee is a good, day to day value at NZ$12 (sale price).

You might want to look at Cuisine wine in preparation for your trip:
https://www.cuisinewine.co.nz/tastings/

Here's another link about NZ's chardonnay style:
https://www.nzwine.com/en/our-winestyles/chardonnay

Hi wrenwood,

No way I can rival the wonderfully detailed and expert advice you've had from Diamantina, but from our one trip to NZ I can say that no time there is enough, but if you can stretch beyond 3 weeks, you'll be doing yourselves a great favour!

We went to a number of wineries [can't remember most of them] but we did eat at Amisfield and for once, DH allowed me to persuade him to "trust the chef" and we were very glad he did. A superb meal with lovely wines; book a taxi if you both want to drink as once you start you won't want to stop. The other stand out meal we had was in Nelson at the Boat shed cafe - we tried to get a table on spec one night but they were full; we did manage to book for the next night though.

One aspect of winery visiting which we hadn't expected is that it gave us a reason for exploring some highways and byways we wouldn't otherwise have seen and we met some very interesting people - some from the UK who wanted to talk about home, others who had interesting tales to tell. And we got to taste some great wine, though occasionally that seemed almost incidental to the whole experience.

Hi annhig

I agree completely about "exploring some highways and byways we wouldn't otherwise have seen"

Often people seem to not want to drive too much ~ we LOVE to drive around, whether it's wineries, villages, scenic opportunities, there are always unexpected discoveries

I will let my husband know of your comment about more than 3 weeks.......he will recognize your name from the help you have given us several times for England :)

Will check out Amisfield and The Boat Shed

"We went to a number of wineries................can't remember most of them".... hmmmm, must have been good wine!

"We went to a number of wineries................can't remember most of them".... hmmmm, must have been good wine!>>

they did tend to merge into each other after a while, and not necessarily because of what we drank!

I recall getting a leaflet [possibly more, probably from the relevant TIs,] showing where the wineries were, their opening hours, what they offered [tastings, food] etc. They were largely accurate but not invariably so.

with 3 weeks plus [subject to advice you receive from others] you might find that you don't need to prebook accommodation, or that you can book it only a day or two in advance, which would give you more opportunity to take things more slowly and decide how long you want to stay in an area before you move on to the next one. Also longer in each place will mean that the long and difficult drives between places are not so tiring. We had been warned that the driving was hard work, but we still had to learn the hard way. One night, or even two night stands are definitely to be avoided!

Dellow's have accommodation but IMO staying at a winery limits you for other places. It's easy enough to stay somewhere more central and get a taxi back once you have had dinner. For example you could not wallk anywhere else from Kennedy Point winery and would need a car. Waiheke is quite hilly with narrow roads and often no footpaths. There are a lot of walking tracks around the island.
https://www.dellowswaiheke.co.nz/rooms
We stayed once at Te Whau Ridge Studio which was lovely.
http://www.tewhaustudio.co.nz/
Not sure about winery accommodation in Nelson but hiring a car and staying in Richmond would put you close to a lot of the wineries.
I have long fancied staying at Appleby House or in the Rabbit Island huts - Rabbit Island is a lovely stretch of beach which is a reserve so no houses or shops.
https://www.applebyhouse.co.nz/

Tasmangirl, would you agree that Wrenwood shouldn't be picking up a rental car on arrival and driving to the ferry terminal for Waiheke, then driving on Waiheke? I've never caught the car ferry (only the passenger ferry), but I think this would be bad idea for a newly arrived, jet-lagged driver, more so if the driver is from the U.S. and used to driving on the right.

You wrote, "IMO staying at a winery limits you for other places. It's easy enough to stay somewhere more central and get a taxi back once you have had dinner." I agree. Because those other accommodations could be more scenic, conveniently located, with better views, great hospitality services and amenities, and better values. If going wine tasting, the wineries in each region can be spread out.

For instance, from Queenstown or Arrowtown accommodation, it's easy to catch a taxi to Amisfield Winery and its Bistro. During the day, the local bus even stops there, the fare's only NZ$2.

Wrenwood, I think your idea of staying at one or two vineyard accommodations with restaurants is fine. Craggy Range in Hawkes would be a good choice. I wouldn't characterize the winery as "historic", but its restaurant is good:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Restau...th_Island.html
It's also only a short drive to other wineries in Havelock North and close the Te Mata Peak drive. You should be well-rested at that point in your trip, so read to drive curvy, narrow roads (like up to Te Mata Peak).

Here's another winery with accommodation in the Nelson region (Mapua-Ruby Bay area). No on-site restaurant, though.
http://www.kinabeach.co.nz/index.php...d=3&Itemid=106
But Jellyfish Cafe and Boat Shed Cafe, both in Mapua and with lovely views, are near.

Regarding your itinerary, consider reversing the direction of your trip, starting in Queenstown, then making your way north. Six days around Queenstown will leave you only about two weeks to get from there to Auckland/Waiheke Island.

I'm thinking if you'll be driving from Nelson region to Queenstown region or vice versa, you'll be taking the West Coast route (maybe couple of nights Fox or Franz Josef glaciers, one night in Punakaiki to break up the drive). This means you'll be missing the drive through the center of the South Island (Lake Tekapo, Aoraki-Mt. Cook, Lindis Pass). But you'll still see equally wonderful scenery and you'll have a reason to make a return trip.

If you still plan on driving the entire distance, three weeks probably won't be enough time for your trip. You'll want another few days or extra week. This itinerary should give you a sense of how many days you might add (this itinerary is based on what you have mentioned so far):

1 arrive Queenstown area, a take-it-easy, get-over-jetlag day, explore on foot (Skyline Gondola, Botanic Garden and lakeside walk, shops, etc.)
2 Queenstown or around
3 Queenstown or around
4 Queenstown or around
5 Queenstown or around
6 Queenstown or around
7 Long drive to Fox or Franz Josef Glacier (many places to stop along the way)
8 Fox or Franz Josef Glacier
9 Punakaiki
10 Nelson region
11 Nelson region
12 Blenheim
13 Blenheim
14 Ferry to Wellington
15 Wellington
16 Hawkes Bay
17 Hawkes Bay
18 Waitomo/Hobbiton area
19 Waitomo/Hobbiton area
20 Auckland or Waiheke Island
21 Auckland or Waiheke Island
22 Leave

In my opinion, not enough time.

Besides Waiheke Island, Hobbiton and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Hawkes Bay area. Wellington, Blenheim/Marlborough, Nelson area, and six days around Queenstown, where else do you hope to visit and do?

Instead of six nights in Queenstown area, you might think about spending two nights in Te Anau (more than 2 hours away), so you can more easily drive Milford Road. Or stick with the 6 nights around Queenstown and add extra days to your trip so you can spend two nights in Te Anau. I mention this because you enjoy scenic drives, and Milford Road is one of the most scenic.

There are two main routes you can take between Wellington and Hawkes Bay. One of these takes a bit longer but passes through Martinborough wine region. This route takes a longer and can be a bit of a knuckle-biter at times (Rimutaka Hill).

If you follow that sample itinerary I posted, you'll also be missing on the South Island the drive from Picton to Christchurch (through Kaikoura and Waipara wine region), Christchurch, Akaroa, Arthur's Pass. So you'll have plenty of reasons to make a return trip.

Diamantina - you have such a great knowledge of NZ you should write a book!
We love going to Waiheke and have tried the many variations of getting over there. 2 ferry companies make the trip - Sealink who take vehicles and people and Fullers who only take people. Both leave from the city and Half Moon Bay but only Fullers go to Matiatia.
And yes I agree it would be a big hassle to that when just off the airplane. Chances of a delayed flight or long wait for luggage/customs could ruin the trip.
1. You'd have to check with the rental place the car could be taken over there...(marine insurance stuff in case it sinks but it won't!)
2. Supersavers are only online, must be booked in advance and there is no refund.
3. Decision on which wharf/area to leave from ...mainly depending on if you take a car or not.
4. I mentioned the narrow roads before...


For a relaxing weekend booking somewhere to stay in Oneroa Village would work well and then get a taxi to your winery of choice for dinner. Oneroa is walkable from the passenger ferry if you don't have too much luggage, or catch the bus or taxi.

Over oaked chardonnay? I will have to read up on that. I'm not a chardonnay fan as it always gives me a headache.
I did not think I liked rose either but I'm drinking a bit of Jacob's Creek Le Petit Rose this summer.
We get a lot of Australian reds in the supermarket here so you could try some of those. I only throw that in because my South African friend will only drink reds from Australia. NZ reds are just not 'gutsy' enough for her! Have fun planning your trip.

Tasmangirl, you're very kind, thanks for the compliment. You could write a book about NZ yourself! I think I just have more spare time. I'm only acquainted with a small part of New Zealand, mostly this little corner of the south. But I do like wine, drinking it, reading about it, visiting wine regions when possible.

When I was in my late-20s, in 1980s California, our state's chardonnay gained a reputation for being very oaky. After a lot of criticism/ridicule and self-reflection, California winemakers started getting away from the overly oaked style, and toward a better balance of flavors.

I remember the first time I had NZ chardonnay and thinking, "Mmmm...this is different." It was fresh, lively, fruit-driven, with pleasant acidity, not too much oak. I think it was a Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay.

I love rosé, particularly in summer. The first rosés I fell in love with were from France's Bandol region, then Spanish rosés. NZ's are excellent, especially those from Central Otago and Waiheke. Not cheap, though!

I agree Oneroa would be a fine place to stay, very central and close to the ferry. There's also a good wine shop there, Waiheke Wine Centre, that has tasting stations. The tasting stations were a good way of trying wine from wineries I didn't get around to visiting. Waiheke's a dream. I look forward to returning.

Wow, excited to be back to planning!

I know what you mean about driving after arrival at an Airport, but I'm pretty used to it by now.
We will be going to Scotland for the second time this year, have driven in Ireland also, and a trip to England in March will be our 8th trip to England.
I always drive as my husband is a better navigator, and we always have a GPS and he watches road signs for me along with the GPS, so I can concentrate on traffic.
I limit myself to an hour of driving from the airport to a stop, either a lunch break, or our first accommodation. 2 hours total from the Airport
Our flight should arrive early morning and for first time ever we will book business class so we can SLEEP
We've been taking 3 vacations out of the country for the last 6 years, 2 vacations out of the country for the 10 years before that, so I'm pretty comfortable with driving for a an hour or two once we arrive, as long as it is daylight!

<Regarding your itinerary, consider reversing the direction of your trip, starting in Queenstown, then making your way north. Six days around Queenstown will leave you only about two weeks to get from there to Auckland/Waiheke Island. >
We do plan to arrive in Auckland, visit a limited number of places on the North Island, more time in South Island, end up in Christchurch, and fly from Christchurch to Auckland to get home.

I'm thinking we will skip Waiheke Island, It looks gorgeous, but scenery, and experiencing NZ is more important than wineries, and I'm really thinking we want to concentrate on the South Island. We just want to visit as many wineries as we can along the way!

I'm thinking we would like our first night to be somewhere near Hobbiton, and visit Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves the next day.

So...........

Day 1 arrive Auckland Airport, easy drive to someplace to stay nearby Hobbiton, with a stop for lunch along the way. Relax take a nap, walk or whatever. Haven't found anywhere yet.

Day 2 Hobbiton tour in the morning, drive to Waitomo Glowworm Cave after lunch ****Can you do both in a day? Last tour at Waitomo from 01 November - 31 March. 5.30pm ~ tours are 45 mi.
Stay near Waitomo Glowworm Cave area for 1 night

Day 3 Leave for the Wellington Ferry with a lunch stop, sightseeing stop, ???? along the way? Stay overnight in Wellington or Petone

Day 4 Morning Ferry to the South Island ~ Probably stay in Blenheim region 2 nights?

Wow, Kina Beach Vineyard Cottage looks great, wine and Abel Tasman area! 3-4 nights?

Let me know your thoughts on the start of the trip, then we can get back to Vineyards and Wineries!

Sad to be skipping Hawkes Bay, but I think the South Island has enough to keep us happy!

Back later, to the kitchen to make dinner, and after Christmas feasts it must be Salads for a week!

Yes, there'll be plenty on the South Island to see and do.

Tasmangirl's can advise on your North Island route. Waitomo area to Wellington will be about a 6 hour drive. What if the weather's awful? Such a long drive could be made worse by bad weather, which is not uncommon in November-December. There was dumping of snow on North and South Island mountains yesterday!

The ferry crossing from Wellington to Picton can be rough and cancelled in high winds. Maybe you should fly from Rotorua to the South Island instead.

When it comes to scenery, I've never found Blenheim especially attractive. Last time we went wine tasting in Marlborough, we stayed in nearby Picton.

So give ourselves plenty of time to get to Wellington area, more than 1 day, just in case?

Looks like there are lots of flights from Wellington to Blenheim. My husband just mentioned a few days ago that someone we talked with recommended dropping the rental car in Wellington and flying to the South Island. I will check on car rentals there (I only drive an automatic)

Without starting a new thread wondering how all of you feel about travel dates (we're flexible)
We were thinking of leaving mid-late November until mid December. We like spring weather, but are we pushing it, is snow that common in December? Were roads closed in the Mountains?

I googled images of Bleneim and Picton, you're right Picton looks far more attractive, thanks!

No, snow is a bit strange for this time of year. It's summer, and in general it's been a dry and sunny one. This shows how unpredictable and changeable the weather can be. I don't think you have to worry about snow or ice at all, but you could encounter rainstorms, strong winds, cold, as well as very beautiful, warm and windless weather. If coming to the South Island, pack one outfit for cold, wind and rain (especially if you plan on tramping, kayaking, being on boats, going out at night). If you end up not needing these clothes, great! If need be, you can shop for such clothes after you've gotten here. NZ makes gorgeous and practical merino wool clothing.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/...hern-ski-field
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/...ing-wellington

In general, Nelson through Blenheim (top of the South Island) enjoy the most sunshine. The East Coast of the North Island can be pretty sunny, too.

Picton's nice. It faces the sound. It's a base for cruises onto Queen Charlotte Sound, and day walks on Queen Charlotte Track. There are also some scenic walks within Picton itself.
http://www.visitpicton.co.nz/index.p...do/activities/
It's way smaller than Blenheim.

I'd be surprised if you had trouble renting an automatic car. It's not like Southern Europe, where manual transmissions are common.

Central Otago can also be very sunny. Alexandra, in Central Otago, can be the hottest place in summer and the coldest place in winter.

4:30 AM thoughts

I won't cry for the rest of my life if we don't see Glow Worms and Hobbiton

I might cry for the rest of my life if we don't see enough of the scenery on the South Island


<after arrival, consider then flying on to the South Island>

I'm thinking we might do that.

We could start our "itinerary" on the top of the South Island, flying from Auckland to Blenheim, then staying somewhere for 4 nights to rest up, near wine and gorgeous scenery


If by the time we plan the South Island, we have a few days left, maybe then we'll plant to explore afew days closer to Auckland, Waiheke or west and north of Auckland.

So I'm going back through your wine and accommodation recommendations for the Nelson/Marlborough areas :)

Your North Island then is pretty busy. You can do both in a day just make sure you get the 10 am Hobbiton trip and allow about 2 hours over to Waitomo.
It's a shame to miss Waiheke but with limited time it's not the easiest place to get to.
Day 3 is a long day of driving. Get going early and stop for a coffee in Taupo - it's lovely there. The Desert Road has great scenery and if there is a bit of snow on Mt Doom it's even better.
I would stay as close to the ferry terminal as possible and not Petone. Wellington does have traffic problems as the motorway is also the State Highway and basically the one road in and out of Wellington.
Weather wise this November was just weird! Snow one week and really hot the next. However stick with your plan of coming here in Nov/Dec 2018. It gets too busy and booked up in Jan/Feb.

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear, we're going to totally skip the North Island to start with.

After we arrive in Auckland we will fly from Auckland to Blenheim, and pick up a rental car.

We'll plan to stay somewhere for 3-4 nights to rest up, near wine and gorgeous scenery, maybe in Picton or Havelock so we can visit the Marlborough area wineries/vineyards, then maybe 2 nights near Nelson area, then start driving south down the west coast

If by the time we plan everything we want to do on the South Island we have a few days left, maybe then once we fly back to Auckland, we'll plan to explore a few days close to Auckland, Waiheke or west and north of Auckland.

Wrenwood, I think it might be a good idea to start a new thread, as you mentioned, as your focus for this trip has changed, and because "Favorite Winery in New Zealand?" is no longer a good descriptor for your thread.

I suggest first making a list of what you'd like to see and do on the South Island, including a possible itinerary/route, with a reference to your earlier, winery and winery-accommodation focused thread. Then post it, entitling something like "South Island in Three Weeks or More."

Make sure to mention what you'd enjoy doing and seeing. For example, a lot of travelers to NZ note they'd like to do long or short hikes, kayaking, glacier ice climbing, white water rafting, jet-boating, scenic flights, Lord of the Ring location tours, fine dining, cheap eats, seeing mountains and lakes, cruising fiords, and so on. This will help folks in making suggestions.

I think it's better you change your mind now (with respect to itinerary) rather than after you've booked your international and domestic flights.

Havelock is not as practical for visiting wineries, as Picton. But it's a great place for a meal of Green Lipped Mussels, as it's the “Green Lipped Mussel Capital of the World".

Whether you stay in Picton or Blenheim, when driving to (or from) Havelock, you'll want to take pretty Queen Charlotte Drive. It's very winding, though, so wouldn't want to do this until well-rested. You also might want to stop, or make side-trips, along the way.
https://www.newzealand.com/my/featur...arlotte-drive/

One thing I didn't mention about flying into or out of Queenstown, is that if the weather is clear, you might be treated to a nice view of the Southern Alps.

More about that flight from Auckland to Queenstown:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/new...ectid=11708138

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/travel/tri...iVZ?li=BBqdk7P

If you're thinking of flying on Air New Zealand--if you haven't yet done so--sign up to receive regular updates by email on their latest fares, packages, and offers. Sometimes these special fares are accompanied by other inducements such as a free domestic flight or no charge for an extra checked bag. Planning so far ahead you'll have time to wait for a good deal on airfare.

You might enjoy this article just published about Cental Otago rosè. When you get to Central Otago, do try some. Those mentioned in the article are good choices. Central Otago's Terra Sancta also makes a good one.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/f...otago-wineries