My wife & I are planning to visit South Island from Dec 17th to Dec 28th. We are flying into Christchurch from Auckland on the morning of 17th.

We are trying to make up our minds on what places to visit but am getting very confused about what out itinerary should be. There are lots of places to see in 10 days.

A few questions for the group.

a) Should I fly directly into Queenstown instead of Christchurch? Are there any sightseeing places in Christchurch?

b) What are the must-see places in South Island? My wife & I are nature lovers and we would like to see scenic places more than any thing else.

c) Should I take a car for 10 days to drive around the island (or) use the Kiwi pass and fly between key cities, renting cars for short trips in each city.

Any itinerary you can suggest based on your experience will be greatly appreciated.

I would hire a car out of Christchurch, then drive a loop:
- Over Porters Pass and Arthurs Pass to Greymouth. One nice short hike would be to the Devil's Punchbowl waterfall, at Arthurs Pass.
- Side trip to Punakaiki and Paparoa Natnl Park. Visit Pancake Rocks at high tide for best view of blowholes. Raft trips down the Buller River Gorge are nearby.
- Drive down the coast past the gold-rush town of Ross. You could rent canoes or kayaks to go out onto Okarito Lagoon for bird-watching.
- Continue to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Take a guided walk up onto one of the glaciers. If you can afford it, also take a helicopter up a glacier for some high-altitude walking. Another nice walk or horseback-ride would be to nearby Lake Matheson.
- Continue driving to Haast, then inland over Haast Pass and down to Wanaka. Take a walk on one of the many trails in Mt. Aspiring Natnl Park, or the hills outside of Wanaka. Take a raft trip from Lake Wanaka down the Clutha River.
- Continue to Queenstown. Take the Skyline Gondola for spectacular views. If you like thrills, go bungy-jumping or jet-boating. Other activities include lake cruises or raft trips.
- Drive to Te Anau, then on to Milford. A fine hike can be taken off this road in the Hollyford Valley, up to Lake Marian. A nice walk is to The Chasm, after you drive through the Homer Tunnel. Take a cruise on Milford Sound, or head back through Te Anau for a cruise on Doubtful Sound. If you have the time and money, and overnight tour on Doubtful Sound is great.
- Drive to the east coast, through Gore and Balclutha. Visit Dunedin, then head out onto the Otago Peninsula to visit Penguins and Albatrosses.
- Head north along the coast to Oamaru, where you can see more penguins. Further north is the very interesting Moeraki Beach with its huge boulders.
- If time allows, head back inland through Twizel, to Mt. Cook. If not, continue along the coast back to Christchurch.

This itinerary is easily doable in 10 days without rushing. You will save time and enjoy driving through spectacular scenery if you just drive yourself along this route. Have fun!

I would say - do everything that Alf recommends. I did a heli-hike at Franz Josef which was spectacular. One of the cruises on either Milford or Doubtful Sound would be great. I also enjoyed the jetboat trips from Queenstown. The penguins on Otago are great. In a word, south island is great. I had 14 days there in March and am trying to get back next fall when the airfares will hopefully be cheaper.
Martha

To answer your question about sight seeing in Christchurch: The national museum (not sure of its name) is well worthwhile. Good exhibits on both natural and cultural history of NZ. The new art gallery is also good -- especially with regard to late 19th, early 20th century painting from NZ. Hot air balloon ride (also available in other places -- e.g., Queenstown) is very enjoyable. The itineraries suggested by others are excellent -- so far as what I have seen of it. However, if I were doing it again, I probably would fly into Queenstown and out from Christchurch.

Alf, Thanks for your comments. Could you also provide me some guidance in terms of where to stay along the routes you have suggested.

Thank you

We generally like to stay in B&Bs, or tourist flats in holiday parks, or camp. What sort of accommodations are you looking for?

We just returned & one of the prettiest flights I have ever had was out of Christchurch to Queenstown! Spectacular scenery! We stayed at the Heritage in Queenstown & it was fine & Radford's in Te Anau was one of the cleanest places I have ever stayed. Plus a nice view of the lake.