Help with Aus/NZ trip
Jun 22nd, 2003, 06:24 PM
#1
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Help with Aus/NZ trip
I'm planning a 6-week trip to Australia and New Zealand, beginning mid-October. The Australia part of the trip is already pretty well defined, but I could use some help with the New Zealand part.
I'll be starting in Christchurch, and plan to drive the South Island first, then North Island, ending in Auckland prior to flying home.
With the exception of major cities, I'll probably not have any lodging reservations (planning to stay at B&B's, motels wherever we decide to stop for the night).
Some questions:
My exact driving itinerary isn't firmed up yet, except I expect to divide the time 15 days South Island, 12 days North Island (this includes time sightseeing in the major cities).
Some questions:
1. Does this amount of time sound reasonable?
2. Will I need advance reservations at that time of year for the Milford Sound cruise or the ferry between islands?
3. Will I even need advance reservations in the major cities (I assume I will)?
4. Any suggested itineraries, and things not to miss, would be appreciated.
Thanks.
I'll be starting in Christchurch, and plan to drive the South Island first, then North Island, ending in Auckland prior to flying home.
With the exception of major cities, I'll probably not have any lodging reservations (planning to stay at B&B's, motels wherever we decide to stop for the night).
Some questions:
My exact driving itinerary isn't firmed up yet, except I expect to divide the time 15 days South Island, 12 days North Island (this includes time sightseeing in the major cities).
Some questions:
1. Does this amount of time sound reasonable?
2. Will I need advance reservations at that time of year for the Milford Sound cruise or the ferry between islands?
3. Will I even need advance reservations in the major cities (I assume I will)?
4. Any suggested itineraries, and things not to miss, would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Jun 22nd, 2003, 08:14 PM
#2
Les -
Yes, 15 days on the South and 12 days on the North should give you enough time to hit the highlights in NZ, although it's very easy to spend alot more time, as there's so much to see and do.
It may be a good idea to book a few days ahead for the Milford Sound cruise, as it's very popular.
Because you're traveling in the low season, I doubt you'll need to book your lodging in advance, in the cities or otherwise, unless you'll be in town during a festival of some kind. Labour Day is October 27th this year, so you may want to book in advance over that particular weekend. Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day is October 24, so that may also be a busy time if you're in the Hawke's Bay area.
Highlights of the South Island include Milford and Doubtful Sound, the glaciers on the West Coast, Mt Cook, Abel Tasman, and numerous walking tracks across the island.
If you're into cities, you'll probably want to spend some time in Christchurch and Dunedin.
Queenstown is a very pretty city, albeit quite touristy, and it's an adventurer's paradise with bungy jumping, jet boat trips, white water rafting, you name it.
If you're a wine drinker, you might want to consider spending some time in the wine regions of Nelson, Blenheim and Motueka.
If you prefer quieter areas, you may want to consider the thermal resort of Hanmer Springs.
One of my personal favorites is the Marlborough Sounds and the wineries of the Marlborough region.
There's so much to see and do, it's hard to narrow down.
I'll leave the North Island to those who are more familiar with it.
Yes, 15 days on the South and 12 days on the North should give you enough time to hit the highlights in NZ, although it's very easy to spend alot more time, as there's so much to see and do.
It may be a good idea to book a few days ahead for the Milford Sound cruise, as it's very popular.
Because you're traveling in the low season, I doubt you'll need to book your lodging in advance, in the cities or otherwise, unless you'll be in town during a festival of some kind. Labour Day is October 27th this year, so you may want to book in advance over that particular weekend. Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day is October 24, so that may also be a busy time if you're in the Hawke's Bay area.
Highlights of the South Island include Milford and Doubtful Sound, the glaciers on the West Coast, Mt Cook, Abel Tasman, and numerous walking tracks across the island.
If you're into cities, you'll probably want to spend some time in Christchurch and Dunedin.
Queenstown is a very pretty city, albeit quite touristy, and it's an adventurer's paradise with bungy jumping, jet boat trips, white water rafting, you name it.
If you're a wine drinker, you might want to consider spending some time in the wine regions of Nelson, Blenheim and Motueka.
If you prefer quieter areas, you may want to consider the thermal resort of Hanmer Springs.
One of my personal favorites is the Marlborough Sounds and the wineries of the Marlborough region.
There's so much to see and do, it's hard to narrow down.
I'll leave the North Island to those who are more familiar with it.
Jun 23rd, 2003, 09:05 PM
#5
Les -
I see no one has added any suggestions for the North Island yet, so I guess I'll share what little I know.
We visited the North Island as part of a five week trip that included both islands of NZ and a tiny part of Australia. We barely scratched the surface of the North Island as there just wasn't enough time.
On the North Island we stayed in Wellington, Napier, Rotorua, Waitomo, Whitianga and Whangarei. We drove through Auckland, but chose not to stay there as we're not city people.
Rotorua is a popular tourist stop on the North Island - hot springs, geysers and many Maori cultural activities.
Napier is known for it's art deco buildings and there are many wineries in the area (Hawke's Bay).
Waitomo is known for it's limestone caves and there are many activities there such as rafting through caves, abseiling, etc.
Whitianga is located on Mercury Bay and offers activities such as swimming with dolphins, sea kayaking, tramping, etc.
Whangarei is a popular spot for diving and fishing (we went there so my husband could do some scuba diving).
If you need more suggestions or help with your itinerary feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I can offer more help with the South Island, but I'm not as familiar with the North Island.
Hope this helps.
I see no one has added any suggestions for the North Island yet, so I guess I'll share what little I know.
We visited the North Island as part of a five week trip that included both islands of NZ and a tiny part of Australia. We barely scratched the surface of the North Island as there just wasn't enough time.
On the North Island we stayed in Wellington, Napier, Rotorua, Waitomo, Whitianga and Whangarei. We drove through Auckland, but chose not to stay there as we're not city people.
Rotorua is a popular tourist stop on the North Island - hot springs, geysers and many Maori cultural activities.
Napier is known for it's art deco buildings and there are many wineries in the area (Hawke's Bay).
Waitomo is known for it's limestone caves and there are many activities there such as rafting through caves, abseiling, etc.
Whitianga is located on Mercury Bay and offers activities such as swimming with dolphins, sea kayaking, tramping, etc.
Whangarei is a popular spot for diving and fishing (we went there so my husband could do some scuba diving).
If you need more suggestions or help with your itinerary feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I can offer more help with the South Island, but I'm not as familiar with the North Island.
Hope this helps.
Jun 24th, 2003, 05:52 PM
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Mel,
Thanks for the additional info. It does appear that the South Island gets most of the attention, but we're going to devote a lot of time to the North Island also.
And thanks for offering your help; we'd appreciate an experienced opinion once we finalize our itinerary.
I do have a few more questions for you (or anyone else who'd like to contribute.
Our current plans show us in NZ from Nov. 2 to Nov. 30 (2003, of course). Do you know what the weather is like at that time of year?
When does school let out (we were told it was sometime around the beginning of December)?
Are there any national holidays during that time period that we should plan around.
Also, do you know if it's possible to rent scooters for local sightseeing (small, Vespa-type scooters, around 50cc)? We'd like to do that whenever possible during our trip. My wife and I are experienced scooterers (is that a word?). We own a couple, and living in Denver, we're used to scootering through canyons and in the mountains. However, my wife doesn't have a motorcycle license (required here for anything bigger than 50cc), so I need to know if we can rent the small scooters in NZ, or if they'll rent larger ones without a special license.
Again, thanks for your help.
Les
Thanks for the additional info. It does appear that the South Island gets most of the attention, but we're going to devote a lot of time to the North Island also.
And thanks for offering your help; we'd appreciate an experienced opinion once we finalize our itinerary.
I do have a few more questions for you (or anyone else who'd like to contribute.
Our current plans show us in NZ from Nov. 2 to Nov. 30 (2003, of course). Do you know what the weather is like at that time of year?
When does school let out (we were told it was sometime around the beginning of December)?
Are there any national holidays during that time period that we should plan around.
Also, do you know if it's possible to rent scooters for local sightseeing (small, Vespa-type scooters, around 50cc)? We'd like to do that whenever possible during our trip. My wife and I are experienced scooterers (is that a word?). We own a couple, and living in Denver, we're used to scootering through canyons and in the mountains. However, my wife doesn't have a motorcycle license (required here for anything bigger than 50cc), so I need to know if we can rent the small scooters in NZ, or if they'll rent larger ones without a special license.
Again, thanks for your help.
Les
Jun 26th, 2003, 03:02 AM
#7
Les - refer to the following site for NZ school holidays:
www.tapeka.com/schoolholidays.htm
The weather should be warming up at the time of your visit - we usually visit in September, and we always get a mixed bag of weather (particularly on the South Island).
I don't have any first hand experience with scooters, but you might want to check out the following site - www.nzbike.com.
www.tapeka.com/schoolholidays.htm
The weather should be warming up at the time of your visit - we usually visit in September, and we always get a mixed bag of weather (particularly on the South Island).
I don't have any first hand experience with scooters, but you might want to check out the following site - www.nzbike.com.
