Help with New Zealand Adventure
 

Plan on being in Aucland 10/28 and leave 11/12. Will be first trip. Planning on driving from Auckland down to Queenstown, stopping along way sightseeing. To get back to Auckland is their train service from Queenstown (how long would it take). From south island, would Queenstown be most practical city to fly bck to Auckland? Any help be appreciated, first trip to NZ

I assume you mean two weeks in all. If so you will have to motor like the wind to get thru, good luck on that. How much study have you really done, have you considered that we do not have straight motorways from top to bottom and many towns and cities to slow you down on your way thru? Also only going in one way does not give you the chance to see both coasts. With this amount of time the only practical way is to fly back from Queenstown to Auckland.
There is no train from Queenstown and never has been.
Suggest you do some research yourself starting with purenz.com

Well, Kerry I wouldn't call it a price war at all once the airport taxes etc are added, it doesn't compare anywhere near the European budget airlines.

Hi Kathy

I guess you are not in touch with the current, this week, prices!

The $NZ110 from Auckland to Queenstown direct INCLUDES ALL AIRPORT TAXES, GST - EVERYTHING. But it must be booked online.

For airfares that were selling for round $NZ600 last year it is a considerable reduction.

I have got mine for November - see you there.

Kerry

Kerry, that's fine but the $600 would have to be return and you said $110 one way, so $220 return. I just checked and the lowest I saw was $240 return, at the bottom it says local airport taxes could apply.
We have progressed slightly from the $800 return in the 1980's, anyway this person needs to book quickly to take advantage of any low prices or they will miss out.

Hi Kathy

Have a look at the www.qantas.com site and after 28 October you will get a $110 Auckland/Queenstown airfare. Air NZ is $120.

And sorry I went to Queenstown last year and the airfare was $1200 return - luckily I was not paying!

Kerry

Hi Kerry
I was reading an Aussie newspaper last week and saw that their national airline had been losing money while ours actually turned a profit. How interesting, they must be finally doing the right thing at last and with these price wars we can all benefit at last.