Help with New Zealand Itinerary
 

We are planning a trip in Mid march to NewZealand and first time for us.. Please let me know if this makes sense..

Day 1 – Reach Auckland fly to Nelson and drive to Abel Tasman (Rent a car)
Day 2 - Abel Tasman
Day 3 - Abel Tasman
Day 4 - Abel Tasman/Fox Glacier - Travel day and try to stop at places of interest during the drive
Day 5 - Fox Glacier
Day 6 - Fox Glacier/Queenstown - Travel day and try to stop at places of interest during the drive
Day 7 - Queenstown
Day 8 - Queenstown/TE ANAU (Spend most of the day in Queenstown and reach TE ANANU in the evening)
Day 9 - TE ANAU (Milford sound cruise and a hike if possible)
Day 10 - TE ANAU/Dunedin  (Travel to Dunedin right after breakfast)
Day 11 - Dunedin
Day 12 - Return the car and fly back from Dunedin- Auckland and back home

We would like to do Routeburn day walk and trying to see if i can fit this in as well? Please let me know your suggestions.. I am not sure when i will be back, so would like to do lot of treks to enjoy the nature..

Does it make anything better if i do this in reverse from Dunedin to Nelson?

Abel Tasman to Fox Glacier is a VERY long drive, with lots of narrow, winding roads (about seven hours with no stops). I assume you're planning to drive via Murchison and Greymouth?

It can be very slow going and there are many reasons to stop en route, so I suggest you break up the drive in Punakaiki or elsewhere if you can.

Fox to QT is a similar drive distance, but its certainly doable, I've done it myself many times. Just make sure you leave early in the day and make a full day of it.

<<We would like to do Routeburn day walk and trying to see if i can fit this in as well?>>

Easily done. Just leave Te Anau early, take the walk on the way in to Milford (before the cruise) and then continue on to Milford. Or, do it in reverse, drive directly into Milford for an early cruise, then take your time driving back to Te Anau, stopping to walk the Routeburn along the way.

I've done both, both directions - I love the walk to Key Summit on the Routeburn - spectacular on a pretty day.

I don't see any benefit in reversing your itinerary, so pick the one that works best for you flight-wise.

Hello,

You have a very interesting itinerary. I can see that you really want to see the best of NZ and that's good! Your itinerary looks good too! As you will be in the road while traveling, you can take advantage of the scenery and how it changes as you move from one place to the next. If you can put more effort into it, see which routes are the best, this way you maximize the time that you're on the road.

In Abel Tasman, I suggest you try kayaking and sailing. It's the best way to see and enjoy the wonders of the national park so if you have time, go for it.

As for Queenstown, it's surrounded by a lot of small and beautiful towns, usually 20 minutes drive away. You can check out Arrowtown, it's an old, quaint town that provides you a glimpse of NZ history. Glenorchy is also a good alternative, it's 45 minutes away from Queensland and its main attraction is the lake. If you just want to chill and relax, then this is the place for you. And before you leave Queensland, make sure you have a wine tasting.

A lot of people go to New Zealand to try bungee jumping so if you're up for it, it will be an exceptionally new experience :)

Hope this helps. Have fun in New Zealand!

Agree with Mel that's a long drive on Day 4. I'd skip
Dunedin to give another day on the West Coast.
Yonderbound - it's Queenstown not Queensland.

To make the drives more do-able, I 2nd (or is it 3rd?) the recommend you forget about Dunedin this trip and fly out Queenstown. Thus:

Day 1 – Reach Auckland fly to Nelson and drive to Abel Tasman (Rent a car)
Day 2 - Abel Tasman
Day 3 - Abel Tasman
Day 4 - Abel Tasman/Punakaiki
Day 5 - Punakaiki/Fox Glacier
Day 6 - Fox Glacier
Day 7 - Fox Glacier/Wanaka
Day 8 - Wanaka/Te Anau
Day 9 - TE ANAU (Milford sound cruise and a hike if possible)
Day 10 - Te Anau/Queenstown
Day 11 - Queenstown
Day 12 - Return the car and fly back from Queenstown- Auckland and back home

Thanks for the suggestions.. I will remove Dunedin from the trip and add the days to Punakiki and Queenstown or Wanaka.. I was earlier trying to prevent single night hotel stays, but based on what you said it makes sense.
One more question is it better to stay in Nelson itself and go to Abel Tasman using the transport if any available every day and rent the car when i start to Punakiki..Or better stay near Abel Tasman from Day 1 itself as i mentioned earlier.

One more thing i noticed is that there is Warbirds Over Wanaka International Air show last week of March.. Any ideas.. Is is gonna be too crowded that i should avoid Queenstown around that time..

Yes it will be packed out..and accommodation hard to find if not impossible. Go somewhere else if you can and back to Wanaka when it's over.

Reverse your trip if it places your nights in Queentown/Wanaka outside of the Warbirds Weekend.

I'd stay Kaiteriteri (beautiful beaches!) for the time at Abel Tasman. Remember that the cost of the shuttle may make keeping the car more affordable.

I'd recommend staying in one of the little cabins or lodges close to Abel Tasman. I absolutely love it there. Loved Punakaiki, too.

I also recommend Skipper's Canyon in Queenstown.