Help with NZ Itinerary
 

Hi,

My husband and I will be traveling to NZ for 15 days this November. We're flying to Auckland and want to spend most of our time in the South Island. We have our itinerary in a good spot, but would love people's input on things we could improve or things we should take into account.

My questions are:

• Would you stay longer in some places to make it less rushed? We don't want to have very long drives, but we could consider one longer drive if it improves the flow of our trip.
• Would you do the Milford or Doubtful Sounds overnight cruise?
• Do you think Waiheke Island is worth it? Or would you stay in Queenstown for another night, or even somewhere else? We don't want to travel to Auckland the same day as our departure, but we could travel one day before.
• Any other things to consider?

Day 1 – Auckland

Arrive in Auckland at 4:55 a.m., take it easy, and have a light dinner.

Day 2 – Auckland

Waitomo Caves day trip (~2.5 hrs each way)

Day 3 – Lake Tekapo

Fly Auckland → Christchurch in the morning, drive 3 hrs to Lake Tekapo; stargazing at Mt John Observatory.

Day 4 – Mount Cook

Morning at Lake Tekapo (Church of the Good Shepherd, lake walk), drive ~1 hr to Mount Cook; explore short trails.

Day 5 – Mount Cook

Hooker Valley Track hike (~3 hrs easy)

Day 6 – Wanaka

Drive Mount Cook → Wanaka via Lindis Pass (~2.5–3 hrs); scenic stops, relax by lake, dinner in Wanaka.

Day 7 – Wanaka

Fly fishing (half or full day), optional Rippon Vineyard

Day 8 – Queenstown

Drive Wanaka → Queenstown (~1 hr); adventure activities (jet boat, gondola, bungee)

Day 9 – Queenstown

Optional Glenorchy day trip (~45 min drive each way), or stay in queenstown

Day 10 – Queenstown → Milford Sound

Drive or coach to Milford Sound (~4 hrs); board overnight cruise (kayaking, dinner onboard, stargazing).

Day 11 – Milford Sound → Queenstown

Morning cruise return, drive back to Queenstown

Day 12 – Queenstown

Free day in Queenstown

Day 13 – Waiheke Island

Fly Queenstown → Auckland in the morning; ferry to Waiheke Island (~40 min); wine tasting, sunset dinner.

Day 14 – Waiheke → Auckland

Morning beach walk or brunch; ferry back to Auckland; light afternoon exploring, overnight in the city.

Day 15 – Auckland → Home

Relaxed morning, head to the airport around 1:30–2:00 p.m. for a 4:55 p.m. international flight.



Thank you!

Looks like a pretty well thought out plan. If it were me, I'd lump Auckland onto one end or the other, not both. Saves a trip to/from the airport.

Keep in mind that weather is always an issue, and you've not left any time for flexibility in Mt Cook and Milford if the weather is bad, but I also realize holiday time is limited.

I'm personally not a fan of two night stays, as it only leaves one full day for exploring. Those scenic drive days often take more time than one might expect, as there's often plenty of reasons to stop enroute.

Can't comment on Waiheke Island, never been, as the majority of our many trips have been to the SI.

Thank you! I was trying to find a balance between long drives and spending more time in certain places. If you could change things, would you stay longer in Mount Cook, Wanaka, or Queenstown?

Do you have more time, or are you limited to 14 nights?

I would spend 3 nights at Mt. Cook, which is what we did, and it was a good thing we had 3 nights there. Our first full day rained all day. Our second full day we had abundant sunshine so that is when we hiked the Hooker Valley Track, which was a highlight of our trip. If you have 2 full days of sunshine, there are other tracks you can hike after you finish the Hooker Valley Track. It's important to have a buffer day at Mt. Cook in case of inclement weather.

Given that you said you "want to spend most of our time in the South Island" , you do seem to be spending a lot of time on the North Island? Personally , my least favourite place in New Zealand is Auckland. Assuming that your flights are booked in =to and out of AUK, I would just fly straight on to Christchurch and fly back there the day before your international flight.

Tekapo (nice hike up to the observatory from the village) and Mount Cook I loved. Hooker Valley is a great hike but I heard recently that it had been closed so do check.
I preferred Wanaka town to Queenstown but would say QT is the more convenient of the two. Glenorchy is very pretty and I would certainly make the effort to pay it a visit. One thing that we tried to do from there but were foiled by the weather, was to take a helicopter ride out over the Southern Alps and the glaciers to Aoraki. Worth considering if the wether holds.

​​​​​​​We have visited Milford twice . The first time there was torrential rain the whole time we were there. The boat captain took pity on us and took us around twice! The second time we had great weather but frankly , it wasn't our favourite place in NZ by a long way. Yes, I know that many may disagree, but it is just my neceassrly subjective view. It is a big chunk out of your two weeks.

As mention in post #2 "Those scenic drive days often take more time than one might expect, as there's often plenty of reasons to stop enroute." couldn't agree more which is why every time we have been we have rented a camper van to get around. It enables you to cover more ground and see more in the time available. There are so many short hikes and viewpoints to stop at along the way that long drives just seem to melt away as you stop, enjoy and move on. Stopping for lunch wherever and whenever. The DOC and commercial campsites are amazing!

Thanks, everyone! I took your comments into account, and now we are planning to visit Waiheke on a day trip one day before our flight home. That way we have more time in the South Island and can be more flexible. Thanks for all the help!

To confirm, yes most of the Hooker Valley track is closed as a bridge was washed away. Fabulous part of the world though so still worth a visit.

Great itinerary! Just try not to pack in too much driving—give yourself extra time to enjoy each stop, especially places like Fiordland and Rotorua