Hi, my husband and I are heading for a 23 day trip to NZ in April. After much reading up and evaluating I have come up with a detailed itinerary. I would really appreciate it if all you guys can look at it and give me your feedback, as well as answer the many questions that still have to be resolved. I am breaking up the itinerary into three posts to be on the safe side. The assumptions I have made are that although we are ok with driving, wherever we can, we take some sort of public transport so that both of us can stare out of the window. Also, any driving we do will avoid big cities such as Wellington and Auckland, I just don’t feel comfortable handling traffic in new cities. And I’m sure some if not most of you will think it is fairly rushed, but that’s unfortunately all the time we have and we would like to see as much as possible. We plan on budgeting NZD 100 per night for accommodation unless something really warrants more, so any leads would be really helpful. So here goes :<BR><BR>Day 1 : Arrive in Auckland at around 10.00. Get to the city by 12.00 Have an hour to browse around before catching a bus to Paihia at 1.30. Reach Paihia at 5.30. Check out Russell, Waitangi, etc. Question : Any recommendations for stay here ? <BR><BR>Day 2 : Day trip to Cape Reinga. Mostly Fullers Cape Wanderer Trip. Question : Is a trip to the cape really worth it or should we do something else ?<BR><BR>Day 3 : Swim with the dolphins trip conducted by Fullers. Depart Paihia at 3.00 p.m. by bus arriving Auckland at 7.00 p.m. Question : Does the swim with the dolphin trip also cover the Hole in the Rock ? We will have time for only one half day cruise and would rather do the swim here than in Kaikoura where it might be colder.<BR><BR>Day 4 : Depart Auckland for Rotorua by bus. Arrive Rotorua around 12.30. Pick up rental car. Spend rest of day in Rotorua. Question : Accomodation ?<BR><BR>Day 5 : Also in Rotorua. We plan to cover Whakarewarewa, Waiotapu, Polynesian Spa. Also plan to do Kaituna Rafting and a Redcat plane flight. Questions : Is the Tamaki Maori village evening hangi worth it ? Should we also visit Waimangu and Hells Gate ? Should we plan on any 4WD excursion to Mt. Tarawera, or any other activities ?<BR><BR>Day 6 : We will either drive or take the Waitomo Wanderer bus to Waitomo and spend the day there. Question : Which caving activity, Lost World 7 hour, Lost World 4 hour or Black Water Rafting; do the Lost World trips also include black water rafting ? Depending on which we decide, if completed by 4.00 p.m. we can take the bus back to Rotorua, else we stay over in Waitomo, in which case any ideas on accommodation ?<BR><BR>Day 7 : Depart Rotorua/Waitomo for Taupo. In Taupo, will cover tandem skyjumping, huka falls twilight cruise, tongariro flightseeing, craters of the moon and Orakei Reserve. Question : Accomodation and any ideas on who to take for the Tongariro flightseeing ? Sadly, we will not have time for doing the Tongariro Crossing.<BR><BR>Day 8 : Depart Taupo to Napier. Return the rental car and have a walk about town. Catch the bus at 1.30 for Wellington. Arrive Wellington at 6.30. Question : Accomodation ?<BR><BR>Day 8 : Wellington. Will cover Te Papa, Parliament Buildings, Cable car. Also have to leave some time for a business meeting.<BR><BR>Will continue in another post.<BR>

Continuing from my post above :<BR><BR>Day 9 : Depart Wellington by Lynx interislander reaching Picton around 10.30. Pick up rental car. Can either drive to Nelson straightaway and browse around Nelson, or first do a 3 hour cruise around the Charlotte Sounds and then drive to Nelson. Question : Accomodation in Nelson or around ?<BR><BR>Day 10 : Day trip to Abel Tasman. Question : Any ideas on who to go with for a day’s kayak and walk trip, or any other ideas on how best to view the best of the park in a day ? Return to Nelson.<BR><BR>Day 11 : Early start to Kaikoura. Whalewatch Kaikoura taking the trip departing at 10.00 a.m. Finish and drive to Christchurch. Return car. Question : Accomodation in Christchurch ?<BR><BR>Day 12 : Take the Transalpine next morning arriving at Gerymouth at 1.30. Pick up car and drive south to Glaciers. Question : Which glacier and where to stay ?<BR><BR>Day 13 : Spend the morning at a helihike. Depart glaciers in the afternoon for Wanaka through the Haast Pass. Question : Any recommendations on the helihike, or should we do a half day walk or a ski plane landing, or a traverse fixed wing flight ? Lots of confusion here. Also, accommodation in Wanaka ? <BR><BR>Day 14 : Depart Wanaka for Queenstown. Return car. We plan on doing a few activities here, so far have decided on rafting, bungy, Shotover jet, helicopter flight. Probably will take a combo that lets us do these for less. Also plan on taking the TSS Earnslaw regular 90 minute trip and a visit to the Gondola. Any other activities anyone recommends, any short hikes, half day excursions,? And accommodation in Queenstown, don’t mind going a little over budget here <BR><BR>Day 15 : In Queenstown completing the rest of the above activites.<BR><BR>Day 16 : Take a bus trip to Milford Sound. Now here, we want to leave from Queenstown, but on the way back , we will get off at Te Anau. Any coach company that will let us do that ? Accomodation in Te Anau ?<BR><BR>Will continue in the final post.<BR>

Picking up where I left off earlier :<BR><BR>Day 17 : Depart Te Anau at 12.30 in the afternoon for the overnight trip to Doubtful Sound.<BR><BR>Day 18 : Return from Doubtful Sound to Te Anau around 12.30. Pick up rental car. Drive south to Invercargill and the Catlins. Question : Any car rental company that will let us pick up a car in Te Anau and drive through the Catlins ? Also, to ease the pressure on next day’s driving, we would like to go beyond Invercargill and stay overnight somewhere in the Catlins. How far do you think we should go today and where can we stay ?<BR><BR>Day 19 : An early start and continue our drive through the Catlins, arriving at Dunedin at around noon. In the afternoon take an eco tour of the Otago Peninsula. Question : Which tour ? Accomodation in Dunedin ?<BR><BR>Day 20 : This is going to be a very long day, but no choice. Drive to Mount Cook and spend a couple of hours there. Plan to do a boat ride on the glacial lake, and a last attempt at any flightseeing, in case things have not worked out at Franz Josef and Fox due to bad weather. Drive on to through Lake Tekapo and Geraldine to Christchurch. Return car. <BR><BR>Day 21 : Morning flight to New Plymouth to visit friends. Would like to squeeze in a visit to the Antarctic Center but may not have time sadly.<BR><BR>Day 22 : Morning flight to Auckland. Spend the day relaxing with a harbour cruise, last minute shopping or a ferry ride to Waiheke or Devonport. Plan on staying at ACB or City Central Hotel.<BR><BR>Day 23 : Depart for home.<BR><BR>Couple of general questions also. Have some information about weather expected, but what times would the sun rise and set in April ? Any good car rental company that will let me do all this hopping around ? I know that’s a lot of information, but any help or feedback would be great. I promise to put up a detailed trip report when I come back ! Thanks a ton in advance.<BR><BR>Dimple

I haven't read all of your itinerary because quite frankly i'm exhausted after the first three days and need a holiday to recover. You are very unrealistic with some of your expected activities in the one day, for instance Waimangu and Hells Gate in Rotorua are a long way apart and take at least three hours to see each properly.<BR>I'd say reassess all this by looking at the website www.purenz.com and then pick out the stops that appeal the most. I just read two more days and you might make the Guiness book of records if you achieve half of it.

Day 1 : How are you getting from Paihia to Waitangi (they are about 5km from each other)? I don't know how far you are flying, but it seems overly optimistic to expect to accomplish a lot on your first day, particularly if you have crossed a lot of time zones.<BR><BR>Day 2 : Cape Reinga is nice, but particularly in light of my 1st day comments, I would suggest instead a boat tour of the Bay of Islands out of Paihia.<BR><BR>Day 3 : You can take a combination swim with dolphins and Motukokako (Hole in the Rock)tour (Kings Tours does it).<BR><BR>Day 4 : Why not rent a car in Auckland and drive to Rotorua? Should be cheaper and will save you some time. Don't know what you think of B&amp;Bs, but we enjoyed our stay with John and Maureen Hunt, on their farm on the slopes above Rotorua.<BR><BR>Day 5 : Skip the Polynesian Spa. It is just a hot smelly swimming pool. While the evening hangi is certainly 'touristy', it was still interesting and fun - I would do it. Could have lived without the tour guides inducing us to sing while the bus circled roundabouts though. I don't see how you can fit in everything you listed today. Whakarewarewa could take a half day alone.<BR><BR>Day 6 : Lost World trips do not include blackwater rafting. Which do you prefer, abseiling (rapelling) or floating? For me, the exciting 20 minute abseil is followed by hours of slogging through pools and tunnels. I'd rather float.<BR><BR>Day 7 : Again, driving to Taupo, doing Craters of the Moon and Orakei Kokako will pretty much do your whole day. I'd suggest taking the chairlift up the Whakapapa Skifields, on Ruapehu.<BR><BR>Day 8 : Again, why not keep the rental car and drive on to Wellington, then return it there.<BR><BR>Day 8 : The Planetarium near the top of the cable car is fun.<BR><BR>

Day 9 : I'd just drive to Nelson to recover from your whirlwind North Island tour! Another B&amp;B suggestion: John and Zelma Stanley live at the top of Takaka Hill, with a sweeping view of the entire Tasman Bay and Nelson Valley.<BR><BR>Day 10 : There are several similar kayak companies in Nelson. A fun thing to do is get you and your kayak dropped off by water taxi, then paddle back.<BR> <BR>Day 11 : Another long day! I'd suggest heading straight to the glaciers from here, then doing Kaikoura &amp; Arthurs Pass at the end of your trip.<BR><BR>Day 12 : Both glaciers are quite similar. I think Fox is prettier, but others disagree. We liked Punga Grove Motel.<BR><BR>Day 13 : A helicopter can land you on a more isolated spot which is better for walking around. The low-level trip up the glacier itself is worthwile too. <BR><BR>Day 14 &amp; 15: I don't see how you can do more than rafting, bungy-jumping, a jet boat, and a helicopter flight in one day. The gondola ride is worth it.<BR><BR>Day 16 &amp; 17: Keep the car and drive to Milford. There are a lot of nice stops along the way. That overnight Doubtful Sound trip is great!<BR><BR>Day 18 : A really nice B&amp;B near the Catlins is June and Murray Stratford's farm in Progress Valley. Despite that, I think that you should skip Invercargil and the Catlins, and head straight for Dunedin, via Gore and Balclutha.<BR><BR>Day 19 : The Taiaroa Head Royal Albatross Colony is worth it, as is a tour of the Penguin Place Conservation Reserve. <BR><BR>Day 20 : If you do a flightseeing trip at the glaciers that goes up to Mt. Cook, you don't need to do another flight here.<BR><BR>Day 21 : I would rearrange your itinerary, skipping the TranzAlpine and Kaikoura until now. Take a round-trip train from Christchurch to Arthurs Pass and return, allowing a few hours for walking around at the pass. This is the most spectacular part of the train ride.<BR><BR>Day 22 &amp; 23: Your itinerary is so tight, I would visit your friends in New Plymouth, fly on to Auckland, then board a plane for home.<BR><BR><BR>Overall, it looks like you are trying to kill yourselves by seeing too much. Given your ambitious timetable, I would abandon all of your public transportation and multiple car drop off/pick up plans. Rent a car in Auckland when you arrive, then return it in Wellington. Rent a car in Picton, and return it in Christchurch. Also, I would skip Invercargil and the Caitlins to make up time. <BR>

I recently returned from NZ, and I have to say you are very lucky to be able to spend 23 days there! <BR><BR>We had around 10 days to spend in the South Island, and unfortunately I have to second Kathy's opinion that your planned itinerary there is likely physically impossible. Please reconsider - you really do have to make the tough choices and take some things out. For example, I would suggest just picking one sound, Milford or Doubtful Sound, for an overnight trip. <BR><BR>Be aware the roads in NZ can be very winding and slow going. They are incredibly scenic, with many interesting short hikes and turnoffs set up the Dept. of Conservation, so you will be stopping frequently to enjoy the view, have a picnic, stretch your legs, etc. <BR><BR>I don't like driving, yet I found that the drives were actually one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip, because we took them leisurely. We made sure not to have 2 long drives on consecutive days, for example. The tour companies can arrange bus transport to the sights (like Milford) so you can have an opportunity to rest and look out the window.<BR><BR>I would also suggest just keeping the same car the entire time on the S. Island. Train and intercity coach service is fine but you will need to be flexible. You don't want to spend your valuable time at rental counters! Driving in smaller towns like Queenstown and Nelson is not stressful at all; Christchurch and Dunedin are bigger, but you can just park and walk.<BR><BR>Most companies will allow you to drop off the car at a different location; pick up in Picton, return in Christchurch is very common. <BR><BR>Specific recommendations: We used Abel Tasman Enterprises for a kayak/walk day trip, we were very happy with them. On Franz Josef, we did a 1/2 day hike with Franz Josef Glacier guides (excellent) and stayed at Punga Grove (might be a bit pricier than you were looking at, but very nice accommodations). <BR><BR>Have fun - NZ is an awesome experience.

I too think that your plans are a little to much for that lenght of time. We spent 7 full weeks, 3 1/2 on each and it is still a stretch. The roads are not suitable for high speed driving and anyway the scenery is so incredible that you should stop and enjoy it. Email me at [email protected] and I have an eight page report on our travels that may help you make some decisions. Wendy

Thanks everyone for jumping in, your replies underline our concern as well, hence the posting in the first place ! However, to clarify a few things, firstly, in terms of what we do in a place once we get there, we are flexible, when I have named certain things it is more to get a feedback from people as to whether they enjoyed doing them or seeing them rather than stating that we will do everything. For example Kathy, the implied question is does one really need to see Waimangu and Hells Gate having seen Whakarewarewa. Also, I understand the sense in driving through and through, but my husband does not drive and that is why we thought of a mix of driving and public transport so that we can both sit back and relax on those days. Alf, we are travelling from Bombay, India, which is why we decided on taking the bus to Paihia on day one, it will give us some time to unwind as well. Also Essie, we plan on doing only one overnight trip on Doubtful Sound, Milford is just a day trip. Wendy, thanks I have already asked for and received your trip report. Thanks also to everyone for clearing up some of our doubts such as what to do in Waitomo, and which operators to use in Abel Tasman and the Glaciers. <BR>All things considered, we will rework, maybe leave out the Catlins as Alf has suggested, although I hear it is beautiful down there. Any other suggestions, esp with regard to accommodation and any unanswered questions will be most appreciated. I understand everyone’s concerns about how ambitious we are being, but who knows when and if we’ll be back. In the meantime, thanks again and keep those suggestions coming. <BR><BR>Dimple<BR>

The Catlins are past just being pretty. It is another whole side of life. Only if you really can't make it there would I give it up. It is so scenic and there is so much history that I would think twice. Use the holiday parks, if you don't have a tent rent a cabin and the hostel system is great. Aucklands via duct is worth severl hours and it is a lovely city. Don't let anyone sell you short. Tnere is so much to see and do I would spend more time researching what you are intersted in. Queenstown is awesome for extreme sports and we loved it but there is so much more to see.

Leave out Hells Gate, too isolated from other attractions you want to do in Rotorua, Whaka is the closest to the city hence the most visited, bit overcommercialised these days, Waiotapu is my favourite. Go to the Tamaki hangi, I have seen a documentary on it and it has been well recommended.<BR>No, you don't swim with dolphins on the Hole in the rock trip.<BR>You will find plenty of accom options in the pure.com website. You could pre-book or go with the flow and just turn up, all motels post vacancy signs outside and unless it's easter you will always find accomodation on the day.

Sorry, I mean't purenz.com website