No, I do like Wellington. It is rather that there are other things nearby that always seem to be higher priorities. I've been to Te Papa and the Botanic garden, and walked along the waterfront, and taken the ferry, and once I took a half day tour around Wellington, visiting the government buildings and going out around the coast toward Lyall Bay.

The center of Wellington is rather small due to being hemmed in by the sea and the hills, and then the weather is often not very good!

On the other question, I stayed in Nelson and did Abel Tasman as a day trip, including a pickup and dropoff. I had taken a shuttle from Picton to Nelson.

It was partly because there were a few golf courses in Nelson that I wanted to play, I had found an interesting B&B in an old villa, and I wanted to knock off some of the car rental expenses.

thanks, again, mlgb.

I've had a look at Nelson, but not found any accommodation I like yet. Do you remember the name of your B&B?

did you arrange your trip to Abel Tasman as a private trip or do an organised tour?

I don't know if it exists anymore annhig. And if it did, I'm sure there are new owners.

It was north and west of the town center. Collingwood Manor would be similar in location and style.

Some of the water taxi companies offered a coordinated transfer from Nelson to Kaiteriteri or Marahau. I did the popular day walk from Bark Bay to Torrent Bay and then went back to Nelson.

Sorry just realized I told you the wrong quadrant...northeast of the town center.

You can use the street view in Google Maps to get an idea of the neighborhood.

I assume you mean Marahau annhig, not Maukua?

Of the three places you mention, Nelson has the most on offer from a café, shop and restaurant perspective. Motueka is a dullish country town, but offers food, café, shops and petrol along a main street and the added advantage of being closer to Abel Tasman. There's lots to do around Motueka though, and by that I mean outdoorsy things, sightseeing, exploring.

Marahau is basically at the doorstop of Abel Tasman - it's right there. It's basically a settlement, mostly accommodation and tour operators, maybe one café.

Then there's Kaikteriteri and Little Kaiteriteri.

Where you base yourself depends on what your main focus is - the park and outdoor attractions = Marahau, Kaiteriteri, Little Kaiteriteri

Easy access to the park but near food, shop and petrol options = Motueka, Upper Moutere

The city and an ~hour's drive to the park = Nelson

Here i am again, still worrying away at this itinerary like a dog with a bone.

this is version 7 [or 8!]

Nov 26 - land Auckland 14.00. Pick up car and drive to Roturua
Nov 27 - Roturua
Nov 28 - Drive to Wellington. Late night visit to Te Papa museum. [thanks for that tip, IC]
Nov 29 - afternoon ferry to Picton. Drive to Nelson [should be plenty of time for this if we get lunchtime ferry]
Nov 30 - Stay Nelson or Motueka
Dec 1 - Nelson or Motueka
Dec 2 - Drive to Hokitika
Dec 3 - Drive to Fox glacier/Franz Joseph
Dec 4 - Glacier day. Evening kiwi tour from Okarito.
Dec 5 -Drive to Wanaka
Dec 6 - Drive to Te Anua
Dec 7 - Stay Te Anau, with exursion to Milford Sound [afternoon cruise]
Dec 8, - drive to Queenstown, stay Villa del Lago [! can see why you like this place, Melnq!]
Dec 9, 10, - stay Queenstown, tour area
Dec 11 - drive to Mount Cook [Mount Cook lodge already booked - thanks, mlgb]
Dec 12 - drive to Lake Tekapo/Christchurch
Dec 13 - fly out.

I think that I'm now happy with the section AFTER the Glaciers. it's the bit before that's bugging me.

if we decide on one night in Wellington, are we making a mistake to miss out on a night at Picton/Marlborough? should we consolidate all our nights in Nelson or stay there one night and the other two in Motueka?

I know that you're probably bored rigid with this, but I feel that I just need a steer!

I think you've finally got a workable plan annhig.

You'll be coming from Australia right? So no worries about getting in a car right away when you get to the NI???

No, you're not making a mistake by missing a night in Picton/Marlborough. There are no rules, therefore no mistakes, just choices! To get a taste of the area, I suggest you take in the Queen Charlotte Drive from Picton to Havelock before you head to Nelson.

The only reason I see to break up Nelson/Motueka would be if you plan to spend a few hours in Nelson, and then concentrate on Abel Tasman the rest of the time, which is closer to Motueka. But since you plan to head to Hoki next, which is closer to Nelson, it really doesn't make much difference.

Switching accommodation for two short stays is just disruptive IMO, especially since Nelson and Motueka aren't all that far apart. It's just another one of those many choices.

Hi,
I'm working on a 2 weeks itinerary too, 99% in South Island only, using campervan n sleeping in them. Hope dont mind i use this thread for input ... Can i ask if it is doable to do Nelson-Christchurch drive in 1 day or am i making a mistake? I'm not sure if we have the time to do Nelson actually, so if this isnt doable i may have to scratch Nelson from our IT plan. It's mostly the Day 13 to Day 15 of my itinerary below that i'm not too sure off. Any input appreciated!

Day 1: Fly AUC-CHX. Arrive Auckland 13.05 pm from SG
DAY 2: pick up campervan at CHX - drive L.TEKAPO - sleep L.PUKAKI
Day 3: MT.COOK - TWIZEL - OAMARU
Day 4: The Moeraki Boulders and Dunedin
Day 5: Drive to Te Anau
Day 6: Milford Sound
Day 7: Buffer Day for Milford Sound/ or QT
Day 8: Queenstown
Day 9: Queenstown
Day 9: QT-Wanaka-Haast Pass
Day 10: Fox Glacier
(1/2 day walk)
Day 11: Fox - Hokitika - Greymouth
Day 12: Greymouth to Westport
Day 13: Greymouth/Lyell - Nelson
Day 14: Nelson
Day 15: Nelson - Hanmer Springs - CHX
Day 16: CHX morning - Botanics Garden - fly CHX-AUC
Day 17: AUC - SG

Note: my flight can only reach NZ by AUC. No. of days are already limited as above. I need to reach AUK by Day 16. We are travelling 3 of us, me, husband, and our 2 years toddler. We already factored in a day buffer (on Day7) in case bad weather in Milford Sound, we still have one day buffer, if not we will just spend extra day in QT/Wanaka.
i have to return campervan by 15.30.

ow n the above will be in Nov (14Nov-1 Dec)

Yes it's feasible to drive Nelson to Christchurch we do it often when we go visit relatives. It takes about 5 hours without stops, but you will probably stop for something to eat at Springs Junction, which is about half way. You actually have to turn off the highway to go to Hanmer, so that will use up more time depending on how long you stay there.

Hi Melodi -

I suggest you start your own thread, a simple cut and paste will work. It just helps us contributors keep threads straight and is less confusing.

No probs, Melodi - I'm very happy to share my thread, but as melnq says, probably better to start your own to get some responses tailored to your needs.

since i last posted here, our plans are in a bit of flux as the airline have changed the time of our outbound flight from Christchurch to Sydney from 14.00 to 07.30! so now we can't decide whether to spend an extra night in QT and fly to Christchurch the day before our flight out, or keep with our plans and drive back with an over night at Mt Cook.

also, we've decided to spend an extra night on NI expressly to see the boobies at Cape Kidnappers:

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photogra...nappers-colony

the final query is this: DH wants to see Kaikora, i want to spend a little time in Nelson.
we could drive straight to Kaikoura from Picton [about 2 hours,] over night there, then drive back to Nelson after doing a whale tour in the morning. or we could do it as a loooong sday trip from Nelson. or not do it at all! [I think the former is the best].

so now our itinerary looks [provisionally] like this:

Nov 26 - arrive at auckland airport at 15.00 drive to ?Thames [coromandel peninsular - about an hour from Auckland]
Nov 27 - drive to Napier - 5 hours? evening walk around Art deco area
Nov 28 - morning tour to Cape Kidnappers, pm wine tour
Nov 29 - drive to Wellington. after tour Te papa and botanical gardens
Nov 30 - ferry to Picton, drive to Kaikoura.
Dec 1 - whale tour, drive to Nelson
Dec 2 - Nelson boat trip
Dec 3 - drive to Franz joseph. [yes, i know this is all day]
Dec 4 - Glaciers
Dec 5 - drive to Wanaka
Dec 6 - drive to Te anau
Dec 7 - Milford Sound
Dec 8 - Drive to QT - stay 3/4 nights
Dec 9 - QT
Dec 10 - QT
Dec 11 - QT OR drive to Mount cook [about 2 1/2 hours]
Dec 12 - fly /drive to Christchurch [about 3 1/2 hours]
Dec 13 - early flight out of Christchurch.

thoughts, anyone, please?

When you drive back from Kaikoura to Nelson you could/should turn off at Blenheim rather than go all the way back to Picton to do the Queen Charlotte drive. It's probably at least an hour and a half to two hours to Blenheim, and then another hour and a half to Nelson.

You will not get the beautiful scenery of the Marlboruough Sounds going this way though but it is the regular route for the locals.

With your Nelson boat trip are you talking about a trip into Abel Tasman Park, are you catching this from Kaiteriteri. If so should stay that night somewhere near there, like Motueka.

Hi nelsonian,

thanks for the feedback. it looks like we are now going to be taking the afternoon ferry from Wellington to Picton, so I'm not sure about driving down to Kaikoura after that; we may just make for Nelson and see how we feel.

Do they not run boat trips out to Abel Tasman from Nelson? My researches suggest that they do, though obviously Kaiteriteri/Motueka is closer, but there seems to be more to do generally in Nelson.

too many decisions to make!

<Do they not run boat trips out to Abel Tasman from Nelson?>

There's a ferry during the summer months.

http://www.abeltasmanseashuttles.co....hp?cruiseid=19

thanks melnq - that's what I thought. and we will [just] be there when it's running.

in the meantime, I have been busy finding places to stay in the NI - B&Bs now booked in Thames, Napier, and Wellington. in the SI we've ended up with more motels than B&Bs - i don't know why.

Hi Nelsonian,
tx for your feedback!

Hi Melqn8, ok then i will start a new thread once i refine further my IT, wasnt just sure if it was the right thing to do, since the subject would look so similar like Annhig's..

Hi Annhig, hope u have a great time exploring NZ!

and you too, Melodi.

I'll be interested to see how you approach what i agree is a very similar itinerary, though you are spending linger getting from Fox/FJ to Nelson - why Greymouth AND Westport, I wonder? nothing I've read so far suggests that there is enough to warrant spending 2 nights between Nelson and the glaciers - what do you know that I don't?!

Anne yes there is a ferry from Nelson, but I was thinking that if you drove to Kaiteriteri that day, did a boat trip and stayed the night in Motueka, you would be that much closer to Murchison and the drive down to the West Coast. I would still spend a day and night in Nelson though beforehand.