Hi, <BR> <BR> I need honeymooning help! I actually posted a similar question around 1/28, but can’t seem to find the darn thing anywhere…. Also, since the original post, in which one of the responses suggested that a September Honeymoon in New Zealand might yield questionable weather conditions, we have decided to postpone the Honeymoon until the weather will be potentially excellent. That was one of my original concerns anyway, after having done some research and realizing that many of the boating/kayaking/rafting excursions don’t even open until November (One of us is NOT a skier, so this would be a water trip). <BR>To give a background, we enjoy adventure and exploration. We would like to scuba dive or snorkel, white water raft, kayak and hike as well as rent a car and explore various other New Zealand wonders. We prefer to stay out of cities and away from people. As well, our ideal nightlife would be a cozy, quiet dinner for two tucked away somewhere special then off to bed. We are leaning more towards South Island at this point (mainly due to pictures we have seen and compared of both) but are open for suggestions. We can stay up to three weeks and have a budget of $10,000 (including airfare from Phoenix, AZ). <BR> <BR>So, here are my questions: <BR> <BR> When is the BEST time of year to visit New Zealand (preferably the South Island) for two people who prefer to be OUTSIDE of cities and would like to get the most out of New Zealand’s water sports? And if the month suggested is the height of the tourist season, how full of people are we talking about? Does New Zealand get jamb packed with people or will attractions and beaches still be manageable? Will reservations be impossible to get? <BR> <BR> And secondly, where are some spectacular places to stay (outside of the bigger cities)? Views are extremely important as well as decent if not great food. We would prefer to have a few “special” and more expensive stops worthy of a couple nights stay and considered a “honeymoon experience”, but we would also like to take one long road trip stopping wherever we ended up for the night. These places would just be “over-nighters” so could be lower key/lower priced places in the $50/night range. So a few planned stops for a couple of days would be ideal, then fluttering around while exploring would be great. Having never been to New Zealand, I have no idea if this is feasible. Are reservations at low keyed places a must or will “fluttering” be an option? <BR> <BR>Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! Please let me know if I can answer any more questions. Hopefully I will find this post again unlike the last time! <BR> <BR>Thank you! <BR>Paige and Jason <BR>

Hello Paige, <BR> I would love to help you plan that New Zealand honeymoon. I work with a tour operator that is actually in New Zealand and I just give him all the questions and wants from my clients and he makes a itinary and prices it for me. I would love to send over what you have written here and see what he comes up with to help you. Please email me ASAP to let me know if that is ok, so we can get started for you. <BR>Hope to hear from you soon <BR>Beth at Honeymoons4u

The South Island is incredible. We took the Hydrofoil from the North Island and it was like entering another world. It's so rural that it's difficult to even pick up an AM radio station. <BR> <BR>All of NZ is expensive but with our exchange rate now (.44) it helps. We enjoyed driving the countryside, stopping for sheep or cattle crossings, looking at seals on the beach, whatever. Kaikoura, (on the east coast of the South Island) has diving, whale watching. These are close to some of the deepest waters in the world and the most plankton rich. LOTS to see - small town, beautiful beach. We're not much on city life either, but fell in love with Dunedin. There was a great yellow-eyed penguin watch. Certain charm about this place. <BR> <BR>Queenstown, very commercial, VERY expensive, but very beautiful. Take the dinner cruise on the T.S.S. Ernslaw over to the sheep station and watch the sheep dogs work. <BR> <BR>Don't forget to try to hit the west coast around Fox Glacier. Beautiful hiking - stand on a glacier and look around at the ferns and tropics. What a trip!

We just returned from NZ, spent 6 days in Queenstown and 3 in Bay of Islands in the north. New Zealand is refreshingly uncrowded, even in high summer (and summer holidays, yet) when we were there. Queenstown was cool to me, in the 60's. We had some rain, but overall it was nice. We took a helicopter trip to Milford Sound (Milford is a 'must-do') and the heli was great fun and fast! The bus trip takes all day, we were there in 26 minutes! There is a new resort in Queenstown (out of the downtown area) called Blanket Bay. We didn't see it, but supposed to be very nice. Also Millbrook Resort is more of a golf resort, but very nice and well-located. <BR> <BR>The north island is much warmer, not as scenic, but still has its charms. Especially the Bay of Islands area, which is where most of the sailing (other than Auckland), diving, swimming, beaching is done. There is a lovely resort called Okiato Lodge in Paihia area. VERY nice. <BR> <BR>Feel free to e-mail with questions.

Hi Paige, <BR> <BR>Wish you a wonderful honeymoon, you won't go wrong in new zealand. For the south island, i was there this past november and temperatures were still very low and very cold. the best time to go is end of jan through feb. that's when you'll get the warmest weather - which is still about 70s. if you're from so. calif. you'll find it very cold otherwise. <BR>for the driving part of your trip, you may want to take the south and west coasts, around to the north, stopping at dunedin for 2 nights, Te Anau for 2 nights to see milford sound, and continue on north. for "resting" spots, i'd recommend queenstown, lots to do there. <BR>have fun!

one more thing. in Te Anau for a great view place definately reserve the Lakeside Motel - post card perfect view of te anau lake. <BR>This town doesn't have any "hotels" but is the only town through which you have access to milford sound, if you plan to drive there, which i highly recommend. its a 1.5 hour drive from the town and there's lots to do in te anau and the way to milford is very pretty.

Thanks everybody! These are GREAT responses. Please keep it coming! <BR> <BR>Does everyone agree that late January and February are the best/warmest months? <BR> <BR>One more question: I have heard that New Zealand is very INexpensive, so I was a bit confused hearing the second post say it was very expensive. What are your thoughts? Expensive or Inexpensive compared to the states? <BR> <BR>Thanks again! <BR>Paige

hi paige, just got back from the south island. ran into some pretty cold weather (mostly in the 50's) while we were there. the locals said it was unusually cool and it rained a lot while we were there. normally the weather is much warmer, 70-80s, but it rains in milford about 200 days a year! <BR>to see milford, i recommend going on an overnight trip (and pre-book this - it sells out pretty quickly). that way, if the weather's bad going there, you'll have a chance at good weather in the morning (or vice versa). that's exactly what happened to us. it was spitting rain on us all day on the way there. no views, but beautiful waterfalls and thundering rivers everywhere. the next morning, the sun came out and we finally saw what we missed! <BR>also don't miss the glaciers on the west coast. we helihiked on franz josef glacier, a huge thrill! try to stay a couple of days there, since the helicopters only go out on clearer, non-windy days. the helicopter ride over the glacier was amazing! <BR>queenstown is the place to go for a ton of different outdoor activities. if you like your rivers wild, try going on a rainy day, since it's wilder during rain. but still a fun time on a nice day. an alternative to queenstown is wanaka, not a far drive from the glaciers. it's smaller and quainter than queenstown. <BR>also, if you have time, kayaking in abel tasman (north west of south island) is supposed to be amazing. did not have time to go myself, but another friend raved about it. <BR>from my experience, it was really easy to find accomodations instead of pre-booking. just make sure you get into towns before 8pm, since a lot of reservation offices seem to close by then. <BR>in my opinion, if it weren't for the great exchange rate, this would have been a really expensive trip. the only thing i thought was on par with its prices were accomodation rates. i thought food and gifts were expensive if the prices were indeed 1 to 1 with ours. <BR>have a great honeymoon, <BR>tina

Tina, That is a great post! Thank you tons. It sounds like your trip is the kind of experience I am hoping for. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! <BR> <BR>Paige

Hi Paige; <BR> <BR>Just a couple of notes to add to what others have said. <BR> <BR>First off, NZ really is *not* that expensive, especially right now with the very, very favorable exchange rates. My wife and I found that you get a lot for your money in NZ; a huge range of motels (don't be put off--they're great!) run from 40-100 US dollars a night, and we found them to be clean, well-appointed and wholly acceptable. If you're willing to go towards the slightly more expensive end of the range, many have rooms with private jacuzzis/hot tubs, kitchens, living rooms, etc. There are of course hotels and B-and-B's in larger towns and cities, but you will give yourself many more options if you don't rule out staying in motels. They're much better than those in the states. <BR> <BR>We also found food--especially seafood--to be of excellent quality and not overpriced at all. Try Bluff oysters, naturale! <BR> <BR>On caveat: my comments mostly apply to the south island. We found we got less value for money on the north island, especially around Auckland and Rotorua. The south island is also better in terms of what you've said you're looking for. <BR> <BR>I'll finish by putting in another vote for a stay in Wanaka: it's absolutely honeymoon-perfect. <BR> <BR>

Hello Paige, <BR>The Far North of New Zealand has a lot to offer.All range of water sports,hiking etc.We have a B&B situated right on 90 Mile Beach at Ahipara,Northland.Please feel free to look at our website at www.shipwrecklodge.co.nz. Our activities,and picture page will give you some idea of what this area has to offer.Fell free to email us if we can be of help. <BR>Enjoy your honeymoon, <BR>Murray

Hi Paige, <BR> <BR>The Bay of Islands in New Zealand's Far North is the warmest place in the country during September/October, featuring pristine water and secluded beaches. <BR>You can dive on the Rainbow Warrior Wreck or at Cape Brett, Sea Kayak to any one of the Islands that dot the bay, Swim with the dolphins, Sail to a secluded beach for Lunch, hike through Kauri Forests and old Maori tracks. <BR>Then return to Kimberley Lodge in Romantic Russell for your special 'honeymoon experience' where a superb meal can be prepared for you on your private balcony with spectacular views of the bay, before retiring to the spa pool. <BR>Check our website at www.lodges.co.nz

Hi Paige <BR>We were in NZ from Nov 14-26th doing an independent driving tour. It is a fabulous country. We too did run into cooler weather than ususal Mid 50s to low 60s. We flew into Auckland for one night, we had a problem connecting to Blenheim from Cairns and were unable to go direct. In Auckland we had dinner at the "orbit" in the Sky City Tower, the tallest in the southern hemisphere. Dinner and view from the revolving restaurant was great. <BR>Next flew over Marlborough sound to Blenheim, wine country. Did the tasting and bought wine for restaurants later in the trip. Many very good ones are BYO in NZ. If we could have stayed in Blenheim, we had picked the Marlbourough a small luxury hotel. <BR>Next drove down the coast toward Kaikoura stopping at a great restaurant called The Store. Fantastic ocean view, great crayfish and inexpensive. Continued to kaikoura, did whale watching, not as spectacular as expected but interest. Then after a night there off to one of my favorites, Akaroa. It is a french fishing village with about 800 permanent residents about an hour and a half outside of Christ Church. The views driving over the hillsides to the town are spectacular. We stayed at Loch Hill country cottages. They have kitchens and I think some have firplaces. Ours was a 2 bedroom unit with terrace, high on the hill with lovely gardens overlooking the harbour. We had made dinner reservations through Loch Hill one night at C'est La Vie. A small restuarant that has been written up by the New York revieweres, with the exchage rate it is not expensive, BYO, 2 sittings at about 9 tables. Next we went to Christ Church. <BR>I will continue on the next post but I do not want to get cutoff by the server and lose this!

To continue <BR>The royal gardens at CC were gorgeous, in full bloom. We had dinner at Canterbury Tales, reservations made by our hoter. It is highly rated, excellent food and service and with the exchange rate not that bad. Near the casino also. <BR>We then took the tranzalpine train to Greymouth picked up a car and drove to Franz Josef. The helicopter ride was great. We met people who had just done the Glacier Hike and loved it. <BR>Then we drove back over the mountains through Hasst Pass with gorgeous scenery, through Wanaka (another great lunch) to Queenstown. We did the dart river jet boat safari which is alot of fun. If we had more time and weather permitted we would have done the fund yaks which looked great. Take the gondola up in Queenstown, the view is fantastic, the buffet restaurant has okay food and a good variety but not the quality of the others. There are alot of other adventrue activities out of Queenstown including treks to Routeburn and Milford Tracks that are from 1 to 4 days. We did not do Milford Sound due to high winds and not flying, and rain. To ensure the ability to see it, in retrospect we should have spent a night or two in Te Anau. Some of the Queenstown resorts mentioned in the above posts sounded wonderful in there writes up but are very high priced. We stayed in a condominium called The Waterfront which had Lake and Mountain views. It was niceto be able to have breakfast in for the 3 mornings we were there. Plus it was close to shopping, restuarants, casino, etc. <BR>last we went to Dunedin. It is a big city but we stayed out on the peninsula with incredible views. We stayed at Larnach Lodge which is on the grounds of Larnach Castle. Our room had an expansive view (and balcony) of the peninsula and the city. Night views were interesting too, especially the stars and the city. None of us could ever recall seeing the tremendous number of stars that were visible. Even our bathroom had a great view! The other couple had a view of the ocean and some of the peninsula, not as spectacular but nice. It si a little more of a drive to town but the ambiance of staying on the grounds and the view were worth it. Food was great too. We ate one night at A Cow called Berta and the last at High Tide (perhaps the best of the trip but in all honesty all the ones I mentioned (except the Gondola one) were truly great food and wonderful service. <BR>You will have a great time. The people of NZ are just wonderful. <BR> <BR>

Hi All, <BR> <BR>

Hi All, <BR> <BR>I am thrilled with these responses! They have all been so helpful. <BR> <BR> For those who have traveled to NZ in January (height of tourist season), did you utilize a travel agent/planner? If so, did you find it a necessity or would you have been able to organize the trip yourself? This includes all of the fun side endeavors like kayaking, helicopter rides, boating excursions, etc…? Do you need reservations for all of these ventures? And finally, into which airport should we fly to get the best deal. We are flying from Phoenix. Is it cheaper to fly to Australia first or will a direct flight into New Zealand be comparable? Is it cheaper to fly to the North Island or the South? <BR> <BR>Thanks again for all of your wonderful help! <BR> <BR>Paige <BR>

We spent 6 wks in NZ - from Boxing Day to Feb. We started in the Bay of Islands and found we did need an advance reservation there as it is holiday time in NZ. Driving from Auckland to Bay of Islands, we took a couple of days as we needed to unwind and also to get used to driving on the other side of the road. However, once we left the Bay of Islands, we just booked a couple of hours into the day and then sometimes not even until we got to our destination. NZ is wonderful - you will love it. The NZ travel board can provide you with all kinds of information but you must be careful that they don't book for you and that you then change your mind about where to stay. The agents do receive a %'g for what they book and we were not aware of that. So we felt quite bad when we changed some of our plans.

hi paige, <BR>it's tina again. we found everything so easy to book when we got to whatever town we were in. just about any accomodation you'll stay at will have tour info and there is an information kiosk in every town center. i thought that we'd have to pre-book everything due to jan. being high season, but the only thing we pre-booked was the boat trip to milford sound (only because it was an overnight trip and less boats do the overnight trip). no problems doing spur of the moment activities at all! plus you can book activities according to the weather, as opposed to being locked in. <BR>as for your flight, i think the fares flying into auckland would be comparable to flying into sydney. if you're not going to australia, don't bother flying there. it only adds an extra 4+ hours to your travel.

hi paige <BR>Just a word of caution on reservations. As said above many times you could book as you go. however, we found in November that if you wanted a particular accomodation due to ambiance or location you had to book in advance. Most activities in NZ did not require advance reservations, i.e. helicopter rides, etc. But certain ones which could only accomodate a few people due to limited times we did book in advance. It all depends on how flexible you can be and how particular you are.

Just got back from NZ & OZ last Sunday. Everyone has given you great info. Over the internet I found a travel agency called GINZ.com (stands for Guest In New Zealand). They arranged everything for us in the way of rental cars (one for each island), Milford Sound overnight cruise (highly recommend)on the Wanderer, and flight from Dunedin to Wellington. Everything they did was perfect. They could have booked all of our lodging as well, but I like a hands on approach. NZ was MUCH cooler and wetter and inexpensive than I had expected. We are Californians. We were there from 1/13 - 1/31. The food was incredible. If you want any other info - feel free to email me direct.