We are over in Melbourne for work so we really can't take a lot of time off for vacation and are already booked for VietNam at the end of pur stay here, so wondering if it is worth it if we only have 5 days.....in other words a long weekend.....to visit New Zealand. We feel like we don't want to miss it while we're down here. My husband likes to hike, but I can't do anything very strenuous......are there cities/ places not to miss and a way to get out into the country for short walks/hikes that we/he can do in that short amount of time? Stick to one island? Which one?
We're thinking of going the beginning of this Dec.
I will start to search trip reports but usually they are for more extended stays.
Thanks for any thoughts.

Many people from Australia go for only a week or so. It is a short flight from Melbourne, easy to get around etc. Early December will be just before the peak season so you should be ok with prices before they skyrocket.

Do not try to fit too much in. Choose one island only and one part of it depending on your interests. Everywhere is great. Rotorua for the thermal areas it good. White island and Active Volcano is FANTASTIC. Napier for Art Deco buildings - most of the town was destroyed by and earth quake and rebuilt in Art Deco style. Southern south Island for the fjords.The bay of islands is lovely.

Do some research and find the areas that are not like the places you have been to before.

Mel will no doubt give you some more ideas.

Hi Marsha,
Yes definitely! My DH and I did a lovely little trip to Christchurch where we overnighted and then caught the TransAlpine the next day across to Greymouth where we hired a car and drove down to Franz Josef where we stayed for two (mm maybe 3 nights - can't remember now) and then caught the train back to Christchurch for one more night and then home. This was a little anniversary trip and we had a lovely time and it was a great break.

I am not sure of the situation in Christchurch regarding the train but maybe our good friend Kiwi Rob can bring us up to speed on things if he sees this.

Hi Marsha,

NZ is an easy trip....as a matter of fact DH and I are going next week for 5 days. The key, as mentioned above is to limit your destinations. We're going to Rotorua and have found lots of activities to keep us occupied while there.

We visited The South Island a couple of years ago and it's spectacular. There are now direct flights to Queenstown, so keep an eye out... Also, you will want to keep an eye out for good fares. The fare we nabbed (which prompted the idea for our long weekend) was a $129 fare, although there were fares as low as $79.

I noticed from other posts that you are from the US, here for a few months. DH and I are from the US as well, and have been here (Sydney) for almost 4 years. You may want to check out a forum for Americans here in Australia. The site is Yanksdownunder.net. Lots of valuable information from others who have been in your situation.

For only five days, I'd suggest flying into Christchurch, then connecting to a flight to Queenstown and spending all your time there.

QT is one of the few places in NZ that makes a good base for day trips to the surrounding areas. From QT you can do a day trip to Milford Sound (a long day trip, but it's done all the time), visit the wineries of Cromwell, perhaps visit Wanaka (~90 minutes from QT), Arrowtown and Glenorchy. There are some wonderful hikes right in QT and along the Glenorchy Road. And of course Glenorchy itself is hiking nirvana, the starting point for the Routeburn (which you can walk a section of as a day walk) the Dart-Rees and gobs more. I have loads of QT/Glenorchy/Wanaka track info if you need more details.

Don't miss the Dart River Safarai either - it will give you a taste of Mt Aspiring Nat'l park which is indeed awe inspiring!

Thanks for all ideas. we're definitely going to go but here's a wrinkle. Husband has Marlborough wineries on a wish list since he is fan of their wines...... how does that fit with other suggestions? Too far to drive from Queenstown?...best to fly to Christchurch? Sounds like Christchurch is not a place to visit now....or should I just to convince him that the Queenstown end of the island is best place to be to get a taste ( of NZ, not wines!) on a short trip? OR would a tour be best? Any suggestions for good tour operators? We usually do our own planning but I feel like I've been planning trips for months just to get us to Australia....
Again thanks for any leads.

Best to fly to Christchurch and on to Nelson or Blenheim then. Nelson has the bigger airport of the two, but Blenheim is smack dab in Marlborough. You could also drive from Christchurch, but it's a bit of a trek for so little time...you could also drive one way and fly back, which would enable you see some of the countryside.

Way too far to drive from QT to Nelson in so little time - it's a 13 hour drive!

NZ is easy to navigate on your own, I'd not bother with a tour personally (other than maybe a wine tour once you get to Marlborough).

Christchurch isn't the best place to visit right now, but there's no reason you can't fly in and out of it - that's what we do. It's a gateway afterall, and the airport has been operating normally for many months. You can easily skirt the earthquake affected areas.

While Marlborough is well known for wines, the outskirts of Queenstown isn't bad either and you can easily daytrip to the Bannockburn area. I think it all depends on where you've been. I know we see lots of comments here from people who've been to the fiords in Norway and so think Milford Sound isn't so special, but I grew up around beaches, with no mountains,& love Queenstown. Having visited Yellowstone the geysers are interesting but less of a must see for me.

Consider flying into Wellington, New Zealand's capital. It looks a bit like a smaller version of San Francisco; it is an attractive, hilly city by the water. It has a lively restaurant and cafe scene and is home to the country's best museum, the national museum, Te Papa. http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/pages/default.aspx

From Wellington, you can catch the Interislander ferry to Picton (you should take the earliest one). The trip takes about three hours. On a clear and sunny day, this ferry ride across the Cook Strait and into Marlborough Sounds can be exhilarating. Or it can be windy and gray. (On the rare occasion, the ferries can even be cancelled due to rough weather. Personally, I have done this journey three times and never had a problem.)

In Picton, you can rent a car and drive to Blenheim, which takes under 30 minutes. From here you can explore the wine country, which has been on your husband's wish list.

From Blenheim, you can drive to Nelson, which is about an hour and half away.

Though it is not so cheap, you can fly from Nelson to Queenstown (as you are short on time) on Air New Zealand. Flights will route you through Wellington or Christchurch and because of this can take anywhere from 2.5 to 6 hours, depending on the timing of your connections. Flights out of Nelson sell out fast, especially the cheaper flights.

After visiting Queenstown and/or a nearby area for a couple of days, you can fly home to Melbourne.

Another way of saving time is to begin your trip by flying from Melbourne into Nelson . From here you can drive to Blenheim, explore the wine country and then fly to Queenstown, which you can enjoy before flying back to Melbourne. Or you can drive to Queenstown, stopping at points in between, such as Greymouth, Franz Josef Glacier or Wanaka. You might have to do spend at least one day driving quite a bit, but you will at least see a variety of scenery.
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/get...ristchurch.cfm