ok, so it looks like everyone has great advice; maybe i will post my whole agenda and would love feedback; this is a bit daunting to plan alone.
day 1: arrive into Wellington/ recover from us flight and explore
day 2: wellington
day 3: ferry to Picton; start on queen charlotte trail and and up at Furneaux
day 4: continue on queen charlotte and ind up at Punga Cove
day 5: boat back to Picton and head south toward??? where to stop on long ride and what to do??
day 6: complete drive to arrive in Franz Joseph /
day 7: Franz Joseph; maybe the heli/ hike
day 8 franz joseph
day 9: toward queenstown ??? where to stop on long ride?
day 10 queenstown: any great place with a water view?
day 11: queenstown
day 12: to Milford Sound and night on the boat
day 13: toward MT Cook/ not sure where we want to stay but someone suggested the Hermitage?? or where? (heading back to Christchurch and our flight home
day 14: finish drive to Christchurch, see museum and fly out that night
OK, SO I KNOW THIS IS A LOT TO ASK, BUT ANY FEEDBACK? THANKS SO MUCH!!

Hi bobandvee,
I would suggest eliminating the extra day in FJ (day 8) and adding a day somewhere in days 3-5 or between days 13-14.

When are you thinking of going? That might determine your chances of helihiking. If you decide that you really want to do that, the extra day in FJ might be OK.

As to QT, we stayed in The Point apts, with a remarkable view of the Remarkables. There are good rates available on <b>wotif.com</b> or by emailing.

BTW - It would be to your advantage to keep your posts of a single topic on a single thread so your readers can follow your planning more easily.

Thank you for your suggestions; this is the first time I've used this site, and am still learning.

Hi, bobandvee,
Wondering if you have made any accommodation bookings anywhere yet that would restrict suggestions offered? Reading between the lines I get the impression you are getting a rental car - where do you pick that up?
So pleased to see you are staying in Wellington for more than 5 minutes! There is lots to do here.
What time do you arrive back in Picton from Punga Cove? That could determine where to stop overnight on drive to FJ, and whether or not you need an extra day on the West Coast. Again, there is a lot to see in this region.
As the trip from FJ to Queenstown is easily achievable in one day with time to stop and look at places of interest on the way through, I would aim to arrive in Queenstown on Day 9.
Hope this helps a little.

dotty
thanks so much for your help. We get back to Picton, where we are renting our car at 11:30. So, give or take, we will be &quot;out of there&quot; by noon. So, if we want to get to FJ by day 6, but late is ok (not dark), any thoughts?? I hear Nelson is beautiful, but that doesn't really &quot;break up&quot; the drive. Then, I wonder about Westport, Greymouth, or Nelson Lakes National Park area??
Any thoughts would be great. We are talking first week of Dec, so I hope that heli hiking is a good thing then too??

If you stay in Hokitika you could see the glow worm dell. There's a bit more of interest there than Greymouth or Westport. Then the next day, you would be at the Glaciers fairly early and might be able to drop the extra night if the weather is good. Entirely unpredictable at any time of year.

Wanaka is about 1.5 hours closer to the glaciers than Queenstown. If you like to stop and see sights along the way, it's a better choice. There are a number of short but worthwhile walks along the Haast hwy. But if you're just going to drive, Queenstown is doable.

There are not many choices in Mt Cook. I think you just go with the Hermitage in your desired price range (they apparently operate the motel now).