Kiwi PANIC! Help! Leaving for NZ south island in February 2007...AHHHH!
 

The Kiwi Panic isn't a new dance step. Nope, it's what I'm doing now, in the final stretch before we leave for New Zealand in February 2007.

Help! Got plane tickets, got accomodations, no car yet. Need to know:
--How to stop Hyperventilating
--What to Pack for February weather on south island
--Need a CAR! Rent in Dunedin, return to Queenstown...any recommendations?
--Delicious restaurants with local atmosphere and real food (not tourist food)?

Here's our itinerary...Ahhh! too late to change it again!!! These places are our bases from which to explore nearby:

Fly into Dunedin

3 nights: Dunedin & Otago Peningula
(Albatross, Penguins, etc.)

2 nights: Te Anau
(w/ Milford Rd. drive & hikes)

1 night: Doubtful Sound overnite

3 nights: Queenstown
(base for day-trip to Glenorchy, possible scenic flight)

1 night: Mt. Cook

3 nights: west coast, Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki
(also quick day-trip to see glacier)

1 night: Queenstown

Fly home

Mostly I am totally panicking.=-O I always plan in detail for trips, leaving plenty of free time as well...and then I totally panic a few weeks before we leave. We always have a great time and I write long trip reports...

WHAT SHOULD I PACK for February weather on the south island? Thanks for everyone who has put up with me...Woodie, Mlgb, Mlnq8, all of you terrific fodorites!

No need to panic, NZ is all good!
My most used items on all trips to NZ are waterproof outerwear, a fleece jacket or vest, thin long sleeved tops (both thin wool and fast drying polyester), long khaki pants (fast drying if possible), a pair of shorts & t shirt in case it happens to be warm, and widebrimmed hat. I always bring a pair of long underwear, too. Wear the heavy walking shoes but pack a pair of rubber soled slippers or flip flops ("jandals).

The best places I found to eat in Dunedin were not around the Octagon (although those seem to be popular), but a few gourmet cafes on George St near the University. The Good Oil was one. They aren't really "restaurants" in the sense of waiters hovering, though.

Agree with mlgb regarding clothing. We never visit NZ without a waterproof layer and a fleece jacket that will fit under it.

We also like to travel with our rain pants which fit over a pair of silk long underwear, but this is mostly for hiking, so depends on what you plan to do.

Have yet to wear a pair of shorts in NZ, but haven't visited during their summer.

Best advice - be prepared for a bit of everything, as NZ weather can be unpredictable.

Have a great trip - we except a full report upon your return!

LoL! My shorts seem to be worn mostly when I am doing laundry! Or hiking underneath the rainpaints, since they have lots of pockets. One can always hope, though.

Mlgb and Melnq8, I live in sunny southern Calif...tell me more about this fleece jacket...what is that? Also, when you say waterproof outer coat, how waterproof do you mean? Do I need gortex? Should I run out and buy the real stuff, seam-sealed waterproof gortex? Or is my cheapo water resistant rain jacket fine?

I don't have any rain pants...do I need gortex? Do I look in a sporting goods store? Specific suggestions on where to get rain pants? I have never owned a pair. Here where I live it is dry most of the year... There is an REI sporting goods store near me...is that the type of place I need to go?

I know it sounds dumb but most people have some part of travel planning where they panic...for me it's about now when I have to think what to put in the suitcase and what new clothes I might need to buy...You guys talking with me helps me get through this phase...otherwise I think I would have cancelled all my previous trips, seriously!

For Ireland I worried about all that Irish rain. On the advice of Michele Erdvig, Ireland expert, I settled for a light-weight water-resistant cheap rain jacket (NOT gortex, NOT really waterproof.) And, magic, we hit an Irish heat wave, with hardly any rain, so it was fine!

We will be on a boat trip in NZ though...the overnite on doubtful sound...Sounds potentially wet to me?

I usually bring a 21" rolling carry-on plus a smaller duffel that sits on top. That's light packing. Hmmm what do you think of this:

--2 pairs of capri pants, light-weight
--2 pairs of long kacki pants or zip-off pants, lightweight
--1 pair of waterproof pants (DON'T HAVE ANY YET--Where to buy?)
--1 waterproof jacket (DON'T HAVE GORTEX...Buy it??)
--1 water resistant light-weight jacket
--2 t-shirts
--3 long-sleeve tops

Ahh! I gotta go now...panicing already. What is a fleece jacket? If we visit a glacier can I get away with layering? Don't have a really warm jacket...I mean I don't have a down jacket or anything like that and don't see how I can pack it.

Please, what is fleece?

I don't do any snow sports so most of our trips require summer or spring type clothing. That's why I'm thinking layering might be practical if that would work...

Thanks for listening to this boring crap! It helps me. I can pretend I'm worried about clothing instead of worrying about the plane crashing into the ocean and leaving my children orphaned...Plus then I wouldn't be able to do my trip report...
:'(

I also have a very boring shoe collection...white Nike walking shoes which I wear everywhere...and some sandals which are great for southern Cal...That's it! No hiking shoes. Can't I just wear a new pair of Nike's? What do you all think? Biologist hubby will want to hike but it is an anniversary trip so he won't be doing anything too rugged...

Thanks!

Melissa, I didn't realize you lived here! I thought you were from somewhere like Minnesota, don't ask me why. By fleece, I mean polyester fleece, like Polartec which is a brand name (not sweatshirt material). If you try somewhere like Old Navy or REI, it's probably on sale. I don't think the white shoes are a good idea, just because of the mud and sheep poo, and definitely not a new pair! Brown would be better. Ideally they should have nonslip soles like Vibram but they don't really have to be proper hiking boots with steel shanks and ankle support unless you are doing some kind of rugged trail.

PS, If you haven't been to the Timberland outlet in Cabazon, you might want to make a trip out there. Excellent quality and the warmer stuff should be on sale now. REI is good also.

And yes layering is the way to go. I would invest in a really waterproof windproof seam sealed breathable outer layer for the jacket. If it is windproof, it will also help keep you warm. It could be a running jacket rather than a full parka but once you start sweating you will wish it is breathable. Don't get anything that has any insulation that is part of the jacket. That's what the fleece is for. If you can find one of the vests they will probably come in handy here also.

This is what I brought for 4 weeks:
Waterproof parka shell
Waterproof pants
Fleece vest
Thin Merino wool turtleneck (2)
Medium weight merino v-neck sweater
Long sleeved button down /golf shirts (2)
Short sleeved golf/T-shirts (2)
Polyprop underwear top & bottom (1 set)
shorts (1)
Long khaki-type pants (2)
One sleeveless camisole type shirt
One pair of fleece warmup pants
Wool watch cap and gloves
Bathing suit, only because there were hot springs in the North Island.

mlgb, you are my new best friend.((F)) I will actually print out your packing list and head to REI since I've been there before. I will stand around with my list, looking like a goof, until some nice employee feels sorry for me and helps me out. O-)

A fleece vest would be sleeveless? And the reason for no sleeves is?

I gotcha on the "no insulation" for the waterproof breathable parka...since I never plan to go camping with the abominable snowman...Yeah, that way I can use these items again...I see...

Can't wear wool, alergic. But I see you are leaning towards things that insulate well...and synthetics that dry easily...

Thanks mlgb! I took my white Nikes to Ireland and stepped in sheep poo...but they seem to eat mostly grass so they cleaned nicely. My shoes don't eat much, it was the sheep that ate the grass. I did shop for brown or black shoes but I'm hard to fit, narrow heal but wide at the other end of my foot...that's why I love Nikes, they fit.

Never heard of Vibram soles but I get the idea, need some traction so I don't slip in the mud. How about if my husband wears the great shoes and carries me over the mud? Romantic thoughts...((L))

Polyprop underwear must be long underwear...to wear on the glacier I presume?

Everybody, if I buy all this stuff, I can predict a heat wave in New Zealand in February, as warm weather seems to follow us wherever we go...rain clouds scuttle away...

Thanks again, Mlgb and Melnq8, you have almost made me forget that I am phobic about flying, I get seasick on boats, and I've had insonmia for 8 months...who cares, I'm getting out my suitcase and piling stuff in it...my wonderful husband will actually pack it for me as he likes me to remain calm. :-P

I'm goin' shopping...gotta get some breathable gortex seam-sealed on sale and all that stuff...AND I'M GONNA SEE PENGUINS, ALBATROSS, DOUBTFUL SOUND, MT. COOK...dreaming of imagining Mt. Cook through the mist...invisible Mt. Cook. Can't believe I am ending up with only 1 night up there, again. Better than none.

Take a deep breath Melissa, relax, have a nice glass of wine...

No need to buy a new wardrobe, just think LAYERS. Water resistant is probably okay unless you plan on doing a lot of hiking, 'cause there's always a chance you're going to get wet in NZ. Rain pants certainly aren't necessary, but we hike ALOT and they've saved us more than once.

Most of my outerwear comes from LL Bean and it has served me well for many years in many climates. No need to break the bank with Gortex, as there are other good options and who knows, you may be lucky and have no rain whatsoever!

Fleece is just a light weight jacket. You'll probably recognize it when you see it. Makes a good warm layer under your water resistent layer. Not bulky, easy to pack. I don't know what we did before fleece. Mine has sleeves -I never did get the whole vest as outerwear thing.

Sturdy shoes, especially if you're hiking - it all comes down to what you plan to do. I have a pair of Solomon low rise hiking boots that look more like clunky trainers with a thick tread. Love 'em, never leave home without them.

Hello Melissa5:

My wife and I are off to Christchurch in several days so I checked on the weather in New Zealand.

For the next three days [Christchurch] the high will be 21 and 22ºC and the low will be about 12 which is about 42 to 80ºF.

The long range forecast is for generally below average or average with normal to above normal rain. That was for the Otago - Southland area. For coastal Canterbury, temperatures the same as above but rain at normal.

No information on humidity but from past experience, I do not believe that humidity will be high.

Even though it is summer now in New Zealand, it is wool country so I would be surprised if you could not buy gloves, scarves and so on once you are there, although time for such shopping may be a problem as well as less population and therefore less choice.

Information came from international weather via google.

Hope this is of help.

Woodie

I do remember that Elm provided extra jackets for those who were less than fully equipped. I got my waterproof parka at Timberland Outlet for $70. And yes, there are less expensive versions of the Goretex concept. If you get a real NZ rain(driving sideways with wind behind it over 40 knots) you will wish it was better than "resistant". It's not that misty gentle Irish rain. The pants are less important but they really do come in handy. I wouldn't worry about the boat cruise, there will be shelter. I used the vest this spring and was glad I didn't have the extra bulk on the sleeves. They keep you warm enough in most conditions. Also, they're nicer to play golf in. Polypropylene is fast drying long underwear, which you could always buy in NZ since they make nice ones with pretty stripes and colors.

I used a 25-inch rolling duffel as my checked piece and carried on a daypack. You also get a second checked piece with an international ticket. This trip, they did not weigh the carryons, thank goodness!

Woodie, I found that NZ forecasts need to be taken with a grain of salt. I kept waiting for that forecast "fine" day, which always seemed to be three days out. They just had the coldest December in 60 years.

This long term forecast was just printed in the NZ Herald, for those you believe in such things:

Regional predictions for the next three months:

- Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty: Below average temperatures are likely, with normal or below normal rainfall. Below normal soil moisture and stream flows are expected.

- Central North Island, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu and Wellington: Average or below average temperatures are likely. Rainfall, soil moisture and stream flows are likely to be normal or below normal.

- Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa: Average temperatures are likely. Rainfall, soil moisture and stream flows are expected to be normal or below normal.

- Nelson, Marlborough, Buller: Average or below average temperatures. Rainfall, soil levels and stream flows normal or below normal.

- West Coast, Alps and Foothills, Inland Otago, Southland: Below average temperatures. Normal or above normal rainfall and stream flows with above normal soil moisture.

- Coastal Canterbury, East Otago: Average or below average temperatures. Normal rainfall, soil moisture and stream flows.

LAnd's End (catalog and internet) was just advertising a nice women's jacket with a water resistant outer shell and a fleece inner lining suitable to wear as a jacket.

When I was in NZ in early December tons of people were wearing fleece. However you do also need the water-resistant outer shell.

I didn't need rain pants but the woman I hiked with on Routeburn had just been on the Milford 5 day trek and they had particularly stormy weather. So I think it does depend how much hiking you will be doing as to whether you need goretex uppers and lowers.

My wife and I visited both the north and south islands in NZ last Feb (2006).
A couple of key experiences I'd like to share:
- NZ is very easy to travel in
- The food and wine are great. Even you don't make it to the north island, you should definately try the oysters.
- We only had hotel reservations for the first 2 nights when we arrived in Christchurch, and thereafter we winged it, and had a great time, so don't worry to much about planning everything out.
- I prefer having the right gear (fleece, waterproof gear etc) whereas my fashion conscious wife refuses to wear fleece and was just fine in cashmere sweaters, jeans (even for day-long hikes) and water-resistant jacket & pants (you don't really need waterproof clothing). While we were there it wasn't ever warm enough for capri pants (just one pair may be enough) although a scarf and gloves were useful.
- While we were in Milford Sound there was thick fog, we took a 2,3 hour cruise, didn't see much and it was pouring rain. So you may want to remain a bit flexible and go with the flow.
- As someone has already said good, comfortable walking shoes are essential but if you intend on hiking than hiking boots will be better. If you even a little hiking, do part of the routeburn track...it was incredibly beautiful.
- bungy jumping in Queestown was the most memorable experience for me.
- we rented a car from a local nz company and had no problems which we rented in Christchurch and returned in Auckland....but unfortunately I can't remember the name of the company.

I'm sure you'll have a great time. My wife and I have traveled a bit and NZ was our most memorable trip.

SURPRISE! Son & daughter gave us a surprise 25th anniversary party! WHAT A JOY!

I am the most joy-filled blessed woman on the planet. You should see the party photos...my husband and I are glowing. I don't think it really matters what we pack for New Zealand...we will just have to take off all those waterproof layers at bedtime and get under a big fluffy down comforter... :-D :-X

I am so proud of my 24-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter, who planned the whole surprise party for us to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

Couting down the days now...no hiking boots, no gortex, no fleece yet...I'm just gonna shop this week, throw everything in the spare room, and let my husband pack for me!

Meanwhile, I am printing out this thread to take with me shopping...Thanks everybody!

Melissa I have just returned from New Zealand and had a wonderful time. I bought a fleese when I arrived, not very expensive. We went on the Doubtfull Sound cruise and if you intend going out in the small boats you would need a coat, the one you have would be fine. Have a great time. Joyce

I have been to New Zealand in February and took t-shirts, one fleece jacket that goes under a waterproof but not padded jacket. I just take comfy pants and some nice pants (or jeans) for evening which I wear every night with a couple of different long or three quarter sleeve tops, with the fleece on top. I take a nice pair of shoes to wear at night (comfortable for walking) and two pairs of 'walking' type Puma shoes - not hiking boots as such. I could probably get away with one pair but take an extra in case they get wet - they never have in 5 trips at different times of the year. I would also pack a hat for sun protection - New Zealand sun is very strong in summer! A pair of gloves and scarf won't take up much room in your luggage and may come in handy. As far as a car goes, we usually rent through Apex and haven't had any problems with them.
As for restaurants - Wai in Queenstown is great with a fabulous view of the lake and Remarkables. If you book in advance by email (which I did) ask for a table by the window. For a special night out, Wai would be my choice. The Bunker is well spoken of, but has no windows, let alone views. If you are at Wai at the right time, you will see the Earnslaw coming in to the dock right outside the window. If you see a restaurant you like the sound of, post a question and I'm sure myself or someone else can help you.

The main thing I want to say is that unless you are going to do hard-core hiking, you don't need specialist clothing apart from the fleece (mostly known in this part of the world as polar fleece) - it is light, warm and washes like a dream. Oh, don't forget to pack an umbrella (or two)!

Hi Melissa, we just returned last night and you sound very much like my wife in this regard. She panics a little before the trip, but is very well organized and she needs to plan. Here are some recommendations based on your itinerary.

1. INVEST IN A GREAT BREATHABLE RAIN SUIT. These can be just a little expensive but we were so glad that we did. You can look at a Dick's Sporting goods store or most outdoors clothing places. It is so great if it is breathable and like the former poster said, a nice pair of thin long underwear would be all you would need under the rainsuit. If you go to the sound and have a rare day of sunshine only, and never have rain the rest of your trip, it will be very rare. At that point you can have a great time and laugh at bringing a rain suit (which takes up very little space and weight.) New Zeland has some incredible rain forests and gets rain at unpredictable times. This way you can smile and go on with enjoying your trip.

2. Listen to the others who have posted regarding somethin a little warm. The joke we heard often from native New Zealanders is that they often have all four seasons in one day. This is especially true in some of the higher elevations where we were.

3. Since you are not doing overnight and distance hiking (more than 3 hours), your nike walking shoes should do great. The trails are incredibly well groomed. We took ours and used them, but it was spring and we walked on several lengthy tracks that were wet and just a little muddy. My old hiking boots blew out on our last trip and we didn't bring them back.

4. Look into some insect repellent at a chemist (pharmacy store) and keep it ready in case you run into an area with the sand flies. They are like very small black flies, but their bites don't heal in over a weak and itch worse after several days. Don't worry too much about them, but we ran into a bunch near a river in the mountains and we still itch upon return. If you do get bit up, the chemist also sells this stuff called SOOV. It's a 3 in one creame that will really help. So don't pack this stuff.



3. Contact Andi Regan at the Queenstown i-site via e-mail and she will help you in advance with all your arrangements. You can say that Don and Kim recommended her. Tell her that you'll bring her a bottle of red wine to say thanks. She did a remarkable job for me during the final 6 weeks prior to my trip. The i-sites are everywhere and very helpful. Don't hesitate to use them.


I can get back to you later with more if you are interested. You are going to have a great time. It is awesome.

Melissa - I sort of know the feeling.

But look unless you are going to tramp the Milford track or similar you do not need waterproof pants. I have visited NZ 5 times (but never in the winter) and it didn't even occur to me that I should take some.

A fleece is a fine idea - you can buy on arrival. NZ has excellent outdoor wear (as you'd expect) - Macpac is one of the best brands on the planet - but there is also the Kathmandu chain - Polartec fleece in all weights and tons of designs, and cheap.

You do need a raincoat - but it's February - so, again, unless you are serious trampers, don't spend masses on a goretex job - if you've already got one, take it - else the one you took to Ireland should be fine.

layers is the trick. always, always. You don't need thermal underwear. A light pure wool jumper or cardi is a better use of packing space. You must already have something like that in your wardrobe. It's not 20c all year round in S Calif is it?

Wear it over t-shirt and under fleece, and you're all sorted - unless, like previously mentioned, you are going to do some of those multi day tramps.

You guys are terrific! Just reading this thread makes me feel like I am packing.8-) I have crazy anxiety temporarily and I am like a see-saw, one moment weeeeeeee I'll just get on the plane with my passport, forget about luggage :-D and the next moment Ahhhhhh! Emergency! Must make lists, must shop for perfect gear, must panic! :((

SenohDH1:
Yeah, I think I sound like your wife, panicking just before a trip and planning and list-making is the only thing that helps. Tell your wife I just discovered something that really helps with calming and sleeping just before a trip, and here it is:

INSOMNIA HELP: @-)
If you are finding your brain won't settle down to let you sleep at night, you need this...Brookstone has this travel version of a Sound Soother machine...the size of a digital camera...this one runs on batteries. You choose the soothing sound you like and set it to play for up to 2 hours at bedtime. I like the "Ebb Tide" sound...a quiet rhythym. My over-active brain latches onto the sound, and I am able to concentrate on this soothing sound at bedtime. It blocks my brain from going over more packing lists and details and worries at bedtime. REALLY HELPS!