Leaving tonight. What do you think? Am I ready?
 

Here is my final itinerary. I have many reservations already so I'm not sure how flexible I can be at this point. I hope I have all my bases covered. My only doubts are is it worth driving the west coast since I'm not interested in glaciers. Was there a better way to do that? I also just read about the YEP decline. So sad and frustrating! I realize I won't be able to do all the activities I have listed. Some days we may want to just do nothing (although not sure where to fit that in!) Thanks for your input....
Here's what I have;

FEB 22, DAY 1 – Fly into Chch
BreakFree on Cashel
Cardboard Cathedral, 185 Empty Chairs, ChristchurchBotanic Garden

FEB 23, DAY 2 – Wilderness Motorhome
Taxi pick up at 8:15
Drive to Punakaiki (4:00)
Punakaiki Beach Camp – Booked
Pancake Rocks
Truman Track
Castle Hill
Devil’s Punchbowl

FEB 24, DAY 3 – Punakaiki to Fox (3:20)
FOX GLACIER TOP 10 HOLIDAY PARK - booked
Hokitika Gorge on the way
Whataroa Bridge

FEB 25, DAY 4 – Wanaka (5:30)
Kidds Bush Reserve Camping Ground DOC
Possible sites along the way:
Lake Matheson
Dune Lake Walk
Knights Point Lookout.
Thunder Creek Falls.
Haast Blue Pools
Bruce Bay

FEB 26, DAY 5 - Wanaka
Glendhu Bay campground?
Cinema Paradiso
Puzzling World
Glendhu Bay Lakefront Track

FEB 27, DAY 6 – Queenstown/Glenorchy (1:15)
Camp Glenorchy – booked
Puzzling World in Wanaka in the morning?
Lake Sylvan Track.
Kawarau Bungy Centre
12 Mile Delta /Bob Cove’s Track
Little Paradise Dream Garden

FEB 28, DAY 7 – Queenstown/Glenorchy
Rippled Earth Kayak - booked
Glenorchy Animal Experience? – sheep shearing 2:00
25 Mile Stream?
12-Mile Delta?

MAR 1, DAY 8 -Te Anau (3:00)
Kepler track
Te Anau Top 10 - booked
Real Journeys Te Anau Glowworm Caves - 5:45
Ata Whenua fiordland cinema

MAR 2, DAY 9 - Milford Sound cruise

MAR 3, DAY 10 - Curio Bay (3:00)
Tumu Toka Curioscape Campground (aka Curio Bay Campground) - booked
Porpoise Bay – Hector’s Dolphins
Penguins in the evening (apparently not......)

MAR 4, DAY 11 – Curio Bay to Newhaven Holiday Park, Surat Bay – (booked) (2:00)
Check out Purakaunui Bay DOC on the way to Newhaven Holiday Park to see if we like it better.
Cathedral Caves
Penguin hide at Roaring Bay
Cannibal Bay
Florence Hill Lookout
Gypsy Gallery in Papatowai.

MAR 5, DAY 12 – Dunedin (2:45)
Nugget Pt Lighthouse
Portobello Village Tourist Park - booked
3:30 Elm Wildlife Tour - booked

MAR 6, DAY 13 - Oamaru (1:30)
HERBERT FOREST CAMPGOUND
evening Little Blue Penguin Tour?
visit Moeraki on the way
Fleur’s Place 11:30
Moeraki's Katiki Point Lighthouse, home to a Yellow Eyed Penguin
Steampunk HQ
Oamaru Textile Emporium
Whitestone Cheese
Oamaru Historic Precinct

MAR 7, DAY 14 - Mt Cook (2:30)
White Horse Hill Campground
Lake Pukaki , Peter's Lookout, Elephant Rocks, Clay Cliffs
Hooker Valley Track
Alpine Lavender Farm
“Wrinkley Ram Cafe” at Omarama

MAR 8, DAY 15 – Mt. Cook
White Horse Hill Campground
The Hooker Valley track or Kea Point Track or Governors Bush Walk

MAR 9, DAY 16 – CHCH (4:30)
Amber Kiwi Holiday Park - Booked
Visit Lake Tekapo on the way
Ashford Craft Shop, Yarn Barn, The Tin Shed
Rakaia Gorge.

MAR 10, DAY 17 –Fly back to Auckland for 8pm flight home

I got tired just reading your itinerary. It's very full on, but if it's just a list of possibilities and not a must do list...I hope you're young and energetic. You've not even left a full day to explore some of the places you're going so far to see.

Curious what the plan is for Whataroa Bridge?

I certainly wouldn't go out of my way for Puzzling World - kind of a kids thing IMO (are there kids in your party?) There are much better ways to spend ones precious holiday time in NZ.

How much of the Kepler do you plan to walk on March 1? If memory serves, getting to the first hut and back could take a good four hours.

My only doubts are is it worth driving the west coast since I'm not interested in glaciers.

It's not all about the glaciers - the West Coast has some of the best scenery on the entire South Island IMO. But with only one night, you've left very little time to even wander a track.

You're probably already on your way. Have a wonderful time! It looks fun. Like Melnq8, I realize your intinerary is a packed with possibilities, not necessities.

I read through your itinerary, then Melnq8's comments, and had similar thoughts. i had to look up Whataroa Bridge, wondering if there was a walking track there. Whataroa usually comes up in reference to its White Heron Sanctuary. I've never been to Puzzling World, finding Wanaka's great outdoors more irrrestible. With such little time there, I think you'll probably feel the same.

I agree the West Coast scenery is impressive, home to some of the country's untouched native forests and to stunning biodiversity (it'll boggle your mind to think that large tracts of West Coast native beech forests were nearly logged in 1980s, weren't it for the actions of the Beech Forest Action Committee). But luckily, the forests were saved from being turned into logs for Japan and became instead part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area. https://www.doc.govt.nz/te-wahipounamu
I also love the West Coast's rugged beaches and the interesting rocks you can find on them. Of course, the sunsets are great, too. Because there's so little development along the West Coast the night skies should be wonderful if clear. I must mention that there are weather advisories for this weekend. Weather forecasts are not a certainty in New Zealand, so don't be overly concerned.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-z...orecaster.html
Please check Metservice:
https://www.metservice.com/national/home
And the NZ Transportation website:
Traffic map
If the bad weather hits, it'll be expected to clear by Monday.

True, Curio Bay's hoiho colony has apparently shrunk and this year's chicks suffered greatly, but there are still a few hoiho pairs there. You might have to wait around for hours to see them. Or you might get lucky and not have to wait long at all.

Again, have a wonderful, safe journey!

Have fun Laurie! Do let us know how it goes.

Laurie,
An update regarding a slip on the West Coast:
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/natio...d-fox-glaciers
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/west-c...-coast-highway

You could change your plans, but I suggest you go ahead with what you've planned, spending the night you were expecting to spend in Fox in the Hokitika area instead. You'll have a longer drive to Wanaka on Monday, 2 hours longer or more if the section of the road that's been repaired is cut down to one lane, but it shouldn't take too much longer and you will still have time to stop as the days are long. It'll be winding between Franz Josef and Fox and through Haast Pass.
The slip is expected to be fixed and the road open by Monday and I think they'll get this done. The West Coast weather is expected to be all right over the weekend, mostly fine, so there shouldn't be additional slips and this one shouldn't be getting any worse. Here's the forecast for Hokitika: https://www.metservice.com/towns-cities/hokitika
You might try calling or Skyping Fox Glacier Top 10 Holiday Park and seeing what they have to say. Or call the Hokitika I-Site. Explain your situation and ask them for recommendations on where you can freedom camp (if there is no room at the Hokitika Holiday Park or Shining Star Holiday Park).
https://hokitikaholidaypark.net.nz/
https://www.accommodationwestcoast.co.nz/holiday-park/
https://252beachside.co.nz/
You might want to read:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/media-relea...ate-highway-6/
Check road updates before you leave for the West Coast.
If you spend the day in Hokitika, after visiting Hokitika Gorge, drive to Lake Kaniere, before returning to Hokitika town. It's a pretty drive. Check out the beach at sunset. At night, you can visit Hokitika's glow worm dell.