Need final blessing on my NZ itinerary. Your help is much appreciated!
 

Day 1 – Sat, Feb 3
Arrive in Wellington
Night in Wellington

Day 2 - Sun, Feb 4
Museum of Te Papa, explore Wellington
Night in Wellington

Day 3 – Mon, Feb 5
Make our way to InterIslander Ferry
Ferry from Wellington to Picton.
Bus from Picton to Nelson
Night in Nelson

Day 4 – Tues, Feb 6
Hike some of the coastal track in Abel Tasman Nat’l Park
Or bike Marlborough Sounds Queen Charlotte Track (42 miles)
Night in Nelson

Day 5 – Wed, Feb 7
8:00am pick up for 2 night kayaking adventure
Night in Abel Tasman Nat’l Park camping/kayaking adventure

Day 6 – Thurs, Feb 8
kayaking adventure
Night in Abel Tasman Nat’l Park camping/kayaking adventure

Day 7 – Fri, Feb 9
Return from Kayaking adventure at 5:00pm
Night in Nelson

Day 8 – Sat, Feb 10
8:00am –Pick up car #1 in Picton. (2 day rental)
1:00pm arrival – after 5.5 hour drive to CHC, stopping off in Kaikoura
Night in CHC

Day 9 – Sun, Feb 11
Day in Christchurch
Drop off car #1 in CHC
Night in Christchurch

Day 10 – Mon, Feb 12
8:15am-1:25pm train from christchurch to Greymouth
1:30-2:00pm - Pick up car #2 in Greymouth (2.5 day rental)
2:00-4:00 - Drive 20 minutes north to visit the Pancake rocks
4:00-8:00 - Drive to Franz Josef
Night in Franz Josef (Top Ten Cabin)

Day 11 – Tues, Feb 13
Heli-hike Franz Josef OR (in bad weather) hike to the terminus of BOTH glaciers
or do a 1/2 guided hike.
2:00pm - Drive 3 hours to Wanaka
Night in Wanaka

Day 12 – Wed, Feb 14
8:00 – noon - Drive 4 hours to Te Anau and Drop off car #2 in Te Anau
Lunch
1:15pm Bus Te Anau to Te Anau Downs (18 miles. ½ hour.)
2:00pm Boat Te Anau Downs - Glade Wharf (1½ hour trip.)
3:30-5:30 – hike Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut (3 miles)
Milford track - night 1 of 3 on track (Night at Clinton hut)

Day 13 – Thurs, Feb 15
Hike Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut (6 hours. 10 miles)
Milford track - night 2 of 3 on track (Night at Mintaro Hut)

Day 14 – Fri, Feb 16
Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut (6 hours. 8.5 miles)
Milford track - night 3 of 3 on track (Night at Dumpling Hut)

Day 15 – Sat, Feb 17
Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point (6 hours. 11 miles)
2:00pm boat Sandfly Point to Milford Sound (20min.)
2.30pm Bus Milford Sound to Te Anau/Manapouri (2 hours. 74 miles)
Night in Te Anau/Manapouri

Day 16 – Sun, Feb 18
Depart at 12:30pm for overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound ($190.00 USD)
Night on Doubtful Sound

Day 17 – Mon, Feb 19
Return 12:00pm from overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound
Overnight in Te Anau

Day 18 – Tues, Feb 20
Shuttle from Te Anau to the Divide
Hike from The Divide to the Mackenzie Hut (5 hours. 7 miles)

Day 19 – Wed, Feb 21
8:-00am to 2:00pm - Hike Mackenzie Hut to Routeburn Falls Hut (6 hours. 12 miles for the day)
3:00 – 5:00pm - Hike Routeburn Falls Hut to Routeburn Shelter (Glenorchy/Queenstown) (2 hours)
Pick up car #3 in Glenorchy/Queenstown (5 day rental)
Drive or bus to Queenstown (depending on car rental location)
Night 1 in Queenstown

Day 20 – Thurs, Feb 22
Day activities in Queenstown
Night 2 in Queenstown

Day 21 – Friday, Feb 23
Day activities in Queenstown
4:00 pm – drive to Mount Cook (163 miles, 3.5 hours)

Day 22 – Sat, Feb 24
Day at Mount Cook
Night at Mount Cook

Day 23 – Sun, Feb 25
Afternoon drive from Mount Cook to CHC
Last night at CHC

Day 24 – Mon, Feb 26
Drop off car #3 in CHC
Fly from CHC to AUK to LA to PHL
Arrive in PHL at 6am on Tues, Feb 27

what do you think?! yay! i'm so excited!

wow!! Your itinerary looks great! We stayed at a cabin at Top Ten in Franz Josef and loved it.
The only thing I can say is that I'm glad you have allowed all day to get to Wanaka even though in your plan you've written 3 hours. The scenery is outstanding and you should take time for some stops on that day. DO not miss the Blue Pools . You'll see the signs for it. ALso we stopped at Billy Rock Falls. Both places are off the road and involve a lovely walk through woods. Then when you get further south you'll be driving along side Lake Hawea and then Wanaka Lake. Beautiful!!!
So, we had left Franz Josef at about 10 am and didn't get to Wanaka til supper time.

It's good to see your plan isn't too rushed.
Oh in downtown Christchurch there is a great Asian food court if you are looking for cheaper meals.
Have a great time!!

Hi aprildon6 -

Just a few thoughts -

Have you considered staying closer to the areas you want to visit? Taking the bus from Picton to Nelson, then going back to Picton the next day to bike the Queen Charlotte Track, then returning to Nelson for the night is a waste of valuable time. Nelson is 110 km from Picton and takes almost 90 minutes.

Likewise, spending the night in Nelson, hiking the next day in Abel Tasman, then returning to Nelson for the night could be a time consuming prospect, especially if you're hiking the track from Totaranui, which is on the other side of Takaka Hill and a bit of a drive from Nelson.

If you're hiking Abel Tasman from Marahau, it's not a long drive, but there are many closer places you could stay, such as Motueka, Marahau or Kaiteriteri.

Since you'll be returning to Abel Tasman on Feb 7 anyway, why not stay closer?

On Day 7 you're backtracking again - going from Abel Tasman to Nelson, then back to Picton the next day to pick up a car.

Scratch that last sentence - you're not backtracking to Picton, but is there a reason you're going all the way to Picton to pick up a car instead of picking it up in Nelson?

Personally I would drive down the west coast from Nelson to Franz Josef, skipping Christchurch, adding a night in Punakaiki or onto Franz Josef and a night onto Christchurch at the end of your trip instead.
Otherwise it looks great.

I had the same thought, but I wonder if they are doing that so they can take the train ride. Still, I'd rather leave from Picton and cut over through the Buller Gorge to the west coast and then head south and skip the train ride.
Not much is said about the Buller River Gorge but it is a beautiful drive.

kodi-
I figured it was about the train ride, but with all of the scenery they will see on the west coast, the glaciers, wanaka, mt. cook, queenstown, fiordland, the tramps... I think that Arthurs Pass isn't a must-do. Of course, we skipped it and I have no regrets!

I don't think that the TranzApline is a 'must-do', but since they have plenty of time, taking the train would be fun. We enjoyed it, had the experience of the train, and saw Arthur's Pass. ((*))

so here's what i'm going to incorporate into the itinerary based on all of your EXPERTISE :)

1. Top Ten cabin in Franz Josef
2. Allow time to drive from Franz Josef to Wanaka for some stops like the Blue Pools and Billy Rock Falls.
3. Stay in Picton on our third night after biking the Queen Charlotte Track or in Motueka if hiking in Abel Tasman (Motueka would work because our kayak trip pick is here the following morning).
4. Skip the train ride (this was our main reason for going to Christchurch at this point in the trip). Leave from Picton and cut over through the Buller Gorge to the west coast and then head south. Add a night in Punakaiki or onto Franz Josef and a night onto Christchurch at the end of the trip.

i'm for skipping the train ride if it's not a "must do" and if it will allow us more time to do more active things in some of the areas that warrant more exploration and suit our taste.

any other thoughts? thanks SO much for your time and expertise! keep it coming!

:) april

april-- looks great! don't forget to post a trip report when you return... don't worry, the next 10 months will fly by!
Liz

Excellent. I also feel the same as Timand Liz. We didn't do the train ride and I have no regrets.

I think you'll really enjoy Buller River Gorge.
I just checked my notes.
I think if you want to enjoy that day, don't try to get to Franz Josef. We stayed at Westport. NOt exciting, but it was a good stopping point.
On our way through the Buller Gorge, we stopped at St.Arnaud and did a small forest walk at Nelson Lakes National Park by Lake Rotoili.
Do stop for lunch in Murchison at Rivers Cafe on Fairfax Street. We enjoyed it.

There is a place near Westport to see the seals. Sorry I haven't written the name, but it's not too far from town and there is a beautiful walkway up the hill and the seals are all layed out below.
Then Pancake Rocks are just south of there.

Tim and Liz are correct. You will see SO much beautiful scenery!

Seals in Westport = Cape Foulwind Seal Colony.

Thank you Melnq8. I must have forgotten to write it in my journal. It was our first glimpse of seals and we were thrilled.

aprildon6 -

You may want to consider spending a night (or 2 or 3!) in the Marlborough Sounds instead of Picton. There are a few places to stay right on the Queen Charlotte Track, and others very near it. One or two can be reached by car, but most require a water taxi from Picton. One such place is the Bay of Many Coves. We spent three wonderful nights there a year ago and we had a great time. It's a bit high end, but worth the extra $ even if it's just for a night or two.

As for Motueka, I can recommend the Blue Moon B&B (in Riwaka, on the Abel Tasman side of Motueka) or The Old Schoolhouse, in Tasman, a short drive from Motueka.

Looks great. My only comment is - 3 separate car hires? Expensive! Can you re-arrange things so all driving bits string together?

Itinerary looks great.

Actually I have found that splitting car hires up makes sense if you are doing hikes or other multiday activities which involve no car.

I like Christchurch, more than Wellington actually, so don't agree with comments to skip it. Botanic Gardens, Mona Vale, Canterbury Museum (especially the subantarctic exhibit with the Shackelton artifacts). Weekend market at Arts Centre since you are there on Sunday, great place to pick up Venison Jerky for the hikes.

Not sure of the purpose of stopping in Kaikoura, are you doing a Whale Watch trip?

Other than that looks very good.