In the past, with the help of this forum, I've done all my own planning and booking. But I'm a little overwhelmed with NZ. I've done a good deal of research; but, am having trouble getting started with an iteniary. I would love some imput from those of you who are familiar with the area.
This will be a once in a lifetime splurge for our 35th anniversary. We plan to spend 2-3 weeks in NZ and are primarily interested in seeing the diverse regions, not so much the cities. We love fine dining, small lodges, hiking and especially wine. We don't mind driving; but, we hate to spend a long time getting from one area to another.
Questions: Since Feb is high season there do we need to book all of our lodging before we arrive?

We are considering the following areas, does anyone have any suggestions for nice accomodations?
Hawks Bay,
Wharehawkau (This will probably be one of our splurges, is it worth it?)
Christ Church
Arthur's Pass
Franz Josef
Wanaka (Would 2 days be too much here?)
Queenstown area
Nelson area or somewhere else on north end of south island
Thanks for your help.

REPLY/NZ
hi,my partner and i are also plannin trip to nz in december.we have 6wks-we start at queenstown and our planning all our stays independtly.i know just what you mean,its a mine field...
ive been using trip advisor to try to guide me,its a good site on the web,maybe you know it?as we are a couple without kids travelling we dont want to get caught up in all the family loud type places,its been hard to plan.
cause its christmas when we are their,its more cotly and very busy.
so far booked,queenstown,glenorchy,wanaka &nelson.keep me posted on your searches!!!
rind regards
jc
holland

Jackie, One site I have found helpful :
Friars . I have also ordered their book. Friends used it and found it invaluable. Happy Planning.

Hi Pawleys and Jackiecollins,

Suggest that you go to: www.purenz.com.
Lots of information (that unfortunately, will probably confuse you even further) -- then run your mouse over "Getting to NZ" where it says "Travel Agents" then look for your state and find a Kiwi Specialist. Will save you time and money!

And, Pawley's, no, 2 days in Wanaka isn't too much time!

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist

If you can stretch your trip to three weeks, you won't regret the extra time.

I know you said you're not too interested in cities, but a stop in Wellington to visit Te Papa will give you a lot of information about New Zealand, plus insight into the Maori/Pakeha conflicts.

You probably won't need to book ahead unless you'll be in New Zealand during school holidays.

Besides Hawke's Bay, other wine areas you'll be near are Blenheim (north part of South Island) and Central Otago.

Your trip ideas sound wonderful!

Lee Ann

I don't know whether this meets your needs, but a friend and her family loved Stonehaven Winery Homestay in Blenheim. Not a posh lodge, if that's what you're after, but (according to my friend) a lovely place smack in the middle of vineyards and the rooms have privacy. Right near Cloudy Bay!

She got the name slightly wrong. It's Stonehaven Vineyard Homestay:

http://www.stonehavenhomestay.co.nz/

Hi.

I run a motel in Te Anau, so am probably not completely impartial, however I'll try to give some honest advice for all you lucky people who are visiting New Zealand

Firstly, The period December 26 to about March 16 is absolute high season in the Southern Lakes region.(Queenstown, Te Anau, Wanaka) Don't even think of coming without advance reservations. You may be lucky enough to find a room if you are early enough, but it won't be where you want, and you won't have a choice.
Motel prices in New Zealand range from about NZ$100 (good) to about $200 (excelent). You will get rooms for less than this, and at the top end the sky is the limit ($1500 per person & up!!), but if you want a good quality room at a reasonable price this is what you shoud expect to pay.
Queenstown is NZ's top tourist town. It's very busy, full of tourists and there is lots to do. Adventure tourism is the big thing at the moment, and there are hundreds of ways to indulge in just about any scary activity you could imagine.
If you just want a nice quiet morning or afternoon trip, the tour to Walter Peak on the vintage steamship Earnslaw if fantastic. Go to Real Journeys web site (www.realjourneys.co.nz) for more information. They also run the tours on Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound. you can see their site for info on these also.
The gondola to the Skyline Restaurant on Bob's Peak is a great experience, and it's a beautiful way to have a romantic evening.
You would probably not want to stay in Wanaka as well as Queenstown. It's only about a 45 minute drive between the two towns over the Crown Range. If you prefer a slightly quieter pace, then base yourself in Wanaka, and do your trips from there.
If you intend visiting Milford Sound, or Doubtful Sound, and most people do, the the best option is to use Te Anau as your base for these tours.

(this is the plug). Te anau is just a two hour drive from Milford Sound, Vs four hours from Queenstown. You will have a far more enjoyable day, and will have more time to spend on the Milford Road, which is one of the most scenic drives in the world. (Can't remember who said this, but it's true, and I've seen a lot of scenic drives. In most countries "Scenic Drive" is another name for "bloody rough road" but not here. This is one fantastic highway.)
(Plug ends)
My suggestion for a South island tour would be.
Christchurch, 1 or 2 nights.
Kaikoura (whale watching) 1 night
(Could do this from Christchurch)
Nelson region. 2-3 nights depending on whether you like wine tours. There are also a lot of artisans working around Nelson. The NZ Wearable Art competition originated in Nelson
(http://www.nz.com/tour/Nelson/WearableArts.html).
West Coast, Greymouth, Westport, Hokitika) 2 nights in 2 different location. more if you are into walking or climbing.
Wanaka, Queenstown. 2 nights min. more if you are into adventure tourism (jet boats, heli skiing, bunji jumping etc)
Te Anau. 2 nights if you just want to visit Milford or Doubtful Sound. more if you are into walking. The Kepler Track, Milford Track, Routburn Trak,all start from Te Anau. Also there are overnight cruises on both sounds. this is absolutely the most wonderful experience you will ever have, and will be the highlight of your holiday. (I shoulldn't be saying this, they compete with us for clients).
You may like to consider Stewart island. This is the third Island of NZ, and the smallest. it's a developing tourist area, but still not spoiled. It's like a step back in time, only 20km of roads, about 50 cars, and lots of boats. You need at least one night here, can't do it in less, unless you just stay on the ferry and do the return trip.
Invercargill is a pretty little city with nothing much to recommend it, except a quite good museum with a good display on the sub antarctic islands.
Dunedin, you need at least one night, possibly 2. The trip to the Royal Albatross Colony is well worth whild, and the Penguin Place is really good. Dunedin is one of our older cities,(about 200 years), and there are a lot of fine old buildings.
You can do Dunedin to Christchurch in about 4 hours, so there is probably no need to stay along the route. THe Moeraki Boulders are worth a look, just north of Palmerston.
From Queenstown/Te Anau you have the option of returning to Christchurch either along the East Coast, where all the towns are, or through the middle of the island, past lakes Pukaki and Tekapo. These lakes are a brilliant turquoise blue, caused by the glacial flour(dust) suspended in the water. This route takes you past Mount Cook, our highest mountain (12,349 feet, until a couple of years ago, when a bit fell off the top. Not sure what it is now). If you need to stay along the way, either Twizle, or Tekapo are good choices. The roads in this area are fantastic. Put in as a bribe by the Government when they build a huge power system with miles of canals and 4 power stations about 20 years ago. It includes an international rowing course which is hardly ever used.
In Christchurch you should visit the Antarctic Centre, by the airport. The Christchurch Museum is very good, as is the Art Galery. THe Art Centre, just across from the Museum is an interesting place to spend a couple of hours, Artisans practicing their carft, and some quite good food. THe Fudge Cottage is hard to resist. From the Art Centre you can catch the tram back to Cathedral Square. Trams were removed from Christchurch about 30 years ago, and just a couple of years back they put this one in as a tourist attraction. It's a real step back in time.
Hope this helps, and that you have a wonderful holiday in our lovely country.
Cheers,
Barry

Pawleys - I see where you want to spend more time in diverse regions, and not cities.
I would plan around the following locations -
South Island....Christchurch to Picton & mail run boat on Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman National Park (walks)
Wineries in the Marlborough region (worlds best Sauvignon Blancs), then drive down the eastern coastal highway, past Hokitika (with the great coastal ranges behind)to the Canterbury Plains, then down the centre of the south island, to places like Lake Tekapo, Lake Hawea, Lake Wanaka, then to Queenstown (which is a bit touristy, prices reflect that), then onto Milford Sound, then back towards Queenstown & over Haast Pass to the two Glaciers, Fox & Franz Joseph, then north along the western side of the island, turning back to cross Arthurs Pass, and down to Christchurch. Make sure you spend a few days in Christchurch.

Not to spoil a big trip have at least two days in Auckland when you arrive to get over jet lag as you will not even remember the first day.

Ponsonby is the place to stay. Easy to get around, full of restaurants and interesting part of town. You could go out on the harbour on NZL40, an Americas Cup boat.

Arrive in Auckland and leave from Christchurch.

The distances between places are quite long and the roads slower and more windy than they appear on maps.

You must book most accommodation in Feb and if you are taking a car on the ferry will need to book the ferry crossing. Usually you drop the car in Wellington and pick another up in Picton. However you could catch a connecting train from ferry to Christchurch and get a car there.

Cars are also as scarce as hens teeth in Feb. Book before you arrive.

Queenstown itself is overrated. The second best walk in the country is about an hour out of Wanaka...to the Rob Roy glacier. If you go to Fiordland go by coach as you have to return the same way and it is easier just to look out the window than have to drive.

Glenorchy, 45mins up lake from Queenstown is gorgoeous. I could spend a whole summer there.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. What wonderful information!!! I need to study it all to make some decisions.

Pawleys,
We just returned from a month in NZ...we have the same list of things that we like to do....dining, hiking, staying in small lodges, wine...plus art!
My husband is a wine writer so we visited many wineries.
This was our second trip to NZ...one month wasn't long enough to see everything...even after two months we still have a list for our next trip.

I'm glad that someone mentioned Friars guides...we found several places from their listing. Also check out Boutique Lodgings of new Zealand.
Keep in mind that many wineries have restaurants that serve lunch & or dinner.....and overall many are excellent. Once you set an itinerary..let me know if you want any suggestions about which wineries to check out in that region.

We love the Nelson area & have rented a wonderful little apartment on both of our trips. Villa 10. Make sure that you are in Nelson on a Saturday...the market is wonderful.
Here' s the web for Villa 10....we've stayed in both of the apartments..both are terrific!
www.villa10.co.nz

I find that booking for NZ is a breeze...everyone is very helpful & I did it all on the computer.
As much as I love european travel...nothing compare to the ease of arranging NZ travel.

[email protected]

PS...YES book ahead. Many of the terrific places are small.
Oh, we also rented a few houses/cottages.....many don't require more than a 2 day stay!!

Stevan made the comment that Queenstown is over-rated. Only in the same way that the Grand Canyon and Yosemite is over-rated. Sure, it is now very touristy and accomodation is pricey,but there are very good reasons that it is one of the most popular places in NZ. Allow several days in Queenstown and while you are there don't miss a day trip to Arrowtown. In Arrowtown - wander down to the old Chinese settlement.
Wanaka and Lake Hawea are lovely too, but you need more time in Queenstown. 3-4 days.
Other suggestions;
Milford or DoubtfulSound is must see. This can be easily done as a day trip.
If you go over to the West coast to see Franz Joseph, try and squeeze in a trip to blowholes at Punkaiki. Amazing.
Dunedin is great - stay 2-3 days. Christchurch is nice- very English.
Hamner Springs north of Christchurch has lovely hot springs and is surrounded by mountains.
Nelson area is lovely - Kayaking or hiking in the Abel Tasman park. Also the Nelson Lakes area is beautiful.
Wellington is like a mini San Francisco - lovely harbour and Te Papa is worth a visit.
Lake Taupo.
Rotorua, like Queenstown,is touristy and commercial but well worth it for the hot pools and Maori heritage.

Hawkes Bay is nice but is too much of a diversion for most peoples trips.

For a small country, the distances are deceptively long.

I can't offer too many suggestions for accomodation, but we stubbled across an absolute gem of a place in Feb last year.
Our booking in Christchurch fell through at the last minute and we were having trouble getting a cabin/motel anywhere in ChCh. So we called the Holiday Park in Rakaia, an hour south of Christchurch, and got their Fishermans cottage. No good if you only stay in 4* plus but great if you want to experience a real dinkum Kiwi farm cottage. The bath is unreal and it has a proper kitchen - just watch your head in the doorways.

There's no doubt that the South Island has the majority of the top spots. Ideally you will need at least 2 weeks for the south island, especially if you are driving. 3 weeks would be better.
Allocate your time well and have a great trip.

Just to throw in another source, you can do some research on cuisine.co.nz by wine region, including food & lodging. My own preference is NOT to stay in Queenstown at all. Arrowtown is nearby. If you are interested in wine tasting, I recommend the Central Otago Wine trail over Hawke's Bay. Clyde is a quiet and cute town that has Oliver's for dining & lodging and is convenient to the Bannockburn area wineries.

Skip Queenstown unless you are into adventure sports or enjoy a ski town atmosphere (think Vail). For similar scenery in quieter surroundings, spend a couple of days at Wanaka, then go to Te Anau (you can check out Queenstown on the way between them) and use that as a base for trips to Milford and/or Doubtful Sounds.

vbca's suggestions are good ones. I'd add that the Mt. Cook region is very attractive and if you want to minimize driving you could spend some time there and drop Arthur's Pass and Franz Josef and the whole west coast loop while still getting good exposure to glaciers and mountain passes.

The best way to see Queenstown is a day visit. Then retreat to one of the quieter locations (like Wanaka) for the overnight. For a restaurant in Queenstown, I liked Solera Vino and have seen other recent favorable reviews here.

There are a lot of things to do in or around Queenstown and it so stunningly beautiful. We were there in Feb last year and spent one night in Wanaka and two nights in Queenstown. On reflection, we should have spent all three in Queenstown. Feb was a great time to go, as it was not school holidays and it was not ski season. It was not crowded and we avoided the tourist shops.
Some of the "must do's" in Queenstown without even touching on Adventure tourism are:
1. Day trip to Arrowtown - although next time we go we will make sure we have enough time to stay at least one night in Arrowtown.
2. Gondola to Bob's Peak and the Skyline restuarant- good to do late afternoon/early evening.
3. Tour to Skippers Canyon - I wouldn't recommend you drive it youseld and you probably wouldn't be able to anyway as most rental companies wont insure their cars on this stunning road.
4. Earnslaw trip to Walter Peak Station.
5. Tour to Milford sound - only if time doesn't allow you to do it yourself at a more leisurely pace.

If you go to Stewart Island or Invercargill, take warm clothes. It was hailing and freezing in Feb last year.

I'm still fine tuning my schedule. All your suggestions have been so helpful; but, it's so difficult to eliminate such wonderful options.
Here's current idea:
Fly into Auckland, fly to Taupo
Taupo
Fly to Napier
Napier
Fly to Christ Church, drive immediately to Kaikoura
Drive to Nelson
Nelson
Nelson
Fly to Invercargill, and get some way to Stewart Island
Stewart Island
Drive from Invercargill to overnight cruise of Milford Sound
Drive to Queenstown or Wanaka
1 or 2 more nights in that location
Drive to Mt Cook
Drive to Lake Tekapo
Drive to Christ Church
Fly home
We have 18 nights top to spend to stay within our 3 week span.
Any suggestions where we should add or pare down? Should we stay in both the Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo areas or 2nights in one or the other?

Spend at least 2 nights in Auckland when you arrive as the first day will be a blurr.

We drove from Wanaka to Christchurch easily in a day on the back road called Thompsons track which goes through Tekapo [I think] . We found this route on an AA map. Virtually no traffic, very scenic, close to mountains. I would not bother staying at either place just pass through unless you have an early plane. Spend an extra night in Wanaka.