Kaikoura has a nice short walk that takes you along the coast and up to a viewpoint and via some historic buildings.

I think the scenery is much nicer than Hanmer Springs.

Sorry to confuse you even more, we had driven to Kaikoura, done the whaling excursion, which I loved at the time but now after seeing the whales in Provincetown & around here in the US , it was ok.The seafood at Kaikoura was great.We then drove off & went to Hanmer Springs & stayed one night.The only reason I think you would stay there is if u are going to the springs over there as after soaking, relaxing you dont want to pack up & drive.The springs were open till 7 I think so we just soaked, dried off, went to the hotel, ate & slept & even though much to my husbands dismay I had packed the trip to do everything, this turned out to be relaxing & a good break instead of the usual driving.So only if u are going to the springs then stay one night there.

I know this is lengthy, but here is our new revised itinerary. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Are we rushing anywhere? Should we slow down and take out some activities to spend time in certain areas?

<B>Dec. 2</B> - Arrive in Queenstown at noon
- Sky gondola/luge
<B>Dec. 3</B> - Drive to Te Anau Downs
- Water Cycles in Te Anau - are they still there?
- Drive to the Divide and hike to Key Summit
- Drive back to and sleep in Te Anau Downs
<B>Dec. 4</B> - Milford Sound
- Hike - maybe Tutoko or someone else's suggestion??
- Any freedom kayaking around here? Don't want a tour
<B>Dec. 5</B> - Milford Sound
- Cruise mid morning with under water observatory
- Hike (short one - suggestions?)
<B>Dec. 6</B> - Drive to Queenstown
- Parasailing (afternoon)
- Drive to and sleep in Lake Hawea (to make tomorrow
a shorter drive)
<B>Dec. 7</B> Drive to Blue Pools
- Drive to Lake Moeraki and to Munro Beach
- Drive to Fox Glacier and Franz Josef for short
visit
- Drive to and sleep in Hokitika
*Does anyone know if Blue Spur Lodge still has
gold panning?
<B>Dec. 8</B> - Drive to Pancake Rocks and Blow Holes
- Drive to Abel Tasman
- Hike and Kayak
<B><red>OR</B></red>
- Drive to Hanmer Springs
- Soak in the pools, get a massage
<B>Dec. 9</B> (if we did Abel Tasman than Dec. 9 would be Hanmer Springs and we would cut out Kaikoura altogether.)
- Drive to Kaikoura
- Whale Watching (is it worth the price? Drsaloni
says no)
<B>Dec. 10</B> - Drive to Akoroa
- Picnic lunch
- Other suggestions?
<B>Dec. 11</B> - Drive to Christchurch
- Botanical gardens
- See Cathedral
- Leave from Christchuch airport at 4:30

So the big question is Abel Tasman for a day or Kaikoura for a day??? Thanks everyone!

Rachel

I'm not sure what kind of guidebook or info you are working on for Milford Sound. The Milford Track is highly regulated and you can either go with a guide company or via permits issued by the DOC. I think that is going to include kayaking as well.

Mt. Tutoko is a multiday expedition with expert guides, as far as I know.

Suggest you look thru these online guides from the Fiordland tourism agency and the DOC.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/docume...-day-walks.pdf

There are other areas of Fiordland with the same type of temperate podocarp forest, just not with all the PR of the Milford Track.

A nice alternative is the Tuatapere Hump Ridge.

http://www.humpridgetrack.co.nz/

A few comments and questions Gills -

The only accommodation option I'm aware of at Te Anau Downs is Fiordland National Park Lodge. I'm assuming you've already booked?

Are you staying overnight in Milford on Dec 4 & 5? I assume you've booked? Busy place, limited lodging.

Regarding Dec 6 -

The drive from Milford to Queenstonwn is four hours, then you've got close to another two hour drive to Lake Hawea. This doesn't give much time for parasailing, but the long summer days will be in your favor.... Have you booked a place in Lake Hawea? I looked there several years back and had a hard time finding a place. For purely selfish reasons I'd be interested to know what you found.

Dec 7 - I suspect you realize this is a long drive day, probably 5-6 hours without stops. The walk to Munro Beach takes a little over an hour return. You're going at prime penguin viewing time - lucky you.

Dec 8 - You're looking at 5+ hours to drive from Hokitika to Abel Tasman, not inlcluding the stop at Pancake Rocks, which will add at least another hour. This won't leave much time to hike in Abel Tasman, particularly as you need to arrange a water taxi to collect you from the track unless you just plan to hike in a bit from Marahau, turn around and hike back out. Same for kayaking.

The Hanmer Springs option is more doable, as the drive from Hoki to Hanmer is only 3:40, BUT you'll miss out on Pancake Rocks, unless you detour to Punakaiki and backtrack to pick up Lewis Pass to Hanmer, or continue traveling north and cross over near Westport.

Dec 9 - The drive from Abel Tasman to Kaikoura is just over four hours, so you'll need to plan well to fit in a whale trip. I can't comment on if it's worth the price, I've not done it. Are you spending this night in Kaikoura?

Dec 10 - Are you spending this night in Akaroa?

Your itinerary strikes me as hectic, but if your goal is to see a little snippet of many places on the SI and you don't mind all the driving, it might work for you.

VERY helpful! Thanks for the input to both of you. I'll respond more tomorrow. Off to bed for the night....

Rachel

mlgb - You're right. Tutoko is not for us. How about Lake Marian? I like the look of Tuatapere Hump Ridge, but can we do just a day walk or do you have to do the entire loop?

Melnq8 - Lots of great info...thanks! We are definitely going to cut out Abel Tasman. It's just too far out of the way. I'm actually thinking of cutting out Kaikoura too. I don't want to feel UNrelaxed at the end of our 10 days plus I'm not 100% sold on the whale watching. No one has said it's a must. Maybe we'll just stay an extra day in the Lake Hawea/Wanaka region and relax by the lakes. I have not booked anything yet, so I need to get on the ball! Fiordland National Park Lodge's website says they have room available as well as Milford Sound lodge (backpackers). I found the Lake Hawea Motor Inn and they too have space available in their backpackers for only $25 a night.

Motor Inn's website: http://www.lakehawea.co.nz/home.html

Again, thanks for critiquing our "hectic" itinerary. We don't mind the road trip vibe, but we don't want to feel rushed either so I think taking a day after parasailing to just hang by the lakes will be nice.

Thanks for the link Rachel

For the Humpridge, on a day walk you won't get all the way up the ridge, and it's a few hours walking along the Bluecliffs top and beach (gets a bit boring when you do it twice out and back). There are companies that offer shorter duration trips combining jet boats/helis and a sampling of the track but you may need a minimum number of people. The Humpridge people offer a luxury one night package also.

If you're just looking for a few hours walk thru a forest there are lots of options described in the brochure on the link a posted above.

http://www.wildernessjet.co.nz/Jet-B...ay-Adventure/3

http://www.wjet.co.nz/wjet/default.asp