Hello! We are going to be visiting NZ for the first time for about 14 days. Here's our planned itinerary so far and would really appreciate your feedback!

Few questions:
1. Anything we are missing that we should do?
2. Is Abel - Tasman National Park worth a visit or should we replace with something else?
3. Is it too packed or seems reasonable?

Would love any other feedback or tips! Thanks much in advance.

Day 1 Arrive Auckland
Day 2 Auckland
Day 3 Auckland
Day 4 Fly Auckland to Nelson
Day 5 Visit Abel Tasman National Park from Nelson, day trip
Day 6 Drive from Nelson to Kaikoura
Day 7 Kaikoura - whale watching
Day 8 Christchurch
Day 9 Christchurch to Queenstown (Flight)
Day 10 Queenstown
Day 11 Queenstown
Day 12 Drive to Te ANau
Day 13 Te Anau (Fjordland, Milford Soud)
Day 14 Drive back to Queenstown
Day 15 Queenstown - Auckland

Thanks!
Jasmine.

Forgot to mention, we are visiting mid November. We are 2 adults and 2 kids.

Another question - Any reviews about whale watching trips from Kaikoura? is it kid friendly?

It looks very sensible compared with some of the mad rush trip itineraries posted here!
How old are the kids? Whale Watch does not allow under 3's on the tour.
I would take a day from Auckland to have more time in Abel Tasman National Park.
Day 14 will be a long drive. Hope the kids travel well.

If it were me, I'd skip Auckland and fly directly from Auckland to Nelson then work my way down south, or move things around a bit and fly into Christchurch or Queenstown first, then end up in Nelson.

That would leave time to drive between locations on the South Island, and forgo that flight from Christchurch to Queenstown. You miss some nice countryside when you fly. If you gave Auckland a pass, you could see Mount Cook or the glaciers of the West Coast on your way to/from Queenstown or Nelson.

Having said that, if you're firm on Auckland, I think it's a doable itinerary, but a bit rushed. I too would add a day to the Abel Tasman area. As the park is your main focus, why not stay closer to it? Mouteka, Upper Moutere, Kaiteriteri, Marahau are all closer options.

I assume you're staying overnight in Te Anau on Day 13? If so, Day 14 is only a two hour drive.

Another thought - depending on when your flight arrives in Queenstown on Day 9 - why not drive right to Te Anau spend the night, spend the next day in Milford, spend a second night in Te Anau, then drive back to Queenstown for your time there?

That would prevent staying in Queenstown on two separate occasions and be a bit less disruptive as you'd not have to check into/out of Queenstown hotels twice. It would also prevent that last one night stay in QT.

Thank you Tasmangirl and Melnq8!

Kids are 9 & 11 and we're debating between whale watching / swimming with dolphins.

Great suggestion about driving to TeAnanu directly! Thank you, we will revise the itinerary.

Looks like Auckland can be seen in a day? So Abel Tasman is definitely worth adding to the itinerary? Some reviews say it is overrated - so wanted to double check

Thank you!

Auckland has many attractions but with a short trip there are more interesting places to go. If you stayed right in the city and did a ferry trip to Waiheke or Devonport, or maybe Auckland Museum you will have seen some of the sights.
Is ATNP overrated? I guess it depends what you are comparing it with. For what it's worth I was underwhelmed by Long Island and it's famous beaches (well maybe not Montauk).
It's one of may favourite areas in NZ. The combination of bush and golden sand beaches are lovely and November would be a good time to go.

I love Abel Tasman - do you plan on walking part of the track?

You can read many reviews of the Kaikoura Whale Watch cruise on Trip Advisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...th_Island.html

I'd advise you to also read the FAQs section of Whale Watch:
http://www.whalewatch.co.nz/our-tours/faqs/

Cruises can be cancelled due to rough conditions. Even when cruises aren't cancelled, conditions may warrant the use of seasickness medication beforehand.

Note the total cost of two adults and two children (ages 9, 11) in November (after Oct. 1 price increase) will be NZ$420. But best check my estimate.

This being said, there are plenty of things to do in and around Kaikoura to easily fill a day. It's a beautiful spot, nestled between the rugged rocky coastline and the Kaikoura mountain range.

I've done both the whale watch trip and the swimming with dolphins trip and I preferred the latter. It's more unique. If you're prone to seasickness, it would be a good idea to take seasickness medication for the dolphin swim as well. Note you can also swim with dolphins in Akaroa harbor. Picton also offers dolphin swimming, though the sightings are not as reliable.

If you stick with your plan of spending a few days in Auckland, consider visiting Tiritiri Matangi Island. It's a very special predator-free island in Hauraki Gulf with incredible birdlife, great views, and walking tracks. Or cruise to Rangitoto Island, a volcanic predator-free island with great views and walking tracks, that's much closer to Auckland. Note conditions can sometimes be rough in Hauraki Gulf as well, and cruises to Tiritiri Matangi can sometimes be cancelled. So I wouldn't contemplate either of these trips unless the weather is fine.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...th_Island.html
http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...gitoto-island/

Or consider one of the day tours offered by Great Sights:
http://www.greatsights.co.nz/new-zea...tions/rotorua/

Thank you all! this is very helpful.