hi,

married couple taking a 30th birthday trip at the end of april.

we're planning on flying from canada to fiji, spending 4 nights getting 'timezoned' and laying on a beach.

then planning on flying from fiji to auckland and spending 10 nights exploring new zealand, then fly back to canada out of auckland. i realize that's not a lot of time, so i'm look for suggestions on how to best figure out an itinerary?

what we'd like to do: visit wineries (pinot noir rather than sauvignon blanc), eat at decent restaurants, go hiking, sail on the america's cup boat in auckland harbour, and see some amazing scenery...

ideas: my first instinct is to spend a couple nights in auckland, see the city, eat at a couple decent restaurants, and sail the america's cup boat. after two nights, fly to queenstown and spend the following 7 nights exploring the wine region in central otago and hiking in and around fjordland national park...

thoughts?

any advice, and specific suggestions would be much appreciated.

happy travels!

Sounds like a decent plan although you may not want to stay in Queenstown itself.

The top pinot noir wineries are actually a bit east of Arrowtown, closer to Cromwell and Clyde.

Nice place to combine wine tasting and food is Amisfield Bistro on Lake Hayes Rd near Arrowtown (and there are several top restaurants in Arrowtown itself).

My last trip I spent a few nights at the Kinloch Lodge, I thought the restaurant and setting were wonderful. You can drive there from Queenstown or get picked up from Glenorchy. Kinloch is a good spot to base a hike on the Routeburn. Info here: http://www.kinlochlodge.co.nz/Routeb...7/Default.aspx

I think it's a good plan.

Lots to see and do in/around QT, you'll have no trouble filling your time.

There are several excellent hikes in the area, including the Sawpit Gully Trail (Arrowtown), the Greenstone Track (near Kinloch Lodge, Glenorchy) the Routeburn (Glenorchy) and the Mt Crichton/Sam Summers track (located in the Mt Crichton Scenic Reserve just off Glenorchy Road between Wilson Bay and Bob’s Cove).

If you're not into the hustle and bustle of QT, I suggest you stay on the outskirts or perhaps stay in Arrowtown. We've had trouble finding quiet hotels in QT, so we generally opt for accommodation on the outskirts of town (like Bella Vista near the gondola or Villa Del Lago) or we stay near Arrowtown...Orchard Cottage is nice and is located very close to Amisfield and it's excellent Pinot Noir. There's an easy walk trail that circles nearby Lake Hayes too.

Rockburn in Cromwell makes a nice Pinot Noir too, and Mt Difficulty in nearby Bannockburn is a great place for lunch.

hi - I posted my question and promptly forgot to check for answers... very helpful and great suggestions.

thanks!

Here's a link to a Central Otago wineries map:
http://www.otagowine.com/otagowine/winetrailmap.html
You can pick up a better map at NZ Tourism Information after you arrive in NZ.
This is also a good site:
http://www.centralotagopinot.co.nz/region.html

Regarding the wineries of Central Otago, if I were you, from Queenstown I would drive to Cromwell and work my way back to Queenstown, stopping at wineries along the way. Central Otago is known for Pinot Noir, so you'll be spoiled for choices. If you want to feel less hurried, you can drive to Cromwell the day before, spend the night in Cromwell, which has many nice, clean, inexpensive motels (check Trip Advisor for recommendations and Wotif for good rates). Some of these include kitchenettes if you would like to make your own meal and drink your own wine, but there are also several restaurants in Cromwell. "Feast" in the shopping mall was pretty good.

Right in Cromwell town, you can visit Quartz Reef, Rockburn wineries, and Wooing Tree Wineries, as well as several other wineries not too far from town. like small Aurum. Quartz Reef is generally only open on weekdays and only until 3.
http://www.centralotagopinot.co.nz/d...romwell_02.pdf

There are wineries in Clyde and Alexandra, but with such limited time, I would give these areas a pass and instead drive to Bannockburn.
http://www.centralotagopinot.co.nz/d...ockburn_02.pdf
My top choices for Bannockburn would be Akarua, Felton Road, Mt. Difficulty, and Carrick. I've not too familiar with Olssen's Wines, but I believe they also produce a good Pinot Noir.
Mt. Difficulty is a great place to stop for lunch. Make a reservation in advance as the restaurant is small. The views are great. I know you are mainly interested in Pinot Noir (and they do a great one), but do not fail to try their Pinot Gris. It is wonderful. Their Target Gully Riesling is also delicious.
The highly rated Felton Road is mainly open on weekdays. Felton Road is not only famous for its Pinot Noirs but also known for its rieslings.

Then return to Queenstown via State Highway 6/Gibbston Highway, stopping at wineries in the Gibbston Valley. I recommend Peregrine, Gibbston Valley, and Chard Farm. The architecture at Peregrine is distinctive; the roofline is reminiscent of a peregrine falcon. Gibbston Valley is the most commercial of these wineries, with gift shop, cheese shop, restaurant, picnic tables. They charge for their tastings, but their wines are good. Chard Farm has a spectacular setting. You take a little detour off the main road to get Chard Farm. Chard Road can be a little scary, but the views are well worth it. Plus, Chard Farm makes great wine.
http://www.chardfarm.co.nz/index.php...pi_galleryid/1

Then I would continue along the State Highway 6/Gibbston Highway, but turn right onto McDonnell Road, drive up to Arrowtown, have a look around. Return to Queenstown via Lake Hayes Road, stop at Amisfield Winery, which is almost at the end of the road. If you time it right, you can have dinner here. Phone ahead to reserve a table by the big view window. http://www.amisfield.co.nz/

This is basically the drive my husband and I did at the end of November 2010, only we started in Dunedin, ending up in Queenstown (actually the Nugget Point Hotel, which is about seven miles from the center of Queenstown on Arthur's Point Road).

You might be interested in this article I just found online:
http://gourmettraveller.com.au/great...tral_otago.htm

In Auckland, not too far from the airport, you can visit beautiful Villa Maria Winery, which also has a restaurant. Their Pinot Noir Reserve (black label) is fantastic. It is sourced from Marlborough grapes. All of their reserve wines are good.

Martinborough, near Wellington, is also known primarily for its pinot noirs. The wine regions of Marlborough, Nelson, and Waipara (near Christchurch) also produce outstanding pinots.

I'm looking forward to returning to Central Otago in February, when I hope to visit Rippon Winery on Lake Wanaka. I've heard it is a beautiful winery.

Diamantina -

Rippon Winery does indeed have some fabulous views from their tasting room. They're also the only vineyard in NZ that produces Osteiner, a German style white.

Melnq8

Thanks, I'll let my husband know as he is the white wine drinker. I'm looking forward to trying Rippon's pinots, though I don't know if I will be buying any--their prices are sky high.

Yes, I imagine the winery is quite beautiful. I hear it's a popular venue for wedding receptions.