My wife and I are planning an approx. 2 week long trip to New Zealand for October. We're just beginning the itinerary plan and are looking for any advice you might have on thinks to see, things not to see, places to stay, eat, etc.<BR><BR>Our current plans (subject to change) are something like this... <BR><BR> - Fly into Christchurch &amp; rent a car<BR> - Drive the southern island in a clockwise direction. Mostly staying in B&amp;B's.<BR> - Take Tranz Alpine Train back to Christchurch.<BR> - Either train, plane or auto to Wellington.<BR> - 3 days at Wharekauhao Country Estate (purchased at travel auction)<BR> - 3 days at Lake Taupo Lodge (again, purchased at travel auction with 1 day of guided fly fishing)<BR><BR>Any thoughts? We'd like to do some touristy things (local museums, festivals, etc.) and some outdoor stuff (hiking, boating, etc).<BR><BR>Thanks in advance!<BR>alan

Hi Alan! <BR>Sounds like you will have a fabulous time. I am presuming you will fly out of Auckland? Anyway, a few pointers which I can think of which may or may not be of relevance or interest are as follows: <BR> <BR>- Christchurch has a fabulous art & craft market on weekends in the Historic Art Centre. There is a vintage tram running around the central city and this stops outside the market. <BR>- Christchurch also has a Gondola which runs up the Port Hills of Christchurch which offers fabulous views of the Canterbury Plains & mountains in the distance. <BR>- The Antartica Centre out near the airport is also extremely worthwhile visiting. <BR> <BR>- Coming up the coast from ChCh to Picton (where you will catch the ferry to Wellington)is a town called Kaikoura. From here you can go Whale watching & feast on crayfish (lobster) until the cows come home. YUM! <BR> <BR>- Wellington is home to the national museum of New Zealand "Te Papa". This is only a few years old and well worth a visit. <BR> <BR>- From Wellington to Taupo, you can take the road up the east of the North Island and stop in Napier for a night. This city was totally devastated by an earthquake in the 50's and has been rebuilt in the Art Deco style of the time. City buildings have been restored to their former glory. <BR> <BR>- From Taupo to Auckland, you head thru the touristy city of Rotorua with all that it has to offer, but from there to Auckland you can drive via the coastal city of Tauranga (& Mt Maunganui) which is a more scenic way to go. <BR> <BR>- If time permits, you can go up to Auckland via the Coromandel which is probably the most scenic part of the North Island. <BR> <BR>- Last but not least, it pays to wear plenty of insect repellant on the West Coast of the South Island - the sandflies are massive & extremely vicious (I know from experience!) <BR> <BR>Hope you enjoy your holiday... <BR> <BR>nzers

Alan, <BR> <BR>Depending on how adverturous you want to be and the weather for the time of year you are going, bu my wife and I had the greatest time. We were there in late November. Here were some of the highlights <BR> <BR>The full day hike on Franz Joseph - amazing, climbing ice ways, ducking through ice canals. Must be in decent shape. <BR> <BR>5 day Tramp through Milford Sound. Great guided tour, beautiful scenery. You walk about 10 miles a day. <BR> <BR>Queenstown - jet boating, paragliding, full alpine town full of action <BR> <BR>3 day guided walk/sea kayaking on Abel Tasman park in Nelson. Great run tours, not tough - beautiful scenery. <BR> <BR>Enjoy!

We went to New Zealand last November for 3 weeks. Here are some of the highlights: <BR> <BR>1. 1 day Sea Kayaking trip in Abel Tasman with The Sea Kayaking Company. Beautiful scenery, wonderful guide, great food. They also have multiday trips. <BR> <BR>2. Swim with the dolphins in Kaikoura. Jump into the water with a wild pod of over 100 dolphins. They come so close yet never touch you. What an amazing experience. <BR> <BR>3. Black water rafting in Waitomo. Terrific day. <BR> <BR>4. Overnight cruise in Milford Sound. Avoid the busloads of tourists in the day. Opportunity to do some more sea kayaking. We saw dolphins, seals and penguins. <BR> <BR>5. Kauri museum and visit to the giant Kauri trees. <BR> <BR>6. Wellington's Te Papa museum. <BR> <BR>7. Queenstown. Adrenaline abound. <BR> <BR>8. Hot water beach on the Coromandel Penninsula. The water is really boiling hot. Bring or borrow a shovel and make your own hottub in the sand. <BR> <BR>We weren't too impressed with smelly Rotorua and the expensive entry into the various Maori run sites. The traditional Maori dinner/show was a tourist trap. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip, it's a wonderful country.

We spent 3 weeks in New Zealand in April 2001. We flew to Christchurch and drove the route you're describing. It was more ambitious than we expected. The roads are excellent but often twisty. The country is simply larger than we realized. <BR>--We highly recommend staying at Te Wanaka Lodge (a B&B) in Wanaka, north of Queenstown. We flew from Wanaka to Milford Sound, cruised the Sound, and flew back to Wanaka in about 5 hours. Total cost was about NZ$275 each (US$110) and the flight saved us 10 hours of driving. If you have time, kayaking in Milford Sound looked appealing. <BR>--Between Wanaka and Queenstown is the Gibbston Valley Winery. They serve lunches (but no dinners). We had one of our best meals there. <BR>--We had two excellent dinners at Cafe Paris in Hokitika, south of Greymouth in Westland. The chef is French. <BR>--We crossed Marlborough Sound on The Lynx ferry (advanced reservations required). Rental car companies do not let you take their cars on the ferry, but our 3-week contract had a car waiting for us in Wellington; we gave the rental agency our ferry time before we left home. <BR>--With only two 2 weeks to spend in NZ, I'd fly from South Island to Lake Taupo. Taupo is about a 5-hour drive from Wellington. <BR>--Remember your insect repellent in Westland! The sand flies are nasty about dusk. <BR>--If you're going to Auckland, we recommend Omahu House, 35 Omahu Road, Remuera, Auckland, [email protected]. It's a beautiful B&B with gracious, friendly hosts. I don't usually like big cities, but I could have spent more than 3 days here. <BR> <BR>Have a great trip!