new zealand south island
Nov 13th, 2016, 09:06 AM
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new zealand south island
We are trying to plan a trip from the U.S. to the south island of NZ. Our travel dates are 12/19/16 thru about 1/3/16. We thought it would be fun to stop and relax in Fiji for a few days to recover from the long flight, and then fly to Queenstown about 12/23 or 12/24 and rent a car to tour the island. My husband wants to do the bungi jump there. The places we'd like to see are Milford sound, maybe a kayak trip there, Franz Josef, possibly Mt.Cook, possibly Nelson to go to the Abel Tasman Nat'l park, and Kaikoura. I've read that we should not miss a tour with Encounter Kaikoura to swim with the dolphins. And, finally ending up in Christchurch to fly home. I'm realizing we may not have time to do all of this, and also, so many places are completely booked already. Any suggestions on routes to drive or places to stay? And, I guess , what to leave out if all of this is not possible in the amount of time we have.
I have found Trelawn Place b and b in Queenstown, has availability 12/24 thru 12/26 . and there is 1 room available at Knobs Flat near Milford Sound on 12/26.
I have found Trelawn Place b and b in Queenstown, has availability 12/24 thru 12/26 . and there is 1 room available at Knobs Flat near Milford Sound on 12/26.
Nov 13th, 2016, 10:21 AM
#4
Hi cdj -
I assume the two previous posters are referring to today's earthquake 59 miles from Christchurch.
You might want to wait a few days to see how extensive the damage is and how this might affect a potential visit - especially if you've not yet booked flights.
As far as your itinerary - do you have 16 full days on the ground or does that include travel time from the US?
Some issues I see with your proposed itinerary - not including today's earthquake - too much in too little time. You will find it very difficult to see both the far south of the SI and the far north of the SI with so few days.
A stopover will eat into your limited time on the SI, add potentially considerable expense, and quite possibly won't be as relaxing as you think.
In my many trips to/from the US/Asia/Australia/New Zealand, I've found it easier to just bite the bullet and fly direct - get it over with and then get on with the holiday.
Time of your visit - as you've already discovered, Christmas is a busy time in NZ - it's school holidays for the local kids and neighboring Australia (think summer vacation). Prices will be high, availability limited.
Knob's Flat - we spent three nights there once - it's in between Te Anau and Milford Sound - it's a good location if you want to explore the many tramping tracks along Milford Road, but keep in mind there are no services there - you will need to self-cater your meals. The sandflies can be pretty fierce.
Driving route - there are two main routes on the SI - the West Coast (glaciers) and the inland route (Mt Cook). While it is possible to make a figure 8 loop and incorporate both routes in two weeks, it's a lot of driving. Distances in NZ are much further than they appear on a map, roads are narrow, there's an abundance of one lane bridges and it can really be slow going, especially in the height of summer when the roads are full of caravans.
But for now, you might want to wait and see how extensive the damage from the earthquake might be.
I assume the two previous posters are referring to today's earthquake 59 miles from Christchurch.
You might want to wait a few days to see how extensive the damage is and how this might affect a potential visit - especially if you've not yet booked flights.
As far as your itinerary - do you have 16 full days on the ground or does that include travel time from the US?
Some issues I see with your proposed itinerary - not including today's earthquake - too much in too little time. You will find it very difficult to see both the far south of the SI and the far north of the SI with so few days.
A stopover will eat into your limited time on the SI, add potentially considerable expense, and quite possibly won't be as relaxing as you think.
In my many trips to/from the US/Asia/Australia/New Zealand, I've found it easier to just bite the bullet and fly direct - get it over with and then get on with the holiday.
Time of your visit - as you've already discovered, Christmas is a busy time in NZ - it's school holidays for the local kids and neighboring Australia (think summer vacation). Prices will be high, availability limited.
Knob's Flat - we spent three nights there once - it's in between Te Anau and Milford Sound - it's a good location if you want to explore the many tramping tracks along Milford Road, but keep in mind there are no services there - you will need to self-cater your meals. The sandflies can be pretty fierce.
Driving route - there are two main routes on the SI - the West Coast (glaciers) and the inland route (Mt Cook). While it is possible to make a figure 8 loop and incorporate both routes in two weeks, it's a lot of driving. Distances in NZ are much further than they appear on a map, roads are narrow, there's an abundance of one lane bridges and it can really be slow going, especially in the height of summer when the roads are full of caravans.
But for now, you might want to wait and see how extensive the damage from the earthquake might be.
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