Hello i was wondering if someone could advise me of a proposed itenary in early Jan 2006 to the Sth Island in New Zealand ..our first time to NZ> as follows ariving on the 5th and departing on the 17th: We are a couple with grandparents and 3 children aged from 8 to 13. It seems like a lot of driving involved for the children .. so im unsure
any advice would be great. thankssss

Day 1 Arrive christchurch pm.
Day 2 Christchurch to west coast Glacier Region
Day 3 At Glacier Region
Day 4 Glacier region to Queenstown
Day 5 At Queenstown
Day 6 At Queenstown
Day 7 Queenstown to Te Anua
Day 8 Milfod Sound day trip
Day 9 Te Anau to Dunedin
Day 10 At Dunedin
Day 11 Dunedin to Christchurch
Day 12 At Christchurch
Day 13 At Christchurch - depart evening

If you are coming in from Melbourne, you might be alright. Otherwise, you will be tired, and might want to spend another day in CC to relax.

Do you plan to drive from CC to Glaciers? That is a loooong drive. Consider the train, which would be more fun for the kids.

Your planned activities would also affect your itinerary.

The drive from CC to the glaciers is very do-able. It is no longer than the drive from the glaciers to Queenstown.
I think you have a great itinerary!

Christchurch to Franz Josef is 395 kms - about five and 1/2 hours. If you're going to Fox Glacier, you'll need to add another 30-40 minutes.

Franz Josef to Queenstown is 404 kms - a five hour drive (at least).

Queenstown to Te Anau is 170 kms and will take about 2 hours. Te Anau to Milford is only 121 kms, but will also take about two hours due to the curvy roads.

Te Anau to Dunedin is 290 kms and will take about 3:40. Dunedin to Christchurch is 362 kms and will take about 5 hours.

You might want to consider spending more time in CH at the beginning of your trip, then flying from Dunedin to CH on your date of departure to connect with your international flight. You'll save time and avoid backtracking this way, but with so many travelers, it might be a wee bit expensive. One way car rentals are not a problem in NZ.

Have fun.

Your children would enjoy the blue penguin parade which occurs every evening in Oamaru at dusk. On your drive from Dunedin to Christchurch, stop in Oamaru for the evening. We found the blue penguins more interesting than the yellow crested penguins in the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin.