We are thinking about going to NZ and Australia for 14 days in the beginning of March this year. Are we trying to do too much? Are we missing something that we should see? I appreciate any comments!! Nothing has been booked yet. Comments on timing, scheduling, hotels, activities .. anyting is welcome! As you can tell, we love wine so we want to try Martinborough and Marlborough ... are we repeating too much? We thought it will be nice to take a side trip to Wairarapa area instead of taking 3 hrs ferry to Picton right after we land in Wellington.

Day 1 - 9:30AM Arrive Auckalnd from NYC. Sightseeing in Auckland or ferry to Waiheke Island (Hotel: Crown Plaza).
Day 2 - Fly to Wellington and drive to Martinborough for wine tastings (Hotel:Martinborough or The Old Manse).
Day 3 - Drive to Cape Palliser and possibly more wine tastings before driving back to Wellington and have a nice dinner (Haven't decided where to stay ... any suggestions?).
Day 4 - 8AM Ferry to Picton. Drive to Bleheim and wine tastings (Hotel: d'Urville or Old Saint Mary).
Day 5 - Visit Queen Charlotte Sound and do some kind of water activities.
Day 6 - Drive to Christchurch, sightseeing in the city (The Heritage).
Day 7 - Take Tranzaline to Greymouth. We will stay overnight in Franz Josef for next morning (9AM) helihike since the last helihike in Day 7 is 3PM and we might just miss it after driving from Greymouth. (Hotel: Punga Grove)
Day 8 - 9AM HeliHike. Drive to Queenstown via Wanaka (Hotel: Garden Court or A-line or Stone House).
Day 9 - Fly/Cruise to Milford Sound. Sightseeing in Queenstown.
Day 10 - Shotover Jet, Visit Arrowtown, Wine tastings in Central Otago Trail etc. .. a day to relax.
Day 11 - 12PM Qantas to Sydney and arrive at 5PM (Hotel: The Blacket or Establishment Hotel).
Day 12 - Sightseeing in Sydney
Day 13 - Drive to Hunter Valley for more wine tastings!!
Day 14 - Fly back to Auckland and fly out for NYC (Traveling all day).

Well you asked for opinions, so here goes. Delete Australia from your itinerary.

Where else should I add in New Zealand if I delete Australia? We thought we should include at lease Sydney since we will be travelling so far from NY ... no?

here are my comments: why wellington? no offense intended, just thought you must have relatives there or something.

if you are so fond of wine, why not plan a separate trip to the california wine country- or even a long weekend down to washington dc for the hunt country's wine country? seems a long way to go for an experience you can get close to home.

i have a great suggestion...why not pick up a photo brochure from a travel agent and see what the pros suggest in terms of time and places in that span of time...it'll give you some ideas and some proven to be popular travel suggestions and you won't be "fying blind" - for example, i cannot fathom why you would travel so far and not see the great barrier reef- it is a wonder of the world.

i would look into both countries more in depth, decide what really stands out for you about each country and then start figuring out how to make it work...

We have done the California wine country trip last year. The main purpose of this trip is seeing New Zealand. We thought we should at least check out Sydney since we will be traveling so far. We fly with Qantas in New Zeland and they do not fly directrly to Blenheim, only to Wellington. I guess I should do only one of Martinborough or Marlborough. Any suggestions to my itinerary in New Zealand? Should I cut down on wine tastings and do more activities? Thanks in advance!

I should change my topic to "New Zealand in 14 days plus maybe Sydney" instead .... how is my NZ itinerary? Any suggestions? Thanks.

Neko -

I agree with the other posters that you've just got too much crammed into your itinerary. I understand the temptation to do as much as possible in the short time you're there, but personally, I don't think 14 days is near enough time to do either country justice, let alone both.

How about concentrating on one country, then adding a few more days here and there to each location.

You might want to narrow it down even further and just visit one island of NZ. You'll save travel time and will have more time to relax.

You'll probably need more than a day in Queen Charlotte Sound if you plan to do any walking or other activities.

Just a word about Franz Josef and Fox Glacier - we visited the area five times before we were actually able to take a helihike. The weather in this area tends to be very wet and the helihikes are often cancelled due to poor conditions. If you've got your heart set on going, you might want to stay two full days there to increase your chances for good weather. There might also be booking issues - I don't know how busy it gets in March, but you might want to book ahead.

The helihike takes about 2.5 hours. The drive to Queenstown takes about six hours, with no stops so you're looking at a full day.

Your day in Milford Sound will be a full one as well, so you won't have much time left for sightseeing in Queenstown.

Personally, I'd choose visiting wineries in NZ over CA anyday. I've done both and NZ wineries are much more my style - the wines are very good and the owners/employees are incredibly friendly.

If you want to see more on the South Island, you might consider visiting the Nelson/Motueka area. Excellent wines and lots of things to do in the area. It's not far from Picton and Blenheim and it will give you even more wineries to choose from.

In fact, you might like staying in vineyard accommodation while you're in the area - just a thought.

Good luck with your plans.