TravelNut8

My family of 4 including a 2 and 7 year old are traveling to NZ in March!
I'd like to get feedback if this is a good itinerary that:

1. balances play, exploring, and downtime, and won't be too tiring for young kids with either too much sitting in the car, walking, or sensory overload.
2. limits hotel changes so we don't have to unpack/pack so often
3. maximizes our time to try new experiences, food and culture

North Island (6 nights)

March 3-6 Auckland (3 nights in CBD)

March 3: Fly in from Fiji, Dinner
March 4: Explore harbor and CBD by foot
March 5: Rent car to explore other neighborhoods of Auckland

March 6-9 Hamilton/Rotarua/Lake Taupo (3 nights location TBD)
Note: Unsure where to base ourselves for 3 nights, also looking into farm stays in the area.
We can schedule two activities per day, morning and afternoon.
Unsure how to schedule, wrote in preliminary itinerary, in no particular order:

• Glow worm cave in Waitomo
• Hamilton Gardens in Hamilton
• Hobbiton in Matamata (low priority)
• Zealong Tea Room in Hamilton (low priority)
• Huka Falls in Lake Taupo (low priority)
• Lake Taupo hot springs
• Rotorua hot springs
• Agrodome in Rotorua (if we do a farmstay, can skip)
• Maori show and dinner

March 6:
Morning: drive to Waitomo - Glow worm cave
Afternoon: Hamilton Gardens

March 7:
Morning: Hobbiton or Agrodome
March 8: Zealong Tea Room

March 8
Morning: Rotorua hot springs
Afternoon: Geothermal activity, Maori culture, and dinner
Note: We want to do hot springs, see geothermal activity, experience Maori culture with dinner. Since we are driving, we don't mind different locations, unsure which option to choose.

Hot springs:

• Polynesian Spa
• Hells Gate
• Lake Taupo hot spings

Geothermal activity:

• Wai O Tapu,
• Te Puia

Maori Culture:

• Te Pa Tu (with dinner)
• Mitai Maori Village (with dinner)

South Island (6 nights)

March 9-11 Christchurch/Lake Tekapo/Twizel (2 nights location TBD)
Note: If we explore Christchurch, we will have to stay a night. Pros: after a long travel day, can relax before a long drive to Lake Tekapo. Cons: We will have to unpack/pack and less time in other places.Should we stay overnight in Christchurch or straight to Lake Tekapo?

March 9: fly in from Rotorua to Christchurch
Morning: Travel
Afternoon: Driving

March 10: Explore Lake Tekapo
Morning: Tasman Lake Glacier Boat
Afternoon: Explore area

March 11: Explore Mount Cook/Lake Pukaki
Morning: Hiking on Hooker Valley Track or similar
Afternoon: Observatory

March 12-15: Queenstown and Milford Sound (3 nights)

March 12: drive to Queenstown
Morning: Arrowtown
Afternoon: Wanaka

March 13: Milford Sound attempt 1
Morning: Fly/Cruise
Afternoon: Drive back to Queenstown

March 14: Milford Sound attempt 2/Queenstown
Morning: Explore Queenstown
Afternoon: Explore Queenstown

March 15: Fly back to Auckland (1 night)
Open

March 16: Fly back to US
Afternoon flight


Some questions:

1. Should we fly straight into Queenstown and skip Christchurch/Lake Tekapo? The Dark Sky Project doesn't have outdoor tours for kids under 10.
2. Should we add or remove nights anywhere A) stay an additional night in North Island, B) stay in Christchurch for 1-2 nights, C) stay in Waiheke island last night
3. Still debating for Milford Sound if we should Coach/Cruise/Fly or Fly/Cruise/Fly. Its a long 5 hour journey, at the same time the drive in is spectacular.
4. Where to pick up honey, and Manuka honey.
5. Alternative to Milford Sound, is the Tasman Lake glacier boat ride a better experience for kids? They will still have to hike 1.5 kms to the boat.

Diamantina

If you don't want to spend too much time in the car and don't want to move around too much, yes, then I think you should fly into Queenstown and stay all 6 nts. there (there's plenty to do and see).

Or stay 2 nts. Wanaka, four nights Queenstown. Wanaka is as scenic as Queenstown, but less busy. As we're having a warmer "El Niño" summer, it might even be warm enough to sit on one of lake's beaches. If mom and dad like wine, you might want to do a tasting and take in the views from Rippon Winery. Things to do with kids in Wanaka:

If you are interested in seeing Christchurch, then spend those first two South Island nights in Christchuch, rent a car just for seeing Christchurch, turn in car, then fly to Queenstown and spend 4 nts. there. Central Christchurch has the Botanic Garden, Punting on the Avon, a tram that goes around the CBD. The Christchurch Gondola is a 15 minute drive from Central Christchurch. Christchuch also has two wildlife parks/zoos, Orana and Willowbank, but they're closer to the airport, as is the Antarctic Centre. I haven't even been to half these attractions, but I think they might appeal to kids. I've been several times to the Botanic Garden, and been on the tram and to the Antarctic Centre, which I found interesting. More extravagant options include: The TransAlpine Train to Arthur's Pass and back; or a drive to the lovely seaside village of Akaroa, where you can go on a dolphin-spotting cruise. The drive to Akaroa takes almost an hour and a half and the road is winding.

The flight from Christchurch to Queenstown takes an hour and you'd probably see some nice views of the Southern Alps.

Yes, Milford Road is very much worth seeing, so Coach/Cruise/Fly would be more interestng, if your kids would be okay with the 5-hour journey--though you would be stopping at nice spots along the way. Flights are sometimes cancelled due to bad weather, including strong winds.

Tasman Lake boat ride (Glacier Explorers) is great fun, but not nearly as magnificent as Milford Road and Sound. Also, you must walk 1.5 km to/from the lake.

You can get Manuka and other types of honey at major supermarkets (such as New World and Countdown), organic and natural food stores, some pharmacies/chemists, tourists/souvenir shops, airport shops, and many farmers' markets. There is a farmers market at Remarkables Park, Frankton, Queenstown. It looks like there is at least one honey shop in Queenstown Buzzstop Bee & Honey Centre, also in Frankton.

TravelNut8

My response was deleted because I quoted the post which included a link. So here we go again.

Thanks for the rec on Wanaka, and places to find honey. We will check out the honey prices in the supermarket while in Auckland.
Is there a better place to purchase merino wool items, North or South Island and what location, farm, store?

I forgot to include the March 11-12 date in my itinerary above.
March 9-11 - Lake Taupo/Mt. Cook/Wanaka - we plan to skip Christchurch this visit
March 11-14 - Queenstown - I think 3 days is sufficient for us in Queenstown
March 14-16 I am wondering if we should do Waiheke Island for 2 nights, our flight depart at 3PM on March 16 from AKL, so we can pack up and catch a morning ferry and go straight to the airport. Or should we stay in Auckland or somewhere else. We are trying to skip one night stays.

We plan to skip Christchurch this visit. Also, since we plan to fly out of Rotorua airport, they only have direct flights to Christchurch, we will have to connect to Queenstown in Christchurch.
Will Lake Taupo/Mt. Cook hold enough activities and sights for us for 3 days. We are not doing Lake Tasman boat since we plan on cruising Milford Sound. Should we skip and:

• see Fox or Franz glacier instead?
• fly direct to Queenstown.

Things that interests us is:

• hot springs - will do in Rotorua
• stargazing - can hire a private tour company with telescope since Big Sky Project and Lake Tekapo Observatory do not allow kids under 8
• hiking - short hikes with a 2 and 7 year olds
• farm visit - will do Agrodome in Rotorua
• anything else family oriented?

nelsonian

Another great source of information is to join the Facebook group NZ Travel Tips. It has discounts, guides for all sorts of topics, and a lot of members who have travelled and made recommendations.

Diamantina

I forgot, the Wanaka A&P show will be from March 8-10. It's one of Wanaka's biggest events.

How far can your kids walk? Have a look at how the Dept. of Conservation has categorized their walks: Then look up the place you'll be visiting. For example, Wanaka. Click on the link to the brochure, you'll see icons indication which category of skill is required for the walk next to the name of the walk. For instance, Diamond Lake. Part of this track, the circuit around the lake, is easy. (Notice the icon of an adult holding a child's hand, this means "Easiest: Short walk".)

In Wanaka and Queenstown, you can walk around the lake. In Queenstown, there's a lakeside trail that you can pick up from the Botanic Garden. The walkway in Glenorchy is also easy. Here's the link for Queenstown area walks.

I don't know Rotorua well, but a lot of people go to the Redwood Forest. At night they light the forest up.

What do you plan on doing in Waiheke? I've been there in March before, it was still warm enough to sit out on the beach. My husband swam laps in the ocean off the beach without a wetsuit, but the water was a bit chilly, so I refrained from swimming. We were there three nights, spending much of it visiting wineries and walking on the beach in front of our accommodation..

About 10 days before our visit, a storm had caused damage on Waiheke, a number of roads were closed and slips occurred across the island. It did not affect our trip.

You'll find specialty shops selling woolen and possum knitwear in larger towns; they'll be among the other tourist shops . Many general NZ souvenir shops also sell merino and and merion possum knitwear. You can also buy merino and merino-possum knitwear at Auckland airport and at many other NZ airports. While traveling, you might be able to find knitwear factory outlets, where prices could be lower. Enquire at local I-Site Tourism offices.

How many total days are you setting aside for the South Island? 6 or 7? Lake Taupo is on the North Island, did you mean Lake Tekapo or "Lake Taupo/Mt. Cook" (as you wrote).

Diamantina

I just "googled" "Aoraki-Mackenzie family friendly stargazing" and this came up. Why don't you contact them? Remember, it'll be 90 minutes out in the cold dark night.

TravelNut8

Thanks, I will check that resource out.

TravelNut8

Thanks again, I email them to find out location. I researched other companies that come to your lodging. There is also stargazing in the hot spring at Lake Tekapo.

TravelNut8

Wow, an agriculture and pastoral festival, that seems neat. Unfortunately we prob wont make it until the very end of it on Saturday since we are flying from Rotarua on March 9. I'll have to check each regions activity calendar for more events.

I've seen the Dept. of Conservation site, its very detailed and even has videos. We'll stop by Wanaka on March 11 on the drive down from Lake Tekapo. Yes, I meant that lake. If we had another day on the North Island and skip Waiheke Island, we can visit Huka Falls at Lake Taupo.

We may very well do that add, another night in Hamilton/Rotorua/Lake Taupo, then add another night in Queenstown instead of Waiheke Island.

I've never heard of merino wool and possum blend. I read possum is 50% warmer than merino wool. My wife wants to pick some up, I don't care for it because you have to dry clean it.

So itinerary is looking like this now:

Auckland (3 nights) March 3-6

Hamilton/Rotorua/Lake Taupo (4 nights) March 6-10

Lake Tekapo (2 nights) March 10-12

Queenstown (4 nights) March 12-16

Diamantina

You can hand wash or machine wash pure merino clothing. Read the instructions about washing here.I have a lot of merino clothing that I just machine wash, but I air dry them flat.

Possum merino can also be hand washed. It's very soft, and, yes, super warm. I wouldn't dry clean it, unless the label instructed to do so. Don't buy socks, they're not durable.

I previously mentioned where you could find merino clothing. Outdoor shops, like Bivouac, Torpedo7, Kathmandu, Macpac, Mountain Warehouse, etc.also sell 100% merino or merino blend sports wear. You'll see more styles in winter. Mid- to late-spring is a good time for finding good deals on merino clothing..Regular department stores, like Farmers also sell merino clothing.

Diamantina

Here's more about caring for merino clothing.

TravelNut8

Thanks for the valuable information on merino wool. I hope other readers will find it helpful as well.

TravelNut8

There is so much to see, we will plan to return to NZ.
For this trip, I think I will simplify things so theres not so much travel.
We will skip Lake Pukaki/Mt. Cook and Lake Tepako.
We will have more time on North Island to visit attractions in middle of island and Auckland.
The only downside is catching flight to Queenstown after arriving from Fiji on March 3.
We could stay in Auckland first, then we'd have to go back to airport after 5 days to fly to Queenstown.
What do you think?

March 3
Arrive AKL at 5PM,
7PM flight to Queenstown
Late checkin at hotel

March 4
Queenstown

March 5
Milford Sound

March 6
Wanaka
Arrowtown
Ripley

March 7
Hike in Queenstown

March 8
Fly Queenstown to AKL
Drive to Hamilton
Check in hotel in Hamilton
Hamilton Garden

March 9
Waitomo Caves
Zealong Tea Room

March 10
Hobitton
Check in hotel in Rotorua
Rotorua hot springs

March 11
Lake Taupo
Huka Falls
Rotorua Maori show and dinner

March 12
Geothermal Area
Drive to Auckland

March 13
Auckland with car

March 14
Auckland by foot

March 15
Auckland by foot

March 16
Fly AKL home at 3PM

Diamantina

I think it's a good idea to connect to Queenstown on arrival in NZ, however, a 2-hour connection to Queenstown might be too tight.

Where is Ripley?

TravelNut8

It’s risky to try and catch a connecting flight, esp if it the last one for the day. We will stay in Auckland first before continuing our journey.

Diamantina

That's a better idea, TravelNut8. If you still want to continue on to Queenstown initially, maybe spend that first night in hotel/motel at or near Auckland airport, then continue on to Queenstown early the next morning. You can still make it to Queenstown in time to enjoy most of the next day.

There is a chance you could make that connection in two hours, but if it were my trip, I would not risk it. I would want a minimum of 2.5 hours to make this connection. Too much can go wrong. What if your flight from Fiji left a little late? What if you were to arrive at the same time as many other international flights? Not to mentioned, you'd be worried about missing the next flight. Or having to run through the airport trying to make that connection. Vacation is all about relaxing, and that wouldn't be relaxing at all.

There are a few things you can do to make your arrival and processing through customs, immigration and biosecurity easier and faster. Read through these links, if you haven't already done so.
https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal...o-new-zealand/
This is a link to the online traveler declaration.
https://www.travellerdeclaration.govt.nz/
Here is a link to the paper form:
https://www.customs.govt.nz/globalas.../nztd-form.pdf

It's extremely important to declare all food that you might be bringing into the country. If you bring food into the country and declare it (as you must)--after picking up your luggage, you might have to go through a special line for a biosecurity inspection, where your luggage will be x-rayed. They also might ask you to open it up to show them what you've got. So keep a list of these items and know exactly where they are. The other thing you must do, is make sure any footwear that might have soil or seeds embedded in its treads (such as hiking boots) and/or sports equipment has been thoroughly cleaned.

TravelNut8

We won't fly out to Queenstown after our int'l flight arrives.

I keep going back and forth with the itinerary and need help planning our trip out.



Parameters:

1. avoid 1 night stays

2. avoid flying domestically on March 3 when we fly in or March 16 when we depart

3. avoid flying ZQN-ROT and vice versa since there are no direct flights, only connecting flights through AKL and CHC which adds time

4. Auckland has to be the first stay since we are flying in March 3 at 4:30PM, 2 full days and 3 nights

5. A total of 13 nights and 12 days



2 full days and 3 nights in Auckland


How many days in Hamilton, Rotorua and Lake Taupo

1. Hamilton Gardens

2. Hobbiton

3. Waitomo Caves

4. Optional - Zealong Tea Garden

5. Hot Springs

----PolynesianSpa

----Hell's Gate/Tikitere

6. Geothermal area

----Wai O Tapu

----Te Puia

7. Optional-Maori Village show and dinner

----Te Pa Tu

----Mitai Maori Village

8. Huka Falls

9. McDonald's airplane

10. Kuirau Park

How many days Queenstown

11. Milford Sound

12. Queenstown for 2 full days

13. Wanaka/Arrowtown

14. Optional - Mt. Cook/Lake Tekapo



Questions:

• Is it worth it to do Hell's Gate to kill two birds with one stone, mud bath/hot spring and geothermal area, or is better to go to locations that specialize in one thing, Polynesian spa for hot spring, Wai O Tapu or Te Puia for geothermal activity?
• Is there a way to fly to and from Queenstown through AKL only without a long drive from Rotorua? Unless we drive from AKL-Rotorua initially and work our way north.
• Which is better to stay, Hamilton or Rotorua, or both for 2 night stays, or in between

Option 1 - Queenstown in the middle


March 3

Fly into AKL at 4:30PM

Stay Auckland 3 nights



March 4

Auckland full day 1



March 5

Auckland full day 2


March 6

Fly AKL-ZQN (Queenstown)

Stay Queenstown 4 nights
Queenstown


March 7

Queenstown



March 8

Milford Sound



March 9

Wanaka/Arrowtown



March 10

ZQN-ROT (breaks rule 3 - connecting flights between the two cities)
Stay in Rotorua 2 nights

Maori show and dinner



March 11

Polynesian Spa

Geothermal acitivty



March 12

Lake Taupo


March 13

Hobbiton

Stay in Hamilton


March 14

Waitomo Caves



March 15

Hamilton Gardens

Tea Room


March 16

Drive Hamilton to AKL

Souvenir shopping

Fly home



Option 2 - Queenstown at end



March 3

Fly into AKL at 4:30PM

Stay Auckland 3 nights



March 4

Auckland full day 1



March 5

Auckland full day 2


March 6

Stay in Hamilton 2 nights

Waitomo Caves

Tea Room



March 7

Gardens



March 8

Stay in Rotorua 2 nights

Hobbiton

Maori show and dinner



March 9

Polynesian Spa

Geothermal activity



March 10

Lake Taupo



March 11

ROT-ZQN (breaks rule 3 - connecting flight between the two cities)

Stay in Queenstown 5 nights



March 12

Queenstown



March 13

Queenstown



March 14

Milford Sound



March 15

Wanaka/Arrrowton



March 16

Fly ZQN-AKL (breaks rule 2 - flying on day of int'l flight)

Souvenir shopping at airport



Fly home

TravelNut8

By George, I think I've got it!

3 nights in Auckland
5 nights in Queenstown
5 nights in Rotorua/Hamilton
We will have to break the rule to fly ZQN-ROT otherwise its a long drive there from AKL to Rotorua on March 11 after arriving from Queenstown, or driving back from Rotorua to AKL on March 16 to catch our int'l flight.

TravelNut8

Are there other companies besides Cheeky Kiwi Travel that offer small tour buses from Queenstown to Milford Sound, small cruise, and flight back to Queenstown. They are sold out for the days we can go.

Thanks.

Melnq8

Yes there are other companies - check this out:

https://www.altitudetours.co.nz/tour...-cruise-coach/