NZ South Island Ideas Requested
 

We are a couple in our early sixties planning to spend 22 nights on the South island in late February-mid March time-frame. We fly into Christchurch and out of Queenstown. The plan is to pick up a rental car at the beginning of the trip and drop it off in Queenstown at the end.
We are both in good shape physically and enjoy day hikes of not more than 10 miles.
I have been reading many of the trip reports of this region and they have been invaluable for their information.
Unlike many of the people that visit New Zealand our philosophy on travel is to get to know a little bit about each area we stay in rather than trying to cram in as many places as possible.So one night stays are not appreciated,and 3-4 nights in one location are more our norm of travel.
In the research I've done the places that look of most interest are the Glaciers,Milford Sound,perhaps a overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound, Te Anau, Stewart Island,and Queenstown.
The east and northern part of the island are not a priority.
Driving will not be a problem for us because of multiple experiences of driving on the left in both the UK,Ireland and Australia.
Given all of the above what kind of itinerary would you New Zealand experts suggest,with optimal times to stay at each location.
Thanks...

<<Unlike many of the people that visit New Zealand our philosophy on travel is to get to know a little bit about each area we stay in rather than trying to cram in as many places as possible.So one night stays are not appreciated,and 3-4 nights in one location are more our norm of travel.>>

Yippee! Refreshing to see that here for a change!

So...

In which case I'd suggest something like this:

Christchurch

Drive Christchurch-Franz Josef via Arthur's Pass - 3 nights glaciers. It's quite possible to visit both glaciers (about 40 minutes apart in one very full day, but why? Lots of hiking tracks in the vicinity and I personally have had no trouble filling two full days (on multiple trips!)

Drive Franz Josef-Wanaka - 3-4 nights. The gateway to Mt Aspiring Nat'l Park - plenty of hiking opportunities - easy to fill two full days and still want more

Drive Wanaka - Te Anau - 3-4 nights - IMO one needs at least two full days to explore the many tracks in the area, as well as devote a full day to Milford and Milford Road. Of course, more is always better!

Te Anau to Manapouri for overnight Doubtful Sound cruise

Manapouri to Glenorchy - 3 nights - lots of walking opportunities, stunning scenery. Limited accommodation and food options.

Glenorchy - Bluff - catch ferry to Stewart Island - 3 nights

Bluff - Queenstown - remaining four nights.

Depart Queenstown

That looks a good trip.
Great you have experience driving on the left but you might find some roads here very 'back country' narrow and winding with one lane bridges. On the plus side there won't be much traffic in some areas.
Stewart Island is a great idea as it's a place many tourists (and Kiwi's) never get to.

Melnq8 has suggested a good trip for you. The only thing I would change is to go to Bluff (departure for Stewart Island ferry) after Te Anau. This is a 2 hour, 15 minute drive. On your return, then drive from Bluff to Queenstown or Glenorchy (2 hours 43 minutes or 3 hours 30 minutes, respectively). Instead of taking the ferry from Bluff, you also have the option of flying from Invercargill Airport to Stewart Island. The flight costs a little more.

You said you're not interested in the East Coast at all, but I'll mention this anyhow. A fine place to spend three nights between Bluff/Stewart Island and Queenstown/Glenorchy is the Catlins (forests, sea caves, wildlife, waterfalls, petrified forest, lighthouses, walks, small towns, beaches and estuaries). More info here: http://www.catlins.org.nz/

I agree with Diamantina about Bluff after Te Anau/Manapouri - makes more logistic sense, and will get you to Bluff earlier for the ferry.

We spent three nights on Stewart several years back - I still remember that ferry ride - I knew I was in trouble when they started to pass out barf bags! Fortunately, it's a short trip.

Do take a water taxi to Ulva Island from Stewart too - great way to spend a day. We had the island to ourselves when we were there.

And word to the wise - expect plenty of sandflies on Stewart Island.

Melnq8 - Thanks very much for your itinerary. It fits our style and looks like you covered my areas of interest.

Diamantina - I agree with your revision to the order of the locations. I looked into the Catlins, and it does look like an area to visit.Any recommendations on the best location to stay at in that area?

Regarding the Catlins:

We've been several times, and on two occasions have stayed three nights each.

This is an excerpt from our latest stay in the area, comparing our two visits.

I realize this is completely subjective, you might find it helpful, you might not.

<<In 2008 we spent three nights in the South Catlins near Fortrose. We loved our accommodation, but discovered that we much preferred the beaches, waterfalls, and forest of the north over the seemingly endless pastoral countryside of the south. So, this time we opted to stay in the North Catlins. We then had to choose between staying near the beach or near the forest….the forest won.>>

Keep in mind that the Catlins covers quite a large area, so its almost impossible to comprehensively visit both the north and the south from one base, particularly if you plan to explore the many tracks. I should also add that we purposely chose out-of-the way accommodation.

The Catlins website provided by Diamantina has proven invaluable in planning our visits there.

The Catlins, which as Melnq8 wrote is "quite large", includes a wide variety of landscapes and attractions comprising an area about the size of Rhode Island. Because it's also part of the "Southern Scenic Route," you might find this brochure about the SSR helpful in determining where you'd like stay based on your particular preferences:
http://www.curiobay.co.nz/files/sout...-route-doc.pdf
Southern Scenic Route website:
http://www.southernscenicroute.co.nz/
Suggested itineries (peppered with commercial promotions):
http://www.southlandnz.com/Portals/1...ic%20Route.pdf

My husband and I prefer to stay by the ocean whenever possible. I also enjoy coastal geological formations and looking at wildlife.

We've have stayed at Porpoise Bay several times. The beach is long and beautiful, and Hector's Dolphins can be spotted swimming its bay from about November through April. It's also walking distance to the petrified forest and Yellow Eyed Penguin colony at Curio Bay, and handy for visits to South Catlins attractions. Keep in mind, we live in Dunedin, which is only a 90-minute drive from Kaka Pt. and Nugget Pt. in the North Catlins, so it's relatively easy for us to do a day-drive down to the North Catlins. This is where we've stayed several times:
http://www.curiobaysalthouse.co.nz/
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Hotel_...th_Island.html


Some people choose to spend a night or two in the North Catlins and a night or two in the South Catlins. Many base themselves someplace central, such as the town of Owaka (inland). This accommodation is popular with bird watchers, but I've not stayed there myself:
http://www.catlinsmohuapark.co.nz/cottages.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Hotel_...th_Island.html

Diamantina and Melnq8
Thanks very much for the additional information on the Catlins.