kram

Yes, we have a very short trip planned 11 days for a NZ trip!! But we are used to a bit of running around in our other trips as well and would like to take in as much as we can.

Here's the proposed plan:


27/4 Arrive Auckland and connect to Christchurch in the afternoon (3 hrs at Auckland airport)

28/4 Trip o Kaikoura and whale watching tour

29/4 Christchurch city including Willowbank and Antartic center
Afternoon/Evening drive to Greymouth or Hokitika for night halt

30/4 Fox Glacier or Franz Josef heli hike
Drive to Queenstown

1/5 Drive to take Doubtful Sound overnight cruise

2/5 Return from Cruise to Qtown

3/5 Queenstown + Bungee jumping and/or Jet boating

4/5 Drive to Dunedin via Inverscargill
Night in Dunedin

5/5 Return to Qtown (after Elm Wildlife tour?)
4:30 flight to Auckland

6/5 Trip to Waitomo Caves and Rotorua
Return to Auckland

7/5 Auckland city and outskirts
Midnight flight back home

Couple of questions:
a. Should I do the direct route to Dunedin on 3rd evening and start on 4th from there to Queenstown via Inverscargill? Not sure which end of the journey has more to see.

b. How risky is it to plan the Glacier trip with no extra day for weather contingencies?

Any other suggestions / feedback.

Thanx, Kram

Melnq8

Only one day for the glaciers could indeed be risky, because more often than not the weather doesn't cooperate on the West Coast.

Having said that, we were in NZ last April and were told by a hotel owner that April is the most settled month weatherwise on the South Island. AND it was for us - we saw the West Coast virtually rain free for an entire day - a first for us.

Tim_and_Liz

I like to move fast, but I think your itinerary is too packed. I would cut out Dunedin and add a day in the Glaciers. Or cut out the glaciers and drive from Christchurch to Queenstown on the central route. Or cut out Kaikoura and add a day to the glaciers.

Tim_and_Liz

Also, can you move your Doubtful Sound cruise? It makes more sense to drive from the glaciers to Queenstown, spend your time in Queenstown, and then go to Doubtful SOund before driving to Dunedin. It would be backtracking to go back to Queenstown before Dunedin.
Can you fly from Dunedin to Auckland?

Jed

Coments:

If you want to go to the Antarctic Center, it is next to the CHC airport, so see it just after you get there.

If you drive to Greymouth, see Punakaiki rocks, and then stay further south since it is a long drive to the glaciers. Are tou planning the afternoon Heli-Hike?

I agree with Liz that you should do the Doubtful overnight at the end of QT so you don't double back to QT.

Driving from Doubtful to Dunedin via Invercargill (and the Southern Scenic Route, if that is your intention) is very long, and you may not get much out of it. Consider going via Lumsden and Gore.

Fly from Dunedin to Rotorua, (as we did), stay 2 nights. Then to Waitomo and back to AKL.

I don't understand your first question.

Tim_and_Liz

Another option is to switch days 2 and 3. You can drive from Kaikoura over the Lewis Pass, through Wesport to Punakaiki Rocks, and then down to Greymouth, Hokitika, and the glaciers. That is what we did.

kodi

Are you saying you are planning on doing the Elm wildlife Tour on 5/5 and then get back to Queenstown for a 4:30 flight the same day? Do you realize the Tour doesn't start til late afternoon. That is when the penguins come ashore for the night.

Also, I agree, the Invercargill route is a long way to go to only rush through it. Go through Lumsden and Gore.

I think parts of your planned itinerary are not only too packed, but impossible.
On 6/5 are you thinking you can go from Auckland to Waitomo and Rotorura and back to Auckland in one day? Way too much for one day.

kram

Kodi, I plan to take the tour offered from Auckland to Rotorua/Waitomo. It says its a 12.5 hr trip.

Tim and Liz, we looked at driving from Kaikoura to Greymouth - but it seems to be a longer trip than from CC. That's why we decided to make it to day 3 - plan to leave around 2 pm and reach Greymouth/Hokitika by 6:30 - 7:00 with a small break.

There are a few pieces which I will revisit based on the feedback - esp towards the end of the trip, energy levels may be drying up

kodi

Hi kram, I didn't realize there would be a tour from Auckland to Waitomo/Rotorura, so it might be ok if you aren't doing the driving. Or is it a flying tour? It will be a long day, but you'll get a quick look at the area.
Good luck with your plans.