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NZ-what to see in 2 weeks?

My wife and I are taking a trip to NZ in early November. What can we see to get the most out of our trip from both islands. We are renting a car. We have read both fodors and frommers books and have so many ideas. Also, how is the weather, so we know what to pack?

Hi Brad Welcome to New Zealand. 14 days in November should make for an interesting trip. You have settled on your method of travel and you will find the car very useful as a nmber of things to see and and do are located off the beaten track. What I would firstly focus on ar any special interests like trout fishing, general sightseeing, hiking, golf etc. You will be surprised just waht you can fit in. Level and cost of accommodation - hotels, lodges, B&B etc. Trip itinerary - for 14 days both island I generally suggest a loop from Auckland that that takes i the main highlights. Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty , Rotorua, Taupo, Tongariro, Waitomo and back to Auckland. Unless youreally want to go to Wellington you are better off to take cheap Auckland.Christchurch flight (need to plan it as some days are half the price of others) A couple who is coming back from Christchurch today paid for two adults return $US180. From Christchurch you can do several circular trips and in say 9 days you can see Dunedin, Milford Sound, Queenstown and Mt Cook. Or take the option of going through the Haast pass to the West Coast. Weather - a lot depends on the part of the country you are in - November is spring time - too early for swimming without wetsuits but in the Bay of Plenty we will be in shorts and teeshirts. In the North Island you could expect 1 day in 4 to be wet and the balance round 60 to 65 degrees F. In the South Island the temperatures will be 58 to 62 degrees and you could have a wet day especially on the West Coast. What to pack? Casual clothes - jeans, dockers, sweater, a waterproof jacket and maybe a pair of shorts and a tee shirt for the warmer days. Contact me if you need a bit more help with your itinerary. Kerry

I agree with Kerry that you should consider renting two different cars - one out of Auckland, and the other out or Christchurch; and flying between these cities. Otherwise you will spend two or three of your days working your way back and forth, and ferrying your car between islands (not cheap). We traveled for several weeks in the North Island during November, and had a great time. Yes, it will be springtime, and yes, it will rain periodically, but the rest of the time it was reasonably warm. I would think of San Francisco in early March as being equivalent. The South Island might be downright cold at times, so you will need a medium-weight jacket.

Thanks for the replies. We are definitely looking into flying from one island to the next. We don't want to be losing days driving! Being from Chicago, we have plenty of warm gear for NZ. Will it be warm enough to swim with dolphins on South Island? What about black water rafting?

The water temperature in the Waitomo caves doesn't vary much over the course of the year, and you will be wearing a wetsuit anyway, so the blackwater rafting will be fine. I don't know what the season is for the swimming with dolphins, but I would make sure I had at least a shorty wetsuit on that one.

Re your itinerary question: I would not miss Wellington.It offers a great museum of NZ called Te Papa,lots of art galleries,concerts and of course Katherine Mansfield's home for those who enjoy her writing.We found it an unexpected delight of a small city. Jackie

To add my 2 cents worth....... You could do a quick but great trip of both islands by driving Auckland to Wellington stopping at Rotorua, Taupo & the National Park area. ( 5 days? ) Fly Wellington - Christchurch Drive Queenstown, Milford, Hasst Pass to the glaciers, back to Christchurch via Arthurs Pass. Weather in Nov. can be changeable. We are moving into summer by then and it can be very hot ( 30 c ) one day and cold ( 10 c ) the next. Bring swimming gear , summer clothes and pack a warm jersey and rain proof jacket for the off days. I hope you have a great time visiting NZ.

Hi Brad With regard to swiming with dolphins he answer is to do it in the North Island in November. An excellent service is offered out of Tauranga and yes you will be able to swim with the dolphins at that time of the year, and yes they will supply you with a wetsuit. Kerry

Thanks to all for their suggestions! Should we make room reservations at some of the destinations suggested? Also, what is 30 c and 10 c in fahrenheit?

Hi ya Brad, 10 celcius is around 50 F. 30 celcius would be mid - high 80's. Reservations might be helpful at some of the more popular destinations ie: Queenstown. Check out this website for some good, last minute deals, www.wotif.com I have used it myself for accom.

Brad, My husband and I visited NZ last Feb., the middle of summer. We spent three weeks; 5 days on North and 16 days on South. That was a good mix and the trip was great. Above itineraries are pretty good. Personally, I would pick up a car in Aukland and drop it in Wellington. Take the fast ferry to Picton and pick up a new car. From there I would proceed clockwise around the island. Don't miss Christchurch, Akoroa, Dunedin, Queenstown, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound (extra effort but worth it). You can go to Mt. Cook on the return drive to CCH, which is the best departure point and a great city to end the trip in. Overrated spots include the cities of Te Anau, Arrowtown and Nelson (though Abel Tasman Park is awesome) and the only redeeming feature about Twizel is that it has an ATM. Another thing to consider, we travelled for 21 days in summer without a room reservation, we were always able to get good rooms at negotiated rates, no problem. Enjoy. PS-take very strong insect repellant for Doubtful/Milford, the sand flys are horrendous.

You've got heaps of great suggestions here brad but throw this into the pot. Spend 8 days (maybe 9) in North Island and the rest in south contrary to other opinions. If it was winter I would say the other way round but its november and heaps to do in North island. from Dolnhins, blackwater rafting (keept he white stuff for south island) to vocanic island tour (active by the way) and bungy jumping etc at taupo. If you travel do those things in that order (oh i forgot about experiencing the stinkiest place in the whole world ... but don't worry its sulfur, very clean) then you'll also get to do a lot and see alot in between and ensure a great trip. Then after taupo go to wellington and catch the fast ferry cos driving down then up in a circle to aukland again will probably take longer than zigzagging down from Auk to Well. In south island just go crazy!!!!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I was noticing how people said places were overrated. What are the most overrated places in NZ, so we can skip to see other fantastic places?

Other places I found to be uninteresting include: Lake Taupo - big lake, boring city Te Papa Museum in Wellington - the architecture is the best thing about it Places worth the effort include: Waitamu Glow Worm Caves Wai-O-Tapu volcanic area Buried Village Dart River Rotorua TranzAlpine Railroad Havelock Mail Boats