Elliz

Hi,

We are planning our honeymoon in NZ from 15 Oct to 5 Nov 2006. 19 full days in the country.

As it is our honeymoon everything has to be perfect. We are both young, fit and active and want a balance of adventure and luxury.

We prefer smart boutiquey hotels or B and B's and they have to be special.

Current idea is

Auckland - Waheke island three days
Fly to Wellington - 1 day
Across to Picton - do Marlborough wine area
down to Kaikoura - whale watching - 1 night
Up to Nelson - Abel tasman - 3 nights
Fly to Queenstown
Adventure round there.

Idea is to avoid as much driving as possible - fly whenever possible and to relax and enjoy the whole NZ thang.

Any ideas or comments greatfully received, including ideas of what the weather will be like in N and S Islands - do not want drizzle and grey: get enough of that in blighty!

Thanks

Sam

PS will get our trip report of South Africa up soon!

CDJD

I think that you are selling your honeymoon short by cutting out driving options. A major region that you are missing out on is the west coast and the glaciers. Also the drive from the glaciers through Haast pass onto Wanaka is absolutely breath taking. I have been many places and have never seen anything like it. Also plan on taking some time to go and see Fiordland. My husband and I are a yonuger couple and our trip report is available at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=3. Hopefully it will give you some good ideas

ALF

Check out some of the boutique B & Bs listed in http://www.bookin.co.nz/ . Pam & Forde Clarke own a B & B in Wellington, and specialize in higher-end bookings of B & Bs around NZ (Disclaimer: we are friends with the Clarkes).

In Autumn, you are indeed going to encounter some drizzle at times, particularly further south, but it should not be gray for long periods like The Isles, or my neck of the woods, Seattle.

Are you going kayaking or walking at Abel Tasman? One suggestion there would be to check out the Awaroa Lodge, on a very fine bay, totally isolated from anything else.

Elliz

Thanks CDJD,

We are trying to book flights before they go up in price too much ... also I backbacked in NZ 11 years ago, so am trying to do stuff I did not do back then on the Kiwi Experience bus.

Great info on the Haast pass - I seem to remember sleeping through most of the journey!

I am guessing your trip reports are

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34766746

and

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34549868

I have had a quick scan, and will look at them properly this evening.

Thanks again

BillJ

Elliz: Congratulations! Please check out the Doubtful Sound overnight with REal Journeys. This was certainly the high point of our recent trip (click on my name to get the 3 part report).
If you go to the west coast, especially fiordland, you have to expect rain. They get over 400 inches a year. But with only two permanent waterfalls, the rain turns every mountain side into a waterfall. And with the mist and clouds swirling around the forest clad mountains - well it is gorgeous.
Have fun.

Elliz

Thanks Alf and Bill, I will check your suggestions out.

wlzmatilida

Hi Elliz,

Sounds as if you're going to be having a wonderful honeymoon! I like your notion of "a balance of adventure and luxury"...I may have to borrow that phrase!

I'm assuming you're flying into Wellington to take the ferry? Cuz I'm thinking you could just as easily fly into Nelson....

re: driving -- I totally agree with CDID...you'll see more of NZ and have a better experience by driving.

I know many of my clients intially express concern about driving on the "other side", but honestly, it's VERY VERY easy. Keep in mind that there's alot less cars there than in the US! (for example, there are more cars in LA than ALL of Australia)!
There's also not alot of zipping in/out of traffic, changing lanes, etc, and many roads are two lanes.

ALF mentions drizzly weather in Autumn, and as we all know, it's impossible to predict what the weather will be like at any given moment, anywhere in the world...but, I will tell you that I was at Awaroa at the end of Nov/beginning of December last year and it was cold, rainy and miserable (just my luck). No walks, no kayaking and I was bored out of mind and ended up cutting my stay short by a day. (of course, I wasn't on my honeymoon either)!

CDID also mentions the overnight on Doubtful Sound, which is great experience!

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist