Our NZ Itinerary so far - welcoming suggestions fr the rest
 

For our 6 week itinerary of NZ starting mid-Dec, I 've got it planned for the first 3 or so weeks, as we have a fixed date for the Milford Track that we needed to work around. Unfortunately, it's in the busiest season, but that's when our friends were available. Some days there's a fair amount of movement and other times for hanging out (especially around Christmas when I assume many thing will be closed).

Day 1 - Arrive Christchurch and wander about
Day 2 - To Kaikoura for o/n
Day 3 - Whalewatch and amble down to Ashburton for o/n
Day 4 - Up to Mt Cook and down near Twizel for o/n
Day 5 - over to the east coast and explore on way to Dunedin for o/n
Day 6 - explore around Dunedin and Otago Peninsula (albatross, etc) - o/n Dunedin
Day 7 - drive down the Catlins and o/n Curio Bay
Day 8 - explore more and end up in Bluff o/n
Day 9 - catch ferry to Stewart Island and o/n
Day 10 - hike around or go to other island(s) and o/n
Day 11- wend our way to Glenorchy for Xmas eve and o/n
Day 12 - Xmas lunch at lodge in Glenorchy and o/n
Days 13 - 15 Queenstown and environs and prep for hike
Days 16 - 20 Milford Track and to Wanaka o/n
Day 21 - amble over to Franz Joseph through Haast Pass
Day 22 - hope weather cooperates for heli-hike on glacier and o/n FJ
Day 23 - up coast to Greymouth to drop off friends at the train - Punakaiki o/n
Day 24 - maybe horseback ride there and off we go

But to where??? I didn't want to box myself in, so after this point I wanted to go up to Nelson, Abel Tasman and Marlborough area for wine tasting and general unwinding. Would love suggestions on how long to stay in this area before taking the ferry over to Wellington and spending some time on the NI. We love art gallery rambling and minor league outdoorsy stuff, so recommendations for things to do, see and where to stay around this area would be great. After I get that figured out, I'll tackle the NI, which I would like possibly to include Te Papa, some more wine tasting, Tongariro Crossing, Rotorua and whatever else I have time for. I considered going north of Auckland (our return flight is from there), but so many of our trips revolve around scuba diving, that going out on a boat around pretty islands is lower on my list than things I don't often get around to.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Just a few comments, which you're probably already aware of:

Bluff is tiny. I assume you're staying in Bluff to catch a morning ferry to Stewart Island; if that's the case, you could stay the night in Invercargill instead which is a short drive away and offers more to do.

You might consider adding a night to the Catlins - lots to do there and it's rather spread out.

From Punakaiki you might do something like this:

Drive Punakaiki to Takaka via Westport (350 km, five hours) - spend a few days exploring this side of Abel Tasman and Golden Bay, Pu Pu Springs, Wharariki Beach, walk a section of the Abel Tasman track from this side or explore the Heaphy Track, maybe drive to Collingwood and take the 4X4 tour out to the Farewell Spit.

Drive from Takaka to Marahau (or Motueka, or Kaiteriteri, or Upper Mouture - all make great bases for exploring Abel Tasman) - spend at least two full days in the area to explore Abel Tasman, the wineries, etc.

Drive from Marahau or wherever to Nelson - spend at least two full days here exploring the arts and crafts trail, the World of Wearable Art Complex, more wineries, the cafes and winery restaurants, etc.

OR, stay somewhere in between Nelson and Marahau/Motueka, such as Upper Moutere or waterfront Mapua, spend several nights there and explore both the Nelson area and the Abel Tasman area from one base. I'd allow at least four nights for this, more would be even better.

Drive from Nelson to Blenheim - spend a few days visiting some of the many wineries, etc

Backtrack from Blenheim to Picton/Marlborough Sounds - spend at least two full days in the area exploring the Sounds - perhaps stay at a resort in the Sounds (such as Bay of Many Coves or Craglee Lodge, both only accessible by boat or on foot) - walk a section or two of the Charlotte Track, or just relax at the resort

Take the ferry from Picton to Wellington

OR, if you're interested in seeing a part of the SI that few visitors have ever seen, you might consider driving from Punakaiki to Karamea - a tiny town - staying a night or two and walking a section of the Heaphy Track from this side - then backtracking to Westport and heading up to the Abel Tasman area.

Wow. All great ideas Melnq8. I'll get out the map and figure out the lay of the land. It looks like your suggestions would be a week at the least, which is about what I was thinking. A lot of the hiking part will depend on whether my back makes it through Milford OK (here's to hoping).

As you surmised we are staying in Bluff to catch the morning ferry. I considered Invercargill, but decided that if we really want to, we can see it before heading down to Bluff by nightfall or on the way back up. I had also considered one night at Nugget Point and one at Curio Bay to spend more time in the Catlins, but I actually ran out of days since I had already made reservations on Stewart Island. How spread out is the Catlins area in terms of how we might want to divvy up the time? I gather yellow eyed penquins, petrified forest and other things are of interest. What in particular do you recommend?

Is the Kaikoura whale watching trip for the benefit of your friends as well, or just for you? If your friends aren't fussed about the whale watching, there could be an alternative way for you to tackle that after you have dropped them off.

Do your friends particularly want to take the train from Greymouth to Christchurch? If not, there may be some merit in looking at reversing the direction of travel and heading off to Punakaiki with your friends at the start and then dropping them off in Christchurch after Mt Cook.

Thanks Kiwi Rob, but we did the direction of travel because the friends are meeting us in Queenstown for Milford and only have the next few days with us and wanted to go to the glaciers, therefore, we are doing the east side first and starting the west with them. They have to get back to Auckland. Any other thoughts about how to divvy up the rest of the trip?

Ok,susncrg. You could consider:

Day 1 As is.

Day 2 Over to Akaroa for a day. A pretty French-influenced town on Banks Peninsula, about an hour's drive from Christchurch. Stop at Little River and have a poke around the gallery there.

Day 3 To Mt Cook and o/n there (or at Lake Tekapo or Pukaki). Do the Glacier Explorer trip at Mt Cook if you get the chance.

Day 4 To Dunedin

Day 5 Dunedin and Otago Peninsula

Days 6 & 7 As per your itinerary, but spend an extra night in The Catlins, as per Mel's suggestion

Days 7 to 24 As per your itinerary (subject to the loads of advice that you are bound to receive).

After Punakaiki, you could head up to the Nelson/Golden Bay area and spend whatever time you like up there but, instead of heading straight across to Blenheim, you could backtrack a wee bit down through Murchison and over Lewis Pass to Hanmer Springs for a night and then up to Kaikoura for the whalewatching bit. Kaikoura is then an easy two hour drive from Blenheim, right in the middle of the Marlborough wine region. The drive up the Kaikoura coast is stunning.

This does seem a roundabout route, but it seems that you have the time (and the inclination) to meander, and you would see some parts of the South Island that you otherwise be missing.

Rob.

Regarding the Catlins:

We spent a full day exploring the North Catlins and a full day exploring the south - we preferred the North Catlins - here's a bit of what we did:

North:

Cathedral Caves - only accessible two hours either side of low tide.

Lake Wilkie - a nice little walk, about 15 minutes

Old Coach Road*/Tahakopa Bay Loop Track, which is located on the north end of the Tahakopa River Bridge, not far from Papatowai. A nice hike of about 2-3 hours.

*Not to be confused with the Old Coach Road walk, which begins in Waikawa, South Catlins.

Surat Bay - nice walk down to the beach (about 45 minutes return). This is a beautiful area – rugged, wild and windswept. Great place for seeing Hooker sea lions.

Walk to Jack's Blowhole, a massive 55 meter deep hole 200 meters inland from the sea located in Tunnel Rocks Scenic Reserve. Accessible from Jack's Bay.

Things we didn't have time for but want to see/do next time:

McLean Falls, Matai Falls and the Catlins River Track. I would also have liked to walk from Cannibal Bay to Surat Bay.

South Catlins:

Catlins Coastal Heritage Trail - Waipapa Point, the site of New Zealand’s worst civilian shipping disaster, the wreck of the Tararua. The lighthouse here was undergoing restoration, when we visited, but is probably finished by now. Nice walks along the beach here - more Hooker sea lions.

Slope Point, which is seven kilometers further south than Bluff and the southernmost point of the South Island. The trail to Slope Point crosses a sheep pasture and leads to the top of a cliff overlooking the sea (35 minute return, 1.2 miles, about 2 km).

Waipohatu Recreation Area - nice walks through here, including the three hour waterfall route.

Curio Bay, site of “one of the world’s finest fossil forests”.

Porpoise Bay overlook – nice views of the bay

Niagara Falls, a Kiwi joke.

I found this site invaluable in planning our stay in the Catlins:

http://www.catlins.org.nz/index.htm

I won't comment too much on the first half other than to ask, why Ashburton? The inland route from Chch to Tekap etc is much more scenic since you're closer to the S. Alps.

I do like the landscape on the northwest coast, toward Karamea and the south end of Heaphy Track (to Scott's Beach), there's also a little track to Oparara Arch
http://www.karameainfo.co.nz/oparara-basin/

After Karamea you backtrack and can head up to Abel Tasman/Golden Bay etc, on to Nelson for the art scene (there are a lot of galleries along this stretch on NZ so I would research the stops along the way). I'm not the expert on this stretch but it could easily eat up 5 nights.



If you're interested in a farmstay this is good one, in Karamea (I lucked out and found them from a card in an I site before they were in the bnb.co.nz guide) You will want to add days here, great family

http://www.westcoastbeachaccommodation.co.nz/

mlgb - Farmstay looks nice. That's a real possible.

Why Ashburton? Good question. I'm doing most of the bookings myself, but the travel agent who booked the Milford Track for us (who was recommended by our friend's sister who lives in Auckland), recommended and booked this accommodation for us. It's called Akanui and it seems to be a place where people often stop for a look at their garden So I'm taking her word for it. Will I pass part of the inland route you're talking about as we drive from there up to Mt. Cook? Unfortunately, I'm finding that I want to see everything I hear about and that's clearly not going to happen.

I agree with the comments made about Ashburton. If you were arriving there late at night as a stopover, with the intention of moving on early the next morning, I could understand that booking, but it is, essentially, a supply town serving the surrounding farming district and not, usually, a travellers' destination.

If you do go up to Karamea, be sure to do the side trip to Denniston if the weather is fine. It is about a half hour each way from the main road, and the views down the coast are superb. The Denniston Incline displays are very interesting too.

Rob- Is there a route you would suggest that would have us go from Kaikoura to Ashburton (should we keep this booking) and get there just for a late night stopover. Or, should we bag Kaikoura altogether and just head south from Christchurch spending an extra day elsewhere?

I think that you should flag the Ashburton booking altogether, susncrg, but I would certainly not suggest that you bag Kaikoura. You will see a lot of beautiful coastal scenery on the west coast part of your trip, but I consider the drive up the Kaikoura coast to be one of the best that I have seen anywhere, including the Great Ocean Road and Big Sur. What's more, for a lot of it, the road runs right along the sea shore and the are ample places to stop and take in the views or have a walk.

If you do still intend to do the Kaikoura bit at the start of your trip (In this regard, see my 12.42 post on 5 October), Kaikoura to Christchurch is an easy 2.5 hour drive and, within another 2 hours you could be well down the inland route on the way to Mt Cook -- somewhere around Geraldine for an easy hop or as far down as Pukaki, etc, if you want to do a bit more on that day. I think this would be a far better use of your time.

Rob.

If you stay in Ashburton the next morning you can cut inland on Route 79 and head thru Geraldine.

When I did a whale watch in Kaikoura I didn't make it very far that day (I think only to Methven) but I like taking the backroads to Hwy 77. It may be too long a day for you, however.

As you are passing thru Amberley I would recommend a stop at the Norwester Cafe on the main road. Excellent. I think they have one some Cuisine awards.

Ah. I had overlooked the fact that you would be travelling south on the same day that you are doing the whalewatching, so you may not want to be travelling so far on that day. I would still suggest that you by-pass Ashburton and, instead, veer inland at Rakaia along the road known as Thompsons Track (a very straight, sealed, country road) to Mt Somers and overnight there at Stronechrubie (www.stronechrubie.co.nz). That is not much further than Ashburton and you would avoid the boring stretch of the Main South Road between Rakaia and Rangitata.

We occasionally pop down to Stronechrubie for a weekend, and we enjoy the country setting and the cosy restaurant.

And yes, Mel, the Norwester has won some awards for best cafe in recent times.

Thanks all, you have given me food for thought and I'll drag out the map tomorrow and see what can be done about some changes.

One clarification Rob - Do you prefer the drive to Kaikoura from Christchurch as being more scenic than the alternate suggestion you gave of approaching Kaikoura at the end of the trip via Blenheim?

The alternative that I was suggesting, susncrg, would have you coming down from Nelson or Motueka (where-ever you last stay up there) via Murchison to Hanmer Springs for a night, then from Hanmer Springs to Kaikoura and Kaikoura up to Blenheim. This is on the assumption that you do the Kaikoura bit at the end rather than at the beginning of your trip. That way, you will get to see the whole of the Kaikoura Coast.

The first two hours of the drive from Christchurch to Kaikoura is through farmland with a few hilly bits before you hit the coast about half an hour south of Kaikoura.

Have fun as you pore over the map. I really enjoy the planning stages of any trip when there are so many possibilities open.

Rob.

Hi, sushcrg, I would certainly recommend the trip around Motueka, Wharariki Beach (look out for the great seals especially in the cave)and Puponga before heading down the West Coast that Melnq8 suggested. It is a beautiful natural part of NZ that I have been around several times and never tire of its sheer beauty. We spent several hours exploring Wharariki. The Denniston area is another visit-if-possible place.
Dot

I got out the map this morning and it does look like there's a lot to do around that northwest area. Hadn't heard of Denniston but will look it up. Thanks.

LOVED Abel Tasman -- and highly recommend the Ocean View Chalets -- especially if you can get one with an unobstructed view.

I suggest you go up to auckland. it is a magnificant place. also, Pihea is a great place. A list of great places is available at www.aboutnz.info

Chickie - We will be on the NI too, and flying out of Aukland. Thanks for the link.

Songdoc - I've got an enquiry in to Ocean View. My main problem at this point is reserving places in advance. I did that for the first 3 weeks or so, and people have given me good suggestions for the rest of the time on the SI. I'm thinking, even though it is the busier time of the year, that I'd like to roam around and stay wherever seems the most fun to us for an undetermined amount of days and get reservations at the last minute. I know that limits our choices and availability, but I don't want to be hemmed in for the entire 6 weeks. It sounds like your trip was well planned out for the entire time. Does anyone have an opinion on whether we'll be able to play it loose and not have to sleep in the car due to lack of reservations for the last week or two on the SI (Jan 6-?).

If you call around a few days ahead or even the morning of you should find something. There is also wotif, which you can book even that morning.

There are a few places where accomodations tend to be tight in summer, namely the beachy resort areas, the glaciers, Mt. Cook (although you should find something in Twizel) and Te Anau. Also if you are hoping for a private room in a YHA they do tend to book up well in advance. Sometimes Christchurch can be fully booked if there is a special event, so I would call ahead there.

The YHAs have a good cancellation policy you might consider booking ahead if they have something along your itinerary route.

BTW if the weather is bad, ie rainy you may find inexpensive places fill up early in the day from campers that have decided to stay indoors.

I think booking in advance for January especially early January would be a very good idea. A lot of businesses including mine, close down until from Christmas Eve until around the 12th January, and that is when they al go on vacation.

There has also been reports in the paper over the last few days that due to the recession more New Zealanders are holidaying in New Zealand this year rather than traveling overseas.

Things quieten down in February when schools go back.

I can't comment re: the necessity of reservations in January. My trips always coincide with business in May (NZ Music Month).

I typically book my hotels or self-catering apartments in the cities where I'll be doing business a few weeks prior to arrival and get great "last minute" rates on wotif.com. At that time of year there are tons of available rooms.

FYI, I knew far in advance that I'd have five days off between work commitments and I was able to lock in the Ocean View chalet with the great views. I absolutely loved it.

When I return again in May it's so tempting to revisit the places I loved the most: Queenstown; Abel Tasman; the volcanic parks surrounding Rotorua. Haven't decided yet if I should make myself find new favorite places ;-)

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have a terrific trip. NZ is so beautiful.

Nelsonian- I'm booked in advance up to January 6th. So it'll be around Abel Tasman, Nelson, Wellington and north of there that I'm thinking of taking pot-luck on. I'm hoping there are a fair number of accommodations in those areas.

Songdoc - I did write to Ocean View and they have availability, so I'm hoping they still will for awhile as I don't want to commit to a particular date yet. I'm also hoping for some laqst minute wotif.com deals.

FYI- I'm in Bali right now (went online to check emails, etc.) and recommend both my hotels in Ubud. Even tho this is not the Asia board, I'd be happy to give more details if anyone is interested.

As you have probably worked out I live in Nelson and you definitely need to book in the Nelson area, it is an extremely popular tourist area that is absolutely crowded from Christmas day through to the middle of January.

Dunedin isn't that great. It's a college town with a nice museum. Oamaru is the gem. It's a charming town in which you can see two kinds of penguins -- blue and yellow-eyed. There are some great shops/galleries and a nice botanical garden. Make time to see it.

I'd probably reverse the opinions on Oamaru vs Dunedin/ Yes Oamaru has a cute SMALL town center, the Whitestone Cheese Factory, and the little blue penguins. And the homestead of Janet Frame.

Dunedin has art galleries, food, the Otago Peninsula, beaches, the Chasm walk, botanic gardens, the Cadbury tour, the Speights tour, and several historic museums including the train station, plus you can take the Taeiri Gorge trip from there.

I'm reporting back that I stayed in Stonechrubie, although I could not at the time remember where I had heard about it. I guess it must have been subliminal memories from this thread. It was also suggested by a staff member at the I-site in Tekapo. (My weather luck had basically run out after visiting Mt. Cook so I was heading toward Christchurch).

I was too late to reserve in for dinner but they offered room service..and the lamb rack I had there was the best of the trip.

So thank you, Kiwi Rob!

PS At some point I will post some kind of trip report and photos link.