my husband and i just got married a few months ago and couldn't afford to go on the honeymoon we wanted so decided to postpone it for a year or so.
i enjoy planning trips so am starting to do my research early we have two options and i'm kind of stuck deciding between the two. we can go for 3 full weeks if we go either mid december-early january or late december-mid january. this is the busiest time of the year according to the travel books. however if we go at another time of the year we will only have 2 weeks. how much will the peak season affect our plans? i am more than willing to book things early to ensure we are able to do what we want but will the crowds spoil our trip? we do not especially enjoy big cities and are looking to spend most of our time exploring the national parks.
any feedback would be wonderful, thanks

gat, you haven't said where you're planning to go.

whoops, haha, so i'm an idiot. well, i'm not totally set on where we're going. we are planning on renting a car and the places i've picked out so far are:
tongariro national park (northern circuit walk)
abel tasman national park
kaikoura
fiord national park (milford sound)
rakiura island
i realize this is quite spread out but we are thinking about flying into wellington and flying out of queenstown so there will be minimal backtracking.

OK! So it's New Zealand (there was no way to tell which country you meant). Let's se if the resaident Kiwi experts can help out.

I too went for my honeymoon to NZ although only South Island for 2 weeks. Here's some ideas.
Start at Christ church, sleep over & next am drive to Kaikora - whale watching. Then Hanmer springs for an overnight & then I am not sure about the order but Franz Joseph - glacier, Hokitika - black sand beach & glass blowing.Queenstown ofcourse for a few days, Milford Sound will be your highlight & the Te Anu caves are close to it.End at Lake Tekapo & back to Christ Church.
Just an idea.Have fun

Well, if you like National Parks and exploring tracks, you've certainly picked the right place.

I've never visited NZ during the peak season (we prefer shoulder season), but I get the impression that NZ never really gets terribly "crowded". Yes, there are definitely more tourists and locals out and about during the height of the summer season and you might have school holidays to contend with as well - suggest you check this site for details on 2008 school holidays and if possible, avoid them:

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/index.cfm?...ocumentid=3767

Don't be discouraged about traveling during the season. I strongly suggest you pre-book any activites you don't want to miss out on, and definitely book accommodation in popular areas with limited choices, such as Abel Tasman, the glaciers and Mt Cook.

My last visit to NZ was November-December last year, and it was much more crowded than I remembered. I would definitely book ahead, expecially for Christchurch, the west coast glaciers,Mt Cook and Te Anau. For some reason Te Anau is under-roomed. I guess it has to do with the popularity of the overnight trips to Milford and Doubtful. Be sure to book any overnight trips in advance, also.

thanks everyone...that's all really helpful. i lived in south korea for a couple years and the crowds at busy times of the year were ridiculous and i guess i afraid that's what nz would be like in the busy season...
thanks again for the feedback

We loved New Zealand in February 2007 for our 25th anniversary! It was end of summer in NZ, and we never felt like it was crowded.

If you don't like crowds in cities, when staying in a city like Queenstown, try to book your stay on weekdays instead of the weekend. I find it makes a big difference in any big city during peak season. (Also make sure it's not a local holiday.)

Fiordland is a gorgeous area. Consider staying in Te Anau for a few days to be closer to Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Milford Road. We found Campbell's Autolodge to be very clean and well-run in Te Anau. E-mail Barry Campbell. We liked the lake view from our second story room and the good prices. Check reviews on tripadvisor. I've got their web-site somewhere if you decide it's the sort of place you're looking for.

To help you settle on your dates, decide whether you want to see penguins, since the season greatly affects whether you will see adult penguins, baby penguins, etc. Look into penguin life cycles in the areas where you plan to visit.

I have along trip report on New Zealand here on fodors and also on tripadvisor if you click on my name. You'll get lots of good advice here from melnq8, and others.

Happy honeymoon!