Please critique my NEW ZEALAND Itinerary
 

Hello everyone,

I have been working on our New Zealand itinerary and would love your input/advice. I am definitely open to changes that would improve our itinerary. As a recap, my husband and I are in our 70’s. We plan to visit Australia and New Zealand in October/November 2024. My husband went to school in Australia during the 1960’s. The Australia portion of our trip will be a trip down memory lane for him, and to visit relatives, along with sightseeing. Neither one of us have been to New Zealand. We will spend 3 weeks in Australia and 3 weeks in New Zealand. So we will be in New Zealand during the month of November, probably the first 3 weeks of November.

We like just about everything. And we definitely want to do some flat walks/hikes, but not a lot of up and downhill hiking. I will include a few things we are interested in doing in each place if that helps deciding how much time we should spend in each place.

We will fly from Sydney to Christchurch.

This itinerary omits Arthur’s Pass NP only because we don’t have the time. But I am open to opinions about whether or not we should skip or include Arthur’s Pass.

NOTE: We don’t generally like one-night stays but we will do so if it makes sense. And we do find one night stays easier when we are driving.

Christchurch – 1 night

Then take scenic route from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo. About a 3.5 hour drive.

Lake Tekapo – 1 night (would it be too late to drive to Mt. Cook Village (after some sightseeing and photo taking at Lake Tekapo and not overnight at Lake Tekapo?)

Mt. Cook Village – 3 nights if we don’t overnight at Lake Tekapo OR 2 nights if we do overnight at Lake Tekapo.

Interested in some walks such as Tasman Glacier View Track, Kea Point Track, and Hooker Valley Track

Queenstown – 3 nights – drive from Mt. Cook Village to Queenstown is 3.5 hours

Interested in Sky Gondola, Skyline Loop Track, possibly cruise on Lake Wakatipu, jet boat tour on Dart River, Queenstown Gardens, Kiwi & Birdlife Park.

Te Anau – 2 or 3 nights – Drive from Queenstown to Te Anau – 2 hours

Take a tour from Te Anau to Milford Sound for a cruise. Are there tours that include stops along the way on the Milford Highway? Sounds like there are many beautiful stops along the way for photo ops and short walks which we would like to do.

Wanaka – 1 night – drive from Te Anau to Wanaka – 3 hours

Franz Josef Glacier – 2 or 3 nights – drive from Wanaka to Franz Josef – 8 hours with stops

Franz Josef Glacier walk, Terrace Track, and Glacier hot pools. Might be interested in a helicopter ride over the glaciers (Fox or Franz Josef). Not interested in heli hikes.

Westport – 1 night – to break up trip to Abel Tasman NP – Franz Josef to Westport – 4 hours

Drive along the Great Coast Road to see Pancake Rocks, maybe visit Hokitika Gorge

Kaiteriteri or Motueka – 2 nights – drive from Westport is 3 hours

Visit Abel Tasman NP, short walks including Wainui Falls Track.

Picton – 4 nights – drive from Kaiteriteri is 3 hours – possibly stop in Nelson for a few hours/lunch

Cruise on Marlborough Sound, wine tastings (NZ Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite wine!), walks in Picton, Omaka Aviation Heritage Center, Havelock, Motuara Island

Christchurch – 1 night – drive from Picton is 4 to 6 hours

Fly home from Christchurch

Thank you for any advice you can give. I will also post this on TA. I have been on Fodors a long time and I always value and appreciate the advice I get here.

Karen

Lake Tekapo – 1 night (would it be too late to drive to Mt. Cook Village (after some sightseeing and photo taking at Lake Tekapo and not overnight at Lake Tekapo?)

I assume you'll have been in Australia first, and won't be jetlagged, so yes, it's just over four hours to Mt Cook and doable if you get an early start.

Mt. Cook Village – 3 nights if we don’t overnight at Lake Tekapo OR 2 nights if we do overnight at Lake Tekapo.

Unless you're an avid hiker, I'd only stay two nights. If the weather is cruddy, as it often is, you'll feel captive. At least I would (and have).

Are there tours that include stops along the way on the Milford Highway?

As I recall, most tours stop at Mirror Lakes, but that's about it. Any reason you don't want to drive yourself? I'd personally opt for a minimum of three nights in Te Anau if you enjoy hiking. This also gives you a buffer if you have a crap weather day for Milford.

If it were me, I'd drive from Mt Cook to Te Anau (five hours) and then Te Anau to Queenstown (two hours)- this will put you closer to Franz Josef (five hours) and let you omit Wanaka - one night there doesn't give you anytime to do anything, so I assume it's just a way to break up your journey. This will free up a night to put elsewhere. Keep in mind that the five hours from QT to Franz Josef doesn't account for many stops - of which there are many - I suggest you get an early start and make a day of it.

Kaiteriteri or Motueka – 2 nights – drive from Westport is 3 hours

You're really giving this area short shrift - I'd add at least one night. Lots of wineries in the Motueka area and Abel Tasman could easily fill several days.

Picton – 4 nights – drive from Kaiteriteri is 3 hours – possibly stop in Nelson for a few hours/lunch

I'd delete a night and add it to Kaiteriteri/Motueka. Time better used elsewhere IMO.

Melnq8, thank you for your detailed response. We are not avid hikers; we used to be when we were in our 20's (backpackers, pitching tents) but those days are long gone. But we do like to take walks in beautiful scenery; we can handle some light uphill and downhill walks/hikes but nothing too steep or strenuous.

Thank you for the tip to drive from Mt. Cook to Te Anau, and then after our stay there, to drive from Te Anau to Queenstown, omitting the stop in Wanaka and freeing up a night for elsewhere. Yes, I was using Wanaka as a place to break up the trip to Franz Josef. I never would have thought of doing what you suggest.

Regarding a tour to Milford Sound - I think someone on my planning thread (it might have been Yestravel) suggested taking a tour because when they went (on a group tour) the weather was very bad that day and vehicles were prohibited on the Milford Highway. Then when the storm subsided, only tour groups/buses were allowed through to Milford Sound. So I thought it made sense to book a tour from Te Anau. Am I worrying too much about this? We would definitely like to have some time to make stops along the highway and take some easy scenic walks and stop for photo ops. If we are there 3 nights, we will have 2 full days. If I decide to book a tour (out of caution), would it make sense to spend our first day on the tour and our second day (weather permitting) driving along the highway ourselves and making stops that appeal to us?

I will do more research and consider spending 3 nights in Kaiteriteri or Motueka instead of 2 nights, and 3 nights in Picton instead of 4 nights. Are there easy walks/hikes in Abel Tasman? I couldn't quite get a sense of that.

Yes, there are easy/moderate hikes in Abel Tasman. We've walked most of the Abel Tasman track over the years in stages by taking a water taxi to a location on the track and then walking to another location, where we were picked up by another water taxi. There are various operators - here's one to give you an idea:

https://aquataxi.co.nz/

I can give you some specific details on certain sections if you want - I'd just need to review some of my old trip reports for details.

Or you could walk a very easy portion of the track right from Marahau.

Regarding Milford - we've visited many times - most often in winter and spring. We've driven ourselves on all but two occasions - on our first trip (when we didn't know any better), and on a trip where I took my brother - we'd planned to drive then too, but the road was closed due to avalanche danger and I had concerns about driving on black ice when it re-opened the following day, so we booked a bus tour with Red Boat at the last minute. It was not a good day, as the boat was overcrowded - they'd had to cancel the previous day and just loaded all the extras on the same boat the next day - anyway, it was chaotic and not much fun.

So, it's a bit subjective, but personally I would always choose driving over a bus tour, having done both a few times.

Caveat: Keep in mind that by law snow chains must be carried in one's car between May and November on the Milford Road. That might tell you all you need to know right there:) If I were to choose a tour though, I'd definitely do it from Te Anau and not Queenstown, which is a slog.

If I decide to book a tour (out of caution), would it make sense to spend our first day on the tour and our second day (weather permitting) driving along the highway ourselves and making stops that appeal to us?

Certainly an option, but alot of the same - there's only one way in and one way out of Milford, so you'd be repeating the same from the previous day. If it were me, and weather isn't an issue, I'd drive myself to Milford, making stops on the way in or out as I saw fit, and then spend the next day exploring some of the Kepler Track closer to Te Anau. Driving the Milford Road is time consuming and slow, and it would be very repetitive to do it twice.

One year we stayed in Knob's Flat (a tiny place between Milford Sound and Te Anau) for that very reason - so we could explore more on the Milford Road without all the backtracking to Te Anau. This isn't something I'd recommend for a first time visitor short on time though.

We just returned tonight from our second trip to New Zealand, much of it on the South Island. We previously hiked the Milford Track in 2017 and spent additional time around Queenstown, the Haast Pass, glaciers and Hokitika (I have an old trip report here somewhere). Our itinerary this time was: Nelson (1 night to acclimate to the time change), Kaiteriteri (4), Blenheim area for Marlborough (3), Wellington (4) and Auckland (2).

There are others here who know far more than I do, but I would agree with Melnq8 re: more time for the Abel Tasman area. For one thing, it is good to have some buffer in case you get a bad weather day (as we did) that limits your ability to get out along the coast. We had one rainy day where we drove inland and up around Takaka, and another day when the winds were so strong the boat operators were concerned about surf at some of the further out stops.

Melnq8 gave you one water taxi service. Here are a couple others that have various options for day trips:

Wilson's
https://www.abeltasman.co.nz/abel-ta...cenic-cruises/

Sea Shuttle
https://www.abeltasmanseashuttles.co.nz

We did two day walks: Apple Tree Bay to Anchorage (relatively flat except the beginning and end, but somewhat long at 7 km), and Awaroa to Medlands Beach (9 kms and definitely not flat).

Motueka probably has more going on in terms of dining and lodging options, but I found it really hard to beat the location and setting of Kaiteriteri. Walking on the beach and rocks in the morning and evening was very nice, and several of the water taxi services leave from right there.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...00b6a104c.jpeg

For Marlborough, we stayed outside Blenheim in a cottage right in the vineyards, which was lovely. We did drive up to Picton for a day trip out into the sounds and hiking on the Queen Charlotte Track. The drive isn't too bad, maybe 25 minutes. We left wishing we had one more day, as we didn't have time for the aviation museum.

I'll try to get the trip report going soon. It's been a long travel day today going Auckland > San Francisco > Chicago!

Ms_go, I would love to read your trip report. I will keep my out for it. And if you can find your report from 2017, that will be helpful, too.

Why did you choose Blenheim over Picton, and how many nights did you spend there?
Thanks!

Melnq8, I didn’t think we would have to worry about snow or black ice in November, which is heading into summer. Is the Milford Highway the only place where we have to worry about snow/black ice?

I doubt you need to worry about black ice in November, I was just pointing out that by law you must carry snow chains in your car on the Milford Road from May-November. Or so says the internet, you should probably verify this with your car rental agency as things change.

This might help:

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-re...s-for-drivers/

https://www.gorentals.co.nz/explore/...%20to%20%24750.

The year I bailed on driving Milford Road due to black ice concerns was in early September. We've encountered black ice, or frosty roads on our winter/early spring trips at many places on the SI. So we'd take care if driving in the early morning - the sun usually melted the frost pretty quickly.

Bottom line, you should do what you're most comfortable with, and it sounds as if you're leaning towards the bus, so do what makes sense for you.

I don't think we had a compelling interest in one over the other. We were already staying on the water in Kaiteriteri, and then going on to Wellington (which is on the water) right after this. When I came across the cottages at Walnut Block, it looked like a unique accommodation that would appeal to us. I'm sure we would have been happy in Picton, as well. It looked like a nice town, albeit a little busier with more traffic due to the port. As I said, the drive between them should be a half hour or less.

We spent three nights, with two full days. On one day, we visited some wineries by bicycle. On the other day, we drove to Picton and took a water taxi through the Marlborough Sounds to hike part of the Queen Charlotte track from Furneaux Lodge to Punga Cove. One more day would have been nice, as we had to skip the aviation museum.

Here's the link to our 2017 report; Sun, sandflies and sauvignon blanc. Not sure if there's lot of interest to you, but we did spend time around Queenstown and up the west coast. I think most of the photo links still work, but maybe not all of them (that photo site has started archiving content, unfortunately).

Melnq8, I read your report about the trip with your brother and when you stayed at Knob's Flat. I think I read two of yours, which are very helpful, and also Tripplanner's reports and Yestravel's report. All very helpful.

ms_go, I really enjoyed your report: Sun, Sandflies, and sauvignon blanc. There was definitely information that's of interest to me. I noted the Glenorchy lagoons trail, the Lake Matheson walk, and Mountain Helicopters. Do you remember how much your 30-minute flight cost? I know it was in 2017 but just curious. They also have a 10-minute trip for $149 PP. And I was able to open your photos. They are beautiful!

Just curious, does anyone have an opinion on whether we should travel clockwise from Christchurch or counter clockwise? Right now I have the trip planned clockwise. Some people on TA recommend clockwise, some counter clockwise, and some say it really doesn't matter.

Direction of travel doesn't really matter, but if we're visiting in the winter/early spring, we'll head north first and then south, hoping the weather is slightly warmer by the time we go south. This certainly isn't foolproof through and may not matter much in November over a three week trip.

I agree with Mel about going north and then south in the hopes of warmer, better hiking weather. We went in December and it was somewhat chilly during parts of our trip, especially at Aoraki Mt. Cook. Milford Sound was cold too.

Melnq8 and tripplanner001, thank you for your advice about clockwise versus counter-clockwise. According to the people on TA who prefer going clockwise from Christchurch, clockwise is better because when we are driving along the West Coast and heading north, views and look-out points will be accessible from the left-hand side. This way we don't have to cross a lane to get to viewpoints. What are your opinions about this?

Tripplanner001, do you remember approximately what the temperatures were like in December? We will be there in November. Because this is late spring I didn't think we would have to worry about cold temps. What did you wear for outerwear?

According to the people on TA who prefer going clockwise from Christchurch, clockwise is better because when we are driving along the West Coast and heading north, views and look-out points will be accessible from the left-hand side. This way we don't have to cross a lane to get to viewpoints. What are your opinions about this?

I think it's a non-issue. Most rural roads in NZ are one lane in each direction. Crossing a lane to turn would be the least of my concerns. We're not talking about freeways with loads of traffic here.

Although you didn't ask me about clothing, in my 12+ trips to the SI, I've always gotten by with a fleece jacket and a waterproof jacket that fits over the fleece, regardless of time of year. We also take rainpants, but we're hikers and spend a lot of time outdoors. When traveling in winter, we add a fleece hat and gloves. I would never visit NZ at any time of year without a waterproof jacket.

During the summer, I've worn shorts, long pants and a jacket all in the same day. You never know what you're going to get in NZ. Think layers.

I recall anywhere from the 50s to the 80s. Looking at my photos to confirm, we wore:

Long sleeves with or without sweater or light jacket in early December in Christchurch
Waterproof winter jacket at Aoraki Mt. Cook although we took it off during the middle of the day when hiking, same in Queenstown; this was mid-December right before Christmas
Long sleeves and no jacket when hiking on Kepler, Milford, and Routeburn; this was on and around Christmas; same at the Catlins and in Dunedin following

We didn't break out our short sleeves and shorts until we reached Sydney.

Some dated experience with day group tour from Te Anau
 

Some years ago on my own in Te Anau and without a car, I booked a day tour with small van to Milford cruise, picnic lunch, photo stops and I think at least one short walk. Not sure of the company I used (and it has been years) but something like one of these:
https://tripsandtramps.com/experienc...h-cruise-walk/
https://www.cheekykiwitravel.com/mil...ll-group-tour/
I was happy with the experience and the travel companions. Probably not economical for two.

Hi Karen! I see you have made considerable progress in your planning (been in Taiwan and japan for the last 5 weeks) -- You've gotten some great responses and I have little to add since you are familiar with my trip via my TR.

I do agree with the comments on Abel Tasman -- its a lovely area and there were plenty of hikes/walks that you can do. Also agree that Mt Cook was all about the hiking, but the hikes we did were not overly strenuous.

"Are there tours that include stops along the way on the Milford Highway?"
We took the same tour as tripplanner, but as if you know we had weather issues and some stops along the way were eliminated.

Thank you to Melnq8, Kay2, Tripplanner, and Yestravel! I appreciate all of your helpful comments.

Yestravel, I am sure you enjoyed Japan and Taiwan. Are you planning on doing a TR?

I may take my FB posts and string them together. Have to see.

If going to the South Island in November into early December there is a chance of snow in the mountain passes. A year ago we were slightly snowed on near the entrance to the Milford Sound Tunnel (or maybe it was graupel). I would bring at least a warm pair of gloves and a knit cap (or buy one there) in addition to the fleece and good rainjacket recommendation. I recommend waterproof boots with a nonslip sole for wet city sidewalks. Low rise is okay if not doing long inclined walks. In addition another pair of tennis shoes or slip ons that dry quickly, and perhaps lightweight flipflops. Chances are good that at least one pair of shoes will be wet. I often wore my flipflops when it was raining for example if we were just walking to dinner. Note, you don't need to dress up even at nice places.

You may want to look into spending more nights in Wanaka and fewer in Queenstown. Four tours I always check newzealand.com for certified companies.

https://www.newzealand.com/us/boat-c...-in-fiordland/

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...4g&oe=655925FD

There is a great Facebook Group called NZ Travel Tips which have lots of tips and advice. The one requirement is you have done some research before you post. It's very informative even for those that live here!!

"You may want to look into spending more nights in Wanaka and fewer in Queenstown. Four tours I always check newzealand.com for certified companies."
I agree on spending time in Wanaka -- it was nice town.

Thank you to Yestravel, mlgb and Nelsonian for your additional comments. Yestravel, I decided to add more time to Wanaka. Mlgb, will add gloves and a warm hat to my packing list. Thanks!
Nelsonian, believe it or not, I don't have a FB account! I know, that makes me weird I guess. But I have been getting excellent advice from folks on Trip Advisor. In fact, I have changed my itinerary a bit based on their advice. I still have us going clockwise from Christchurch, but I will talk to my husband about changing to counterclockwise in the hopes we will have warmer weather if we first go north and then south.

Here is my revised itinerary:
Christchurch - 1 night
Mt. Cook Village - 3 nights
Queenstown - 3 nights (Melnq8 suggested we drive from Mt. Cook to Te Anau but TA folks think that's too long of a drive for one day, so I decided to stop at Queenstown first.)
Te Anau - 2 nights
Wanaka - 3 nights
Franz Josef Glacier or Fox Glacier - 2 nights - Is Fox Glacier preferable?
Punakaiki - 1 night
Kaiteriteri - 3 nights
Picton - 2 nights
Christchurch - 1 night
And then fly home from Christchurch the next day.

Question: We plan on stopping at Kaikoura on the drive from Picton to Christchurch. If we go counterclockwise from Christchurch, that means we will arrive in Picton late. Should I then add another night to Picton (so 3 nights instead of 2 nights)? Otherwise, we will have only 1 full day in the Picton area.

Thank you!

As I'm working my way through my trip report, I'll get to my time in Queenstown and the Milford Sound soon and will gladly share my perspective and experiences with you. That's the only part of the South Island I can speak of.

Snow is not common in October, but it can happen (the dreaded "polar blast"). Remember, there are no major land masses between NZ and Antarctica. The snow generally falls on mountain passes and high hills. Snow is even less likely in November. I'd say, outside of a polar blast, normally the lowest temperatures in November, depending on where you are, would be very high 40s to 50s F. Where I live, Dunedin, tends to have chilly and windy weather up through November (but we also get nice sunny days that are much warmer). Regarding a winter jacket, even if the temperatures are not that cold, the wind chill can make you feel it's colder than the actual temperature, particularly if these winds are southerlies or northeasterlies. So you really want to make sure your jacket is windproof as well. I think a winter coat would be a bit much. A lined water- and windpoof jacket with a hood, and the fleeces that you've mentioned should be fine. I would bring waterproof pants, but I often overprepare. i would definitely bring waterproof shoes or hiking boots. These would allow you to go for a walk in the rain. This being said, provided I've donned suitable clothing, the rain doesn't really bother me as much as the wind, unless it's raining heavily.

This year we are experiencing an El Niño climate pattern, which further complicates things. I don't think it is yet known if El Niño will continue into next spring.

There are two ways to get from Havelock to Picton.We found the the route along the Queen Charlotte Drive to be scenic.

Diamantina, thank you for your very helpful detailed information. I always worry about having the proper clothing with me. And thanks for the tip about the Queen Charlotte Drive!

Good idea to post on my thread instead of the person's thread I hijacked.:)

I should have added the north of the South Island is much warmer than the south of the South Island. 2023 was NZ second warmest year on record and my guess is 2024 will be even warmer. Today, much of the South Island sizzled. Even here in in usually brisk Dunedin, where the mercury rose to 31C (87.8 F).