Please help with our first attempt at New Zealand itinerary
Aug 11th, 2014, 11:02 PM
#21
I agree with everything that Melnq8 has said, including your itinerary order.
en route to Oamaru, do take time to drop down to the coast to see the Moeraki Boulders - they are really weird stones on the beach that look just like dinosaur eggs that are hatching! In Oamaru itself there are a lot of things to see besides the penguins - the Victorian Town including the newly restored opera house [we got a free tour from the barman in there just by showing interest in it ], and the botanical gardens. as for the penguins, there's no need to pay to see them at the over-priced penguin centre, just go down to the beach at dusk and watch them waddle ashore. Definitely the best show in town!
en route to Oamaru, do take time to drop down to the coast to see the Moeraki Boulders - they are really weird stones on the beach that look just like dinosaur eggs that are hatching! In Oamaru itself there are a lot of things to see besides the penguins - the Victorian Town including the newly restored opera house [we got a free tour from the barman in there just by showing interest in it ], and the botanical gardens. as for the penguins, there's no need to pay to see them at the over-priced penguin centre, just go down to the beach at dusk and watch them waddle ashore. Definitely the best show in town!
Aug 12th, 2014, 05:37 AM
#22
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Thanks, Melnq8 for the information about Glenorchy. And the B&B sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, they are full on the dates we need so we'll probably do Glenorchy as a day trip from Arrowtown.
I have one last itinerary question. Our flight from Christchurch to Sydney doesn't leave until around 4PM. Would it be doable to not stay overnight in Christchurch but drive directly to the airport from Oamaru? If we got to the airport by 1PM that should leave us enough time to drop off the car, etc., then we would have one more night we could put someplace else.
Thanks, annig, for the information on Oamaru.
I have one last itinerary question. Our flight from Christchurch to Sydney doesn't leave until around 4PM. Would it be doable to not stay overnight in Christchurch but drive directly to the airport from Oamaru? If we got to the airport by 1PM that should leave us enough time to drop off the car, etc., then we would have one more night we could put someplace else.
Thanks, annig, for the information on Oamaru.
Aug 12th, 2014, 01:41 PM
#23
hu jr - I can see no reason why you shouldn't go straight from Oamaru to Christchurch airport if you aren't interested in seeing Christchurch itself. We left Oamaru after breakfast, stopped off at Timaru where we discovered the most wonderful old fashioned rose garden, and got to Christchurch about lunchtime.
We stayed at the Villa Lago apartments in QT; we liked the apartments but we were less keen on QT itself. Arrowtown OTOH we liked quite a lot though we only spent a couple of hours or so there - long enough to see the chinese settlement, do some shopping at the village hall [crafts made in NZ, may have been a Christmas thing as we were there in early December] and have some lunch.
We stayed at the Villa Lago apartments in QT; we liked the apartments but we were less keen on QT itself. Arrowtown OTOH we liked quite a lot though we only spent a couple of hours or so there - long enough to see the chinese settlement, do some shopping at the village hall [crafts made in NZ, may have been a Christmas thing as we were there in early December] and have some lunch.
Aug 12th, 2014, 02:31 PM
#24
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Hi, jrj,
I agree you should be able to make Christchurch easily from Oamaru in plenty of time to check in. It's a while since I was down that way, but I think it is a 3.5 - 4 hour drive between the two. And do stop at the Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden in Timaru, at Caroline Bay.
I forgot to say about the Moeraki Boulders, so glad that annhig mentioned them. Also, if you go into Moeraki check out Fleur's Place. It's a quaint restaurant by the inlet, serving lovely food - and just coffee, I hope.
If you do decide not to stay in Chch for a night I would add the extra night to Te Anau. We did a trip to Doubtful Sound from there several years ago in January - it was wet but the sound was beautiful. I took many photos. Lots of amazing impromptu waterfalls, but only a couple of seals which was a little disappointing. However, I was very pleased we had gone. We have also been to Milford Sound on another trip which was quite different. Just driving to Milford you will see some great scenery.
When I first visited Arrowtown 40 years ago we took a trip to a little goldmining village called Macetown. I see it has now been restored, which is good, and there are several companies offering tours into the site. (We went on a little 4 x 4 bus) Not sure if this is where annhig went, but it was worth a trip when we went all those years ago.
Dot
I agree you should be able to make Christchurch easily from Oamaru in plenty of time to check in. It's a while since I was down that way, but I think it is a 3.5 - 4 hour drive between the two. And do stop at the Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden in Timaru, at Caroline Bay.
I forgot to say about the Moeraki Boulders, so glad that annhig mentioned them. Also, if you go into Moeraki check out Fleur's Place. It's a quaint restaurant by the inlet, serving lovely food - and just coffee, I hope.
If you do decide not to stay in Chch for a night I would add the extra night to Te Anau. We did a trip to Doubtful Sound from there several years ago in January - it was wet but the sound was beautiful. I took many photos. Lots of amazing impromptu waterfalls, but only a couple of seals which was a little disappointing. However, I was very pleased we had gone. We have also been to Milford Sound on another trip which was quite different. Just driving to Milford you will see some great scenery.
When I first visited Arrowtown 40 years ago we took a trip to a little goldmining village called Macetown. I see it has now been restored, which is good, and there are several companies offering tours into the site. (We went on a little 4 x 4 bus) Not sure if this is where annhig went, but it was worth a trip when we went all those years ago.
Dot
Aug 12th, 2014, 02:56 PM
#25
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Hi, annhig and Dot. Your information helps a lot and I think we'll not stay overnight in Christchurch. I think I have the itinerary now, thanks to all of you. Now the fun part of deciding what to do at each place!
Aug 12th, 2014, 11:56 PM
#27
The chinese settlement that we visited was the one at the far end of the main town - [the southern end I suspect as we were coming from Wanaka, parked near the Library on the outskirts of the centre without driving through on our arrival, and we walked through the town to get to it.
so no need for a bus. it was reasonably well-signposted [we found it!] and there was a lot of good information about it on the information boards when we got there.
interestingly, one of the people we met through the wonderful lady who ran our B&B in Wellington was a very elderly lady of chinese extraction whose family had arrived in NZ in the 19C. She was very interesting to talk to - I had had no idea about that part of NZ history before we met her. Then seeing the chinese settlement helped bring it all together.
so no need for a bus. it was reasonably well-signposted [we found it!] and there was a lot of good information about it on the information boards when we got there.
interestingly, one of the people we met through the wonderful lady who ran our B&B in Wellington was a very elderly lady of chinese extraction whose family had arrived in NZ in the 19C. She was very interesting to talk to - I had had no idea about that part of NZ history before we met her. Then seeing the chinese settlement helped bring it all together.
Aug 13th, 2014, 06:39 AM
#28
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We'll definitely see the Chinese settlement. What was the name of your B&B in Wellington? Would you recommend it? Since Wellington is a larger town, I'm wondering if the B&B was relatively easy to find. Thanks.
Aug 13th, 2014, 09:21 AM
#29
lol, jrj, our B&B was delightful as was our hostess there, but the only way we found it was by following her car up the never-ending hill to the top! We only stayed there for a night and the whole thing was a hoot from start to finish - a couple of days before we were due to arrive we got an e-mail from her to say that very old friends of hers were due to arrive the same night as us [at this point I was expecting a cancellation] and would we like to join them all at a restaurant in the centre of Wellington for supper?!
We were a little taken aback [well, more than a little to be honest] but we couldn't see what not, so we duly arranged to meet her and her guests there instead of going to the B&B when we arrived in W'ton. We had a very interesting evening with Peggy and her guests and at the end of it, she guided us up to her B&B which is right at the top of the hill overlooking W'ton with wonderful views from the panoramic windows. Her friends were staying with her too so we had a very jolly evening, and had the opportunity to meet some real kiwis. ok it was blowing a hooly, but we still had a great time.
so long as you are up for a bit of kiwi informality, and have a good satnav, you'll be happy here:
http://www.wellingtonpanorama.co.nz/
we can also thoroughly recommend the B&B we stayed at in Wanaka where the two girls who own it run it on "chalet" lines so you have a communal breakfast and afternoon tea with them and the rest of their guests.
http://www.criffelpeakview.co.nz/
We were a little taken aback [well, more than a little to be honest] but we couldn't see what not, so we duly arranged to meet her and her guests there instead of going to the B&B when we arrived in W'ton. We had a very interesting evening with Peggy and her guests and at the end of it, she guided us up to her B&B which is right at the top of the hill overlooking W'ton with wonderful views from the panoramic windows. Her friends were staying with her too so we had a very jolly evening, and had the opportunity to meet some real kiwis. ok it was blowing a hooly, but we still had a great time.
so long as you are up for a bit of kiwi informality, and have a good satnav, you'll be happy here:
http://www.wellingtonpanorama.co.nz/
we can also thoroughly recommend the B&B we stayed at in Wanaka where the two girls who own it run it on "chalet" lines so you have a communal breakfast and afternoon tea with them and the rest of their guests.
http://www.criffelpeakview.co.nz/
Aug 21st, 2014, 08:33 AM
#31
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Hi There
If you are still looking for help with your NZ trip, please feel free to call me with any questions.
I'm a Kiwi living in Wisconsin, and also a travel agent specializing in NZ (for obvious reasons!) so happy to answer any questions you may have.
Cheers
Geoff
9203195494
If you are still looking for help with your NZ trip, please feel free to call me with any questions.
I'm a Kiwi living in Wisconsin, and also a travel agent specializing in NZ (for obvious reasons!) so happy to answer any questions you may have.
Cheers
Geoff
9203195494
