Hi guys!

Need your comments on my itinerary. I’d like to take my 65-year-old mom to New Zealand. Just us two!

She’s healthy but doesn’t walk fast. Short and easy hikes in comfortable environment would suit her. And she prefers to spend the night in larger cities than quiet towns.

Questions:
1) Too much driving? I prefer not to drive where possible.
2) Skip Waitomo/Rotorua and stay longer elsewhere?
3) Anything else?

Day 1: Auckland. (1-2 night)
Day 2: Drive to Waitomo vs Rotorua (1 night)
Day 3: Drive to Hobbiton and back to Auckland (1 night)
Day 4: 14:15h fly to Queenstown. Arrive 16:15h. (3 nights)
Day 5: Queenstown
Day 6: Guided tour to Milford Sound
Day 7: Queenstown
Day 8: Bus to Lake Tekapo. (2 nights)
Day 9: Drive to Mt Cook and back.
Day 10: Drive to Wanaka (1 night)
Day 11: Bus to Fox Glacier. (2 nights)
Day 12: 9:10h or 14:20h Fox Glacier’s Terminal Face Walk, Lake Matheson
Day 13: Bus to Greymouth. TranzAlpine to Christchurch. (2 nights)
Day 14: Christchurch

Thanks in advance.

If you bus to Lake Tekapo, where are you getting the car to drive to Mount Cook and Wanaka? There are no car rental companies located at Lake Tekapo. You'll have more flexibility if you pick up a car in Queenstown and drive yourself. It's a gentle drive over the tussocked hills of Lindis Pass. I'd also opt to spend one or both nights at Mount Cook.

as an elderly almost 60 year old, for my taste there are too many one and two night stands which I find very stressful.

depending on your arrival time in Auckland, I would go straight to Rotorua [or wherever] and spend at least 3 nights there, then go back to Auckland, spend 2 nights there before flying to QT. Then 4-5 nights there followed by a drive back to C/C via Mount Cook.

The glaciers you can deal with by taking a helicopter flight - expensive but you will have saved a lot of money by not moving around so much.

Think twice about a Fox Glacier flight:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...by-bad-weather

I'm with the ancient annhig on this one; one and two night stands are for the birds. Give your old mom a break - two islands in 14 days is a marathon, even for those of us with only one foot in the grave. You've not taken into consideration the time it takes to get from place to place.

Cut back.

With 2 weeks you could see Auckland-Rotorua-Waitomo AND Queenstown OR spend the whole time in the South Island. Don't forget the jet lag may catch up with you and write you off for the day as you are too tired to think.
Rotorua is great for the thermal experience and plenty to do there.
Look at flyimg from Rotorua down to Queenstown instead of back tracking to Auckland. Using the bus between cities will take up most of the day to get places so I would pick a base (Rotorua/Queenstown)and do some day trips from there.
Queenstown with day trips to Milford Sound, Earnslaw lake cruise and Arrowtown/wine tour would definitely fill in a few days.

Old mum - hilarious I thought she'd be at least 90. At 72 I'm not old- anyway back to the travel both my husband and I (gosh I sound like the Queen) like to stay in a place for at least 3 nights and have felt this way for years.

deSchenke: Silly me! Ok I’ll be driving from Queenstown, and staying in Mount Cook. Big thanks!

annhig and Melnq8: Your ideas are great. Thank you so much!

We should drop Fox Glacier? Or skip Mount Cook? Heard the drive along the west coast is not too be missed, but then the view of Mount Cook is a must see…

At Fox Glacier, we plan to view the end of the glacier on foot. The helihike tours require 2-hour walk on ice surface which my mom will be nervous about. In Mount Cook, we can still take the Ice Explorer boat to view the glacier though.

FromDC: yeah heard so -.-“

tasmangirl: Thanks heaps. I’ll look into your inputs.

northie: I laughed so hard I cried. I chose the wrong word. Wanted to convey my mom is a city girl type, not into outdoorsy, adventurous things. I’m near 40 myself and feel like 25. Wink wink.

How does this look?

Day 1: Auckland. (2 nights)
Day 2: Auckland
Day 3: Rotorua/Waitomo and Hobbiton (3 nights)
Day 4: Rotorua/Waitomo and Hobbiton
Day 5: Rotorua/Waitomo and Hobbiton
Day 6: 14:15h fly to Queenstown. Arrive 16:15h. (4 nights)
Day 7: Queenstown
Day 8: Queenstown
Day 9: Queenstown
Day 10: Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo (3 nights)
Day 11: Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo
Day 12: Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo
Day 13: Christchurch (2 nights)
Day 14: Christchurch