Recommendations for NZ travel packages, escorted tours?
May 12th, 2003, 03:38 AM
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Recommendations for NZ travel packages, escorted tours?
Family with three teen boys, we have just started planning a trip to NZ, had originally planned on Hawaii but with Lord of the Rings and all the boys have decided they would rather go to NZ.
Any recommendations would be appreciated. It seems like a lot of driving is involved in touring and one of the boys gets car sick.
We will have three weeks. Would anyone recommend two weeks in NZ and one in Australia? What about an escorted tour of all the sights? Tour companies?
Thanks in advance.
Any recommendations would be appreciated. It seems like a lot of driving is involved in touring and one of the boys gets car sick.
We will have three weeks. Would anyone recommend two weeks in NZ and one in Australia? What about an escorted tour of all the sights? Tour companies?
Thanks in advance.
May 13th, 2003, 06:43 PM
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Hi Anna,
Travelling to NZ with a boy who gets car sick is certainly a problem, especially since most of the scenic areas will have rather curvey roads! While there are plenty of tour operators that do a very fine job, I'm not sure that being on a 50-passenger motorcoach would be any more helpful than a car. In fact, you might be better off in your own personal rental car, as you'd be able to stop when you like; when your son "had enough".
I think the thing to do would be to plan your itinerary around this important fact; stay in a "base" and take some short day trips to lessen the amount of driving.
Regards,
Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist
Travelling to NZ with a boy who gets car sick is certainly a problem, especially since most of the scenic areas will have rather curvey roads! While there are plenty of tour operators that do a very fine job, I'm not sure that being on a 50-passenger motorcoach would be any more helpful than a car. In fact, you might be better off in your own personal rental car, as you'd be able to stop when you like; when your son "had enough".
I think the thing to do would be to plan your itinerary around this important fact; stay in a "base" and take some short day trips to lessen the amount of driving.
Regards,
Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist
May 16th, 2003, 12:55 AM
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Hi Anna
Some sites for you to check out re coach tours, halve the cost for US$.
www.scenictours.co.nz
www.scenicpacific.co.nz
Some sites for you to check out re coach tours, halve the cost for US$.
www.scenictours.co.nz
www.scenicpacific.co.nz
May 16th, 2003, 06:52 AM
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Hi Anna
We toured Australia and the south island of New zealand. We found the south island roads to be quite twisty and it did take quite awhile to get from point a to point b. Perhaps if you flew from Christchurch to Queenstown and took the Tranalpine train up over Arthur's Pass it could help ALL of you and you'd still see a lot of this magnificient country. The boys are right - you all will love it more than Hawaii.
We spent more of our time in Australia and absolutely loved it. Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock (Uluru) and Melbourne's Great Ocean Road were all magnificient. With Qantas special e-fares and specials it was not that expensive to fly around.
Another trick I using when going out on a boat (yes, I get seasick) there's a special tab you place behind the ear (Scopalomine I believe) and it truly works on motion sickness. You put it on the night before and your doctor will give you the prescription.
Good luck with your planning and have a great trip!!
We toured Australia and the south island of New zealand. We found the south island roads to be quite twisty and it did take quite awhile to get from point a to point b. Perhaps if you flew from Christchurch to Queenstown and took the Tranalpine train up over Arthur's Pass it could help ALL of you and you'd still see a lot of this magnificient country. The boys are right - you all will love it more than Hawaii.
We spent more of our time in Australia and absolutely loved it. Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock (Uluru) and Melbourne's Great Ocean Road were all magnificient. With Qantas special e-fares and specials it was not that expensive to fly around.
Another trick I using when going out on a boat (yes, I get seasick) there's a special tab you place behind the ear (Scopalomine I believe) and it truly works on motion sickness. You put it on the night before and your doctor will give you the prescription.
Good luck with your planning and have a great trip!!
May 19th, 2003, 05:18 PM
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Anna,
one thing about the patch that LN recommended -- try this on your son BEFORE the trip. The medication goes directly into your bloodstream, and some people can have a reaction. My cruise clients use it alot, but I did hear a story about a passenger who slapped on one just before boarding and fainted on the gangplank going up to the ship!
Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist
one thing about the patch that LN recommended -- try this on your son BEFORE the trip. The medication goes directly into your bloodstream, and some people can have a reaction. My cruise clients use it alot, but I did hear a story about a passenger who slapped on one just before boarding and fainted on the gangplank going up to the ship!
Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist
Jul 3rd, 2003, 11:09 PM
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We have just completed planning our late Nov 2-week NZ South Island itinerary using Gina Ratcliffe, Vacation Designer with New Zealand Encounters Ltd (http://www.nzencounters.co.nz).
Their web site is excellent with a sample of planned itineraries, but they will customize activities and accomodations, as well as arrange for domestic flights and rental car. I found their prices to be competetive with the simultaneous research we were doing on the web and guidebooks (Fodor's, DK, Rough Guide & Lonely Planet) and it is so much easier to have the bookings made for you.
They will send you a link in order to complete a questionnaire in order to plan an itinerary for you that suits your budget and interests. Read their Clients' Newsletter for feedback about the fun they have planned for other visitors on both the North and South islands.
We will be staying 4 nights in a B&B in Christchurch, where we will go whale watching in Kaikoura, drive down to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula, and go on a High Country Adventure which includes 4WD, jet boat, high country sheep station and TranzAlpine train ride back through Arthur's Pass.
Then we fly to Queenstown and stay 3 nights in Wanaka in a lakeside apt and 4 nights in Arrowtown in a lakeside B&B, where we will spend a full day rafting the Upper Clutha River, horse-back ride through a deer farm, jet boat the Dart River from Glenorchy and Fun Yak float back down, whitewater raft the Kawarau River, cruise on the TSS Ernslaw and BBQ at Walter Peak Farm.
We will spend 2 nights in Te Anau at a lakeside motel, see the glow-worm caves, and coach & cruise Milford Sound. We will return to Queenstown for one night in a boutique hotel before flying back to Christchurch to catch our international departure.
Since we are traveling with a 5-year-old, we decided to keep a slower pace without too much driving or too many one-night stays. But, this means we won't get to see the glaciers (or much of the west coast for that matter), the Cadbury factory or yellow penguins in Dunedin, the wine country and Abel Tasman near Nelson, the rugged beauty of the southern tip near Invercargill. Ah, but we have to leave some good stuff for the next trip....
From what I've read, NZ is heaven on earth for teen boys! Other activities available are hot air ballooning, bungee jumps, paragliding, fishing, hunting, treking, motorcross or off-road ATV, swimming with dolphins, and helicopter rides which land on the glaciers. And that's just in the summer! Winter time is skiing!
Good luck planning your trip!
Their web site is excellent with a sample of planned itineraries, but they will customize activities and accomodations, as well as arrange for domestic flights and rental car. I found their prices to be competetive with the simultaneous research we were doing on the web and guidebooks (Fodor's, DK, Rough Guide & Lonely Planet) and it is so much easier to have the bookings made for you.
They will send you a link in order to complete a questionnaire in order to plan an itinerary for you that suits your budget and interests. Read their Clients' Newsletter for feedback about the fun they have planned for other visitors on both the North and South islands.
We will be staying 4 nights in a B&B in Christchurch, where we will go whale watching in Kaikoura, drive down to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula, and go on a High Country Adventure which includes 4WD, jet boat, high country sheep station and TranzAlpine train ride back through Arthur's Pass.
Then we fly to Queenstown and stay 3 nights in Wanaka in a lakeside apt and 4 nights in Arrowtown in a lakeside B&B, where we will spend a full day rafting the Upper Clutha River, horse-back ride through a deer farm, jet boat the Dart River from Glenorchy and Fun Yak float back down, whitewater raft the Kawarau River, cruise on the TSS Ernslaw and BBQ at Walter Peak Farm.
We will spend 2 nights in Te Anau at a lakeside motel, see the glow-worm caves, and coach & cruise Milford Sound. We will return to Queenstown for one night in a boutique hotel before flying back to Christchurch to catch our international departure.
Since we are traveling with a 5-year-old, we decided to keep a slower pace without too much driving or too many one-night stays. But, this means we won't get to see the glaciers (or much of the west coast for that matter), the Cadbury factory or yellow penguins in Dunedin, the wine country and Abel Tasman near Nelson, the rugged beauty of the southern tip near Invercargill. Ah, but we have to leave some good stuff for the next trip....
From what I've read, NZ is heaven on earth for teen boys! Other activities available are hot air ballooning, bungee jumps, paragliding, fishing, hunting, treking, motorcross or off-road ATV, swimming with dolphins, and helicopter rides which land on the glaciers. And that's just in the summer! Winter time is skiing!
Good luck planning your trip!
Jul 5th, 2003, 05:48 AM
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Check the Air New Zealand and United websites. (I'm sure Quantas has the same stuff but I haven't used them)Last year we did a trip with Air NZ - it included the airfare from LA and within NZ and the hotels. We stayed an extra 4 days and took a trip up to the Bay of Islands. Air NZ didn't charge extra for staying longer.
You can take day trips or rent a car in the various cities. We went to Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Rotorua. Some of Lord of the Rings was filmed near Christchurch. Not sure where else. There's tons of day tours you can take or take local buses/boats. There's also some 2-3 day or more tours you can take. We did a 3 day one up to the Bay of Islands. But it wasn't a sit on the bus with 30 other people - in fact we were the only 2 on the trip up! The tour took us up there, took us around, and then dropped us at our hotel. The next day we took an all day Cape Reigna tour (included in our tour price but with a local company -not the one that took us up to Bay of Islands). Then the next day we took a boat tour and then the company came back and picked us up that afternoon and took us back to Auckland.
Before I went I spent alot of time search the net - using the city and "day tours". I didn't make any set plans before I went in late August/early Sept but found no problems in doing what I wanted once there. I use the term "day tour" losely since this will just give you an idea of what there is to do in the various places. For example, I found you can take the local bus to the Gondola near Christchurch, then take another bus from the Gondola to (can't remember the name) and then take a boat ride and the boat company will drive you back to Christchurch.
I can't find my brochures right now that listed the companies I used but I have answered other posts and gave some companies. I've found I prefer the smaller companies since the buses will be smaller (or sometimes vans).
You can take day trips or rent a car in the various cities. We went to Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Rotorua. Some of Lord of the Rings was filmed near Christchurch. Not sure where else. There's tons of day tours you can take or take local buses/boats. There's also some 2-3 day or more tours you can take. We did a 3 day one up to the Bay of Islands. But it wasn't a sit on the bus with 30 other people - in fact we were the only 2 on the trip up! The tour took us up there, took us around, and then dropped us at our hotel. The next day we took an all day Cape Reigna tour (included in our tour price but with a local company -not the one that took us up to Bay of Islands). Then the next day we took a boat tour and then the company came back and picked us up that afternoon and took us back to Auckland.
Before I went I spent alot of time search the net - using the city and "day tours". I didn't make any set plans before I went in late August/early Sept but found no problems in doing what I wanted once there. I use the term "day tour" losely since this will just give you an idea of what there is to do in the various places. For example, I found you can take the local bus to the Gondola near Christchurch, then take another bus from the Gondola to (can't remember the name) and then take a boat ride and the boat company will drive you back to Christchurch.
I can't find my brochures right now that listed the companies I used but I have answered other posts and gave some companies. I've found I prefer the smaller companies since the buses will be smaller (or sometimes vans).
Sep 10th, 2003, 03:20 PM
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If your boys are hardcore LOTR fans, there is a tour company that does 2 weeks on both islands, visiting nothing but sites where the movies were filmed:
http://www.redcarpet-tours.com/
It may be too much Middle Earth stuff for the parents, but thought you might like to check it out!
http://www.redcarpet-tours.com/
It may be too much Middle Earth stuff for the parents, but thought you might like to check it out!
Sep 11th, 2003, 08:37 AM
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I second the recommendation for testing the anti-travel sickness drugs. My parents gave me gravol a few times when I was little, and were surprised to see their normally very quiet little girl turn into a hyperactive hallucinating little terror. Turns out I had a "parodoxical" reaction to the drug - it did the opposite of what it was supposed to do. I had the same reaction as an adult, when a nurse put gravol in my iv in the hospital. Must be what LSD feels like.
So, before you buy your NZ tickets, slap a patch on your son, pop him into the car, and take him on the twistiest road you can find for a couple of hours, and don't forget to test his ability to walk a straight line. (So take him out of the car mid-way through the trip and see how he feels.)
So, before you buy your NZ tickets, slap a patch on your son, pop him into the car, and take him on the twistiest road you can find for a couple of hours, and don't forget to test his ability to walk a straight line. (So take him out of the car mid-way through the trip and see how he feels.)
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