REVISED ITINERARY
 

Okay everyone, you all have been very helpful so far in my trip preparation. I have used your suggestions to revise my itinerary. so tell me how this sounds. If there is anything I am definately missing or should see, as well as good youth hostels or places to eat I would really appreciate it. This trip will be starting late november.<BR><BR>1 Fly from Perth-Adelaide (maybe see some of Kangaroo Island)<BR>2 Adelaide(Barossa Valley w/ Groovy Grape?)<BR>3-5 Adelaide-Melbourne via GOR w/ Groovy Grape<BR>6-Melbourne (Sightseeing, shopping what else?)<BR>7-Fly Melbourne-Christchurch (overnight @Christchurch)<BR>8-Christchurch-Tranzalpine-Greymouth-Franz Josef<BR>9-Franz Josef (Full-day Glacier Walk/Full Day Ice Fall Clim/w Franz Josef Glacier Guide)<BR>10-Franz Josef-Wanaka<BR>11-Wanaka(Canyoning/Deep Canyoning-good company?)<BR>12-Wanaka-Queenstown<BR>13-Queenstown(Quadruple Challenge)<BR>14-Queenstown-Milford Sound(Cruise?)-Te Anau<BR>15-Te Anau(what to do?)-Mt. Cook<BR>16-Mt. Cook(nature treks, what to do?)<BR>17-Mt. Cook-Abel Tasman(should I stop anywhere in between here, I know it's a long drive so any reccomendations)<BR>18-19-Abel Tasman (2 day sea kayaking/is this fun?)<BR>20-Abel Tasman-Hamner Springs(Thermal Reserves)<BR>21-Hamner Springs-Christchurch-Sydney<BR>22-25 Sydney (1 day Blue Mountain trip, Opera House, Darling Harbour, Olympic Village, the Rocks, hopefully 1 day at Bondi and 1 at Manly, what else?)<BR><BR>Okay I know it's a lot to read through but I really would appreciate help. Is there a good bus pass I could use in New Zealand( alot of people said to drive, but I don't know how comfortable I am with that, I'd rather use public transport), any good hostels other activites( I love adventure, I'd like to sky dive in Christchurch but don't know if I can fit it in).<BR>I really wanted to get down to Tasmania for 5 days after Melbourne but don't think I have the time. Is this a bad place to miss or will I get my fill on beauty in new zealand.<BR>Any help would be great.<BR>Thanks a lot<BR>

Hi, Scott!<BR><BR>That all sounds wonderful!<BR><BR>I understand your feelings on driving in a foreign country, especially if you are used to driving on the right. Let me just say, though, that you will never find an easier country to drive on the "wrong" side in than New Zealand. Even in the cities, the traffic isn't bad, and when you get out of town, you have a clear run for miles and miles. <BR>Sydney is one of the world's most beautiful cities, and there is a lot to see around the harbour. Bondi Beach, fronting straight into the ocean, is not really spectacular, and once you have seen Manly -- a much more pleasant trip on the ferry, and several beaches to choose from as well as the main "ocean" beach -- you won't find that Bondi will add anything significant. Better to use the time to go on a few ferry rides (to Bondi you take a bus). Taronga Zoo is a fine park with some spectacular views of the city, and it's just a short ride by ferry. <BR>The Olympic Village will only be worth a visit if the main arena is actually in use -- which it is, fortunately, quite a bit of the time, especially in summer. <BR>I think you are wise to give Tasmania, as pleasant as it is, a miss on this visit. It's a leisurely place which you wouldn't want to rush, and you already have quite a few major "hops" involving airport transfers, which always slow down a trip.<BR>Have a great trip!

Thanks for the response, I really appreciate the help. If anyone has any other opinions, even on just parts of the itinerary I would love to hear them <BR>thanks

Where are you coming from? I am asking this because I can't understand why you are not going to the GBR or anywhere north of Sydney.<BR>

If you go to Franz Josef - make certain your room reservation is in the village - don't allow them to book you outside of the village or you will be stranded if you have no car. Certain motels near the glacier have no restaurant or coffee shop so stick with the village.<BR>Your trip sounds marvelous.

I will be coming from Missouri in the United States. I don't have the GBR in this itinerary because I will be studying in Perth for the semester before this trip and have planned to fly to Alice Springs/Ayers Rock then to Port Douglas during our spring break. <BR>Thanks for the help

Hey everyone, I would really appreciate if anyone else had anything else to add or suggest. I also wanted to mention that the main reason I can't drive in New Zealand is because I'm only 20 and you have to be 21 to rent cars there, so what do you think would be the best bus service for me to look into for the destinations I want to see in New Zealand.<BR>Thanks again

In Queenstown, a fabulous short hike is the Queenstown Hill Walk. It is a 1500 ft hike to a mountain summit with incredible views. If you go, you MUST continue beyond the plateau( where the pool of water and large boulders are) to the summit. It won't look like much as you stand by the pool of water...but trust me..the 360 deg view is absolutely incredible. trail head at NW corner of Kent St. & Edgar St <BR><BR>Get hiking maps at the Dept of Conservation at 37 shotoover st<BR>

Scott,<BR><BR>A real good alternative in NZ is using the trains, buses and ferries. They are all organized and syncronized so that they will take you to your final destination with no hassle at all. For instance, if you take the train and then need to take a bus (lets say to FJ Glacier) the bus will wait for the train to arrive so even if your train is late you know there is a bus waiting for you.<BR><BR>Regarding Te Anau you should go to either Doubtful or Milford Sound, fantastic places, I am sure there are a lot of photos in the internet.<BR><BR>Have a nice trip,<BR><BR>McH

I did study abroad in Australia a couple of years ago and absolutely the best thing I did while there was a trip to Kakadu National Park (near Darwin). If there is anyway you can fit this into your trip I would. I did a 2 night/3 day trip with Kakadu Dreams, camping and hiking to waterfalls and aboriginal rock art sites. I didn't go to Ayers Rock, but I think this would be worth doing instead if you can't fit it anywhere else b/c Ayers Rock seems a bit more touristy. The Whitsunday Islands were great also, you might want to do that instead of Port Douglas or add it if you can. I went on a 3 day sailing trip with Southern Cross and it was so much fun. Also, you will love Perth. I went there on my Spring Break and had a great time. Spend a weekend in Margaret River and go wine tasting if you can. Also, I'm not sure if you have to do your planning so far ahead because of air reservations, but I would really advise you to hold off on making reservations if you can b/c you will find out so much more about what you want to see while you're living there and going to school, especially since this will be a trip at the end of your time there. I found that I wanted to do totally different things once I'd been there than I'd thought I would reading about it at home before I left. Plane tickets and other things were just as easy and cheap once I got there as if I'd bought a pass ahead of time. Some friends of mine had passes and wanted to change them but were stuck.