Sticker Shock on New Zealand Lodging
 

I have been doing a bit of research on accomodations for my North Island visit next March. My itinerary is still being developed, but ideally I would like to be able to stay two or three nights at a place and do day trips rather than moving every day.
What I want: Twin bedded en suite accomodations. Included breakfast or a fridge and microwave would be nice. Unique, small properties with charm are preferred. Love places where an evening walk is an option.
My budget: Around $150 US per night
Any recommendations? I appreciate the help.

Well you should be able to stay at fairly nice accommodations everywhere for that budget but nothing really fancy.

I think to get more specific advice you need to state which towns you are going to visit.

FYI - in New Zealand the "motel" is the usual form of accommodation. You get a unit and usually can park your car directly outside it. Units vary but typically have a basic kitchen with a hob, toaster, microwave and fridge / freezer. Breakfast is usually offered but is delivered to your unit. (Usually around $130 NZD per night for the unit.)

Having said that plenty of motels are boring with not a lot of character.

There are plenty of options to rent a holiday home or bed and breakfasts.

Like I said where are you going? Then we can provide some specific suggestions.

Thank you, wiles. Right now the itinerary is not well developed. Other than agreement that we will spend our time on the North Island this trip, not much is settled. I like the Hawke's Bay and Northland regions since my principal interests are walking (tramping) and natural scenery. My travel companion loves wineries, sailing and architecture (great article in the NYTimes on Napier makes it a real possibility). I will post back specific towns as that becomes clearer. Right now, if anyone knows of something really special on the North Island, I sure would like to hear about it.

Wiles, is a hob a cook top stove? New one on me.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to my query.

Napier is my home town and my Dad is works for the Art Deco foundation there helping to organise the festivals.

http://www.artdeconapier.com/

It is just a bit of fun.

The wineries are good around the region. The Mission is a do not miss (more for the outlook and views than the wine!)

When I got married we stayed at Brompton Apartments http://www.brompton.co.nz/ in Havelock North which is a small village close to Hastings and very close to a number of wineries and orchards. It is a family run place, quite informal but very nice and spacious.

RE: walking (Called tramping in NZ if going overnight). I hear the Tongiriro Crossing is pretty good and can be done in a day. This is the volcanic Plateau - quite a spectacular place on a good day. Another popular one when I was a kid was Lake Waikaremoana. I think this is a 5 day tramp if you do all of it.

If you just want day walks - White Pine Bush is good and it will give you an idea of the typical NZ bush. Lots of families do this one.

And yes - a Hob is a cook top

Thank you so much for your response, wilees. The ArtDeco site on Napier is fun, looks like something we will both enjoy. I also appreciated the link to the apartments, it is what I had in mind. I like something a little special but not at those luxury lodge prices.
I also appreciate the clarification on walk and tramp. One of my friends had told me all walks were considered tramps. I have already collected quite a bit of info on the Crossing, it does look very beautiful. I will followup on the White Pine Bush.
I appreciate you taking the time to offer such helpful information. Cheers.

We just came back from NZ and stayed in B&B's as well as a hotel (in Rotorua). Except for Blenheim, all our lodging was less than US$150/night. (see my trip report).

doug

Were there any you particularly liked, Doug?

Doug, I enjoyed your trip report. Thank you for posting.

Hi Cmcfong! Nice to bump into you again. I went to NZ (South Island) in March. We had a great time, I'm sure you will too!

I know how you feel! But I think you'll be able to find what you're looking for.

We didn't have reservations in advance - we relied on a free guidebook called Jasons - they also have a good online search facility

http://www.jasons.com/accommodation/

We found that most motels had what you describe (i.e. fridge/microwave) and usually very nice/complete sets of dishes/pots/etc. The motels were MUCH nicer than our experience in Canada - mainly independent family run (rather than chains - although there were Best Westerns) and I found Jasons guide to be really reliable and the rating system accurate.

Regarding staying in Napier - we rented a cottage just outside of Napier if you're interested in that (it was fun - right on the beach) or else the motels on Marine Parade have lovely balconies and ocean views (they might be a little noisy during the day but Napier is pretty quiet) - motels such as

- Shoreline
- Motel de la Mer (very cute looking - looks like it's in your price range at $165 NZD)

Still looking for Gord's card - I'll find it!

Regards

Liz

Here's the link to the cottage ("bach" as it's known) we rented outside of Napier

http://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/properties/7435.asp

Right on the beach - if you like walks you can walk for miles on the beach - it's $150/night NZD

There are other apartments/house in/around Napier on the above web site as well.

I have lot of pictures of the house if you want to see them (they're not up on the blog yet!).......it's about a 10 minute drive to Napier (if you drive r-e-a-l-l-y slowly as we did on the left hand side of the road).

Liz

Hi Femi. So where's your trip report????

Thanks for the information, Liz. I will get a copy of Jason's. Loved the Bach and have bookmarked it into the file. Great stuff. No rush on Gordon's card...my trip is still ten months off. I really appreciate your information.

We really enjoyed the bach (pronounced "bach" as in "bachelor" - I pronounced it wrong for the first week!)

It's not luxurious - very much a 50s style cottage - but freshly painted and absolutely spic and span and really well equipped (full kitchen and washing machine) one bedroom with a queen bed and one with twin beds (and a separate bunk house) and all new linens and towels in plentiful supply. The WC is separate from the bath/shower/vanity which is good for 2 people.

Also it's one of very few bachs/apartments/motels right on the beach.......most everything in the Napier Bay/Westshore area is across the street or the train tracks from the beach....but at Pine Lodge the beach is right off the living room.

We spent two weeks there and had a wonderful time - got to know the neighbours well as well as the owner Jacqui and her husband - it was great for us - as long as you don't mind being a little bit out of town I think you'd enjoy it.

I have grown very interested in Napier and the surrounding area so I feel sure it will be on our final itinerary.
Thanks, Liz.

Ha! I found a chance to slack off and I seized it! I should have known I'd be brought to task sooner or later :)

To keep it short: We only had 1 week, so I decided to base our trip in Christchurch and do day trips from there.

We did the Transalpine tour (where you ride the train, a 4x4, and a jet boat), and another day we went to Akaroa for the wonderful weather and scenery.

Then we moved up to Waiau for 4 nights and stayed in a lodge surrounded by farms and we had a fantastic time. From this base we visited Hanmer Springs and went whale watching in Kaikoura. The day we spent with a farmer on his farm was the highlight of our trip.

It was over all too quickly.

I'll be watching for your report so I can continue to live vicariously through you! :)

Thanks, Femi! I will definitely post a report but it will be a while before I go. I only have a short time for a visit and look forward to making the most of my time. I was last there in mid-1980's. A return trip has been a much treasured dream. I am glad to know it is finally coming true.

Hi again ! This site should help you plan your accom for Hawkes Bay !
apologies if you have seen it already.

http://www.hawkesbaynz.com/

Thanks, Heathy, you are certainly a terrific resource!

Hi, I recently spent 2 1/2 months in New Zealand, from Dec. 5 through mid-February. I was on sabbatical from my job. I did many of the things you are thinking of and visited many towns you are thinking of, too. Even though I am slightly past the backpacker age I did my trip the backpacker way, staying in hostels. I know that's not what you're looking for, but I found more people than I thought who were in my age range of late-30s/early-40s, even beyond. Perhaps some of this will be of help.

While staying in Te Anau, I went on a Doubtful Sound day cruise with Real Journeys and a Milford Sound overnight cruise, also with Real Journeys. Originally I thought it was too expensive to do both but then I realized, when would I be back again, and if this is my only chance ever, I should do both. And I'm glad I did. Both trips, in mid-January, were raining and it was gorgeous. Each place looks different. Lots of waterfalls and low-lying clouds that swooped over the fiords. I felt like I was completely inside of Pure Nature. The guide on the boat on the Doubtful Sound said that when it is sunny out there are no waterfalls, and that's part of the beauty of it. My photos of the misty hills are dramatic and gloomy and some look like they're black-and-white, not color film. At the time, I was cold and damp but now I wouldn't have traded it for anything. THough, maybe when i go back to NZ again one day I might like to see it on a sunny day.

I stayed 3 nights in Napier and enjoyed it very much. I stayed in an Art Deco hotel that was turned into a hostel, in the center of town. One day I devoted to the city's Art Deco heritage, and in the morning went to the local museum to see the very fine exhibit on the earthquake. In the afternoon I did the Art Deco Trust walking tour and what I learned in the morning really added to what I heard.

One afternoon I went on a winery tour of the Hawke's Bay area with, I think it was, Vince's Tours. I got a brochure from the i-site (tourist information) in Napier and called them directly. They picked up at the i-site and dropped off at my hostel. I enjoyed it very much, and even bought a special bottle at Hatton Estate winery for my Christmas celebration with friends in Wellington...

I didn't stay in fancy accommodations; rather, I bought the BBH pass and stayed 90 percent in BBH hostels, which were great. I also highly recommend the Mt Cook YHA, which was the most "chill" place in New Zealand. Spotlessly clean, too.

Be aware that plans for the Tongariro Crossing can change in a moment. I went to Taupo for 2 nights hoping I could do the Crossing on one of those days. The day I got there was gorgeous; the next two days all walks were canceled because of visibility and snow. And this was mid-December. I met a Swiss guy who did it anyways and he said it was the most frightening hike of his life.

If you are concentrating on the North Island, might I suggest spending some time in the Coromandel Peninsula. I did a lovely day-hike in the Kauaeranga Valley -- the Pinnacles Trail -- which was fabulous. I also enjoyed Whitianga, and the Cathedral Cove for an afternoon, near Hahei. The drive up the coast from Thames to the top of the Peninsula, to Coromandel Town, is one of the loveliest drives I've ever been on.

hope some of this is helpful. I loved my 79 days in New Zealand (I wrote a blog on Travelpod.com while I was there) and would've stayed longer if I didn't have to show up back at my office on March 5!

hikrchick
(aka Merry in New Jersey)

Great info, Merry! This is wonderful. I so appreciate your post and will be using your recommendations to help me with the plan. I will check out your blog.

Just as an aside, when I was about your age I did six weeks in NZ and Australia. Best thing ever for my head. More people should take sabbaticals. I really think I would have worked longer if that had been a norm in my profession.

I also enjoyed Napier very much when we were there four years ago. We loved the place we stayed at [County Motel, I think] but it was more $$ than you're looking for. Still, the town is very charming, and has a very moving memorial by the water's edge, with the history of what had happened, after a major earthquake there. The whole town was rebuilt afterward, all at the same time. Hense the abundance of art deco.

We also enjoyed the Coromandel Peninsula. There was an especially interesting experience there, which was worth checking out. There is a beach [Hot Beach] which, at low tide, has spots where if you dig a bit, you can have your own sauna in the sand along the shore. What was funny, was watching the whole affect, of many, many people digging, and sitting in hot water mud pools, inviting in anyone who passed. Good memory!

On the South Island, my favorite spots were Christchurch and Queenstown, but there are SO MANY spectacular spots on this island. It is by far the more spectacular island of New Zealand. Milford Sound was incredible, and the scenery to and from it were spectacular. Also, very accessible fiords are on the South Island.
There is an affordable ecologically friendly hotel near the Pancake rocks that I would think would be worth checking out. We stayed at the higher end one on the water, but the other is supposed to be similar, and is just across the street.

I have many favorite cities in the world, but New Zealand is my favorite country. Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks, Lois. I have been known to ignore my own budget limitations when a really great option presents itself. I welcome every one of your suggestions. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!

I intended to say, accessible glaciers, not fiords, though they are there as well. We had seen Franz Josef glacier when we were there.

Honestly, if there is only room in your budget for one of the islands, I'd do the South Island. And, if you do both, go to the North Island first, as it is beautiful in it's own right, but would not seem quite so after seeing the South Island. Many 'local' Kiwis told us this, while we were still on the North Island, which we found hard to believe, till we actually arrived there.

We also stayed in Blenheim a couple days, and enjoyed the terrific wineries. If you do stop there, make sure you include a meal at one of the wineries. I will say though, that in my opinion, if I had to eliminate one stop, that would be it.

Hi Lois,
I have vacationed on the South Island in the past. Had it been my choice to set the itinerary this trip, I would have chosen the S.I. However, I am travelling with a friend who specifically wishes to visit the N.I. It is a short trip and we cannot do both. Since reading Liz' blog and a number of these posts I have developed a healthy enthusiasm for the prospect of a week on the NI. It does look wonderful. New Zealand is truly a jewel.

Hi there
March is a nice time of the year here, the kids are back at school, the Christmas holidays are over. Therefore you could wing it as you drive around and with a good guide like Jasons you will find masses of accommmodation available to you without having to book.This way if you drive past a place that appeals to you at least you are not already locked into somewhere that is already booked. I would book your first night and then take off. $150US is higher than you will need for a good quality motel with full kitchen facilities.

Thanks, Kathy!