the final itinerary (I think)
 

Ok here goes:
Dec 8 depart US
Dec 10 arrive Auckland -- either overnight Auckland or drive to Coromandel
Dec 11 Coromandel which city?
Dec 12 Coromandel
Dec 13 Coromandel
Dec 14 Rotorua
Dec 15 Rotorua
Dec 16 drive to the park for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Dec 17 hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Dec 18 fly to Dunedin - drive back to Auckland first?
Dec 19 Dunedin
Dec 20 Dunedin
Dec 21 drive to Bluff -- ferry to Stewart Island
Dec 22 Stewart Island
Dec 23 Stewart Island
Dec 24 ferry to Bluff drive to Queenstown
Dec 25 Queenstown
Dec 26 Queenstown
Dec 27 Queenstown
Dec 28 Queenstown to Fox Glacier
Dec 29 Fox Glacier
Dec 30 Punanaiki
Dec 31 drive to a place between Nelson and Abel Taxman
Jan 1 Abel Tasman
Jan 2 area around Nelson - end at Queen Charlottes
Jan 3 Queen Charlotte
Jan 4 Queen Charlottes
Jan 5 Queen Charlotte - Kaikoura
Jan 6 Kaikoura Track
Jan 7 Kaikoura Track
Jan 8 finish Kaikoura Track either get back to Auckland to return home the next day or take a day to get in position to fly out on the 10th. We had planned to come home by Monday the 9th but I am not sure we will be able to get there. So we may take the 9th to get to Sydney or Auckland -- wherever we end up flying home from and go home the 10th.

So now I need ideas of where to stay. We prefer bed and breakfasts but will stay other places as well.

. In Queenstown I prefer to be in a location that is quieter -- should we consider Arrowtown? We would end up here for Christmas -- I am hoping that, with it being a fair sized town I would think we could find a place to eat.

Good on ya for sorting out a viable itinerary!

Regarding places to eat at Christmas in QT...I did some research on this very topic a few months back...I found many options, so you definitely won't be caught out. You'll probably need to book though.

If you like quiet, you'll like Arrowtown.

Some places we've stayed and enjoyed:

Stewart Island: http://www.baymotel.co.nz/

Arrowtown: http://www.cottagestays.co.nz/orchard/cottage.htm

Queenstown (both quiet): http://www.villadellago.co.nz/

http://www.bellavistamotels.co.nz/be...enstown-motel/

Fox Glacier:

http://www.lakematheson.co.nz/

Punakaiki:

http://www.reservenewzealand.co.nz/g..._ov=2837_.html

Abel Tasman area:

http://www.thebluemoon.co.nz/welcome.htm

http://www.cottagestays.co.nz/oldsch...se/cottage.htm

www.maplegrove.co.nz

Marlborough Sounds:

http://www.bayofmanycoves.co.nz/

Another option we've not yet tried, but would like to:

http://www.craglee.co.nz/

I've mentioned Kuaotunu before, there are a few B&Bs up the hill. I stayed at Drift In. Host is a great cook, sign up for dinner. http://www.bnb.co.nz/coromandel.html
Don't stay in Whitianga, there is just a mud shore, not a beach.

In Dunedin you might want to split your stay between downtown and the Otago Peninsula.

I stayed at the Park Lodge in National Park Village last trip, it was decent for a mid-range place, had ensuite and a restaurant, bar as well as kitchen option. The rooms don't have a view they do have a shuttle for the trek (which I didn't do...it was going to be very windy) http://www.the-park.co.nz/

In Dunedin I always stay at friendly Hulmes Court http://www.hulmes.co.nz/, a historic B&B which is just back of the Octagon. It feels like home to me now, love the location, cats, internet, free laundry, onsite parking (crazy driveway though). Out on the Otago there are rooms at Lanarch Castle, but other choices may be better.

Bnb.co.nz is my website of choice for B&Bs.

It has been suggested to us that, unless we are really into birding, Stewart Island might be skipped for time other places. A couple of suggestions would be to either put more time at the beginning -- maybe Northland for 3 days or so or stop in Te Anau for 2 nights and do the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise and then the other night could be spent in the Abel Tasman/Nelson area.

As I said it was the final itinerary -- I thought! What do you think?

I'm not a birder, but I really enjoyed Stewart Island. I was there to hike. That said, it took us several trips to the SI before we were able to fit Stewart Island in. You have the time, and if you're the least bit interested in Stewart Island, it fits well into your itinerary. Do you like to hike? I suggest you do a bit of research on Stewart Island and see if there's anything there that interests you...yes, it's mostly about birding and hiking.

I also like Te Anau, which is another great place to hike. Te Anau is about hiking, exploring the lakes and the sounds, and soaking up the scenery. The town of Te Anau isn't anything to get excited about, it's all about the surrounding area.

As for adding the extra time around Abel Tasman...there's plenty to do up that way to fill as much time as you have.

You might take a look at Golden Bay on the opposide side of Takaka Hill. Here you can access the opposite side of Abel Tasman, visit a beach with seals, visit Pupu Falls, explore the Farewell Spit...loads to do.

http://www.goldenbaynz.co.nz/

It all comes down to you, your interests, and what you most want to see and do.