We leave Monday for 21-day camper van trip to NZ - last minute comments for us?
 

My husband and I (mid-60s) are leaving Monday for our long-anticipated trip to New Zealand. We love the outdoors and easy day hikes - not into cities so much. Because we'll have a camper, one-night stays are fine (no need to pack/unpack), and we can easily make itinerary modifications on the fly. Would love any comments on our plans or any last-minute tips - to include restaurants,

Below is how things stand as of now. We debated long and hard before eliminating Kaikoura, but in the end, that's what we decided - thoughts? Has anyone done the dolphin encounter there? We're also missing Arthur's Pass - which gives me pause. Welcome your thoughts on that, too.


Jan 24 Arrive Auckland,
25 Auckland - Waiheke island winery tour
26 Pick up van. Spellbound Caves (glow worms), tour at 4:30 (
27 Hobbiton in the morning then head to Rotorua with stop at Blue Spring Putaruru - evening Redwood Treewalk
28 Rotorua - Zorbing, mid-day redwood walk, eveing Maori cultural experience - which one?
29 Wai-o-tapu geothermal park, then on to Taupo - stop at release of Aratiatia Dam (10, 12, 2). Afternoon in Taupo - boat ride?
30 Drive to Feilding (to visit friends we met on an Alaska trip) - we're not up for the famous Tongariro day hike - but are there other things in the area that we shouldn't miss? Shorter/easier hikes?
31 Wellington - just an afternoon here
Feb 1 Ferry to South Island on to Kaiteriteri - already booked because of camper so this is firm
2 Abel Tasman - trying to decide on which section to hike? Kiwi friends recommend Bark Bay to Awora - thoughts?
3 To Punakaiki
4 To Hokitika, do Gorge Walk then to Fox Glacier
5 Sunrise Lake Matheson hike, then to Wanaka
6 Wanaka
7 To Te Anau, with stop at Arrowtown (lunch at Provisions or Fork and Tap?)
8 Milford Sound (boat ride already booked) back to Te Anau (or however far we want to go)
9 Queenstown - E-bike tour of wineries - recommendations for restaurants in Queenstown?
10 Queenstown - Morning hike at Moke Lake; Shotover jet boat in afternoon followed by Onsen hot tubs
11 Queenstown - Luge/gondola/lunch (could head to Mount Cook this afternoon)
12 To Mount Cook
13 Mount Cook - Hooker Valley hike then to Geraldine
14 to Christchurch - fly home (via Auckland)

A restaurant I'd like to go to if I ever make it back to Queenstown is Botswana Butchery. I read some great reviews about it and then our local RealNZ guide to Milford Sound recommended it as one of his top choices in Queenstown. It's on the pricier range.
You also get a superb meal if you book the lake cruise and lunch at Walter Peak. I think they do dinner too. But the excursion will take half a day. I enjoyed it.
Fergburger has big crowds but in my opinion it was so good and the line went fast enough. I would recommend everyone try it once.

Great, thanks so much!

If you like ice cream and chocolate, don't miss Patagonia in QT. They also have locations in Wanaka and Arrowtown.

We LOVE ice cream and chocolate. Thanks for the tip! :-)

We did some hiking in Abel Tasman this past October, including Awaroa to Medlands Beach, which is just a bit longer than to Bark Bay. Easy is subjective - we didn't find it that challenging (we are also around 60), but there is some climbing and descending. You can look at Alltrails to get a sense of the elevation (~400 feet) and grade (in the teens for some parts): Awaroa to Medlands Beach. If you want a flatter walk, Apple Tree Bay to Anchorage was also nice, and a little shorter. I have a trip report here with some photos from both walks. Also some restaurants we liked in Wellington and Auckland.

I thought the Awaroa-Medlands walk had better and more diverse scenery. I can't speak to the pizza at Awaroa, though - we packed lunches for that walk. I wouldn't call that walk difficult, just more up and downhill than the other. We felt like we'd had a workout when we finished. There's also a supposedly scenic portion between Anchorage and Torrent Bay that could be added to the Apple Tree Bay-Anchorage walk. When we were there, a bridge was out, and there were apparently some trail issues at high tide - so we chose to end at Anchorage. Your water shuttle operator should be able to advise on the day you're walking. Have a fantastic trip!

Thanks, much appreciated! One more question - we're taking hiking boots and walking sandals (Teva's for both hubby and me), plus regular sneakers. Can we do the longer trek in the sandals? Or should we go with our boots - or sneakers if sunny? (Wish we had waterproof athletic shoes, but alas, it's too late for this trip!)

I didn't take my boots on our trip. I had two pairs of On Cloud 5 athletic shoes - one waterproof and one not. I believe I did that hike in the waterproof shoes - although the regular shoes would have been fine, as it was dry and sunny. There is one short section at Onetahuti Beach where we had to walk in the sand. The trails are well maintained, and Tevas probably would be fine if you're used to longer distances in them. I have plantar fasciitis, so I don't use my Tevas for longer walks. We did both take water socks and carried them in our day packs when hiking, although I never used them.