Even those of us who live here, never know exactly what to expect. I think you're doing your best by continually checking the weather. I do the same all the time.
Saturday is supposed to be all right. Sunday is expected to be bad, so I agree you'll probably be driving in the rain, possibly heavy rain.

Leaving aside the question of when the rain starts I like the Arthur's Pass route better. Castle Hill is an interesting stop as is the NP. Watch out for the Kea! Had one perch on my side mirror once at a parking lot in AP.

The storm seems to be losing strength. Heavy rains and winds are expected to hit many areas on Sunday and Monday, "but at this stage it appears that levels won’t cause significant problems".
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southl...-runs-out-puff

Thanks! Good to read, while Arthur’s Pass would be our preferred route since the rain starts earlier and is expected to be heavier There we may still go via Lewis Pass. Will check meteo after this evenings bulletins.
you can tell a storm is out there, big waves with white caps today.
i appreciate everyone’s comments!

Based on weather forecast, we left Fox River early
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and only had some rain on the way to Lewis Pass. Once over the mountain we actually had sunshine. Left the storm behind, for now at least.

Yay, glad you made it and found some sun! Now, on with the adventure!

Yes, nice to see the sun breaking through. Sunday was a pretty good day along the East Coast of the South Island, but today is even better (warm and sunny) so I'm sure you're making the most of it. I hope you enjoy the remainder of your trip and no longer have to worry about ex-cyclones and road closures!

Thanks! We’re enjoying Christchurch and then to Wanaka tomorrow before TeAnau on Friday, its warm and a touch muggy, but we’re happy.
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Great! Nice to be able to watch the world go by from your window.

Just found this tread, yes travel and interesting to follow your changing plans. we had only booked a night in Wanaka but ended up spending 3 there as we realised that by then we would need a decent stop after a lot of driving from Auckland to FJ. [not all at once!] We also spent 3 nights in QT but introspect going straight to Te Anau from Wanaka is probably a better choice. And the Doubtful Sound trip was terrific.

Where do you go after Te Anau?

i guess it sounds like lots of changed plans. However all we did was canx Franz Josef and instead ended up in Christchurch. Christchurch seemed to be the best choice given the bad storm we wanted to avoid. I started this thread because of all the damage done in a storm several weeks back that destroyed a portion of the road to Milford Sound. As of now they are running convoys out to the sound so we should be fine for our time in that area.
so now we are back on track in Wanaka.
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yestravel - some friends just left Wanaka yesterday after also having to divert from the West Coast. Said they had some beautiful weather there and are thoroughly enjoying their trip. As you are, I hope!

Just wait 5 minutes and it will be fine!

<< I guess it sounds like lots of changed plans. However all we did was canx Franz Josef and instead ended up in Christchurch. Christchurch seemed to be the best choice given the bad storm we wanted to avoid. >>

Oh the infinite possibilities of the internet for misunderstandings. I meant "changing" in the sense of "evolving" - nice to see that they are now fully formed. We did the same thing - not because we were avoiding bad weather, but because we realised that we had been far too ambitious with the amount of driving our route would require over too short a time, which is why we ended up with 3 nights in Wanaka instead of one. It turned out to be one of the best parts of our trip.

Thank you! Yes, absolutely loving NZ. The remnants of the cyclone were pretty bad. It didn't hit Fiorland as much so the temp road is still operating.

annhig-Yes, our plans have evolved. Thankfully everywhere we are staying has generous canx policies. Wanaka is really pretty. It has the most tourists we have seen. When we went into town for dinner we actually had to hunt for parking. Shocking!

"It has the most tourists we have seen."

Yes, Wanaka's a lovely but popular resort. On top of its own natural attractions and abundance of outdoor activities, it's regarded as a alternative to Queenstown, similar in scenery but less crowded, busy and commercial. Normally, Wanaka would be even more crowded because it's a favorite with Chinese tourists; many go skydiving there. During the 2017 Chinese New Year holidays, Chinese holidaymakers chose to stay in Wanaka over Queenstown, while Queenstown was left with many vacancies.

The Challenge Wanaka triathlon took place on Saturday, Feb. 15. Perhaps some participants decided to stay longer.

Also, I think many travelers, like you, ended up making alternative plans because of the weather, road and track closures. According to the ODT, "Seventy-five tracks are presently closed across the region from Fiordland and into the southern end of Mount Aspiring Park." (Feb. 18 article)

More updates here:https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/issues/...-in-fiordland/

The absence of the Chinese tour groups is noticeable. I feel badly for the businesses but am quite happy to be missing them. I think the restriction on their entry may be lifted. I have to check. We flew thru Beijing on our way to Sri Lanka which is where we started this trip. This was early January before the virus was known about. NZ still does not have a case i believe.
Along the lake today.

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Great weather!

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Yes, overall we have had great westher except for missing out in Franz Josef Glacier. Hoping for at least decent weather when we hit TeAnau.

That damned tree...