Norsky

Hello eveyone,
I really would appreciate your help.
My wife and I are doing an extended trip in New Zealand;
We know the places we will visit but we don't know how much time
in each. We have home exchange partners so it will be
very comfortable.
We arrive in Auckland approx Oct 25. 2012
We will rent a car there. Our first stay will be in Northland
close to Whangarei a little north on the coast "Tikipunga"
#2 Hamilton
#3 Tauranga
#4 Gisbourn (Eastland)
#5 Taupo
#6 New Plymouth
#7 Plimmerton (just north of Wellington)
Cross the channel
#8 Nelson
#9 Wanaka
#10 Dunedin
#11 Lyttelton (Christchurch)
We will drop our rental car
in CC and fly to Auckland to
connect to our flight back to
the USA middle to late Jan 2013
Big Question: How much time at each location
7 days or 10 days or other???
Thank you for the help
Lowell Olson

Diamantina

What are you most interested in seeing and doing? Wildlife? Maori culture? Colonial history and architecture? Mountain and/or seaside scenery? Wineries? Water sports? Would you mind being around touristy spots or do you want to get off the beaten track?
Your answers should give people an idea of your priorities and how long you should spend in each place.
I assume you will use each of these cities as s base for exploring surrounding/nearby attractions.

AlanJG

Why allocate at this time? Make it up as you go along. If things are what you are after stay longer and V V.

Norsky

We are mostly interested in scenery-nature, Small towns, Single day tracks, etc.
It is difficult to be to flexible as we have to tell out home exchange partners
a specific number of days in advance. It's only proper.
We love awesome views, and fantastic gardens. Auckland doesn't interest us
We think we would like the Northland, the Eastland the Coromandel etc
With 11 specific stops we should have covered a lot in 13 or so weeks.
I would not like to stay too long in an area where we would have seen everything
that interests us in about 5 days. Some areas would be worth 7 days and maybe some
as much as 10. Our issue is how many days to tell our exchangers we are staying.
Hope I have said this properly.
Thanks again for you help
Norsky

Diamantina

Whangarei will be a good base for exploring the Bay of Islands/Northland. The area around Whangarei itself is also interesting and attractive.
Here is a handy link:
http://www.northlandnz.com/about/map_of_northland/
This Dept. of Conservation site will be useful, if you want to do some walks, not only in the Northland, but in other parts of NZ:
http://www.northlandnz.com/things_to...lks_and_treks/

You'll have to get off to an early start to visit the Bay of Islands. You will want to visit the small towns of Paihia, Kerikeri, and Russell. Kerikeri is by far the largest of these, with lots of shops and restaurants, but as you drive away from its center to explore its outskirts, all this activity fades away and you will be left with the serenity and scenic beauty of its countryside. We enjoyed driving along the Kerikeri Inlet Road as well as out to the ecological refuge on Aroha Island.

Paihia and Russell are the most scenic, and more touristy, too, which isn't a bad thing. Paihia is good place for catching a bay cruise. and for other activities. If you make it to Paihia, a trip to Waitangi is also a must. It was here on February 6th, 1840, that the historic Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the Maoris and the British Crown. Its grounds are also lovely. You can walk there from Paihia. About a five minute drive from Paihia is Opua, a village with a busy marina, where you would catch a car ferry to Russell--it's just a short trip across the water.
http://www.russellnz.co.nz/getting-here/
http://www.paihia.co.nz/
http://www.paihia.co.nz/Walk_Paihia2Waitangi.cfm
http://www.kerikeri.co.nz/

On another day you could consider driving up to Mangonui up in Doubtless Bay. It is just a small fishing village set along the waterfront with heritage buildings (Mangonui was a whaling station in the 1800s).
http://www.doubtlessbay.co.nz/heritagetrail.htm
http://www.doubtlessbay.co.nz/area.htm

I also suggest driving (by way of Opononi) to the Waipoua Forest on the West Coast to see the big kauri trees.
http://www.northlandnz.com/things_to...coast/hokianga

Given that you hace 13 weeks to spend in 11 cities, I think you could easily spend a week in Whangarei.

Regarding Gisborne. If you are going from Tauranga to Gisborne, the long way around the East Cape is a gorgeous coastal drive that takes you past small farms, pastures, and forest--lots of green open spaces rolling down to the sea and few people. We did this drive about six years ago, and rarely saw other vehicles. The drive will take all day. As we got off to a late start, we had to spend the night on the East Cape. Have a look a the site below and this should give you an idea of the attractions along the way. The movie "Whale Rider' was filmed in Whangara, which about 30 km north of Gisborne--so you might want to watch or re-watch that film. By the way, you should fill up your gas tank in Whakatane as services on the East Cape are limited. This is one of the country's most isolated regions, which is part of its beauty.
http://www.newzealandnz.co.nz/itiner...-gisborne.html

Gisborne and the East Cape have some of the sunniest weather in NZ, and it is the first place in NZ to see the sun rise each day (Tairawhiti, the Maori name for Gisborne, means "place where the sun rises") Gisborne also has wineries (which are mostly known for their Chardonnays and Gewurtraminers), great surfing beaches (particularly Wainui), and a strong Maori presence. My husband worked in Gisborne for several months. We both found it to be a relaxed place to live and work. The people were also friendly and welcoming. I think you should have a look at these links to help you decide how long you might want to spend in Gisborne.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/by-region/eas...nd-recreation/
http://www.eastcape.co.nz/activities
http://www.gisbornenz.com/about-eastland/

Regarding Dunedin. Because you stated that you were most looking forward to Northland, Eastland and Coromandel, I am sensing that you prefer warmer regions by the sea. Well, at least Dunedin is by the sea and it is full of beautiful gardens. Actually, there is much to see and do in and around Dunedin. Please check out this other posting:
http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...om-dunedin.cfm

Dunedin will be a good base for your explorations of the Otago Peninsula, and regions to the north, such as Oamaru, Moeraki, and south, such as Nugget Point in the Catlins. When traveling from Dunedin to Nugget Point, make sure you take the Southern Scenic Route that takes you through Brighton and Taieri Mouth. The Southern Scenic Route goes all the way to Te Anau.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/docume...ns-journey.pdf

Diamantina

I failed to add that you might want to spend more than a week in Wanaka, as it will make a great base for day trips and overnight trips, It is situated at the core of some the most scenic regions of NZ--in all directions you will be surrounded but wondrous landscapes. It is a lovely resort town (on Lake Wanaka), popular with overseas tourists and New Zealanders. it has great services, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. At the same time, it is not too busy or large.