14 days within the country
Jul 3rd, 2009, 10:06 AM
#1
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14 days within the country
I would highly appreciate if some of the OZ people and insiders can help with advise:
- flying into Auckland seems to be the best if not only way to enter the country.
Auckland: how long should a "first timer" stay there (sightseeing etc) before taking off for
a selfdrive (mobile home)?
- Seldrive: North Island or South? And why?
If staying in Auckland means less days for selfdrive.
Can you give some particulars for each destination.
Interests:
landscape, landscape, landscape combined with good living (wine and meals)
Are there some B+B or lodges which you would recommend for in between selfdrive which you consider a MUST to visit/stay?
Is there a particularly good company which provides excellent service/mobile homes?
Which atmospheric hotel would you suggest for Auckland?
What about the winelands?
The more info the better.
Thank you very much in advance!
SV
- flying into Auckland seems to be the best if not only way to enter the country.
Auckland: how long should a "first timer" stay there (sightseeing etc) before taking off for
a selfdrive (mobile home)?
- Seldrive: North Island or South? And why?
If staying in Auckland means less days for selfdrive.
Can you give some particulars for each destination.
Interests:
landscape, landscape, landscape combined with good living (wine and meals)
Are there some B+B or lodges which you would recommend for in between selfdrive which you consider a MUST to visit/stay?
Is there a particularly good company which provides excellent service/mobile homes?
Which atmospheric hotel would you suggest for Auckland?
What about the winelands?
The more info the better.
Thank you very much in advance!
SV
Jul 3rd, 2009, 12:09 PM
#2
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Hi SV,
1. Yes, flying into Auckland (assuming you're coming from the US) is the only way.
2. How long to stay in Auckland? As you'll be getting in first thing in the morning, you don't want to mess yourself up with jet lag by taking a nap, and the hotel may not be able to check you in upon arrival, but they will store your bags. Perfect opportunity to get out, stretch your legs after a long flight and explore the city. Then, I'd head out the next day. (most people don't visit New Zealand to spend a great deal of time in a big city.
3. Self-drive - North Island or South? Well, why not both? It really just depends on what you want to see & do.
4. B&B's / Lodges -- I don't know if I'd say any of them are a MUST DO - again, it depends on where the client's going to be and their budget.
5. Can't help you with the cel phone.
6. Wine - well now, here I have lots of knowledge...er RESEARCH..yes, that was it! There's actually several wine trails in NZ, again, just depends on your preference in wines which might appeal the most to you.
7. Hotel in Auckland - my favorite hotel to stay in (just my opinion) is the Sebel Suites - after a 12 hour flight I feel I deserve a little bit of luxury and I like the space, the bathroom with tub and nice shower & fluffy robe; plus it's got a great location right on the Harbour.
You may want to check out Tourism New Zealand's website, and if you look at the bottom of the page it says "Find a Travel Specialist" and you can find one in your area.
www.newzealand.com/travel/USA
Hope this is helpful!
Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist
1. Yes, flying into Auckland (assuming you're coming from the US) is the only way.
2. How long to stay in Auckland? As you'll be getting in first thing in the morning, you don't want to mess yourself up with jet lag by taking a nap, and the hotel may not be able to check you in upon arrival, but they will store your bags. Perfect opportunity to get out, stretch your legs after a long flight and explore the city. Then, I'd head out the next day. (most people don't visit New Zealand to spend a great deal of time in a big city.
3. Self-drive - North Island or South? Well, why not both? It really just depends on what you want to see & do.
4. B&B's / Lodges -- I don't know if I'd say any of them are a MUST DO - again, it depends on where the client's going to be and their budget.
5. Can't help you with the cel phone.
6. Wine - well now, here I have lots of knowledge...er RESEARCH..yes, that was it!
There's actually several wine trails in NZ, again, just depends on your preference in wines which might appeal the most to you.7. Hotel in Auckland - my favorite hotel to stay in (just my opinion) is the Sebel Suites - after a 12 hour flight I feel I deserve a little bit of luxury and I like the space, the bathroom with tub and nice shower & fluffy robe; plus it's got a great location right on the Harbour.
You may want to check out Tourism New Zealand's website, and if you look at the bottom of the page it says "Find a Travel Specialist" and you can find one in your area.
www.newzealand.com/travel/USA
Hope this is helpful!
Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist
Jul 3rd, 2009, 04:24 PM
#3
Hi spassvogel -
Flying into Auckland isn't the only way to enter NZ. We usually fly directly to Christchurch on the SI (usually from Singapore).
Even if you're coming from the US, it's easy enough to land in Auckland and connect to a flight to Christchurch. In other words, you don't have to visit Auckland unless you want to. Auckland is the biggest city in NZ, with a population of some 1.4 million, and it's usually not what most visitors have in mind when they visit NZ. Something like 75% of the population of NZ lives on the NI.
The North Island has it's share of scenic spots, but IMO they're not nearly as breathtaking as what can be found on the SI. I've visited NZ nine times now, and I've only been to the NI once, as it just didn't speak to me the way the SI does. But that's just me...
Some areas of interest on the NI that you might want to research are: Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, Lake Taupo, Coromandel Peninsula and Hawkes Bay.
The South Island is much more scenic than the north IMO, and much less populated. The biggest cities (Christchurch and Dunedin) really aren't that big.
Most first time visitors to the SI either make a self-drive loop to hit the scenic highlights, which generally include spots like Kaikoura, Arthur's Pass, the West Coast (glaciers), Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo, Wanaka, Queenstown, and fiordland (Milford and Doubtful Sound). Others enjoy the Scottish town of Dunedin with the albatross colony, penguin tours, Cadbury chocolate factory, etc. Yet others enjoy the city of Christchurch and nearby Banks Peninsula and the French settlement of Akaroa.
NZ is a small country, but there's loads to do there. There are countless adventure activities, hikes, wineries, etc.
It's very easy to spend 2-4 weeks on one island, let alone both.
You don't mention how much time you have to work with, or what time of year you plan to visit. Perhaps if you provide a bit more information about your planned trip and your interests, we can be of more help.
Once you have a general plan of where you'd like to visit, it will be much easier to recommend specific wineries, restaurants and accommodation.
Flying into Auckland isn't the only way to enter NZ. We usually fly directly to Christchurch on the SI (usually from Singapore).
Even if you're coming from the US, it's easy enough to land in Auckland and connect to a flight to Christchurch. In other words, you don't have to visit Auckland unless you want to. Auckland is the biggest city in NZ, with a population of some 1.4 million, and it's usually not what most visitors have in mind when they visit NZ. Something like 75% of the population of NZ lives on the NI.
The North Island has it's share of scenic spots, but IMO they're not nearly as breathtaking as what can be found on the SI. I've visited NZ nine times now, and I've only been to the NI once, as it just didn't speak to me the way the SI does. But that's just me...
Some areas of interest on the NI that you might want to research are: Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, Lake Taupo, Coromandel Peninsula and Hawkes Bay.
The South Island is much more scenic than the north IMO, and much less populated. The biggest cities (Christchurch and Dunedin) really aren't that big.
Most first time visitors to the SI either make a self-drive loop to hit the scenic highlights, which generally include spots like Kaikoura, Arthur's Pass, the West Coast (glaciers), Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo, Wanaka, Queenstown, and fiordland (Milford and Doubtful Sound). Others enjoy the Scottish town of Dunedin with the albatross colony, penguin tours, Cadbury chocolate factory, etc. Yet others enjoy the city of Christchurch and nearby Banks Peninsula and the French settlement of Akaroa.
NZ is a small country, but there's loads to do there. There are countless adventure activities, hikes, wineries, etc.
It's very easy to spend 2-4 weeks on one island, let alone both.
You don't mention how much time you have to work with, or what time of year you plan to visit. Perhaps if you provide a bit more information about your planned trip and your interests, we can be of more help.
Once you have a general plan of where you'd like to visit, it will be much easier to recommend specific wineries, restaurants and accommodation.
Jul 3rd, 2009, 04:34 PM
#4
Sorry, just realized you said you had 14 days.
How much you can see in that time really depends on your personal travel style. However, if that 14 days includes travel time to/from the US, I suggest you select only one island for a leisurely, thorough exploration. If you hope to visit both islands in that time frame, you'll need to really narrow the choices.
Distances in NZ are much greater than they appear on a map and it takes more time to get from point A to point B than you might expect, as many roads in NZ are narrow and winding. The following drive distance calculator might be of some help in your planning:
http://www.aatravel.co.nz/main/td-calculator.php
How much you can see in that time really depends on your personal travel style. However, if that 14 days includes travel time to/from the US, I suggest you select only one island for a leisurely, thorough exploration. If you hope to visit both islands in that time frame, you'll need to really narrow the choices.
Distances in NZ are much greater than they appear on a map and it takes more time to get from point A to point B than you might expect, as many roads in NZ are narrow and winding. The following drive distance calculator might be of some help in your planning:
http://www.aatravel.co.nz/main/td-calculator.php
Jul 3rd, 2009, 05:48 PM
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When are you planning to go Spassvogel for that can be of quite some impact, especially if considering a Campervan as Mobile Homes are referred to as.
They can be decidedly cool to sleep in during colder months and decidedly cooler the further south you go.
The SI is known for its more spectacular alpine/lakes/fjords/glacier scenery and with only 14 days, as Mel says you're best to decide on just one island or limit yourself to parts of both.
If wines and more rolling undulating landscape are more on the list than the the Alpine etc., you'd probably find the greatest density of those on the SI north of Christchurch and the regions of the NI.
. http://www.nzwine.co.nz/
. http://www.winesofnz.com/ are two good general info sites
There are some great B&Bs and farmstays etc. all over NZ and in fact they may provide for a more comfortable holiday combined with hiring a small vehicle and possibly at no greater cost than a campervan would be when you take into account far superior economy of a car against a campervan and the far less costly hire charges.
As Mel says, travelling in NZ takes longer and though roads are generally OK, in alpine areas you're obviously going to have windy narrower roads, many blind curves etc.
Even the SH1 has a relatively limited section comparable to interstate highways of the US or motorways/autobahns of Europe and vehicle driving will be so much more easy than with a campervan.
New Zealanders outside of Auckland often rag the place, particularly if you come from Wellington and it's a bit likewise for the SI of the NI and vice versa but truly Auckland other than its Harbour area is limited in terms of being atmospheric and to see the best of NZ in limited time, the earlier you are somewhere else the better.
The region north of Auckland gets you into some great country and yes wines, Warkworth being a smaller town in region you could relax in a couple of days to get rid of JL, the far north as it is referred to also being called the 'winterless north" because of milder weather and not that in Australia we would even call it subtropical given the latitude [not quite as far north as Sydney], there are some areas that have nearly a tropical look about it.
Bay of Islands up that way being one of the better known regions of the NI and a centre of tourism activities.
As Mel says, work out more of a plan of locales, google B&B or Farmstay followed by locale, NZ and you'll get plenty of accommodation options, or just google a locale, Warkworth for instance and you'll get all sorts of links to assist with planning - http://www.warkworthnz.co.nz/
http://www.warkworth-information.co.nz/ for example.
More fun doing it yourself.
They can be decidedly cool to sleep in during colder months and decidedly cooler the further south you go.
The SI is known for its more spectacular alpine/lakes/fjords/glacier scenery and with only 14 days, as Mel says you're best to decide on just one island or limit yourself to parts of both.
If wines and more rolling undulating landscape are more on the list than the the Alpine etc., you'd probably find the greatest density of those on the SI north of Christchurch and the regions of the NI.
. http://www.nzwine.co.nz/
. http://www.winesofnz.com/ are two good general info sites
There are some great B&Bs and farmstays etc. all over NZ and in fact they may provide for a more comfortable holiday combined with hiring a small vehicle and possibly at no greater cost than a campervan would be when you take into account far superior economy of a car against a campervan and the far less costly hire charges.
As Mel says, travelling in NZ takes longer and though roads are generally OK, in alpine areas you're obviously going to have windy narrower roads, many blind curves etc.
Even the SH1 has a relatively limited section comparable to interstate highways of the US or motorways/autobahns of Europe and vehicle driving will be so much more easy than with a campervan.
New Zealanders outside of Auckland often rag the place, particularly if you come from Wellington and it's a bit likewise for the SI of the NI and vice versa but truly Auckland other than its Harbour area is limited in terms of being atmospheric and to see the best of NZ in limited time, the earlier you are somewhere else the better.
The region north of Auckland gets you into some great country and yes wines, Warkworth being a smaller town in region you could relax in a couple of days to get rid of JL, the far north as it is referred to also being called the 'winterless north" because of milder weather and not that in Australia we would even call it subtropical given the latitude [not quite as far north as Sydney], there are some areas that have nearly a tropical look about it.
Bay of Islands up that way being one of the better known regions of the NI and a centre of tourism activities.
As Mel says, work out more of a plan of locales, google B&B or Farmstay followed by locale, NZ and you'll get plenty of accommodation options, or just google a locale, Warkworth for instance and you'll get all sorts of links to assist with planning - http://www.warkworthnz.co.nz/
http://www.warkworth-information.co.nz/ for example.
More fun doing it yourself.
Jul 4th, 2009, 02:19 PM
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wlzmatilida, Melnq8, Bushranger
First of all - Thank you very much for your great responses and
SORRY for leaving out some essentials.
I'll start again providing with some infos..........
Coming from Germany and not yet decided on the airline means not knowing whether it will be via the US or via Singapore.
Time of travel: from around 10 January 2010 means arrival around 12 or 16/17/18 when coming via the South Pacific.
Only 2 of us will be travelling - we are in the mid 50ies.
Only for NZ we will have 14 days plus travel time.
We further intend to visit either Fiji or French Polynesia - that depends on the long-haul, whether via the States or SIA or even making it a kind of RTW flight FRA-LAX-Papeete(and further to Moorea or Huahine for a couple of nights) followed by the trip to NZ and maybe proceeding via SIA back to FRA.
Anyway - 14 days in NZ ask for only one island as we don't want to just fly thru the destination. We rather prefer to do one island at a time.
So as stated earlier - self drive mobile home but also taking advantage of the NZ hospitality and staying at a very nice B+B or an oustanding lodge in a great landscape/corner.
I would not say "budget is not a question" but we tend to adjust the budget to the activities/destination/and experiences than doing it vice versa.
We are going to fly business so we should be able to start "exploring" that end of the world right after arrival means a stop over in Auckland or Xchurch is not a necessity as long as it does not interfere with getting the rental car back on time and board the aircraft.
But that will be figured out when the planning process is well underway.
What about rental car companies?
Are there some which should be avoided in any case based on experiences (failures, poor service etc.) or are there some which you would prefer over others for some reasons?
Are there local companies or is it better to rent from Brits etc?
We will start the research as soon as time allows.
But getting your valued advise will definitely lead to a much better start from which to take off the whole research procedure.
A N D based on your insider tips and advise we can better evaluate what will be the best destination: NI or SI.
As I said - our interest is LANDSCAPE combined with great encounters with locals, again landscape ;-) and good living.
We don't want tu rush thru NZ but rather enjoy every minute and also be able to reflect where we are while we are there - not just ticking sites and cities.
Again - Thank you so much for the great kick off!
But please keep advise comming!
SV
First of all - Thank you very much for your great responses and
SORRY for leaving out some essentials.
I'll start again providing with some infos..........
Coming from Germany and not yet decided on the airline means not knowing whether it will be via the US or via Singapore.
Time of travel: from around 10 January 2010 means arrival around 12 or 16/17/18 when coming via the South Pacific.
Only 2 of us will be travelling - we are in the mid 50ies.
Only for NZ we will have 14 days plus travel time.
We further intend to visit either Fiji or French Polynesia - that depends on the long-haul, whether via the States or SIA or even making it a kind of RTW flight FRA-LAX-Papeete(and further to Moorea or Huahine for a couple of nights) followed by the trip to NZ and maybe proceeding via SIA back to FRA.
Anyway - 14 days in NZ ask for only one island as we don't want to just fly thru the destination. We rather prefer to do one island at a time.
So as stated earlier - self drive mobile home but also taking advantage of the NZ hospitality and staying at a very nice B+B or an oustanding lodge in a great landscape/corner.
I would not say "budget is not a question" but we tend to adjust the budget to the activities/destination/and experiences than doing it vice versa.
We are going to fly business so we should be able to start "exploring" that end of the world right after arrival means a stop over in Auckland or Xchurch is not a necessity as long as it does not interfere with getting the rental car back on time and board the aircraft.
But that will be figured out when the planning process is well underway.
What about rental car companies?
Are there some which should be avoided in any case based on experiences (failures, poor service etc.) or are there some which you would prefer over others for some reasons?
Are there local companies or is it better to rent from Brits etc?
We will start the research as soon as time allows.
But getting your valued advise will definitely lead to a much better start from which to take off the whole research procedure.
A N D based on your insider tips and advise we can better evaluate what will be the best destination: NI or SI.
As I said - our interest is LANDSCAPE combined with great encounters with locals, again landscape ;-) and good living.
We don't want tu rush thru NZ but rather enjoy every minute and also be able to reflect where we are while we are there - not just ticking sites and cities.
Again - Thank you so much for the great kick off!
But please keep advise comming!
SV
Jul 4th, 2009, 02:22 PM
#7
The country is spaced out so don't ignore internal flights or the (often financially bust) train system. B&Bs are great and very sensible, not quiet as say you may find in San Fransisco but very pleasant. Also you will find very pleasant motel types (great sceanary) and even tent sites.
Generally the Kiwis look after visitors so a wide range of travel suppliers to suit your pocket plus some specialist Moari only suppliers. So Whale watching should alsobe on your list. Food is excellent (though you can still stumble on the odd yorkshire pudding spot the rest is good) Meats and Vegitarian.
I would chill out for a day or two in Davenport and then south. Rotorua is awesome (I've jsut been to iceland and this is better) but if you want the youth life then head down to Queenstown.
Wine zones roughly work out as Auckland, Hastings, Martinborough,
SI Marlborough, Nelson and Otage, yes there are others but these are the mains.
14 days I might just do one island or maybe North and a visit to the north of South. The various sounds are worth a trip up so maybe up to Picton and then Marlborough visit (think about leaving the camper in North Island maybe)
Watch out for the Kiwi turn (turning right has precidence or is it left?)
Generally the Kiwis look after visitors so a wide range of travel suppliers to suit your pocket plus some specialist Moari only suppliers. So Whale watching should alsobe on your list. Food is excellent (though you can still stumble on the odd yorkshire pudding spot the rest is good) Meats and Vegitarian.
I would chill out for a day or two in Davenport and then south. Rotorua is awesome (I've jsut been to iceland and this is better) but if you want the youth life then head down to Queenstown.
Wine zones roughly work out as Auckland, Hastings, Martinborough,
SI Marlborough, Nelson and Otage, yes there are others but these are the mains.
14 days I might just do one island or maybe North and a visit to the north of South. The various sounds are worth a trip up so maybe up to Picton and then Marlborough visit (think about leaving the camper in North Island maybe)
Watch out for the Kiwi turn (turning right has precidence or is it left?)
Jul 4th, 2009, 02:46 PM
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Don't shortchange the Northland region of the North Island. Most foreigners immediately rush off to Rotorura (very disappointing if you have been to Yellowstone in the US) before doing anything else on the North Island. That is exactly what I did but I wouldn't recommend it to others because it really is not that special. On the other hand Lake Taupo and the volcanoes (if you get a nice day) are really spectacular.
Now the best bit of Northland is the tip all the way out at the Northwest where they have these large tire buses that take you out to the tip (do not do this yourself). Coming or going you ride right along the beach on the sand (which is why you don't want to do this yourself). Quite a trip and very spectacular scenery.
I was in NZ for 2 1/2 weeks and only saw about half of the North Island. Next time I hope to go to the South Island, but, due to the small population there, it may be difficult to get a home exchange there. Who knows? I just go where my home exchanges take me.
Now the best bit of Northland is the tip all the way out at the Northwest where they have these large tire buses that take you out to the tip (do not do this yourself). Coming or going you ride right along the beach on the sand (which is why you don't want to do this yourself). Quite a trip and very spectacular scenery.
I was in NZ for 2 1/2 weeks and only saw about half of the North Island. Next time I hope to go to the South Island, but, due to the small population there, it may be difficult to get a home exchange there. Who knows? I just go where my home exchanges take me.
Jul 4th, 2009, 04:22 PM
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Just a few more things to help you on your way Spass
. Re flights and unless you do decide on a RTW trip, flying via asia will certainly mean a lot less flying time coming from Germany.
There was a poster on Asia branch just last week, Tere I think it was who got a Singapore Airlines flight Milan it may have been to Bali for 360 Euros return, unbelievable and for about February.
So if you're looking to save some money for good stuff later, you might want to check it out, Bali or other Asian islands/locations being better value than Fiji and I hear Tahiti/French Polynesia is even more expensive.
Only problem is January/February for Bali is middle of wet season and for that matter, storms season for Fiji at least and not sure on Tahiti, but quite possibly.
If you got onto a cheap airfare for Singapore and somewhere north of equator for the islands type stop you would then be able to get a tack on for Singapore to NZ return and it'd sure break up what is otherwise a long flight.
. January you'll find is also quite possibly the busiest month for SI because not only is it within the shorter window of opportunity for warmer weather in NZ, it's also summer school holidays when a lot of Kiwis head down to the SI so you could expect traffic/people numbers to be at peak.
NI on other hand may be less busy - I was there one late January on NI and quite amazed up in the Northland region at lack of traffic once away from Auckland and on some secondary roads on west coast I drove for 10-15 minutes between passing another vehicle.
So if it's a more relaxed time you want and still some great scenery, I'd stay on the NI in January.
. One thing to be aware of though is that vehicles being left at walking trail car-parks are known to attract attention and two lots of people known personally to me had their cars broken into, one being told by a repairer that replacing broken windows was a bigger part of his trade.
I pulled up at the mouth of Hokianga Harbour one time and was going to take a bit of a walk to admire the view and there was a person there parked in a car offering for a few $$$ to keep an eye on my car while I did so! - I elected to not walk too far away.
I have heard that some car hire companies disconnect remote boot releases or have a lock on them so as boot cannot be opened from inside car without a key and they put a sticker on cars windows saying that to deter break ins.
Not sure what can be done with a campervan as you do not have a boot for valuables - maybe a special lock up storage box - something to ask campervan people by email.
But beware where you park and another reason to think of a car.
In addition to B&Bs and farmstays you'll also find some lovely older style pubs for accommodation and then there are also some resort type places built in conjunction with golf clubs, and then you can also get cabin type places in many caravan parks - www.holidayparks.co.nz and www.top10.co.nz worth looking at.
But if you stick with the campervan idea and want a bigger one with shower and toilet aboard, you'll find that Britz and KEA that I know of are in NZ and perhaps even Apollo which is another big one in Australia.
Even if you fly business class, I'd expect you'll still have JL to get over before you want to drive and a place like Davenport as suggested by bilbob.. or even taking a ferry across to Waiheke Island would be a good idea.
. Re flights and unless you do decide on a RTW trip, flying via asia will certainly mean a lot less flying time coming from Germany.
There was a poster on Asia branch just last week, Tere I think it was who got a Singapore Airlines flight Milan it may have been to Bali for 360 Euros return, unbelievable and for about February.
So if you're looking to save some money for good stuff later, you might want to check it out, Bali or other Asian islands/locations being better value than Fiji and I hear Tahiti/French Polynesia is even more expensive.
Only problem is January/February for Bali is middle of wet season and for that matter, storms season for Fiji at least and not sure on Tahiti, but quite possibly.
If you got onto a cheap airfare for Singapore and somewhere north of equator for the islands type stop you would then be able to get a tack on for Singapore to NZ return and it'd sure break up what is otherwise a long flight.
. January you'll find is also quite possibly the busiest month for SI because not only is it within the shorter window of opportunity for warmer weather in NZ, it's also summer school holidays when a lot of Kiwis head down to the SI so you could expect traffic/people numbers to be at peak.
NI on other hand may be less busy - I was there one late January on NI and quite amazed up in the Northland region at lack of traffic once away from Auckland and on some secondary roads on west coast I drove for 10-15 minutes between passing another vehicle.
So if it's a more relaxed time you want and still some great scenery, I'd stay on the NI in January.
. One thing to be aware of though is that vehicles being left at walking trail car-parks are known to attract attention and two lots of people known personally to me had their cars broken into, one being told by a repairer that replacing broken windows was a bigger part of his trade.
I pulled up at the mouth of Hokianga Harbour one time and was going to take a bit of a walk to admire the view and there was a person there parked in a car offering for a few $$$ to keep an eye on my car while I did so! - I elected to not walk too far away.
I have heard that some car hire companies disconnect remote boot releases or have a lock on them so as boot cannot be opened from inside car without a key and they put a sticker on cars windows saying that to deter break ins.
Not sure what can be done with a campervan as you do not have a boot for valuables - maybe a special lock up storage box - something to ask campervan people by email.
But beware where you park and another reason to think of a car.
In addition to B&Bs and farmstays you'll also find some lovely older style pubs for accommodation and then there are also some resort type places built in conjunction with golf clubs, and then you can also get cabin type places in many caravan parks - www.holidayparks.co.nz and www.top10.co.nz worth looking at.
But if you stick with the campervan idea and want a bigger one with shower and toilet aboard, you'll find that Britz and KEA that I know of are in NZ and perhaps even Apollo which is another big one in Australia.
Even if you fly business class, I'd expect you'll still have JL to get over before you want to drive and a place like Davenport as suggested by bilbob.. or even taking a ferry across to Waiheke Island would be a good idea.
Jul 4th, 2009, 04:26 PM
#10
spassvogel -
Landscape, landscape, landscape = SOUTH ISLAND. Mountains, forests, glaciers, an ancient volcano, coastal scenery, rainforest, countryside, windswept beaches, fiords, glacial lakes....
B&Bs, quaint cottages, heritage listed accommodation, etc are very easy to find in NZ and there are some great places to stay. NZ hospitality is excellent.
I've never had a problem with any car rental company in NZ. I've rented with National, Budget and APEX. APEX has a lower cost option of renting older cars, but they have newer cars as well. Car rentals are not cheap in NZ, but service is generally very good.
You might find an RTW ticket is the way to go. Are you members of an airline alliance (such as Star Alliance)?
Landscape, landscape, landscape = SOUTH ISLAND. Mountains, forests, glaciers, an ancient volcano, coastal scenery, rainforest, countryside, windswept beaches, fiords, glacial lakes....
B&Bs, quaint cottages, heritage listed accommodation, etc are very easy to find in NZ and there are some great places to stay. NZ hospitality is excellent.
I've never had a problem with any car rental company in NZ. I've rented with National, Budget and APEX. APEX has a lower cost option of renting older cars, but they have newer cars as well. Car rentals are not cheap in NZ, but service is generally very good.
You might find an RTW ticket is the way to go. Are you members of an airline alliance (such as Star Alliance)?
Jul 5th, 2009, 08:55 AM
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Thank you all so much for your valuable thoughts.......working on these should keep us busy for some weeks to come to figure out what we would like to do in the end. Sometimes is just too many options....
We once rented a mobile from, Apollo in Australia and did the West coast (Hi Melnq ) from Perth up to Sharks Bay and Monkey Mia - which was absolutely fantastic.
Based on that experiences we decided on the same for NZ.
The tip on the stormy season for Fiji is excellent. We will take that into consideration as well. I know the rainy season starts in April but didn't know about the "stormy season" in Jan.........
Regarding costs for FP: I don't think there is a big difference nowadays between FP, Fiji, Maldives, Seychelles - you name it. Somehow all these rates have gone over the top
Maybe based on the logistics (time within the country, reachability from Germany and flight times we first should concentrate on to NI.
I'll let you know with what we come up and I am sure that will lead to even more questions ;-)
Thank you all for jumping in delivering such great advises!
Have a great new week!
SV
We once rented a mobile from, Apollo in Australia and did the West coast (Hi Melnq
) from Perth up to Sharks Bay and Monkey Mia - which was absolutely fantastic. Based on that experiences we decided on the same for NZ.
The tip on the stormy season for Fiji is excellent. We will take that into consideration as well. I know the rainy season starts in April but didn't know about the "stormy season" in Jan.........
Regarding costs for FP: I don't think there is a big difference nowadays between FP, Fiji, Maldives, Seychelles - you name it. Somehow all these rates have gone over the top
Maybe based on the logistics (time within the country, reachability from Germany and flight times we first should concentrate on to NI.
I'll let you know with what we come up and I am sure that will lead to even more questions ;-)
Thank you all for jumping in delivering such great advises!
Have a great new week!
SV
Jul 5th, 2009, 09:24 AM
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oops - I totally mixed the season up obviously as I recollected Fiji being the rainy season in April; once we visited the Yasawas in April and it was raining a lot.
So we might re-vise that part........
SV
So we might re-vise that part........
SV
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