Chad

My family which includes 3 kids aged 4, 6 and 8 are intending to tour NZ in mid-Nov till early Dec for 20 days.Transport around would be in various forms as the kids love to experience different modes of transport including ferry ride and helicopter rides.12 days would be spent in the South Island and we intend to travel by rental car, campervan,and transalpine train.However, we are told that there are no depots for campervan in Greymouth so that would mean that the only way to pick up a campervan is from Christchurch and if we wanted to take the Transalpine trian ride, it would be from Greymouth to Christchurch.I would appreciate any feedback on the followingBR><BR>(1)Would travelling from Picton(from the ferry terminal) to Greymouth by car be too hectic for the kids if we were to leave Picton at about 1.30 pm to arrive for the overnight stay in Greymouth?Is the Shantytown worth a visit?<BR>(2)Would we be missing a lot if we were to give the train ride from Greymouth to Christchurch a miss? Is the route of the train similar to the route taken if we were to travel by campervan?<BR>The whole point of the train journey was to give the kids an experience of a train ride and since I heard so much of the Transalpine express, I thought it might be worthwhile.<BR>(3) Is there much to do in Dunedin? or can one just spend a day there?<BR>(4) It would have been preferable if we could give the journey from Picton via Nelson to Greymouth a miss and journey down Kaikoura instead but the way the campervan companies work do not give us much choice as they insist on charging $250 if we wanted to pick up the campervan from Greymouth.Otherwise, it would have been ideal if we could drive to Christchurch via Kaikoura for the whale watching, pick up the motorhome, drive to Mt Cook, then onto Dunedin, Te Anau, Manapouri, the Doubtful Sound day trip,head north to Queenstown, Wanaka ,Haast Pass, the glaciers, Greymouth, drop motorhome off then take the train into Christchurch.<BR>Any comments on these, anybody?<BR>(5) Is it safe to park by the side of a road in the campervan for an overnight stay or is it essential that we have to book into a campsite?<BR>(6) Are there any areas one should avoid parking and leaving the campervan there for more than a couple of hours?<BR><BR>Would appreciate any feedback that anyone might have.<BR>Thank you.

John

Chad,<BR><BR>Just got back from my trip, sans kids and campervans, so I can't help you much. I can say that my take on Dundedin is that one day is plenty for the must-sees--the penguins, the albatrosses, the Octagon, etc.

ALF

1) You can easily leave Picton at 1:30 and arrive in Greymouth in the early evening. We visited Shantytown with our kids (aged 6 and 9), and they enjoyed it, particularly learning to pan for gold. You need not spend many hours there to do this.<BR><BR>2) The TranzAlpine is a beautiful train ride, and the route is slightly more scenic than the auto road over Arthurs Pass, but both routes are reasonably comparable. I personally think it it too expensive, with an adult one-way trip costing about NZ$70. I would save that money and invest it toward a helicopter ride up onto the Fox Glacier instead. If you really must take the TranzAlpine, you might consider taking it from Christchurch to Arthurs Pass (arrives near noon), getting off to take a walk, then board the returning train about 4 hours later) back to Christchurch.<BR><BR>3) Dunedin is a delightful large college town, dominated by the University of Otago. The Otago Museum is quite comprehensive, particularly including large quantities of Maori artifacts and bird/mammal exhibits. There is also a large hands-on exploration area for kids. Our children enjoyed the immense Moana Pool Complex, with one of the largest indoor pools I've ever seen, complete with tall water slides, giant inflatable toys, and fountains. The area around Dunedin is worth some time, particularly the Moeraki Boulders to the north, and the Otago Peninsula to the east. If you enjoy wildlife viewing, then you should visit the Royal Albatross colony at Taiarora Head; and Penguin Place, a Hoiho (Yellow-eyed Penguin) Conservation Reserve. <BR><BR>4) I would hire the campervan out of Christchurch or Picton, allowing you to pass through Kaikoura on the way to Christchurch. You can then cross over the Southern Alps to Greymouth, proceed down the west coast, across the bottom and on up to Dunedin and Mt. Cook (or vice-versa).<BR><BR>5) There are many places where you can pull your campervan off the road for the night, but it was our experience that it was commonly worth the modest cost to get a spot (with electricity) in one of the ubiquitous Holiday Parks found in virtually every town in NZ. We appreciated using the parks' ablution blocks, compared to the cramped facilities in a campervan. Also, most parks have communal kitchen/dining areas where it is easy to meet fellow travelers and playmates for the kiddies. Every park also seems to have a large trampoline, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your outlook. One place where there are no campsites is Arthurs Pass, but you can park behind the Public Shelter near the railway switchyard. <BR><BR>6) The only place to avoid leaving your campervan are roadside picnic areas which tend to have signs expressly prohibiting overnight campervan use. Again, it generally seems worth staying in holiday parks.<BR><BR>Other fun things your family might enjoy: <BR>When in Wanaka, consider taking a raft trip down the Clutha River. As mentioned above, it you are going to take a helicopter trip, you can take one up onto a high spot on Fox Glacier, where you can walk around a bit before returning. The whale-watching trip out of Kaikoura is great, but there is another less-well-known trip out of Waikawa to see rare Hectors Dolphins in Porpoise Bay. Christchurch has an even more impressive pool complex than Dunedin's, the Queen Elizabeth II Park. Our children also really enjoyed the International Antarctic Center, and the Orana Wildlife Reserve, both not far from the Christchurch airport.<BR><BR>Have a wonderful trip!

chad

Thank you ALF for your informative and helpful insights.i especially liked your ideas of taking the Transalpine return trip from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass.How long is the journey?Is there anything to do there for 4 hrs that would keep the kids occupied apart from a walk, eg horse-riding,perhaps?Would we miss out much if we missed the Transalpine part from Greymouth to Arthur's Pass?<BR>Thank you.

ALF

The TranzAlpine currently leaves Christchurch at 9am, arrives at Arthurs Pass at 11:30am, and reaches Greymouth at 1:30pm. After crossing the flat Canterbury Plains, the train ascends through the spectacular Waimakiriri Gorge, whose headwaters lie near Arthurs Pass Village. I think that the car ride from Arthurs Pass down to Greymouth is actually more scenic than the TranzAlpine route, which runs nearly 10km inside a tunnel here. The TranzAlpine leaves Greymouth for the return trip at 2:30, reaching Arthurs Pass at 4:30, returning to Christchurch at 6:30pm. <BR><BR>There is not a lot to do at Arthurs Pass Village. Near the train station, there is a small restaurant, store, and a couple of small hotels, as well as a National Park Visitor Centre. A number of hiking trails climb upward from the valley floor. One easy climb is to the base of a waterfall, called Devils Punchbowl. I don't think that there are any horse-riding opportunities.

Jenny

Hi Chad,<BR><BR>The train trip from Arthurs Pass to Christchurch was discussed on an earlier thread where I mentioned the open carriage on the train. Do a search for the subject heading:.....<BR>Driving in NZ - Christchurch to Arthurs Pass....<BR>and you will find it.<BR><BR>The kids will LOVE the open carriage. We did.<BR><BR>Have a great time......I'm green with envy.<BR><BR>Jenny<BR>&gt;^..^&lt;<BR>

chad

Thanks to all for your helpful replies.When you suggest sitting on the North side of the train or left side-are these pre-booked or is it free sitting?Would the open carriage be cold for the kids in Nov or loud if it goes through the tunnel?How do we go about booking the open carriage-what are the fares like?

ALF

Here is the Web address for Tranz Scenic, which operates the TranzAlpine train:<BR> http://www.tranzscenic.co.nz/theTran...e/overview.asp

Jenny

I was told about the open carriage and where to sit on the train by some kind person on this site or on Lonely Planet's messageboard. The net is an immensely valuable tool. <BR><BR>I'm not sure about booking individual seats on the train as I was part of a tour group. (I won the whole 17 day tour on our local radio station, what a prize). When you are about 15 minutes or so into the trip they announce over the P.A. that the open carriage is now open. You then leave your seat and make your way down the train to it. <BR><BR>You can go back to your seat at any time.<BR><BR>But we spent the whole time there just mesmerised by the scenery. We were in NZ in the first week in November 2001 and it was cold in the open carriage. You will need a jacket, hat, scarf and gloves. Don't wear a baseball hat, it will blow off, wear a beanie (Aussie for wooly pull down hat sometimes with a pom pom). <BR><BR>Don't wait until the train starts to climb and the scenery becomes more spectacular before you go to the open carriage as you will not be able to get in because that is when everyone will want to be there. There is a hand rail to hold onto, and the tunnels are not long, just seconds really. They close the carriage before the long tunnel, for safety.<BR><BR>You will have sparkling eyes, cold cheeks and the thrill of being out amongst it all, wind in your hair and nothing to interrupt the views. Geez, after all that reminiscing, I will have to save up for another holiday in beautiful NZ. <BR><BR>I hope you all have the BEST time, lucky things.<BR><BR>&gt;^..^&lt;<BR>Jenny

Chad

Thank you, ALF for the forwarding of the website. However, it still does not answer my queries posted prior to your msg- can you or anyone help to answer my concerns?<BR>Thank you in advance.

Chad

Thank you Jenny for the reply.I just posted the msg out a second before your reply was displayed which answers most of my queries.Thank you; I think we'll probably have a great time- thanks to all who replied.