Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Need comments on itenerary for a 1st visit to NZ

We are planning our 1st trip to Australia and NZ and plan to spend 10 days in NZ. While we want to see as much as possible, we do not want to be always in a rush but rather take it easy. We do plan to do the trip again in the future so this time we want to concentrate the area between CHC and AKL. We are retired and mostly interested in natural scenes but not into hiking or water sports. Here is a draft of our iten. Comments and recommendations on accomodation would bemsot appreciated.
- 3 nts in CHC including the day of arrival so TWO FULL days (day tour to mt. cook via a tourist bus!!) the other days is free at this point (suggestions!);
- Train from CHC to Picton and overnight in Picton (accomodation recommendations!!);
- Ferry from Picton to Wellington overnight in Wellington(accom. recomm!!.);
- pick up a car and drive to Turangi (2 nights in Turangi at the Grand Chateau!);
- Turangi to Rotorua and overnight in Rotorua (hotel!!);
- Rotorua to Auckland and return the car and 3 nts in Auckland (staying at the Sheraton, recommendations on side trips!!);
- return via AKL-LAX.
Look forward to your comments. thanks in advance.

Hi

NZ is very varied in terms of terrain and scenery despite its small size and so 10 days isnt enough to do full justice.

Not sure where you are flying in from, but if from US direct to CHC then the flight arrives early in the morning so you get most of that day as well to look around, adjust to time zone etc.

You are interested in natural scenery but have missed out the best bits IMHO - the west coast of South Island, Fiordland and Queenstown area. Nelson is quite nice too although off the State Highway 1 main route.

North Island scenery is quite different with volcanic area around Turangi, Taupo and Rotorua. However much of the rest of your North Island road trip is fairly boring countryside.

I assume you dont want to tinker with your itinerary too much (in which case I'd strongly recommend a return visit to see the South Island).

From Christchurch a nice side trip is to the village of Akaroa - originally settled by the French who lost the race to get to NZ by only a small margin, the village still retains a charm and is easy short drive away across the hills of Banks Peninsula. Allow 1/2 to a full day.

If you get a chance at Picton maybe take a winery tour (think they have half day ones so you can still make the ferry). You get taken to half a dozen vineyards and wineries near Blenheim and get to sample the famous Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs and other varieties of course.

If you can, Id suggest taking the fast ferry (Lynx 1 1/2 hours) rather than the bigger slow ferries (3 1/2 hours). You still get a slow cruise through the sounds but it slices a lot of time across the open water of Cook Strait. If you dont travel well be sure to take sea sickness tablets (readily available in Picton) as it can be rather rough in the open water in certain conditions.

If you do the winery tour then the afternoon ferry that doesnt leave much time for Wellington which is a shame. The must sees/dos would be take the cable car to the botanic gardens (high hill overlooking the city and very pleasant if your into gardens). Some nice cafes in the vicinity too. Also Te Papa the national museum (free entry). It isnt very old and is a little different to most museums in that it is tailored to kids and is quite hands on. While you could spend days here most folk limit to half a day. If you had more time and the weather is nice then a ferry across Wellington Harbour to Eastbourne (seaside suburb that is really like a village) is a pleasant way to fill in the afternoon.

Next up - Grand Chateau isnt in Turangi but is on the other side of the mountain. Head for National Park which will be signposted at Waiouru (dont worry if miss this as you can also go via Turangi but it is longer). The drive up from Wellington will take most of the day.

Continuing (sorry about the long reply) ...

I forgot to mention that the day trip to Mount Cook is quite a long day IIRC (its been quite a few years) so you may want to take it easy the day before/after. But it is very nice trip - across the plains, into the mountains, stop at Church of The Good Shepherd at Tekapo, nice village at The Hermitage (at Mount Cook). See the turquoise coloured lake (due to the glacier-dust). Not sure if your trip has enough time but if you can take a scenic flight up to Tasman Glacier (flying past Mount Cook) then that is worthwhile too.

Also forgot to mention that at Mangaweka (on the drive up from Wellington) there is a cafe built inside an old plane (sorry forget type) complete with "Beware Low Flying Aircraft" sign! If you take the turn-off for Chateau at Waiouru then you pass through Tangiwai a short while later - scene of a terrible tragedy when a lahar swept down Mount Ruapehu and swept away a train killing many. Night of December 24 1953.

Now, where was I? Oh yeah Chateau. From here to Rotorua is a more leisurely drive past Lake Taupo. The main road is on the eastern side (go to Turangi and head north), but I think the western side is more interesting - less traffic and some genuine rural NZ settlements (mostly very small).

Taupo makes a nice lunch stop. If you can try to have more time in Rotorua area - the geothermal activity is quite unusual and well worth a day or two exploring. Be prepared for the "rotten egg" smell though - due to all the sulphur. After a few hours/day you get used to it.

I would be remiss if I didnt suggest a detour on the way from Rotorua to Auckland, to visit Waitomo Caves. Some neat formations and glow worms etc. You could do Rotorua-Waitomo-Auckland in one day.

As for Auckland there is the usual city stuff. Side trips worth doing include Coromandel (but spend a night away), although you will have seen similar scenery by then anyway with the exception of beaches. BTW when are you visiting? If it is summer you should try to get to some beaches somewhere.

Staying in Auckland with shorter side trips you could visit the Waitakeres (range of bush covered hills to the northwest) and the rugged west coast beaches (eg Piha), or maybe down to the Hunua Ranges (just to the south of Auckland - there is a nice retreat there called Hotel Du Vin). Auckland is the city of sails so a trip on the Waitemata Harbour is well worth while - either picnic on Rangitoto (walk up to the top of the volcano) or see the wineries and crafts on Waiheke - both have regular ferry services.

For accomm have you checked out the official tourist info websites? Eg www.newzealand.com If you can narrow it down a bit as what kind of accomm you want then would be happy to help with comments/suggestions where I am able to.

Cheers


PS With flights to LAX leaving in the evening you get a full extra day in Auckland. I'd suggest reducing the amount of time in Auckland by a day or two and adding in say Rotorua and Wellington.

Thanks Kiwi Flyer for such a detailed response. Most helpful in fine tuning our trip. My wife has been doing most of the planning, so thanks from her as well.

We will be coming from Sydney, so will arrive CHC around 2:30 P.M. We are coming in December but would be long gone before the Christmas rush.
In terms of accomodations, we are booked in Starwood hotels where ever there is a Starwood hotel. The Chateau was mentioned to us as a 'must stay' place by some one who stayed there so we wanted to give it a try. In ohter places such as Rotorua, Wellington, we are looking for comfortable, clean hotels and they do not need to be five star by any means. I was able to get a rate of around $125 NZD in Auckland due to a promotion and I would be very happy if we could get similar rates in other places ( I noticed Crown Plaza in CHC has an internet rate of around 125 NZD).
We decided to concentrate this trip mostly on the North Island knowing that we will not have enough time to do the entire NZ. We are hoping to return in a couple years for a longer trip which will cover the remaining areas.
Unfortunately, we have booked a pre-paid rate at at the Sheraton in Auckland, so it would be expensive to change the duration of our Auckland stay. We decided on three nights to give ourselves some time to relax before a long journey back AKL-LAX-PHX. What do you think of the amount of time we have allocated to CHC (3 nights)!! In addition to NZ, we are doing parts of Australia and will be spending 4 nts in Melbourne and 5 in Sydney. I was thinking of extending Sydney by an additional day and reduce CHC to 2nts!

Thanks again for your detailed reply. I look forward to your additional comments.

No problem - happy to help if I can.

Not too many Starwoods (or any other chain for that matter) in NZ. Yes Chateau is nice - I just didnt want you to get lost as its not at Turangi.

$125 is a pretty good rate for a good hotel (such as Crown Plaza, Sheraton).

With your arrival and departure times for CHC, and a full day side trip to Mount Cook personally I would stay for 3 nights as gives time to explore and take it easy. 2 nights is also possible of course but then you wont see much in and around Christchurch itself.

Not in Picton, but in Blenheim (leave the train here and catch 30 minute bus ride to Picton for your ferry next day or even may be able to get dropped off at the ferry if doing wine tour) the Marlborough Hotel (www.the-marlborough.co.nz) is supposed to be very nice.

In Wellington try Museum Hotel De Wheels (novelty value - the hotel was moved on wheels from where Te Papa now sits across a couple of streets!) or James Cook Grand Chancellor (located near the Botanic Gardens). There are nicer hotels but I think well outside price range, unless you happen to be passing through in the weekend (being capital most hotel business is during the week and so much cheaper on weekend).

In Rotorua maybe Centra?

Hope this helps.

Also forgot to mention that at Mangaweka (on the drive up from Wellington) there is a cafe built inside an old plane (sorry forget type) complete with "Beware Low Flying Aircraft" sign! If you take the turn-off for Chateau at Waiouru then you pass through Tangiwai a short while later - scene of a terrible tragedy when a lahar swept down Mount Ruapehu and swept away a train killing many. Night of December 24 1953.

The 'Cookie Time' plane is a DC3. :)

http://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/products/cookie_time.htm

When you're staying at the Chateau, see whether you can book yourself a half-day or full-day tramp around the mountain. I think there're also helicopter tours too, enquire at the hotel.

By the looks of things, there may still be enough snow there near the top of the mountain. The ski season may still be going (but not really worth it at that time of the year, except for th novelty value). Anyway, definitely try to get up the mountain.

When you drive up from Wellington to Auckland, build in time to stop for photos.

In Wellington, the city itself can be done in half a day. So add in time for Te Papa, the Gardens and a tour (free, I think) at Parliament - the Beehive.

Hotels in Wellington, as mentioned, are mainly business focused. Inter-contential is the top hotel, then there's James Cook, the Duxton, Novotel, Ibis, West Plaza, etc... All are in the city. Also try the Logan Brown restaurant or the Chameleon (inside the Inter-contential) - pricy (by NZ standard), but worth it.

Apart from that, KF has covered everything well, nothing useful to add from me...

Thanks very much. I will look into the hotels you mentioned. Looking forward to our trip. :)

I've stayed at the Ibis in Wellington my last two trips (a good friend was the manager there...he's moved on to SIN now). It's just a 10 min walk from Parliament, and is probably one of the closest hotels to the ferry terminal (I did a day trip over to Picton and back....it was featured on the Amazing Race series about 2 year ago). The rooms have showers versus tubs, and there's an optional breakfast buffet. I ended up walking over a block to an excellent bagel place I found, with seating and newspapers, rather than deal with the breakfast buffet each day. I seem to recall their weekend room rates were around $NZ99 when I was there in July. They pack the place with government workers on per diem during the week. Pretty basic rooms, but met my needs just fine. You can price them on the Accor web site.

The 'Cookie Time' plane is a DC3. :)

http://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/products/cookie_time.htm

Hotels in Wellington, as mentioned, are mainly business focused. Inter-contential is the top hotel, then there's James Cook, the Duxton, Novotel, Ibis, West Plaza, etc... All are in the city. Also try the Logan Brown restaurant or the Chameleon (inside the Inter-contential) - pricy (by NZ standard), but worth it.

We will be in Wellington on a Sunday and IC is oferring an internet rate of around 165 NZD PLUS taxes whereas James Cook has a rate of 149 NZD INCL taxes and Breakfast. I am leaning towards James Cook.
We are planning on taking public transport until Wellington and then pick up a car to go to Auckland. Any major reasons that we should pick up a car in Picton instead and also any recommendations on a local car rental company in Wellington with a drop off in Auckland! Thanks again. The information form all of you has been most useful in finalizing our trip...

btw, Kiwi Flyer, the Marlborough hotel does not seem to exist any more. The web link did not find anything and my alternate attempts did not find it either.

Sorry about the marlborough advice - its been a few years since I was in Blenheim. Hopefully fellow FTer mad_atta (from that part of the country) can help with other suggestions for accom.

James Cook is okay, IC is of higher standard though. Tax is just GST 12.5% and I'm surprised IC quoted a rate excl tax as that is extremely unusual here.

Breakfast can be had fairly cheaply at many cafes (outside the hotels) - Wellington reportedly has more cafes per capita than New York.

I strongly suggest you dont pick up a rental until you're ready to leave Wellington. It costs a lot of money to take the car on the ferry and also limits your options (ie if you decide last minute to spend more time in Picton and catch a later ferry, or earlier one for that matter, it can be difficult and expensive if you have a car whereas foot pax are no issue except on the very busiest travel days).

Wellington has a pretty good public transport system despite no subway (there are none in NZ). You can get a free shuttle from the ferry to the train terminal. From there (or from ferry terminal) it is a very short taxi ride to hotel (should be NZD$5-10), or if you're travelling light you could walk to many of them. Getting around Wellington is fairly easy as the central city is quite small, and there are plenty of buses. While there are some hills (James Cook is part way up one of them but has elevators to take you up from sea level) - eg Botanic Gardens, there is also good public transport to get there if you dont like walking up hill.

All of the main rental companies will allow drop off at different location to pick up.

If you arrive on a Sunday, I'm happy to play tour guide or something that day. :) PM me if interested.

You will enjoy the spectacular view of the grand Chateau!!!! Some of the nicest employees as well.

In Rotorua we went trout fishing with Craig and Patricia Armstrong of Clearwater Charters
537 Spencer Road, RD 5
ROTORUA - NEW ZEALAND
Phone: 64 7 362 8590 Fax: 64 7 362 8591
Email: info@clearwater.co.nz
Website: http://www.clearwater.co.nz/

Had a great time and caught 3 7 lb trout.

Our Rotorua itinerary was

THE SPRINGS-KING ROOM - B & B 12:00pm Accommodation: Feb 23-Feb 24 / Your booking reference is Colleen
1 night stay in a King Room with breakfast.
Hosts: Colleen & Murray Ward Address: 16 Devon Street, Rotorua
Phone: 64 7 348 9922 Fax: 64 7 348 9964 Mobile: 025 261 9965
Email: reservations@thesprings.co.nz Website: http://www.thesprings.co.nz

Nestled behind the hedges in a residential area close to Rotorua town centre lies a truly warm welcome at The Springs. With this central location, guest have access to all the wonders and surprises Rotorua has to offer, including golf, forest walks, geothermal activity, Maori Culture and fishing. Each of the four guest rooms is luxuriously appointed, with King or twin bed ensuite bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, luggage storage, individual central heating, television, telephone and a private patio. The appointments are simple, understated elegance. You are assured of personal service, attention to detail and comfort at The Springs in Rotorua. NOTE: This is a non-smoking establishment and does not cater for children under 14 years.

1:00pm Tour: PRIVATE HALF DAY TOUR, ROTORUA
Meet Limousines of New Zealand, 0 800 442 587, in hotel foyer.

Rotorua is a thermal fantasy-island where geysers of boiling water erupt in the air, mud bubbles in mysterious pools and steam wafts in eerie clouds from the surface of the lake. Some of your tour options today include the Whakarewarewa Thermal area with its boiling mud pools and spouting geysers, the Maori arts and Crafts institute or beautiful rainbow springs where crystal clear pools are home to hundreds of giant rainbow trout. The Rainbow farm has various daily activities of a typical New Zealand farm such as sheep shearing, shepherding with sheep dogs, cow milking and butter churning.

Your driver is able to make suggestions, or simply take you to the attractions of your choice. For this reason, entrance fees have not been included in your tour cost - these are to be paid when there.

6:15pm Tour: MARAE HANGI & CONCERT
Meet Tamaki Tours, 07 346 2823, in hotel foyer.

This Twilight Cultural Tour offers transport to and from a Marae by coach. Tonight is a spiritual experience you will never forget with Marae protocol, entertainment, Maori culture and feasting. En route to the Marae, the guide explains the protocol to take place. The group on board are prepared for the wero (challenge) and welcome to the Marae. Upon entering the exquisitely carved meeting house, you will hongi (greet - pressing of noses) with your host. The tradition means you are a friend and may consider yourself one of the family. Now sit back and enjoy the culture of the Maori people. See the fierce Haka (wardance), twirling of poi balls, stick games and other entertainment.

From here we move to the Hangi pit to see the traditional Maori method of food preparation before heading into the dining room for a hangi (feast). After the feast, you are transferred back to your Rotorua accommodation by coach.

We then went to an expensive lodge on the lake for two nights.

My wife loved Christchurch's stunning gardens, the ducks and the very English downtown area. We stayed at the George Hotel, a deluxe boutique hotel which combines luxury and attentive friendly service. beds were too soft for me and I thought it a bit over-rated but it had an excellent restaurant. We ate there one night and in a near-by casino the next.

While in Christchurch, we did the Arthurs Pass/TranzAlpine train. My itinerary describes it as:

Canterbury Leisure Tours
Toll free 0800 484 485 (NZ only)
PO Box 19621, Christchurch, New Zealand
Phone: 64 3 384 0999, Fax: 64 3 384 0996
E-mail:info@leisuretours.co.nz Internet: http://www.leisuretours.co.nz

From Christchurch travel by road across the Canterbury Plains to the foothills of the Southern Alps. At Springfield board the TranzAlpine train to travel through the Southern Alps to Arthurs Pass viewing the alpine scenery from large panoramic windows, said to be one of the great train journeys in the world. From Arthurs Pass our tour then moves on by road into the rugged, snow-capped Southern Alps of the Arthurs Pass National Park and the Otira Gorge where a stop will be made at the viaduct lookout, renowned for magnificent photo opportunities.

A stop will be made in the Otira Gorge at Kea Point renowned for magnificent photo opportunities. You will visit the old and now virtually extinct village of Otira before returning to Arthurs Pass National Park for lunch at the Chalet Restaurant in the picturesque mountain village. Following lunch explore the village and one of the many walks.

The return journey to Christchurch is by road through the Arthurs Pass National Park and the high alpine passes. A stop will be made at the Waimakariri River where you will experience an exhilarating jetboat ride through the spectacular gorges of the Waimakariri River. Following the jet boating, a stop will be made at a sheep farm for a late afternoon tea, followed by a sheep shearing and sheep mustering demonstration before completing your return journey to Christchurch

What a great day. The jetboat trip while short was awesome. The scenery fantastic. an all around fun adventure.

We loved Auckland. Ride the ferries -- doesn't matter where. The harbor area was filled with shops and restaurants, many with outdoor seating. We only ate at modest (well high modest!!!) places and never had a bad meal there.

Now I know I don't have to tell you about Queenstown. If time is too short, too bad. But if you miss Milford Sound that's a real loss.

We hired Over The Top - Helicopter Company, 03 442 2233 out of Queenstown to fly us to Milford. You fly through the grandeur of the Southern Alps, over glaciers and frozen lakes to the heart of Fiordland - Milford Sound! We made a landing enroute on top of a snow bank and took pictures.

In Milford we took a morning cruise on the Sound, saw no dolphins but lots of fur seals and birds. We enjoyed the natural quiet surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery. It was a real fun day.

We went in late February. Fog and wind conditions made flying impossible for the two days before we went and we almost had to walk back from Millford as minutes after we were in the air headed back they closed the landing strip to incoming traffic. It was a bit bumpy headed home to Queenstown.

By the way in Sydney we connected with Harbour Days Sailing Experience, 02 9968 1578 for a days cruise on the Harbor. Great experience. We loved Sydney. Spend 5 days there and saw only a fraction of what it had to offer.

Enjoy your trip.

Thanks everyone for such detailed information. This will help us finalize our plans in the coming days and we are very much looking forward to our trip. One last piece of informations we need is about the local weather during first half of December. We were planning on bringing a light sweater and a light wind breaker. Are we likely to need warmer clothing than that. Of course we are hoping for T shirt and shortws weather but I understand that the weather can be a bit unpredictable. Thanks again for all your input. Mukesh

One last piece of informations we need is about the local weather during first half of December. We were planning on bringing a light sweater and a light wind breaker. Are we likely to need warmer clothing than that. Of course we are hoping for T shirt and shortws weather but I understand that the weather can be a bit unpredictable. Thanks again for all your input. Mukesh

Unpredictable is the word. Expect average highs in mid-60's to low 70's and average lows in the 50's. The south island will have average lows in the low 50's. If you go into the mountains, expect it to be even cooler.

Note I said average lows. It can dip lower. When overcast and windy, not too uncommon, the 50's can seem cool. We layered with some long sleeve t-shirts, sweaters and a lined shell. As long as you are on the move, things should be fine.

I had a small back pack with me if we left early enough to need all layers so that I could easily strip down and have a place to store what was not needed.

Layers are the word. Umbrellas come in handy too.

The best weather is later in summer but should be okay December (just not quite as settled).

In the South Island east coast (this includes Mount Cook, Christchurch and Marlborough) if a norwester blows it will be hot dry and dusty (90+F) otherwise mostly pleasantly warm (around 70F).

Wellington doesnt get as hot but does have more than its share of windy days - windiest period is usually around equinox (Sept/Oct and Mar/Apr).

Rotorua/Taupo area has much less chance of a cold snap and will be a bit warmer (70-90F). Chateau is quite a bit colder due to the altitude and lack of fohn wind effect. If you're going up the chairlifts or climbing/walking on the mountains then take warm clothes - it can snow in the mountains any time and every year there are reports of tourists and locals getting hypothermia due to having only summer clothes and being caught out by a change in the weather.

Auckland is more humid and doesnt have the extremes other places get (70-80F), but is more likely to have some showers.

Climate data can be found www.metservice.co.nz (http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php?pkey=190512&ckey=192937) and www.weather.com

Make sure you've sunblock, hats and sunglasses. :) Overcast days can still burn you good.

Destinations Avg.High (F) Avg.Low (F) Avg.Precip (in.)

Auckland, New Zealand 69 58 3.10

Christchurch, New Zealand 67 51 2.20

Hobart, Australia 68 51 2.20

Wellington, New Zealand 64 55 3.50

From http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/vacationplanner/temperature/?temp=e&month=12&reg=ASP&x=12&y=10

Don't worry about days in the 80's or 90's. If one happens along, enjoy. For the most part highs -- not averages, will stay in upper 60's to upper 70's.

I'm not sure I believe those averages. Look to be too low for December.

Agreed... They look more like night time temperatures... Add 5 to 10 F for day temperatures?

Also, the temperature doesn't really mean much, it's the sun and the wind that makes the most difference.

And in Auckland also the humidity. Can feel much hotter than it is when humidity is high, although it is all relative as it definitely isnt the humidity of the tropics.

It seems that we should best be prepared with an extra layer of clothing than we had planned, just in case..
Your comments have been most helpful. Thanks again. Mukesh