Air New Zealand Air Points - Kiwi Mainland Do 9-11 November 2007 - input needed

It's time for another DO in Aotearoa New Zealand. Since some US-based FTers have been asking this time we'll look at holding over a holiday weekend for them - Veterans Day weekend. And with plenty of advance notice there is time to snaffle those awards.

Talking with a few other FTer locals we narrowed it down to Blenheim, Queenstown or Nelson.

Being off peak accommodation shouldn't be a problem anywhere.

While Queenstown is a great place, I think it may be best kept for either longer visit or summer - there have been recent major weather disruptions to flights.

This year Nelson has a food & beverage festival (http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/events-calendar/event-details.cfm/startrow/15/endrow/0/filter/date/search/yes/seed/051106/startmonth/11/startyear/2006/endmonth/11/endyear/2006/eventid/2028.html) on the corresponding weekend. I don't know if it will be held next year at the same time. Possible activities wine tour, day trip to Kaiteriteri, check out the arts and crafts in town (plus the market).

If do Blenheim then possible activities include day trip mail boat in the Sounds, wine tour, day trip whale watching Kaikoura.

So, before we post on Community, please provide some input - location, activities, accommodation, etc. I'd like to get a rough plan in the next week or so, in order that we have posted by the time awards start becoming available for anyone travelling from afar.

Thanks.

Blenheim? Blenheim???

Surely you must be joking?

Since some US-based FTers have been asking this time we'll look at holding over a holiday weekend for them - Veterans Day weekend. It would likely be more help to US-based FTers if you picked a real holiday for them. For many, Veteran's Day weekend merely means they get the weekend off, just the same as any other random weekend.

A more substantial holiday in November for the US is Thanksgiving, which falls on the 4th Thursday of November. Most get that Thursday and the following Friday off and can turn it into a 4+ day weekend. Availability on international flights in and out of the US around Thanksgiving is generally easier, especially in the premium classes, since few are flying for business at that time.

A Mainland do is a great idea. I'm flexible about dates at this stage. Will throw some ideas your way.

Excellent. I might pick your brains on Saturday.

A more substantial holiday in November for the US is Thanksgiving, which falls on the 4th Thursday of November. Most get that Thursday and the following Friday off and can turn it into a 4+ day weekend. Availability on international flights in and out of the US around Thanksgiving is generally easier, especially in the premium classes, since few are flying for business at that time.

Sticking my head in here......

True, Thanksgiving is a longer holiday - but it is still a family holiday in the States. There are a few folks who will travel for non family reasons, but not many - and those who do often leave the day after Thanksgiving. Also, the day before Thanksgiving is the heaviest travel day of the year in the States. It's a nightmare in the airports.

Sticking my head in here......

True, Thanksgiving is a longer holiday - but it is still a family holiday in the States. There are a few folks who will travel for non family reasons, but not many - and those who do often leave the day after Thanksgiving. . Even for those that would choose to depart on Friday, that's still one more holiday day off than most get for Veteran's Day (i.e. none).


Also, the day before Thanksgiving is the heaviest travel day of the year in the States. It's a nightmare in the airports. Midday to late on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving can be a bad time to hang around domestic terminals (unless you're looking for VDB opportunities) however international terminals have seemed deserted around Thanksgiving. Over the past decade I've flown out of the US to LHR, CDG, FRA, HKG, MFM, PEK, SYD and AKL for Thanksgiving and have to say the lower fares, better availability and less crowded terminals and planes make international flying in/out of the US quite pleasant around Thanksgiving.

btw, cable TV systems in the SFO and LAX metro areas have been running a lot of New Zealand commercials on some shows recently. There's almost always one run on Comedy Central during the Daily Show or Cobert Report each night for example. These are the adverts that show lots of great scenes of NZ and finish with "You could leave California tonight and be here by morning". (They fail to mention the morning happens to be 2 days later though :) )

Perhaps they could come up with a special version for Thanksgiving: "You could engorge yourself on turkey in the afternoon, watch football, and still leave California tonight and be here by morning"

Bump - any more opinions?

Bump - any more opinions?

I'm heading to the South Island on 18th... its my first trip. I'll
drop in a few suggestions if I can after my visit.


I wouldnt mind a DO in north island either.

This year Nelson has a food & beverage festival (http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/events-calendar/event-details.cfm/startrow/15/endrow/0/filter/date/search/yes/seed/051106/startmonth/11/startyear/2006/endmonth/11/endyear/2006/eventid/2028.html) on the corresponding weekend. I don't know if it will be held next year at the same time. Possible activities wine tour, day trip to Kaiteriteri, check out the arts and crafts in town (plus the market).Personally I wouldn't put anyone on a day-trip to Kaiteriteri if they were here for only one or two days / nights, and I think it is pretty unlikely that same festival would be on again the same weekend; since the unfortunate demise of the Waitangi weekend wine & food festival at Founders Park there have been many other versions and none seem to have any staying power.

You could do much worse than just plan a mini-food tour of your own. Breakfast at a waterfront cafe, lunch at the brewery at Founders, drinks and dinner in town. Or breakfast in town, dinner on the waterfront.

For reference I have had 3 trips to Queenstown this month so far. Of these, 1 has had no flight issues, 1 involved a significant weather delay and the 3rd has been cancelled and needs to be rebooked. Weather at ZQN this time of year is temperamental!

In case you haven't seen the thread over in Community, do is Queenstown 9-11 November 2007 (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=628678). All welcome of course.

In case you haven't seen the thread over in Community, do is Queenstown 9-11 November 2007 (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=628678). All welcome of course.
Put me, and the newly minted Mrs Blackcloud, down for Bronze I will know closer to the date, well after the wedding and moving and....
Oh I know someone at Skyline, I will also ask about whether we can get a special on either the gondola, luge or restaurant as no trip to ZQN at that time would be good without going up there. Oh if bungy is on the agenda then count me out!:eek:

I'll add you +1 as bronze. Thanks for checking on Skyline - that was one place I thought of, gondola, luge & bite to eat, plus watch whoever decides to do the bunjy jump.