Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - New Zealand South Island Itinerary Advice

Hi,
I am visiting New Zealand for the 1st time in Feb and would love someone who is familiar with the area to give me their opinion on this itinerary. I've been trying to do some prep work, but I've been so busy working that I haven't been able to spend much time on it. I will be flying in to Christchurch and renting a car:

Day 1 Arrive in Christchurch. Sleep, since I didn't sleep on the plane...
Day 2 Either do things in Christchurch or drive to Arthur's Pass, spend night in CC.
Day 3 Drive to Kaikoura and whale watch, spend night in Kaikoura
Day 4 Drive north, spend night in either Blenheim or Nelson (is one better?)
Day 5 Drive to Greymouth, spend night in Greymouth (drive to Arthur's Pass if I haven't done it already), see seals at Cape Foulwind
Day 6 Drive down West Coast, spend night in Haast? See White Herons at Whataroa
Day 7 Drive to Queenstown, stopping to explore Lake Wanaka
Day 8 Still in Queenstown, take fly/boat/fly trip to Milford Sound (all day)
Day 9 Still in Queenstown, explore area
Day 10 Drive to Te Anue and spend night
Day 11 Take the Souther Scenic Route to Dunedin
Day 12 Dunedin - Penguins, Albatross Centre, etc. Spend 2nd night in Dunedin
Day 13 Drive to Mt Cook, stay at The Hermitage
Day 14 Drive to Christchurch
Day 15 Fly home

I love to drive. My interests are primarily seeing gorgeous scenery, nature, marine life, birds (especially penguins), etc and I plan to do lots of photography. I prefer lonely, unpopulated places to crowded, touristy places although I know this itinerary has some of that in it. I would like to see some LOTR sites, but I'm not a nutter about it. Am I missing anything wonderful? I was wondering if I should cut out the Nelson/Bleinheim part and spend more time in the south? I'm planning to use free hotel stays in CC and QT, but otherwise will be looking for places for a medium range budget. Any help, opinions, etc would be most appreciated!

A good alternative to Queenstown is Arrowtown (small town about 20 miles away, quieter but still with a big tourist industry and charming). The glaciers are a "must see" in my book, as is the walking tour on the glaciers ... really special, and they would never offer this kind of tour in the US (due to liability problems; it is a bit of an adventure).

Different parts of NZ are completely different; that is part of its charm. Just within the south island there are at least 4 completely different zones, so there is a lot to see. The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is a must, it is quite a road (very rough, but an easy drive, and with lots to see along the way).

Wow. Sounds like a blast.

Something to look at if you haven't checked it out, since it looks like you'll have plenty of time - Stewart Island, just off the Southern coast.

Sounds okay although a lot of driving. Did you know that Te Anau is on the way to Milford Sound from Queenstown? I would do Queenstown to Te Anau one afternoon, overnight stop, then drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound and return. This will give you the opportunity to not be on the road at the same time as all the buses.

Blenheim and Nelson are both nice for different reasons. Both small towns, although will be more to do & see in Nelson. What I would do is drive from Kaikoura past Blenheim to Picton and take the Queen Charlotte Drive route to Nelson. I'd then spend a day in Nelson - either one of the great beaches, arts and crafts or in the hills and valleys depending on your preference.

February is an excellent time to travel - the best weather of summer and school holidays are over. Early February can still be busy on the roads and accommodation though due to public holidays end of January and on 6 February.

The glaciers are a "must see" in my book, as is the walking tour on the glaciers ... really special, and they would never offer this kind of tour in the US (due to liability problems; it is a bit of an adventure). The glaciers are only a "must see" for those who've never seen a glacier before. Those who fit that description would likely be impressed. However those who've scampered about on (and in) glaciers before would wonder what all the fuss is about, why these glaciers are so small and why they pronounce 'glacier' in such a silly way. Yes, you can do glacier tours in the US and there are many far more impressive glaciers in Alaska.

As for penguins, there's another South Island penguin viewing operation located in Oamaru:

http://www.penguins.co.nz/

However this is mainly a blue penguin viewing operation and unlike the site outside of Dunedin I don't believe there are any of the yellow eye variety at Oamaru.

As for the original poster's proposed itinerary, I'd say it hits a lot of interesting points and heaps of the interesting routes, but it is an awful lot of driving, especially for someone's first visit. And I say that as someone who also loves driving and who's spent part of the last 12 southern summers driving crazily all over New Zealand. (After driving the country's main highways so many times, I now look for obscure secondary and tertiary roads to explore. Along with the occasional stock route :)

Flexibility is also good when it comes to touring the South Island. For example, the drive along the West Coast can be an interesting experience or it can be downright miserable if you try it during a rainy spell. It can absolutely bucket down rain, making driving extremely tedious to dangerous and any planned activites very unpleasant.

If the forecast for the West Coast is for extended periods of rain, you'd probably do better to give that section a miss and spend more time elsewhere.

... Yes, you can do glacier tours in the US and there are many far more impressive glaciers in Alaska....I've toured several glaciers in Alaska, and while the scale is different (they are 100x bigger), Fox and Franz Jozef are more interesting, mostly due to their high velocity, which makes for more to see. Also the US glacier tours are far safer and less interesting than what they do in NZ.

A good point about the rain on the west coast. I planned my trip with that in mind, and was able to go from Greymouth to Te Anau between storms, with fabulous weather. A few days before/after it was pouring rain (not too surprising as it is a rain forest after all). Still I was very glad to have driven through the west coast of NZ, it is amazing scenery. A goretex coat is pretty much mandatory for the south island (unless you are staying near CHC).

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

I did a similar itinerary, only in reverse, heading south from Christchurch and going clockwise around the South Island. I spent 12 days there, and while it was a fair amount of driving, if you spread it over enough days it's hardly onerous.

Some quick comments:

1. I agree with the earlier poster who recommended Stewart Island and would encourage you to spend one day/night there. You can fly there in about 10 minutes from Invercargill.

2. Greymouth is boring as hell. If you can spend the night anywhere else, it might be wise to do so. Granted, I might have missed whatever I was supposed to see, or maybe my standards were too high after spending the day on Franz Josef, but there just wasn't much there (I found "grey" to be a fitting name).

3. I think you can cut back your time in Queenstown to two days instead of three, especially if you don't want to be around people. Queenstown is the only place in NZ I had any degree of difficulty finding a parking spot.

4. When you're up around Nelson, will you be going hiking? If that's something that interests you, definitely check out Abel Tasman. I regret not spending a night out on the trail. I should note that the area around Nelson was the only time in NZ I could comfortably wear shorts all day (in late December).

5. Check out Slope Point while you're on the Southern Scenic Route if you want to see the southern tip of NZ. It's a bit out of the way but not too much.

6. If you haven't spent time on a glacier before, definitely check out Fox or Franz Josef. I had a number of people tell me FJ was the better option, so I picked that one, but I really can't compare the two.

I have several hundred pictures from the trip at http://blort.smugmug.com/ if you want a preview.

Thanks so much to all of you for the advice!! I've decided to switch out a night in Queenstown for more time either @Oamaru or Te Anau or somewhere in the south. I'm now wondering if I should cut out the North bit (Nelson) altogether and go from Kaikoura to the West Coast so I could spend more time around the two glaciers and the WC.

Does anyone know if highway 72 through Arthur's Pass is a must-see?

I'm planning to fly to Milford Sound from Queensland for the day. Do I also need to take the drive from Te Anau?

I hope this won't be the only time I get to see the South Island, but it is a far distance from Tennessee :-).

Thanks again for all the input!

Completely agree. Having never really seen a glacier before, I am happy I did a heli-hike on Franz Josef, but once you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all. ....You missed out on the good hike. The heli-hike is OK, but much better is the cheaper hike up the face of the glacier (you climb from ground level up to the top). Also a lot more is happening in the ice at the leading edge of the glacier. I agree that the heli-hike is nothing special and not worth doing; but the other hike is pretty good (and not offered anywhere in the US -- too much liability risk).

A night in Te Anau is a good idea, though it is a sleepy little town with not many rooms to stay in. But really a beautiful setting, a couple of surprisingly good cafes, and some activities (e.g. glow-worm cave tour). Much better to go to Milford from Te Anau than from Queenstown (as mentioned, it lets you avoid all the buses to Milford). Flying into Milford is tricky, when I was there every flight for the past week had been cancelled due to fog, I drove in and it was beautiful weather for a few hours (and then the rain moved in). Flying in a small plane through that terain is quite an adventure. Driving is also pretty nice and there is a fair bit to see along the drive (creeks with interesting boulders, that sort of thing) which you wouldn't see from the air.

The drive through Arthur's Pass is standard alpine scenery and driving. Nice but no different than mountains in the US or Europe, so I don't think it is as much of an attraction.

The area around Nelson is very nice (maybe my favourite part of NZ), with 2 big features: hiking (and kayaking) in Abel Tasman, and artisan crafts (glass blowing, wood turning, etc.). Personally I would cut time from Queenstown (a day is enough, it is expensive and too jet-setted), and spend the time in Nelson and Te Anau.

You'll have a great time! A few notes about the penguins. The Oamaru penguin visitors center is very nice for watching the fairy penguins. You watch them come ashore from bleachers just around dusk -- note that they do not allow photography. Careful when leaving the parking lot, we thought the "penguin crossing" signs were just for atmosphere but there were a few flightless friends loitering around. To see the Yellow-eyes in Oamaru, take a short drive to Bushy Beach. You can watch them from the top of the cliff. They come ashore sometime after 3pm and you'll need a bit of a telephoto lens to photograph them on the beach. If you get there early you can spot their empty nests on the upslope. Enjoy!

Day 7 Drive to Queenstown, stopping to explore Lake Wanaka
Day 8 Still in Queenstown, take fly/boat/fly trip to Milford Sound (all day)
Day 9 Still in Queenstown, explore area
Day 10 Drive to Te Anue and spend night


I love to drive. My interests are primarily seeing gorgeous scenery, nature, marine life, birds (especially penguins), etc and I plan to do lots of photography. I prefer lonely, unpopulated places to crowded, touristy places although I know this itinerary has some of that in it. I would like to see some LOTR sites, but I'm not a nutter about it. Am I missing anything wonderful? I was wondering if I should cut out the Nelson/Bleinheim part and spend more time in the south? I'm planning to use free hotel stays in CC and QT, but otherwise will be looking for places for a medium range budget. Any help, opinions, etc would be most appreciated!

I've just returned from the South Island little over 1 week back
and here are some of my comments:


First of all, I'd listen to Kiwi Flyer, Instructions and information he has provided has been very helpful/useful.

Having said that, I'd drive to Milford sound via Te Anau. Its a beautiful drive.
(just make sure you have enough fuel to return to Te Anau.
Its a long hilly streatch without any fuel station.

I loved Wanaka, its a very nice place and less crowded.. then again
there is no such thing as a crowded place in the South Island of
New Zealand. You can go for miles (KMs) and hours without seeing
another car or a person.

I personally cut Nelson and Bleinheim so I cant comment what I've missed,
but I enjoyed the south very much.

Also for the drive north of Christchurch, there was a lot of construction work going on the roads along the coast...
hopefully it will be all okay by the time you get there.. but add some
travel time. Speed limits are very low (30kmph) in the construction zones.
and they are serious about the speed limits.


and dont forget to lookup the NZ Master Thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=401294



Enjoy!.. its a beautiful place.

I've visited Fox, Franz and the Tasman, and the
most I like was Fox. Its fast moving, and we say the glacial ice
collapse a few times. Its an amazing site to see in person.

Even local recommended Fox over the other.
but you can visit both.. none of them are far off the
main road. You can do Heli-hike if the weather permits.
I wasn't fortunate enough for that.

Give yourself half a day to appreciate Haast Valley. I've done cycling rides in many parts of the world, but my favorite ride ever was Lake Moeraki to Wanaka. That valley was magical.

Give yourself half a day to appreciate Haast Valley. I've done cycling rides in many parts of the world, but my favorite ride ever was Lake Moeraki to Wanaka. That valley was magical.

My next trip to NZ will be strictly for biking and hiking! ^
and I loved the area around Wanaka..

I'm planning to fly to Milford Sound from Queensland for the day. Do I also need to take the drive from Te Anau?

If you are only in that part of the country a couple of days then I'd rule out flying to Milford Sound. The flight can only operate when the weather in Milford Sound is clear (not surprising given flying through valleys in between sheer mountains). Milford Sound gets over 6 metres (20 feet) of rain a year (at sea level, the surrounding mountains get 10+ metres), so not surprising it may take a few days to wait for clear enough weather to fly.

Does anyone know if highway 72 through Arthur's Pass is a must-see?


i would not say its a must-see, but thats just me.

but almost all passes are different in their own way.. the scenery is bit
different too.

i liked the one between Haast and Wanaka.. i guess because of the
lakes on the way.

This thread has been very helpful in planning a similar trip. Two questions:

1. I know most of the Maori culture is on the north island, but given that we won't be there, are there any specific places on the south island where we could get the flavor? (We hope to come back to the north island at some point in the future, but that's then and this is now.)

2. Someone who had been there several years ago recommended the train ride up the east coast from Christchurch to Picton(?) and back. Any comments on this?

2. Someone who had been there several years ago recommended the train ride up the east coast from Christchurch to Picton(?) and back. Any comments on this?

I can't comment much on the first question, but for the train ride,
I think its a wonderful ride. the road that goes along the coast
from Christchurch to Picton goes along the train tracks for the most part.
(I've driven this route both ways)

But in my opinion, this is not something to go out of the way for.
If you have time, do it by all means.

I would suggest either the Christchurch - Greymouth ride if you want
to do a train ride. I liked the southern and western part of the
south island much better.

This thread has been very helpful in planning a similar trip. Two questions:

1. I know most of the Maori culture is on the north island, but given that we won't be there, are there any specific places on the south island where we could get the flavor? (We hope to come back to the north island at some point in the future, but that's then and this is now.)

2. Someone who had been there several years ago recommended the train ride up the east coast from Christchurch to Picton(?) and back. Any comments on this?

1) Very limited in the South Island (over 90% of Maori and Pacific Islanders live in the North Island). There are Maori tourist ventures at Kaikoura (whale watching) and on the west coast (Kotuku/Herons at Okarito and greenstone at Hokitika), plus others. Being a main tourist centre, Queenstown probably has something too.

2) The coast between Christchurch and Blenheim is stunning. Very narrow strip of land between sea and towering mountains. If you stop at Kaikoura go whale watching (just a couple of kilometers offshore where there is a deep trench) and try some local crayfish (washed down with local marlborough wines). Blenheim has the wineries and Picton the tranquil sounds (drowned river valleys) - most with no road access only hiking or by boat, try the mail boat out.

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

Unless you are experienced I would not hike on the glacier (or in front of the face) without a guide. But walking up the glacier track is nice short walk.

Unless you are experienced I would not hike on the glacier (or in front of the face) without a guide. But walking up the glacier track is nice short walk.On the guided hike we were equipped with crampons and an ice stick, and needed them, plus the guides had cut steps into the ice and installed ropes. They were needed at times, it was pretty steep. Once on top there are lots of slippery bits and sink holes, wouldn't want to be there with normal boots. The Fox glacier is surprisingly active at the face.

I love to drive. My interests are primarily seeing gorgeous scenery, nature, marine life, birds (especially penguins), etc and I plan to do lots of photography. I prefer lonely, unpopulated places to crowded, touristy places [...] For those who like to drive and who like to explore off the beaten path of NZ while learning about the local history and sights, I'd recommend trying to find a copy of one of the guides to NZ put out by Diana and Jeremy Pope. An example would be the "Mobil New Zealand Travel Guide, South Island". (There's also a North Island edition). However be aware that these guides are fairly hard to find these days since they first came out some 30+ years ago. The most recent edition I've seen is a 1997 reprint of the 1995 7th edition.

The Pope guides cover heaps of places from the major cities to the tinest, off the beaten path country towns. These aren't the guides to use for looking up accomodations or dining options, but they're great for learning the features and history of the countryside and its inhabitants, how a town got its name or just why this sheepdog or giant vegetable deserved a monument :)

If anyone familiar with the Pope guides knows of a more recent edition or something comparable, I'd certainly like to hear about it.