Never been to the Rock but have always wanted to check it out. Sounds like that bus trip would be great value...
But, I'll be slaving away at that time of the year again at uni. 2015, however, will be a different story, so I'm the one who's gonna have to wait until then....
As a side note, Queenstown would be a great spot for an NZ-based Ozfest. And yes, there is a Hilton there.