Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
1) Kaikoura New Zealand. This stretch of South Island is one of the few places in NZ which can be easily reached by rail. The mountains nearby continue down into the sea, to create a deep trench surprisingly close to land. I think it's in the 90% guarantee to see something or other, or thereabouts.
+ 1
This was my first ever whale watching and it was amazing.
We also did whale watching during our cruise trip to Alaska. We did it when the ship stopped in Juneau - but it was quite a miserable experience comparing to Kaikorua.
The good thing: QF is still operating a single frequency to CHC, so you can use Avios for this trip (all other flights were JQ'ed).
And let me one more thing - if you are thinking about visiting NZ, the best way to travel is to rent a compervan and be totally independent. Amazing experience!