Originally Posted by konagirl2

Look at all of the advice given on this forum... reign in your expectations! In 8-9 days even with the flexibility of a hire car you can only see a fraction of what South Island has to offer. So cut down your itinerary to 2-3 places and accept you'll want to come back.

The good news is that NZ is very back-packer friendly and therefore there are lots of InterCity and coach options to get around, even along the very remote West Coast. And if you book in advance for a specific timed coach or train it can be very cheap.

My twopence - choose one route Christchurch to Queenstown via the east (penguins and wine / Oamaru, Otago), central (Lake Tekapo) or west (mountains and glaciers / TransAlpine train, Arthurs Pass, Franz Josef) route and make sure you have 4-5 days around Wanaka or Queenstown to organise a trip to Te Anau and Milford Sound from there. With regard to star gazing, you will get amazing views on a clear night anywhere away from the major cities, as long as you are willing to walk a little away from the street lighting.