FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Feedback please on our first visit to New Zealand in September
Old Jul 23, 2019, 9:49 pm
  #1  
gobears293
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Delta Gold, UA Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 273
Feedback please on our first visit to New Zealand in September

Rather than creating a new thread, I'll add my own request for feedback onto this thread, since I too will be in New Zealand in September. First visit for both myself and fiancee. We love the outdoors, hiking, good food + wine. Flying into AKL, leaving from CHC (necessitated by award flight availability). Any and all feedback on the following itinerary is appreciated.

9/4: arrive in Auckland mid-day, just get settled in with some basic sightseeing
9/5: day trip to Waiheke Island for a wine tour
9/6: fly to Nelson, relax
9/7: begin three-day Abel Tasman trek
9/8: Abel Tasman
9/9: finish Abel Tasman, rent a car, drive to Greymouth
9/10: drive to Franz Joseph glacier; helicopter tour if weather cooperates, hike to glacier face if it doesn't. (Question: can we make the drive down from Greymouth in time for these tours? When do they typically start?)
9/11: hike/tour Fox glacier, then drive to and stay in Haast
9/12: drive to Wanaka, afternoon wine tour, stay in Wanaka
9/13: drive to Queenstown, sightseeing
9/14: Queenstown sightseeing
9/15: Queenstown morning, then drive to Te Anau
9/16: drive to Milford Sound, stay back in Te Anau
9/17: drive to Queenstown, fly to Christchurch
9/18: depart Christchurch

So we'd love to spend 3 or even 4 weeks in NZ to see more, but our work schedules won't allow for that. And would prefer hiking Milford Track, but know that is not possible in September. Hoping the drive to Milford Sound, with a kayak tour, will provide a good experience.

Are we moving too quick down the west coast or can we even speed it up? Wondering if one glacier day is okay and we can go straight from Fox to Wanaka, bypassing Haast, giving us an extra day in Queenstown. Or is two days/two nights in Queenstown okay?

Thanks in advance for all the replies!
gobears293 is offline