Originally Posted by
gameover98
I did NZ last year using UR on SQ older J before they devalued. Can't complain although a day flight on angle flat wasn't a disaster lol
From a hotel point of view, there aren't a whole lot of options for larger chains especially once you leave AKL. The option for 1.5cents per UR if you have the CSR can come in handy now that the Chase travel portal is linked to Expedia. Keep the AA/MR points, IMO, we aimed for NZ$150-250 per night on apartments via expedia/booking and were not disappointed.
This is great, thanks. That's also what I was thinking as well; the 1.5 UR points seem to be a good option for a couple of hotels/apartments, but also for some experiences that are offered through there. Already see a couple I was planning on buying that are (1) lower in the absolute sense than what I was getting from some other sites and (2) work with the 1.5 redemption, so in some cases I'm actually looking at 1.75-2X.
Originally Posted by happy
You will need a rental car to enjoy New Zealand - the beauty of the country is all about nature and outdoor. The popular lodging option in NZ is motor lodges - similar to the motels in US but most often carries kitchen and family oriented.
Originally Posted by happy
This NZ AA website should help you plan your trip. You can book the accommodations thru them without being a member. The site provides a wealth of travel information.
https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/
Thank you for the link. I've got a weird thing with renting cars in places where the driving side is reversed, and because my SO doesn't like to drive in those countries, I tend to have to drive most of the time. As such I can sometimes miss out on things if we're not stopping frequently.
I was thinking instead this time of getting experiences that are fairly small group sizes (8-12) that involve driving those same areas. Already found a few all day trips that do the glow worm caves combined with Hobbiton with Waitomo, Maori experiences and/or the Volcanic Caves or an Island trip, and planning for the south island. I may brave a drive from Christchurch to Queenstown or vice versa depending on where we fly in from the North Island, but we're also considering just staying in Queenstown for 4-5 days instead of moving about.