We visited the spa in Hanmer Springs in March this year, they were in the process of planning a major refurbishment so I hope that this has happened. Whilst not the most uber-luxurious place, the people at the spa were fantastic and we ended up spending a small fortune between us during the course of two days.

There is also a lovely little tapas restaurant not far from the spa which, if you have the chance, you should visit. There are also heaps of accomodation possibilities in Hanmer and it is a pretty little town to walk round - are you staying there ? The drive from Hanmer to Christchurch took us just under 2 hours.

Other point that I notes was that you are taking a day trip to Milford Sound - if I recall correctly there are tour companies that run buses from Queenstown to Milford Sound but it is a long drive so be prepared for that.

In Sydney, I love having cocktails in 2 places - (1) the bar at the top of the Shangri La and (2) the Park Hyatt which is near the Harbour Bridge - you can get a view if the Opera House right in front of you, simply stunning