kaitlyn2004

Right now it's looking like she'll be landing in CHC Jan 25, flying out of WLG Jan 16. That sound good?

Eltham

Time travel? Never tried it. If you mean Feb 16 out of WLG, yes should be fine.

kaitlyn2004

Oh you should try it some time! Really fun

Yep, Feb 16...

Okay - apart from just booking things that offer free cancellation (although sometimes at a cost premium MAYBE not worth it) - would we still need to be booking things in advance or can we sort of do it a day or 2 before things?

Eltham

What are "things"?

kaitlyn2004

Not sure where would be best to spread things out a bit. Return flight is booked into CHC, out of WLG. Right now we've booked accommodation up to final days in Te Anau. Wondering if we should add in some time based on activities or more to do in areas? Once we head up the west coast, any sort of backtracking would be virtually impossible.

Most (but not all) accommodations are currently booked with free cancellation, but jumbling too many things might be difficult. Driving back from Te Anau is the first point where we clearly backtrack and that might be opportunity IF areas to spend more time in are in that southern region? As of right now the only activities booked are the te anau caves and doubtful overnight. Technically both can move if needed...

Day 1 Arrive Christchurch 8:25am. Botanical gardens. Gondola. Wine. Stay in CHC
Day 2 Breakfast in CHC. Drive 3h to Tekapo - see Church. Drive 1:15 into Mt. Cook Village
Day 3 Hooker valley hike. Lunch. Big Sky Stargazing. Stay in Mt. Cook
Day 4 Kea point / sightseeing / Drive 3h to Queenstown. Skyline (if time permits)
Day 5 Drive 45m to Glenorchy. See town/waterfront. 1:30pm Dart River Jet tour (3h long). Return to QT
Day 6 Explore arrowtown/surrounding area. Maybe Skyline if not repeat/weather
Day 7 Morning in QT. Drive to Te Anau. 7pm Glowworm Caves tour
Day 8 Early 2h drive to Milford Sound. Day cruise (1.5-3h). Return to Te Anau.
Day 9 12 noon start to overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound
Day 10 Return 11am. 4h drive to Wanaka
Day 11 Wanaka tree / Rippon winery / Wanaka lake/river cruise? Stay in Wanaka
Day 12 Drive to Fox Glacier. Lake Mattheson / fox trail. Stay in area
Day 13 Drive to Franz Josef. Valley trail. Stay in area
Day 14 Drive to Punakaiki. Pancake rocks
Day 15 Pancake rocks again (tide?). Drive 5h to Takaka
Day 16 Daytrip up to Puponga / wharariki beach. Return to Takaka
Day 17 Drive south to Nelson, stoping Kaiteriteri for water taxis to Abel Tasman. Finish in Nelson
Day 18 Drive to Picton. 2pm or 6:45pm Interislander 3h ferry to Wellington (2pm/7pm Bluebridge) (super rough plan)
Day 19 ...?
Day 20 ...?
Day 21 ...?
Day 22 ...?
Day 23 Fly out of Wellington 4:45pm

So some thoughts were...
- Spend more time in area(s) already listed
- Driving from Nelson or Picton, go to Blenheim area for wine tour
- Similar to above but head down to Kaikoura for whale watching (bit far to go return if ONLY for whale watching)
- Daytrip/1 night from wellington on north island (to where?)

I GREATLY appreciate all the feedback I've received on my many questions already... finally getting a good itinerary together, and indeed some things we have already had some difficulty booking with availability on certain dates...

Big4Flyer

If you're hoping to get a little bit of everything, I would personally spend more time in Nelson and Kaiteriteri. If you're into wineries there are some great ones in the area, there are also boat tours in the Marlborough Sounds that can bring you out to see where some of the penguin colonies are. In addition the beaches in Nelson and Abel Tasman are wonderful and you could easily spend a few days hiking/kayaking/touring the area.

I wouldn't go to Kaikoura just for the whale watching. The area is beautiful, but you'll have seen plenty of mountains by then.

It looks like you'll have a wonderful trip planned!

Mwenenzi

Too much driving and too little time to see & experience places.
The trip is February 2016 from another post.

Due to the earthquake Kaikoura is only accessible from Christchurch. Sometimes the (repaired) coastal road is closed, so need to go via the longer inland route. The road north Kaikoura to Blenheim is not open, and unlikely to be fixed when you do this trip.

Are you dropping the rental car in Picton? Some rental car companies do not allow cars to be taken across Cook Strait.

Some, but not all, of the other threads on this trip by kaitlyn2004
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...de-tasman.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...ight-away.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...ht-cruise.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...ease-what.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...sit-me-nz.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...elongings.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...strip-bar.html
New zealand for 5.5 months: Rent, buy, lease? What?

kaitlyn2004

You think for everywhere or only certain parts? I was working out driving times, activity times, etc.. and thought it was okay? Especially for the "more leisurely" times we'd have in Te Anau, Queenstown+Wanaka and fox/franz glaciers...

number_6

Nelson area is a bit of an art colony, well worth spending a couple of days there if art interests you (note it is glass blowing, wood working, etc. as opposed to painting for the most part). I did a similar trip in 10 days south island and did not find that too much driving or too little time to sightsee (had no choice as did both islands in 22 days, 4000km total driving). But I went with the intention of scouting to find places to visit in future years (which worked out well). Almost everywhere in NZ is charming, with great differences. Probably the most diverse country in the world, and very unpopulated once you leave the (very crowded) big cities. Plus you get a different perspective on life (I would look for fish & chop shop and locals would try to steer me to KFC for "the best food in town" ... it was novel for them).

PsiFighter37

I would try to block out 2-3 nights at the end of your trip in Wellington. It would probably be nice to unwind after all that driving by staying in the 'big city'. Given your schedule, I would maybe spend some time up in Marlborough/wine country for an additional day or two before making the hop over to Wellington (or add something in the glaciers, like helicoptering to the glacier and going ice climbing).

For your day 12 drive - Wanaka to Fox is going to be LONG. I don't think you are going to feel like hiking by the end of it. I would recommend finding a nice hike in Mt. Aspiring National Park, which you will be driving through, and doing that instead. YMMV, of course, but I drove the other direction...it's a long one, even though the scenery is gorgeous. I would also recommend picking one spot (IMO, Franz Josef, which has marginally more going on) and basing yourself there for your glacier stay. Doesn't make sense to haul your stuff very close by for that one day.

3 days in Queenstown would start feeling long for me, largely because it was overridden with tourists (yes, I know it's ironic saying that, since I was one of said tourists). I would cut one night and add another night in Te Anau (hopefully staying @ Fjordland Lodge ) and maybe do something like the heli-hike the lodge offers to the Kepler Track, which affords you gorgeous views (and you can get some decent hiking in as well). And don't forget to visit Rippon...I may have mentioned in one of your previous threads, but if you swing through Wanaka, the views there are absolutely fantastic. Of all the wineries I have been to, that is the one that sticks with me the most vividly.