RugbyRebels

Am starting to plan next year's travel and think it might finally be the year that I commit to seeing New Zealand. Am thinking around three weeks from late February into March.

However there is quite frankly a bewildering amount of advice out there so am looking to enlist some local knowledge and those that have been before. What should be my top priorities to see and how long on the north/south islands?

Currently I'm thinking of a brief stop around the Auckland area before flying to Queenstown and spending time hiking and seeing Christchurch. I want to avoid spending three weeks just driving however. Advice greatly appreciated.

Mate, as a local, I’m happy to give you as much advice as you can drink.

Feb/March isn’t a bad time, but if you could get here in early Feb you might get slightly better weather.

3 weeks is a decent stint but definitely not enough to see everything. Focussing on the South Island is the right decision.

Why do you want to go to Christchurch? Of our so-called main centres, it is easily the most boring.

I can thoroughly recommend Queenstown. Went there many years ago and it was great fun. Loads to do and beautiful scenery.

Puja

Lizard wrote:Mate, as a local, I’m happy to give you as much advice as you can drink.

Feb/March isn’t a bad time, but if you could get here in early Feb you might get slightly better weather.

3 weeks is a decent stint but definitely not enough to see everything. Focussing on the South Island is the right decision.

Why do you want to go to Christchurch? Of our so-called main centres, it is easily the most boring.

Cheers. Christchurch is mainly to go to Lake Tekapo and then return a hire car and fly out but if there's a better way I'm all ears.

If you had a top three to visit what would you pick?

It'll be stupidly busy with tourists then mate. Queenstown is a Rodd and Gunn nightmare, but if you like groups of lads in expensive "outdoor" gear and BANTAH, then I suppose you might enjoy it. Tekapo is basically ruined as a nice place to visit. If you are going to Queenstown, you may as well head for Wanaka, and the West Coast via Haast pass. There are tons of rentable little houses/huts along the coast that are either right on a beach or perched up on a cliff somewhere. I'd fang it right down to Haast/Jackson bay for a few. There is some phenomenal fishing down there. If you want to shoot something and eat it, there is plenty of that too. Remember, wherever you drive, you will have to cross mountains, so going back and forth is unavoidable. Id consider doing something out of Te Anau for a couple of days (book a motel waaay in advance that time of year but), and spend a couple of days punching into the the outskirts of Fiordland. Avoid Milford Sound....another place ruined by tourism. The Hollyford track is still pretty decent back country, and isn't an alpine pass so doesn't get cut off by snow (it'll snow any time of year up there). There are good day trips to tarns and lakes off the main track. The hollyford river is a beautiful ice blue beast. At the holiday park in Te Anau, across the road from the department of conservation, there is a company that takes you out sea kyaking on Doubtful sound. You'll get a full day from dawn to dusk and you will go over Lake Manapouri, across the mountains, and down into the sound. You'll get a great sense of perspective of the massive area over the mountains to the sea, and a good 4-5 hours on the water in a fairly small group. There aren't many places on the globe like it.


Fuck Queenstown.

Spent about 6 weeks there and the 1 day tongarairo crossing was definitely the highlight

Queenstown is grand for 1 or 2 nights but nothing more that that, Wanaka is nicer

See no merit in Christchurch at all

Are you looking to see zero people then follow moreporks directions if you're ok with people's then there's plenty of great options, a bit of both is probably best

paddy no 11 wrote:Spent about 6 weeks there and the 1 day tongarairo crossing was definitely the highlight

Queenstown is grand for 1 or 2 nights but nothing more that that, Wanaka is nicer

See no merit in Queenstown at all

Are you looking to see zero people then follow moreporks directions if you're ok with people's then there's plenty of great options, a bit of both is probably best

I'm afraid those days are gone. social media has laid bare all accessible good spots.

Huh. Times have definitely changed. I went to Queenstown in 2002 and it was almost bucolic. Certainly not overwhelmed with wankers.

Either I got in before the invasion or I set a trend and they all followed me.

Puja

Mangere and Henderson are pretty must-see locales of interest.

zer0 wrote:Mangere and Henderson are pretty must-see locales of interest.

Don't forget Huntly, there's a great holiday park there

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A bro. is on a fortnight drive-around, looks like N. Island was just a stopping/hopping point (Auck.) as his itin. is a loopy thing: C'church, Wanaka, Te anua (via Q'town), Invercargill, Dunedin, Timaru, back to C'church then return to Auck. Hotels mostly it seems.They are walkers but suspect the experience will be fleeting.
Will be interested to hear of his experience for future reference -There's a distant relative dood who lives in Firth of Thames area who still maintains the maternal line family tree, but looks like they just went South.

Galfon wrote:A bro. is on a fortnight drive-around, looks like N. Island was just a stopping/hopping point (Auck.) as his itin. is a loopy thing: C'church, Wanaka, Te anua (via Q'town), Invercargill, Dunedin, Timaru, back to C'church then return to Auck. Hotels mostly it seems.They are walkers but suspect the experience will be fleeting.
Will be interested to hear of his experience for future reference -There's a distant relative dood who lives in Firth of Thames area who still maintains the maternal line family tree, but looks like they just went South.

Timaru? Odd choice in an otherwise standard looking itinerary.

Lizard wrote: Timaru? Odd choice in an otherwise standard looking itinerary.

Suspect it's convenient drive-wise ( just over half-way dun-c'ch ).They've got a few nights in a hotel with harbour view - maybe it's the penguins.

Galfon wrote:

Lizard wrote: Timaru? Odd choice in an otherwise standard looking itinerary.

Suspect it's convenient drive-wise ( just over half-way dun-c'ch ).They've got a few nights in a hotel with harbour view - maybe it's the penguins.

Good luck to him! https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attractio ... sland.html

The places of interest seem to score highly enough..maybe these geezers are a cunning ploy to pursuade visitors to visit the hills straight away.
It transpires Bro has covered N.Isl on an earlier jaunt and drove only as far as C'Ch after crossing from Wellington. This trip will include some coastal stuff beyond the Alpy bits.

Just got back from 3 weeks in NZ, one of which was spent in Port Charles, Coromandel. Highly recommend it if you don't need shops and proper roads and stuff.

Having recently returned to Blitey, bro. gave favourable reports of trip -
Peeps: everyone friendly & laid back.
Sarf Isl: Beautiful bits - cities/towns comparatively small, lots of open spaces in between with nothing there..
Q'town: too busy-preferred Wanaka where other 'arf had relative.
Liked Dunedin/Invercargill..(bit like Devon/Cornwall but without the crowds.)
Touring option: took hire-car and stayed in decent hotels of good value - reckoned ruffin' it in motorhome would have not been much cheaper & without the comforts..(could be an age thing mind.)