Must Do's South Island NZ

Must Do's South Island NZ

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BigJonMcQuimm

Original Poster:

975 posts

211 months

Wednesday 12th October 2016
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Hi

Looking for some advice.

Heading to South Island for 3 weeks, followed by 10 days in the North Island in December/Jan.

Flights are booked - landing in Christ Church. We have a car rented for the entire time, swapping over as we take the ferry from South to North Island.

I studied Geology at University many years ago - so, as you can imagine this is a bucket list trip for me!!! Definitely want to get up to the glaciers, as well as seeing some volcanic action!

We are both extreme sports nuts, and will be taking full Skydive gear (1000+ jumps each).

Hopefully, we will be allowed to jump instead of scenic flights as we head north.

We have previously done Bay of Islands, for a week, but that is it.

Where would you recommend we go? What should we do? Having a car and not a camper - we will need to get accommodation as we travel.

Many thanks for your thoughts!

BJM

louiebaby

10,651 posts

190 months

Wednesday 12th October 2016
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Milford Sound for the views.

Queenstown for activities that would scare me but probably make you laugh.

Omaru at dusk for the Blue Penguins.

More suggestions from people who have been more recently will surely follow. My cousin has a rental on the North Island, I can find details if you would like.

moles

1,794 posts

243 months

Wednesday 12th October 2016
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White Island volcano for the north island, we did fox glacier hiking on the glacier in 2011 which was brilliant but think it's retreated so much and the path to it is too dangerous now that helicopter is your only option. Enjoyed gold panning in arrowtown. Hamner springs is nice with hot springs. Akaroa is a nice place to visit outside of Christchurch. As above penguins visit the steepest street in the world in Dunedin and trip round the cadburys factory there. Millions of stuff to do you won't get bored.

Edited by moles on Wednesday 12th October 13:12

BigJonMcQuimm

Original Poster:

975 posts

211 months

Wednesday 12th October 2016
quotequote all
Oh WOW - penguins - had not yet read about that :-)

Hopefully more impressive than Melbourne? Such a shame the way the bay has been destroyed.

Any recommended routes to go from Christchurch to Auckland? Scenery, adrenaline or simply chill ideas appreciated!

We hit North Island a week before Christmas, to take in Lake Taupo and a few jumps.

Then Xmas with the sister-in-law, before heading off to Oz on the 26th. (Thanks for the offer for the Holiday Let - we will only need one when at the south of North Island).

We have done a Hot Springs previously - was a pretty wondrous and healing event! Are there "must see" ones in South Island?

Thanks all!

Kenty

5,029 posts

174 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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South island has springs at Hanmer springs, really good but not a lot of accommodation.
You will really need to get a wiggle on booking accommodation , it is often all sold out in smaller place until the schools go back - mid January.
In the south i would recommend the Tranz Alpine train - Christchurch to Greymouth - there and back in a day is a good day out - book on a NZ computer for low prices.
Doubtful sound is better than Milford.
Wanaka is great place - think upmarket Queenstown.
Dunedin and Otago peninsular worth a visit.

Don

28,377 posts

283 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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As others have said Milford Sound: take a cruise. If you have time I'd advise doing an overnight cruise. The boat stops at the far end of the fiord and anchors up. So, super early in the morning, you head back inland having breakfast with the fiord completely to "yourself" (i.e. the one ship). Absolutely brilliant.

Moeraki boulders are strange and memorable.

Whale watching: Meh.

We travelled around (a good few years ago) in a convertible BMW Z3. Having the sports car, roof down, in the NZ sunshine really lets you take in the scenery. Highly recommended, even if it does cost a bit extra.


Voldemort

6,087 posts

277 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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When we went to NZ some years ago the hire car decided to have a wee by a lake which meant we had to spend an unplanned 24 hours in Twizel waiting for a water pump to be couriered down.
Having lost a full day and a bit from our itinerary I decided to take a plane tour from Q'town to Milford and back to get some time back. Best decision ever. We flew out at 7, had a breathtaking trip there and back, the ferry tour round the sound and back before lunchtime. Obviously it wan't cheap but I man mathed it against the overall cost of the holiday and realised it was peanuts.
As it happens, that particular day is a definite top 10 days of all time for me. We got back from Milford, went to Kiawora and threw myself off a bridge, went to Arrowtown, then did the steam trip tour round Lake Wakatipu, and ended the night in a bar/restaurant on the pier.

Gren

1,947 posts

251 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
quotequote all
Milford or Doubtful sound
Helicopter up to a glacier
Albatrosses and penguins on the peninsula by Dunedin (can't remember its name)
Queenstown whitewater rafting and jet boating
Hiking and kayaking in the Abel Tasmen
Wine tours around Blenheim
Whale watching in Kaikura
Spas and mountain biking in Hamner springs
Hiking around Mount Cook

Loads of stuff to do if you like your fun outdoors.

SunsetZed

2,236 posts

169 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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As well as the whale watching dolphin swimming at Kaikoura. It's much better than the equivalent in Bay of Islands as they have fantastic super-pods. Also there's a nice walk around the headland where you can see hundreds of seals, some of them on the beach right next to the car park if I remember rightly.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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Gren said:
Milford or Doubtful sound
Helicopter up to a glacier
Albatrosses and penguins on the peninsula by Dunedin (can't remember its name)
Queenstown whitewater rafting and jet boating
Hiking and kayaking in the Abel Tasmen
Wine tours around Blenheim
Whale watching in Kaikura
Spas and mountain biking in Hamner springs
Hiking around Mount Cook

Loads of stuff to do if you like your fun outdoors.
This guy knows his onions.

Helihike up Fox or Franz glacier - much better than doing a basic hike at the bottom.

Do kayak Doubtful Sound - absolute must. The trip consisted of a jetboat across the lake, then a 4x4 over the power station, down the other side to the sound, and took kayaks out into the sound. It's so peaceful kayaking out on the water. There are dolphins in the sound and we watched and listened as they approached over the still waters (it was like a mill pond), all the way right up to our kayaks, it was amazing. I would say (cautiously) that this was the highlight of our 3 months in NZ.

Milford Sound is lovely for a boat trip, but much more commercial than Doubtful.

Kaikoura - we did whale watching and dolphin swimming in the same day. We did swim among a massive pod (100+ dolphins) and we were touching them etc, the water was alive with them, incredible. We then saw the same pod on the whale watching trip, along with plenty of whales.

Queenstown is ace for all the adrenalin junkie stuff - take your pick. We did bungy, the canyon swing and a jetboat ride. We also went up the Remarkables. I think it's also the home of Monteith's brewery - make sure you drink plenty of their craft beers. We still buy them through an expat website they're so good.

For wine we were lucky enough that our visit coincided with Wine Marlborough Festival - a fantastic day out.

Penguins at Oamaru was the only thing that was a bit meh. The wild ones pretty much didn't exist (we sat in a bird watching hut for 3 hours and saw one penguin!) but we went to the commercial place and paid, and they had an artificial type of place for them which was cool and everything, but no different to seeing them at Longleat or Bristol zoo really.

Another of our trip highlights was a wilderness canoe for 4 days down the Whanganui - but this was north island. Not sure if there is a South Island equivalent? If so I'd really recommend doing something like that, I've still never seen such colourful night skies with stars and constellations etc.

All in all we absolutely loved New Zealand. Far better than Oz (although Fraser and the Whitsundays were on a par with NZ's best.)

sjg

7,444 posts

264 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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Milford Sound is on every list although we did an overnight boat trip to Doubtful Sound and it was great, so quiet. If I'd had time I'd have loved to do one of the kayak and camping trips.

Abel Tasman NP is great for kayaking trips, again if you have time you can do a multi-day trip up the coast and camp on deserted beaches.

Also kayaking, one of the best days I had was with a company that takes you up the Dart river from Glenorchy (near Queenstown) in a jetboat, drops you off with inflatable kayaks and you spend the day paddling down. Stunning scenery (used as LoTR backdrops) between two mountain ranges, and a really relaxed day.

The coast around the south and east is stunning, and Dunedin is a lovely little town.

If you're staying near the glaciers look up Lake Matheson - go for a trip before sunrise. It's a calm, glass-like lake that gets a great reflection of Mt Cook - it's the classic photo you see on every guide book and calendar.

There's plenty of hostels, which generally are nicer than you get in other countries and many have private rooms. Else plenty of motels too for a bit more.

Taupo on the north island is skydive central (it gets the most consistent weather), although there's plenty of operators all over NZ.

Don

28,377 posts

283 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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If you go to Queenstown I advise getting a hotel actually in the town. If you stay in the Lodges out in the country you are forever driving in and out of the town to get to the start of the tour/the restaurant/the whatever.

Go up Ben Lomond for a laugh.

mikal83

5,340 posts

251 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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Glad I found this as we are too planning a trip down under but considering spending maybe 2 months.
thought we'd fly str8 to the southern island buy a car then zigzag back north, saves the expensive ferry once instead of twice. Planning on staying a mix of airbnb/campsites. Would also appreciate any ideas from folks that have done anything similar. Late jan/early Feb.

peter tdci

1,754 posts

149 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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Plenty of great ideas here! I did a similiar trip in May, but with only two weeks on the South Island. I flew into Queenstown and then out of Christchurch. Apart from 2 or 3 nights, I stayed at AirBnB places which were more homely, but I also got some great tips from some of the hosts.

I'd recommend basing yourself in Queenstown for a few days. There are plenty of adventure activities to do in the neighbourhood and it's also convenient for day trips to Glenorchy, Arrowtown, Wanaka (via the Crown Range), great roads (to Kawarau Gorge, Cromwell and Lake Dunstan).

I went from there to Te Anau - the road to Milford Sound is another amazing drive with stunning scenery! I didn't have time to go to Doubtful Sound, but that was highly recommended.

Next was a few days on the road - from Te Anau to Invercargill (where there's an interesting car and motorbike museum in a hardware store!), then to Dunedin. Then from Oamaru to Pukaki and Tekapo via Omarama - another incredible drive! I spent a few days in the area - including a drive up to the top of Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook Village.

Finally from Fairlie to Christchurch via Geraldine and Rakaia Gorge.

With more time, I'd have gone to the west coast and visited the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers, and driven through Arthur's Pass. Still, there's always next time!

Steve Campbell

2,110 posts

167 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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For the Geology element, Rotorua in the North is a must.

Research which areas to go for if you only have a day or so. We went to see the Mauri village and one of the thermal parks (can't remember which one off hand).....but it was many years ago now.

Gren

1,947 posts

251 months

Friday 14th October 2016
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Steve Campbell said:
For the Geology element, Rotorua in the North is a must.

Research which areas to go for if you only have a day or so. We went to see the Mauri village and one of the thermal parks (can't remember which one off hand).....but it was many years ago now.
Stinky place! Good brew-pub on the 'food street' in the town centre but not much other than the spa is worth visiting. Wai-o-tapu is the volcanic valley on the road down to Taupo that we've visited before. I think there is another one though

Big E 118

2,408 posts

168 months

Friday 14th October 2016
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Steve Campbell said:
For the Geology element, Rotorua in the North is a must.

Research which areas to go for if you only have a day or so. We went to see the Mauri village and one of the thermal parks (can't remember which one off hand).....but it was many years ago now.
Plenty of info on the South Island already posted but as above if you're interested in geology (and amazing scenery) have a look at the Tongariro Crossing in the North Island. http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/



From there you can go to Lake Taupo where there's skydiving and quite a cool bungy...

Tongariro


Bungy Taupo



The Rotorua thermal village mentioned above is probably Whakrewerawera...apologies if my spelling is wrong!

SunsetZed

2,236 posts

169 months

Friday 14th October 2016
quotequote all
Big E 118 said:
Steve Campbell said:
For the Geology element, Rotorua in the North is a must.

Research which areas to go for if you only have a day or so. We went to see the Mauri village and one of the thermal parks (can't remember which one off hand).....but it was many years ago now.
Plenty of info on the South Island already posted but as above if you're interested in geology (and amazing scenery) have a look at the Tongariro Crossing in the North Island. http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/



From there you can go to Lake Taupo where there's skydiving and quite a cool bungy...

Tongariro


Bungy Taupo



The Rotorua thermal village mentioned above is probably Whakrewerawera...apologies if my spelling is wrong!
I need to do the Tongariro again, it was all snow when I did it and it must be one of the few places on earth that looks better without the white stuff!

Skydive's cheap as they come and the view's are great too although they are in the South Island as well.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Friday 14th October 2016
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Tongariro Taupo Rotorua all lovely of course but largely irrelevant to the thread... hehe

BigJonMcQuimm

Original Poster:

975 posts

211 months

Friday 14th October 2016
quotequote all
Many thanks for all the help - still digesting and working through it all. Will post up our plan soon smile

One issue we have found is that we cannot find a convertible for rental.

We have tried all the usual firms - looking to pick up from Christchurch city and drop off at Auckland airport.

The only car seemingly available is a Mk2 MX5 - which I do not think will accommodate our gear.

Any ideas?

Thanks in heaps again!!