Help with road trip in NZ - November
Discussion
I'm trying to get some ideas about a 3 week road trip in NZ in November. Looking to fly into either Christchurch or Auckland and fly back from the opposite. I'm not too fussy about where to go either side as a stop (If I could I'd probably go straight there and somewhere lazy/hot/beaches on the way back for a chill)
Road Trip looks to be by motorhome as it appears more flexible, and at a guess cheaper than using hotels/driving a car. I quite like the idea of freedom the motorhome gives too.
Looking at costs, I seem to have the following rough estimates
Flights (£2500 for 2)
Motorhome hire (£1300 including diesel recovery tax, lower excess, first gas fill)
Site fees (£15 per night) - (How flexible is free-camping and just camping where you want to?)
Ferry crossing on Cook Strait (£250 inc Motorhome)
Fuel (£250 for around 2000 mile road trip)
Hotels in return stop e.g Thailand (£100 per night per room? = 5 nights £500)
Extra spends on food/drink/excursions/admissions etc.
As there's so much material out there, I'm trying to get some rough costs together at the moment to see whether its affordable or whether I need to look at something else. I feel I might have either miscalculated badly or missed something out. We dont want to be going on a budget as this is really a once in a lifetime trip but at the same time, I dont want to be spending upwards of £8k on a 3 week jolly.
I'm asking advice from those who have done similar, visited NZ or live there at the moment. Help!
Road Trip looks to be by motorhome as it appears more flexible, and at a guess cheaper than using hotels/driving a car. I quite like the idea of freedom the motorhome gives too.
Looking at costs, I seem to have the following rough estimates
Flights (£2500 for 2)
Motorhome hire (£1300 including diesel recovery tax, lower excess, first gas fill)
Site fees (£15 per night) - (How flexible is free-camping and just camping where you want to?)
Ferry crossing on Cook Strait (£250 inc Motorhome)
Fuel (£250 for around 2000 mile road trip)
Hotels in return stop e.g Thailand (£100 per night per room? = 5 nights £500)
Extra spends on food/drink/excursions/admissions etc.
As there's so much material out there, I'm trying to get some rough costs together at the moment to see whether its affordable or whether I need to look at something else. I feel I might have either miscalculated badly or missed something out. We dont want to be going on a budget as this is really a once in a lifetime trip but at the same time, I dont want to be spending upwards of £8k on a 3 week jolly.
I'm asking advice from those who have done similar, visited NZ or live there at the moment. Help!
From my experience free camping is pretty common. My girlfriend and her mate did it a few years back and and after parking up at night often found themselves camped in some pretty full-on places come the morning!
I don't have much experience with the North Island but i did a bit of a road-trip on the South island a couple of years ago. It was damn good and I can't recommend it enough! The East coast is pretty easy to get around on but I found the West coast to be pretty sparse as far as population centres are concerned - I had to drive 30 miles to get some aspirin for instance.
With regards to the hot beach and lazy stuff you might just have that need sated in the very north. The Bay of Islands is beautiful and may well tick your boxes.
I don't have much experience with the North Island but i did a bit of a road-trip on the South island a couple of years ago. It was damn good and I can't recommend it enough! The East coast is pretty easy to get around on but I found the West coast to be pretty sparse as far as population centres are concerned - I had to drive 30 miles to get some aspirin for instance.
With regards to the hot beach and lazy stuff you might just have that need sated in the very north. The Bay of Islands is beautiful and may well tick your boxes.
When it comes to free camping, you have to do it out of a built up area. I think you have to be 1km outside of the city limits, but don't quote me.
(We got a tap on the window one morning, very early, and had to go for a little drive.)
If you park up at night, you can wake up in some amazing places.
Try to get to the observatory near Lake Tekapo on the South Island. I've never seen a sky like it. The next night was cloudy, so couldn't go, but I expect it's amazing.
(We got a tap on the window one morning, very early, and had to go for a little drive.)
If you park up at night, you can wake up in some amazing places.
Try to get to the observatory near Lake Tekapo on the South Island. I've never seen a sky like it. The next night was cloudy, so couldn't go, but I expect it's amazing.
Going south to north is preferable, because most people go the other way - the hire companies tend to waive one-way fees if you're heading S to N.
If you want a camper, I'd look at the smaller ones (converted people carriers) like http://www.spaceshipsrentals.co.nz/ - cheaper to fuel and on the ferry, easier drive and park. Ideal if it's for two, and you don't need your own shower and toilet if you're mainly using sites. Works out about £800 for 3 weeks instead. Bear in mind you can rent a car from £200 for the same period though - that pays for a fair bit of accommodation.
Hostels out in NZ are cheap and generally very nice with private rooms as well as dorms. Expect to pay about $60 a night (under £30) for a double room. Some of the ones I stayed in were in stunning locations more like boutique B&Bs you get in this country than hostels.
fwiw, I did 3 weeks flying from London to Queenstown (via Auckland), hiring a car, touring through to Bay of Islands (for a wedding) and back to Auckland, doing all sorts of jetboating, rafting, kayaking, the waitomo abseil, trip to the white island, etc and eating out in restaurants every night for about £2000 all in. Exchange rate isn't quite so favourable now and that was sharing a car between 3, but it's certainly possible to have a fantastic time on a budget.
If you want a camper, I'd look at the smaller ones (converted people carriers) like http://www.spaceshipsrentals.co.nz/ - cheaper to fuel and on the ferry, easier drive and park. Ideal if it's for two, and you don't need your own shower and toilet if you're mainly using sites. Works out about £800 for 3 weeks instead. Bear in mind you can rent a car from £200 for the same period though - that pays for a fair bit of accommodation.
Hostels out in NZ are cheap and generally very nice with private rooms as well as dorms. Expect to pay about $60 a night (under £30) for a double room. Some of the ones I stayed in were in stunning locations more like boutique B&Bs you get in this country than hostels.
fwiw, I did 3 weeks flying from London to Queenstown (via Auckland), hiring a car, touring through to Bay of Islands (for a wedding) and back to Auckland, doing all sorts of jetboating, rafting, kayaking, the waitomo abseil, trip to the white island, etc and eating out in restaurants every night for about £2000 all in. Exchange rate isn't quite so favourable now and that was sharing a car between 3, but it's certainly possible to have a fantastic time on a budget.
The cheaper camper van is what we had over there. For us it was about a fiver a day more than a regular car, so saved loads on accomodation.
We liked it so much, we bought our own when we got back, and fitted a decent bed...
We've taken Emily, above, to France and Switzerland on long runs, and had loads of UK based weekends away.
She came in pretty useful moving house too...
We liked it so much, we bought our own when we got back, and fitted a decent bed...
We've taken Emily, above, to France and Switzerland on long runs, and had loads of UK based weekends away.
She came in pretty useful moving house too...
Thanks for the replies, I think we were looking at 4 berth campers with a permanent bed, just to make it more comfortable and spacious for the long trip. We dont really want to rough it for a once in a lifetime trip and while I would say that the little campers are perfect for a few days - week away, if the option is there I'd probably go for the larger van. I'm not afraid to drive one about, although I guess on some of the smaller roads, size does become an issue.
I think its the cost of the flights at anything over £2500 which is the costly part as for that price I could quite easily have a fantastic 2 weeks somewhere else.
Can you realistically cover majority of both islands in a fortnight or is that a very hectic schedule?
I think its the cost of the flights at anything over £2500 which is the costly part as for that price I could quite easily have a fantastic 2 weeks somewhere else.
Can you realistically cover majority of both islands in a fortnight or is that a very hectic schedule?
Free camping - At that time of year you shouldnt have much trouble. The only area I know of that specifically prohibits it is the Coromandel (but the fine is only $60)
Flights - You should be able to find cheaper than that. I go back once a year and rarely pay more than £1k even at Christmas. Look closely at Malaysian Airlines and Cathay.
Good call on who ever said go South to North.
Flights - You should be able to find cheaper than that. I go back once a year and rarely pay more than £1k even at Christmas. Look closely at Malaysian Airlines and Cathay.
Good call on who ever said go South to North.
uncinqsix said:
Rob13 said:
Can you realistically cover majority of both islands in a fortnight or is that a very hectic schedule?
Not a chance. 3 weeks would be a minimum for both islands. If you only had two weeks, you'd be best to limit it to one island. We did both islands in 2 weeks, South to North, by car crossing using the ferry. It was their winter mind and we stayed in hotels. My top tip for NZ is make sure you get the windscreen cover for the hire car/camper. Paid $35NZ and yes we did suffer a cracked screen thanks to a rock thrown up from a truck. I would have had to paid the bill if I hadn't had the cover.
Top sites were, Homer Tunnel on the way to Milford Sound, Franz Joseph Glacier, whale watching in Kaikoura in the South. Springs in Rotoura, Art Deco styling of Napier and Huka Falls on the North.
Happy Trails!
Top sites were, Homer Tunnel on the way to Milford Sound, Franz Joseph Glacier, whale watching in Kaikoura in the South. Springs in Rotoura, Art Deco styling of Napier and Huka Falls on the North.
Happy Trails!
You couldn't cover "everything" in 3 months let alone 3 weeks!
My first trip was an overnight in Auckland before heading down to Queenstown for two nights, then worked up the west coast via Fox Glacier, Punakaiki, Marahau (for Abel Tasman NP), Nelson, Picton, then over to Wellington, straight up to Taupo, Rotorua, Whakatane, Waitomo, through Auckland up to Whangarei, Tutukaka (for Poor Knights diving), then on to Bay of Islands for a couple of days before back to Auckland. That was 3 weeks filled nicely, no stopovers either way. tbh, somewhere like Thailand is pretty cheap and easy to get to another time.
We were doing a lot of fun stuff but on a typical day, we'd do something in the morning then spend most of the afternoon driving then we'd break at 5pm or so and find a hostel.
Second trip was with my kiwi gf, three weeks doing stuff I'd missed out on before (like Doubtful/Milford Sound, the southern/eastern coast of the south island, etc). There's still loads left I haven't seen and want to do - I know it's tempting to think of it as a once-in-a-lifetime trip but if you don't want a really hectic schedule then be realistic, especially in a camper. I'd be inclined to say stick to one island - and if you want the big countryside it's got to be the south. Maybe fly back to Auckland, rent a car and head off for a couple of days to Coromandel or somewhere before you fly home.
Out of interest, have you done any kind of trip in a camper before?
My first trip was an overnight in Auckland before heading down to Queenstown for two nights, then worked up the west coast via Fox Glacier, Punakaiki, Marahau (for Abel Tasman NP), Nelson, Picton, then over to Wellington, straight up to Taupo, Rotorua, Whakatane, Waitomo, through Auckland up to Whangarei, Tutukaka (for Poor Knights diving), then on to Bay of Islands for a couple of days before back to Auckland. That was 3 weeks filled nicely, no stopovers either way. tbh, somewhere like Thailand is pretty cheap and easy to get to another time.
We were doing a lot of fun stuff but on a typical day, we'd do something in the morning then spend most of the afternoon driving then we'd break at 5pm or so and find a hostel.
Second trip was with my kiwi gf, three weeks doing stuff I'd missed out on before (like Doubtful/Milford Sound, the southern/eastern coast of the south island, etc). There's still loads left I haven't seen and want to do - I know it's tempting to think of it as a once-in-a-lifetime trip but if you don't want a really hectic schedule then be realistic, especially in a camper. I'd be inclined to say stick to one island - and if you want the big countryside it's got to be the south. Maybe fly back to Auckland, rent a car and head off for a couple of days to Coromandel or somewhere before you fly home.
Out of interest, have you done any kind of trip in a camper before?
Just a bit of advice about the weather: November is unpredictable (of course, every month here is unpredictable) Summer seems to me to be sliding backwards(or is it forwards?) This season -2009/10, Summer didn't really appear in Auckland until January, but we'll probably still be swimming in May. If you want guauranteed heat and beach-lazing in November, stop off in Fiji or Port Douglas(Queensland) or Vanuatu... Climatically and geographically, the (imaginatively named) North and South Islands are remarkably dissimilar, so it may pay to decide which you want to have a decent, leisurely look at and save the other for next time?
I just got back from a 2 week cruise from Melbourne to NZ, sailed up the East Coast with around 6 day stops.
Loved what I saw, but due to various circumstances (I might write a blog...) we couldn't do much sightseeing anywhere, but would love to go back for a drive around tour. Trouble is we loved the cruise so much I know that is where all the holiday funds will go for a while...
Weather... well it was 44C when we left Melbourne, around 12C in the South Island, wet and windy like Winter here... "warmed" up to about 20ish in the North. Now I'm in bed with the flu
Loved what I saw, but due to various circumstances (I might write a blog...) we couldn't do much sightseeing anywhere, but would love to go back for a drive around tour. Trouble is we loved the cruise so much I know that is where all the holiday funds will go for a while...
Weather... well it was 44C when we left Melbourne, around 12C in the South Island, wet and windy like Winter here... "warmed" up to about 20ish in the North. Now I'm in bed with the flu
tim the pool man said:
Weather... well it was 44C when we left Melbourne, around 12C in the South Island, wet and windy like Winter here... "warmed" up to about 20ish in the North. Now I'm in bed with the flu
Central S.I. is usually in the 25-40+° range through most of summer but its been a bit of an odd year weather-wise.As far as the time you spend here - I've had 24 years so far and still not even close to seeing everything, obviously practicality is an issue but do try and stretch it out as much as you can.
A word of warning, the sun certainly has a kick in the south even on colder days - many tourists have been surprised by nasty cases of sunburn after forgetting that!
Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 28th January 09:25
never done a camper trip before only done multistop camping with a tent in an estate. Drive large vans at work so not too concerned about size. Anything i need to be aware of? I know we couldnt possibly cover everything in 3 wks but wanted to see a fair spread of the islands in that time, So November is not too warm? I knew it was like the end spring. We would be going last week in November first two weeks of December. I think our summers are getting earlier so not surprised theirs are later. Its supposed to be a belated honeymoon as we are getting wed in June but if its looking better to go later or save til next year then i might look to go elsewhere
November is just hard to predict is all - it may be mostly hot and sunny, or then again you might have a cold snap come through like the one that brought hailstorms to the deep south in late late Nov/early Dec last year.
Realistically in Nov you'll probably get a few cracker days followed by a couple of worse ones followed by a few more good ones and so on, compared with Jan/Feb when you're more likely to get entire weeks of fine weather at a time. Certainly not worth canning the trip over!
On the plus side there will be much more snow left on the hills in Nov than Jan, which always makes the scenery more impressive.
Realistically in Nov you'll probably get a few cracker days followed by a couple of worse ones followed by a few more good ones and so on, compared with Jan/Feb when you're more likely to get entire weeks of fine weather at a time. Certainly not worth canning the trip over!
On the plus side there will be much more snow left on the hills in Nov than Jan, which always makes the scenery more impressive.
Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 28th January 10:54
"Are there any rules about not being able to drive until 24 hours after landing?"
Sad case here last year where an elderly Brit tourist crashed while jet-lagged.Killed himself and his grand-daughter. Not explicitly prohibited but maybe should be. Also, in case you don't know, we have a strange "right-hand rule" here where you give way to those turning right across your bows- still causes confusion after 30-odd years
Sad case here last year where an elderly Brit tourist crashed while jet-lagged.Killed himself and his grand-daughter. Not explicitly prohibited but maybe should be. Also, in case you don't know, we have a strange "right-hand rule" here where you give way to those turning right across your bows- still causes confusion after 30-odd years
Fraster said:
Also, in case you don't know, we have a strange "right-hand rule" here where you give way to those turning right across your bows- still causes confusion after 30-odd years
Only for people who wern't raised with it. It makes much more sense when you understand it...but as a tourist its something you do have to be conscious od.Why the camper van? I'd go for an estate and tents/hostels every time!
We brought an Subaru Legacy estate while we were over there, It was a bi-turbo one that some one had chipped at some point, I think we got it for less than your looking at renting the camper van.
One of the highlights of my trip was driving the westcoast road in it
the roads over there are quiet and fantastic. Every significant corner has a suggested speed, its a great game to see how much you can better this by.
We brought an Subaru Legacy estate while we were over there, It was a bi-turbo one that some one had chipped at some point, I think we got it for less than your looking at renting the camper van.
One of the highlights of my trip was driving the westcoast road in it
the roads over there are quiet and fantastic. Every significant corner has a suggested speed, its a great game to see how much you can better this by.Edited by threesixty on Friday 29th January 12:13
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