New Zealand - Please help me plan!

[Matt..]

I am struggling to get my route for NZ (south island) sorted out. I am only there for 17days in December, so need to have a proper plan

I have drawn up a few routes, but it's hard as everything is quite spread out around the island... and there aren't enough roads!

My list of places to go looks something like this:
- Christchurch (little option with this... as it's likely to be where i fly in/out of)
- Kaikoura
- Abel Tasman
- Mt Cook
- Te Anau
- Milford Sound
- Queenstown
- Franz Josef Glacier
- Arthurs Pass
- Wanaka

Are there any obvious ones that i am missing? I am mid 20s, will be on my own, and driving in a car stopping off at hostels. Oh and if you can think of a suitable route that would be really helpful!

Thanks everyone!

[Matt..]

This was my first go at a route...
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en...

I think i will change it though to include Arthurs Pass. The biggest unknown in the route is the bit between Abel Tasman National Park, and Franz Josef Glacier. It's about 500km, and a 7hr drive, but there's not a whole lot i want to see there. All i can think of it is a slight detour to Arthurs Pass half way down!

Oh and i am NOT looking for a drinking and partying holiday! It's going to be a bit more civilised than that

hornetrider, a heli hike is definately on the list, and i am quite interested in a heli ride somewhere else too. I was thinking of maybe one around Mt Cook? Only issue is i am on my own, so would need to go when i could join another group as i can't afford a whole heli for myself!

[Matt..]

grumbledoak said:

Queenstown is a better base than Christchurch, and there is a lot to do there, too.

I don't really want to be in Christchurch very long... but i can't really avoid it as it's where the plane lands and takes off from!!

[Matt..]

NZ does not do well in offering fun hire cars I think i will end up with a Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla!

[Matt..]

loltolhurst said:

get on the backpacker bus for a diff kind of fun

Totally not what i want to do!!

[Matt..]

Have any of you been on any heli trips other than heli hikes at the glaciers?

[Matt..]

I am definately not taking a bus. I much prefer the freedom of having a car, and i will meet plenty of people in the hostels

Oh and in NZ you cannot hire fun cars they don't seem to have any!

[Matt..]

Just trying to work out how i can actually fit Arthurs Pass in to my trip!

The plan currently looks like this:

- Christchurch (1 night)
- Kaikoura (1 night)
- Blenheim (1 night)
- Nelson (1 night)
- Abel Tasman (2 nights)
- Hokitika (1 night)
- Franz Josef (1 night)
- Wanaka (2 nights)
- Te Anau (2 nights) + trip to Milford Sound
- Queenstown (2 nights)
- Mount Cook (1 night)
- Christchurch

That's a loop around the island, missing of the south east corner. Arthurs Pass goes straight across the middle though, so not sure what to do to fit it in! Maybe a figure of 8?

[Matt..]

matt.m said:

I did the south island as my honeymoon last summer.

If you want to climb a glacier then I was advised to avoid the busier franz joseph and go to fox. I think (I may be wrong)that fox is a bigger glacier and quieter than franz.

Also I preferred wanaka to queenstown, less spoiled and slightly quieter.

What I must say is that I had the same amount of time as you over there and still couldnt acheive all that I wanted. The country is so big and there are so many things that you will see that will make you stop and get out to take a pic that you may find that you need to be a bit flexible on your itinery.

What were the best things you did then? The things that i cannot miss!?

One thing i do have on my side (kind of!), is that as i'm on my own, i will generally be able to see and do things a lot faster, so hopefully it wont be too bad. Though i do agree that everything needs to be flexible, if only to deal with the ever so slightly variable weather!

Edited by Matt.. on Tuesday 4th August 19:22

[Matt..]

I might just do a heli flight around Mt Cook. Not 100% on that yet, but it might be a fun thing to do, and means i dont have to stay all that long, as it doesn't sound such a great place!

[Matt..]

Here's my itinerary that i think i'm going to book

2 - Christchurch (fly in from Melbourne)
3 - Lake Tekapo/Mt Cook
4 - Queenstown
5 - Queenstown
6 - Te Anau (+ Milford Sound)
7 - Te Anau
8 - Wanaka
9 - Wanaka
10 - Franz Josef (+ Haast/Mt Aspiring)
11 - Franz Josef
12 - Christchurch (+ Akaroa)
13 - Christchurch
14 - Abel Tasman
15 - Abel Tasman
16 - Nelson
17 - Nelson
18 - Kaikoura
19 - Christchurch (fly out to Sydney)


Does this seem ok? It's approx 1,800 miles driving, which is 37hrs or so!

[Matt..]

havoc said:

I'd perhaps swap Wanaka and Queenstown around, and (unless you want to go to the observatory or heli-ski) ditch the night in/near Mt Cook - we drove from C'church to Mt Cook, did a ski-plane onto the observatory, did the salmon farm, took a few hundred photos and still got to Wanaka around 8pm.

Yeah that is a possibility. I only really have that in as i'd quite like to do a helicopter trip of Mt Cook. If i took that out i might be able to work things so that i free up a day. I could then maybe add in somewhere like Picton?


Slightly amended version:
2 - Christchurch (fly in from Melbourne)
3 - Queenstown (+Lake Tekapo, +Mt Cook)
4 - Queenstown
5 - Te Anau (+Milford Sound)
6 - Te Anau
7 - Wanaka
8 - Wanaka (+Mt Aspiring)
9 - Franz Josef (+Haast)
10 - Franz Josef
11 - Christchurch (+Akaroa)
12 - Christchurch
13 - Nelson (+Abel Tasman)
14 - Nelson (+Abel Tasman)
15 - Nelson
16 - Nelson
17 - Picton
18 - Kaikoura
19 - Christchurch (fly out to Sydney)
On a map: http://houlbrooke.co.uk/travel/nz2.png



Here is a slightly different route
2 - Christchurch
3 - Christchurch (+Akaroa)
4 - Queenstown (+Lake Tekapo, +Mt Cook)
5 - Queenstown
6 - Te Anau (+Milford Sound)
7 - Te Anau
8 - Wanaka (+Mt Aspiring)
9 - Wanaka
10 - Franz Josef (+Haast)
11 - Franz Josef
12 - Arthurs Pass
13 - Nelson (+Abel Tasman)
14 - Nelson (+Abel Tasman)
15 - Nelson
16 - Nelson
17 - Picton
18 - Kaikoura
19 - Christchurch
On a map: http://houlbrooke.co.uk/travel/nz1.png

Edited by Matt.. on Monday 14th September 00:16

Please give me your thoughts!

Thanks

Edited by Matt.. on Monday 14th September 00:17

[Matt..]

Matt.. said:

2 - Christchurch (fly in from Melbourne)
3 - Queenstown (+Lake Tekapo, +Mt Cook)
4 - Queenstown
5 - Te Anau (+Milford Sound)
6 - Te Anau
7 - Wanaka
8 - Wanaka (+Mt Aspiring)
9 - Franz Josef (+Haast)
10 - Franz Josef
11 - Christchurch (+Akaroa)
12 - Christchurch
13 - Nelson (+Abel Tasman)
14 - Nelson (+Abel Tasman)
15 - Nelson
16 - Nelson
17 - Picton
18 - Kaikoura
19 - Christchurch (fly out to Sydney)
On a map: http://houlbrooke.co.uk/travel/nz2.png



Here is a slightly different route
2 - Christchurch
3 - Christchurch (+Akaroa)
4 - Queenstown (+Lake Tekapo, +Mt Cook)
5 - Queenstown
6 - Te Anau (+Milford Sound)
7 - Te Anau
8 - Wanaka (+Mt Aspiring)
9 - Wanaka
10 - Franz Josef (+Haast)
11 - Franz Josef
12 - Arthurs Pass
13 - Nelson (+Abel Tasman)
14 - Nelson (+Abel Tasman)
15 - Nelson
16 - Nelson
17 - Picton
18 - Kaikoura
19 - Christchurch
On a map: http://houlbrooke.co.uk/travel/nz1.png

This is my best plan so far, though i'm thinking of dropping Picton and using the day elsewhere. Does anyone have any ideas on whether i should keep Picton or go somewhere else?!

[Matt..]

havoc said:

Alternatively, how much time would heading to the SW coast and then to Te Anau cost you?!?

Not really sure what you mean here?!

I'm already going to Te Anau!

[Matt..]

Olf said:

Seem to remember Nelson being a highly unremarkable place from our stay there. We used it as a start and finish base for a 3 day canoe trip in Abel Tasman. I'd avoid, there's better places to stay.

I was going to use Nelson as a base for exploring Abel Tasman and other areas in the north

[Matt..]

havoc said:

Oops - I meant SE coast - those boulders, and Dunedin or Invercargill...

I think everything is rushed enough as is, and i think adding Dunedin would mean i never got out of the car! Unless i can lose days elsewhere that is!

This really is quite hard.


I am thinking of this now:
2: Christchurch
3: Christchurch
4: Lake Tekapo / Mt Cook
5: Queenstown
6: Queenstown
7: Te Anau / Milford Sound
8: Te Anau
9: Wanaka
10: Wanaka
11: Franz Josef / Haast
12: Franz Josef
13: Arthurs Pass
14: Nelson
15: Nelson / Abel Tasman
16: Nelson / Abel Tasman
17: Nelson
18: Kaikoura
19: Christchurch

Edited by Matt.. on Monday 21st September 21:05

[Matt..]

Olf said:

Hmmmm. is all I can say to that. Probably better places to spend your even you odd time.

So have you been to the rockies?

If you don't think Nelson, then could you suggest an alternative?


I haven't been to the rockies no. Closest i have been to them is Whistler when i went to Canada in 2007.

[Matt..]

I am semi tempted to do one of the kayak trips in Abel Tasman that also has one night of camping. Not sure yet though, i'd like to get some opinions on whether to do that, or just stay in Nelson and just do day trips to Abel Tasman for kayaking/walking.

[Matt..]

Olf said:

I did the kayaking in abel tasman - I'll tell you about it tomorrow. You HAVE to do it.

You forgot to tell me!

I will do kayaking in Abel Tasman. I just need to decide whether to stay in Nelson and just do a day trip to Abel Tasman. The other options are to stay in somewhere like Motueka, or to do a kayak trip with a night camping!