New Zealand Travel Forum

It has been our dream to visit NZ. Now, it will come true. We will visit NZ from Aug 2 to Aug 14 for 13 days. Like everyone else, we want to see both N and S islands. Here is our current two optional itineraries. I appreciate very much for your any advices. My questons are: If both itineraries can be possible? Which one sounds better?

Option (1) Auckland rent a car - Rotorua - Taupo - Wellington (total 2 days)

Wellington fly to Christchurch and tour the city (1 day)

Chrsitchurch rent a car to Mt Cook/Lake Takapo/Lake Pukaki (1 day)

Mt Cook to Wanaka to Queens Town (1 day)

Queens town to Milford Sound back to Queens town (1-3 day) depending on weather in Milford Sound

Queens town to Te Anau to Dunedin (1 day)

Dunedin to Timaru to Christchurch (1 day)

Christchurch fly out to Aukland (1 day)

Aukland city tour (1 day)

Total 12 days

(Option (2) Auckland rent a car - Rotorua - Taupo - Wellington (total 2 days)

Wellington fly to Christchurch and tour the city (1 day)

Chrsitchurch rent a car to Arthurs Pass to Greymouth (1 day)

Greymouth to QT (a very long day)

Queens town to Milford Sound back to Queens town (1 – 3 days) depending on weather

QT to Wanaka to Lake Takapo/Lake Pukaki to Mt Cook (1 day)

Mt Cook to Christchurch (1 day)

Christchurch fly to Aukland (1 day)

Aukland city tour (1 day)

Total 12 days

WOW thats a lot to do in 12 days. Not sure you will have time to enjoy yourselves with all that travelling.

We took 14 days just on the south island. We didnt see everything but still did a lot of driving. We also took time to enjoy the places we visited. ie: Wanaka 2 nights, Te Anau 4 nights ( we did Milford Sound AND Doubtful Sound), Queenstown 2 nights.

Greymouth to Queenstown will be a battle in one day with all the amazing scenery along the way. No real time to stop in to check out the glaciers.

Just something to think about, bearing in mind the weather at that time of year can be volatile. (especially in the southern alps).

Cheers
Col

Although the North island is our favourite I would recommend concentrating on the South Island and would skip your first two days on the North Island. I think you will be just driving these days. You will have some more time for sightseeing on the South Island.

happy travels
Jaap

As someone else has said, that's a really ambitious itinerary. I would pick one island and do your best and even then you won't see it all. Our roads are not freeways and driving between population centres can be slow. Good luck! You're right, it will be the fulfilling of a dream.

I recommend to check distances and travel times on this website:

http://www.aatravel.co.nz/main/td-calculator.php

The times are for good weather conditions - which you cannot always expect, especially not if you travel through alpine regions in the middle of winter.

As 2Cities and you yourself already said: Greymouth - Queenstown is a little bit long. I would suggest: very unrealistic if you even plan a toilet stop. Pure driving time in summer is 8.5 hours - I once saw a tourist van roll over after the driver fell asleep after 7 hours, driving from Queenstown to Hokitika... Additionally, daylight in August is from 7.30am to not much longer than 6pm, so that would just be enough for the driving. Driving down the West Coast, however, makes only sense if you have time to at least walk to one of the glaciers, to Lake Matheson, and one of the pools and waterfalls along the Haast Pass Road. So best you calculate with a day more on this leg of your trip.

The South Island part of the second option sounds more pleasing to me - although I love Dunedin and Otago Peninsula of option one. But I think the West Coast should be included, as it is totally different to all other regions.

Your North Island fast trip does not make sense as it would be only driving and no exploring or visiting. Net driving time is 9.5 to 10 hours. If you absolutely want to visit Rotorua perhaps you should fly out from there? Although Tongariro National Park is fantastic you would not have time to do the Crossing Track anyway, and there is only a slim chance in winter, and the Desert Road is prone to being closed. Plus, it only makes sense to visit Wellington if you have at least a full day to explore it. If you have only two days to drive, visit Rotorua and Wellington, just skip Wellington and get down south as fast as possible. Or, as others suggested, concentrate on the South Island.

In the South, never drive without snow chains in your boot. And be flexible in your itinerary, and adjust it to the weather. If pass roads are closed you could still do the TranzAlpine train journey to the West Coast via Arthurs Pass, for example.

Thanks all for your quick responses! Special thanks to Kakapo2 for detail suggestions!!! After reading your responses, I get a bit nervous on how we are going to cover these areas. Therefore, I have modified our itinerary again. Pls comment if the itinerary now makes sense for 13 days.

I have also five questions (so sorry for so many questions but we are getting anxious to know. Thanks so much in advance!!):

1) Should I drive a car or by train from Church to Greymouth? Ideally, rent car in Church and return to Church but I heard train is more scenic.
2) Where will you recommend to stay between Greymouth and QT? Hasst?
3) Will you recommend to do a day trip from Aukland to Rotorua? Worth our travel time or too short time?
4) Will be a good idea if Arthur pass is closed due to weather, we do a reverse order? Meaning from Church to Mt Cook to QT first, instead of from Church to Greymouth to QT?
5) Any economic sleeping alternatives near Mt Cook other than $300/night hotel?

Itinerary for 13 days:

Auckland fly to Christchurch (1 day)

-- Or, Aukland to Rotorua fly out to Christchurch (2 days)

Christchurch to Arthur Pass to Greymouth by car or by train?? (1 day)

Greymouth to QT with Overnight in Hasst (2 days)

Queens town to Milford Sound back to Queens town (1 – 3 days) depending on weather

QT to Wanaka to Lake Takapo/Lake Pukaki to Mt Cook (1 day)

Mt Cook to Christchurch (1 day)

Christchurch fly to Wellington (1 day)

Wellington fly to Aukland (1 day)

Aukland city tour or car to Rotorua back to Aukland? (1 day)

We fly in Aukland on Aug 2 in early morning and fly out from Aukland on Aug 14 late evening

Total = 13 days

No problem. We are here to help :-)

For a start, let's just hope that it does not snow when you want to travel on the pass roads. If Arthurs Pass is closed and you go to Lake Tekapo/Mt. Cook first it would not change a lot as you could get stuck the next day at Lindis Pass and the Crown Range on the way to Queenstown... So we just have to work around this. Often, when Arthurs Pass is closed you can still travel to the West Coast further north via Lewis Pass most times, so you would just miss Arthurs Pass. The trip would just be one or two hours longer. It will not snow on the West Coast, so this is safe.

If all of a sudden Lindis Pass would be closed you just have to wait a day and then cancel Milford Sound or whatever - and if the weather does not get better you could still drive to Timaru through the Waitaki Valley.

But really, do not get too anxious. Road closures do not happen all the time, so it is very probable that you will be fine.

Next:
The train trip to Greymouth is indeed very scenic - but the drive on the road as well. And the train does not pass at Castle Hill which is a magic spot between Chch and Arthurs Pass. I recommend the road trip because it will be much cheaper to rent a car in Christchurch and drop it there, plus you can hire the car from a budget company, whereas all those companies have no office in Greymouth.

Between Greymouth and Queenstown you should stay either in Fox or Franz Josef, just near one of the glaciers. You can BTW easily drive from Christchurch to Franz Josef in a day, we often do this. This would save you a day. Then you could go on a glacier walk the next day, let's say, a half-day-walk. This takes until 2pm, and you could carry on until Haast or Wanaka. Nothing really between Haast and Wanaka.

I would rather drive to Rotorua and then fly out from there. This way you can explore Rotorua more thoroughly, even go to Wai-o-tapu. If you have to drive back to Auckland you would just lose time, and it is more stressful. If you have never seen geothermal places with bubbling mudholes, geysers etc. I would go to Rotorua.

At Mt. Cook Village there is a YHA hostel. If you want something nicer drive to Twizel. We always stay there when we go to Mt. Cook. You just have to drive back the 53 km to the main road (where you will continue your trip anyway), and after further 10 km you will be in Twizel. There is accommodation of all kinds, many motels, and a bit further out of the small town there are some farmstays. And you have a choice of a good selection of restaurants.

If you go to Rotorua at the start you could fly from Wellington to Auckland and not lose a day just driving.

Sorry - I only recommended accommodation south of Mt. Cook Village on the SH 8. This is good if you either stay there before you go to Mt. Cook, or if you travel from Christchurch, and not on the way back.

If you have visited Mt. Cook and want to stay for the night afterwards you could already drive to Lake Tekapo and stay there. My top accommodation tip is to get a motel at the holiday park. This is right on the lakefront, with the best views you can imagine. Plus, there are now brandnew hot pools where you could relax after your strenuous holiday :-) They are just 200 or 300 metres from the holiday park. And even the walkways are heated, and right beside the pools is a ice skating rink.

WOW, very informative. Thanks, Kakapo2!! Now, I have plan B in hand. I will print out your comments to take with me. I may come back with more questions. Thanks again.

I would say definately just do one of the islands (preferably just the South), Trying to fit both in, in two weeks means that you miss out on a lot

Paul Asplin

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Anyone can recommend a good rental car company to rent a car from Auckland Airport to Rotorua Airport? Looks like most companies charge hefty one-way fee. Also, is there enough gas station in between the towns in South Island? Thanks

During our last visit to New Zealand we had a rental car (due to a tip from VT member ‘kiwi’) from McDonalds Rent a Car. This is a smaller family owned company with offices in Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Picton and Christchurch.
No problems and very satisfied with them.

To be honest I don't know their one way fees, but you could check it.

More info: http://members.virtualtourist.com/vt/tfr/1/c51/9/1769fc/

Try Rent-a-dent. I have not been in business with them but this is a Rotorua based company with a depot at (near) AKL Airport. I can imagine their rates are reasonable.

http://www.rotoruacarrental.com/

Another option would be to take the bus (Intercity) to Rotorua and rent a car there for the day.

Petrol on the South Island is no real issue anymore. The longest stretches without petrol station is from Hokitika to Franz Josef, Haast to Wanaka, and Te Anau to Milford Sound (I think just an emergency fill-up possibility.). Also from Greymouth to Karamea - but if I remember right you will not travel up there.