NZ Itinerary from Christchurch

[The Moose]

So in January of this year, a mate and I have 10 days (or so) on the South Island of New Zealand.

Our itinerary is currently as follows:

8th Jan - 14:30 Arrive Christchurch Airport
9th Jan Hokitika 245km - 3 hours Beachfront Hotel - Bed & Breakfast for 2 - Ocean View Room
9th Jan Lake Matherson Restaurant - Dinner
9th Jan Franz Josef Glacier 135km - 1.5 hours Alpine Glacier Motor Lodge
10th Jan Wanaka 285km - 3 hours Edgewater - Bed only - Hotel Studio Room inc free WiFi
11th Jan Queenstown 70km - 1 hour Will be longer due to longer router. Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel - Gondola Twin Room
12th Jan Shotover Jet + Drive to Glenorchy
12th Jan Queenstown Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel - Gondola Twin Room
13th Jan Te Anau inc Jet Boat Ride 170km - 2 hours Distinction Luxmore - Deluxe Hotel Room
14th Jan Invercargill 160km - 2 hours Ascot Park Hotel
15th Jan Dunedin 205km - 2.5 hours Portobello Motel - 2 Bedroom Cottage
16th Jan Return to Christchurch 360km - 4 hours Clearview Lodge
17th Jan - 15:45 Flight out of Christchurch

Any comments/thoughts/recommendations are very welcome! (the distances and times are as per Google Maps direct route so they will be longer!).

[muhnkee2]

unless there is something pressing, i would skip Invercargill and dunedin (as they arent great "tourist" cities). Perhaps spend some more time in Queenstown, if you really like driving, i would drive to Milford Sound, its a stunning drive through real "lord of the rings" type country. Another option which is also spectacular is to fly to Milford Sound, if its good weather, thats an amazing flight over the mountains and down the valleys. The Catlins in the south east corner of the country would also be a good driving trip - beautiful isolated scenery.
enjoy the trip
greg

Edited by muhnkee2 on Wednesday 4th September 14:55

[GravelBen]

I wouldn't bother staying in Invercargill, its nothing special (I live half an hour north of it, I should know). Go to Milford Sound and do a few side trips on the way, spend an extra night in Te Anau, then go Te Anau to Dunedin the next day - via the Catlins if you have time/energy, really nice drive around there. Not that there is any lack of great driving roads on your route! Hope you're getting a half decent rental car.

Unfortunately your trip misses Mt Cook/McKenzie Country but would be hard to fit that in as well with the limited timeframe. You'll see plenty of other mountains though.

Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 4th September 13:07

[CR6ZZ]

Yes, definitely try to do the drive into Milford Sound. Well worth it. Dunedin is OK if you want to get up close to some wildlife (penguins, seals, sea lions) but requires some walking on lovely, almost deserted beaches...

[cheddar]

As it's you and a mate get a fun hire car - not easy but possible, ask on here. Pack light and an MX5 suits this place brilliantly.

I wouldn't book any accom - unless you already have - and use 'Wotif' - 'Needitnow' or recommendations from here. That way you chase good weather and move when you want to.

Skip Dunedin and Invercargill (sorry Southern PH'ers).

Stay in Q/town or Wanaka longer - ask here about best places (EG: Q/town, after trying dozens of places I ALWAYS stay here http://www.millenniumhotels.co.nz/copthornequeenst... ) massive rooms with 2 queen sized beds, big balcony's, recent refurb, free underground parking, short walk to town, incredible views, £50 a night)

Come back from Q/town through 'the middle' - Clyde/Omarama/Twizel/Tekapo/Fairlie/Geraldine/Inland scenic route back to the airport. Much much nicer roads and scenery than doing the East Coast and far less traffic and highway police.

Only do Milford Sound if the weather is good (11 metres of rain a year!) and if it is take a flight with 'Real Journeys' amazing experience in the sun, dank and no views in the wet.

Tell us what YOU want from your trip and I'm sure the NZ PHers will oblige with tips, tricks and hidden gems to make it special.

[GravelBen]

cheddar said:

Only do Milford Sound if the weather is good

I'd disagree with that - Fiordland takes on a different character in bad weather but is still pretty spectacular unless its really heavy rain.

Dunedin can be a worthwhile destination too depending what you're after - coastal scenery rather than high country, and also more of the history/old buildings side of things than most of NZ if that pushes your buttons. Still pretty young compared to Europe I guess!

cheddar said:

Tell us what YOU want from your trip and I'm sure the NZ PHers will oblige with tips, tricks and hidden gems to make it special.

This is a good idea.

Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 5th September 07:12

[cheddar]

GravelBen said:

cheddar said:

Only do Milford Sound if the weather is good

I'd disagree with that - Fiordland takes on a different character in bad weather but is still pretty spectacular unless its really heavy rain.

Dunedin can be a worthwhile destination too depending what you're after - coastal scenery rather than high country, and also more of the history/old buildings side of things than most of NZ if that pushes your buttons. Still pretty young compared to Europe I guess!

cheddar said:

Tell us what YOU want from your trip and I'm sure the NZ PHers will oblige with tips, tricks and hidden gems to make it special.

This is a good idea.

Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 5th September 07:12

I know what you mean about Milford in the wet Ben but you often lose 90% of the view in the wet, it just gets so misty.

Agree with Dunedin/area too but it's 300km away and adds 3 days onto the trip if they have a look around. I think Mckenzie Basin/Mt Cook offers more and they can relax more as its on the way back up to Chch.

They should, of course, stop in Gore

[The Moose]

Thanks for the ideas guys. We have a NC MX5 booked already

To be honest, Invercargill was more to head to the very bottom of the Island to have a gander.

What do we want from the trip?

A bit of background - my mate and I have nearly a month on that area - we're in Sydney from just after Christmas for New Year and the 5th Ashes test which finishes on 7th January. We're flying into Christchurch on 8th and have flights back out again on 17th.

Nothing set in stone really - have heard the mountain passes from Christchurch to Hokitika are pretty spectacular hence why that's where we're staying for the first night and due to wanting to head to Queenstown, we're heading South from there on the coastal roads.

We're looking for some good driving roads whilst seeing a lot of what the South island has to offer. Beautiful scenery, beaches, mountains, drinking, jet boats etc

With regards to accom, we've been advised to book hotels in advance as apparently lots of locals holiday around that time of year. No idea if it's true or not...but just been looking into it. I'd completed a route not taking into the bottom of the island, but had an extra day/day and a half and thought it'd be nice to head down there. Don't have to of course!

Any suggestions? Am up for a total re-write of the route if needed! Only set dates are arriving in Christchurch on 8th and leaving Christchurch on 17th

[GravelBen]

The Moose said:

To be honest, Invercargill was more to head to the very bottom of the Island to have a gander.

Easy enough to have a look on your way through without spending an extra night - if you want the southernmost point of the South Island its Slope Point in the Catlins (despite many people thinking its Bluff), about 10 minutes walk from the road.

You've picked a pretty good route for driving roads so far

Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 5th September 11:01

[lestag]

The Moose said:

With regards to accom, we've been advised to book hotels in advance as apparently lots of locals holiday around that time of year. No idea if it's true or not...but just been looking into it.

I would book for the times you are going, esp if they are popular international tourist spots
Having said that NZ, has changed over the years (well in Northland it has)and about mid Jan all the local tourists have gone back to work.
International tourists are still around.

[The Moose]

GravelBen said:

The Moose said:

To be honest, Invercargill was more to head to the very bottom of the Island to have a gander.

Easy enough to have a look on your way through without spending an extra night - if you want the southernmost point of the South Island its Slope Point in the Catlins (despite many people thinking its Bluff), about 10 minutes walk from the road.

You've picked a pretty good route for driving roads so far

Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 5th September 11:01

Good to hear about the good driving roads so far!

Unless there's any real reason to hang around in Te Anau an extra night, I'd rather keep going and see another place. I love being on the road in a foreign country such as this - from what I understand around each corner is a breathtaking view!

Maybe the question I should be asking is we're planning on leaving Te Anau on the morning of 14th Jan and would like to stay our last night on the 16th in Christchurch - how should we get from one to the other?! The initial plan was to go and see Bluff/Slope Point and see what the crack is. A bit like being in Cape Town thinking Cape Point is the Southern most tip...and then going to Cape Agulhas and finding the REAL Southern tip!

[GravelBen]

The Moose said:

Unless there's any real reason to hang around in Te Anau an extra night, I'd rather keep going and see another place. I love being on the road in a foreign country such as this - from what I understand around each corner is a breathtaking view!

The extra night is mostly because the drive from Te Anau to Milford is a dead-end trip and takes an hour or two each way, so thats kinda half a day gone already. But Milford is something I'd definitely put on the itinerary, there is a reason its probably NZ's #1 tourist attraction.


Here is a photo of part of the Milford Road, but photos don't do the place justice:

[cheddar]

The Moose said:

Thanks for the ideas guys. We have a NC MX5 booked already

To be honest, Invercargill was more to head to the very bottom of the Island to have a gander.

What do we want from the trip?

A bit of background - my mate and I have nearly a month on that area - we're in Sydney from just after Christmas for New Year and the 5th Ashes test which finishes on 7th January. We're flying into Christchurch on 8th and have flights back out again on 17th.

Nothing set in stone really - have heard the mountain passes from Christchurch to Hokitika are pretty spectacular hence why that's where we're staying for the first night and due to wanting to head to Queenstown, we're heading South from there on the coastal roads.

We're looking for some good driving roads whilst seeing a lot of what the South island has to offer. Beautiful scenery, beaches, mountains, drinking, jet boats etc

With regards to accom, we've been advised to book hotels in advance as apparently lots of locals holiday around that time of year. No idea if it's true or not...but just been looking into it. I'd completed a route not taking into the bottom of the island, but had an extra day/day and a half and thought it'd be nice to head down there. Don't have to of course!

Any suggestions? Am up for a total re-write of the route if needed! Only set dates are arriving in Christchurch on 8th and leaving Christchurch on 17th

Firstly - brilliant pic of Milford road Ben - looks like the Stelvio Pass, did you take that?

Op - well done on the MX5 rental, a perfect choice and Ben will approve.

Going to Bluff/Invercargill might disappoint - you know Lands End is, well, disappointing, same thing here and a hell of a drive, there's so much better.

You have 9 full days (not sure of your arrival/departure times) of travel, I would do this:

Christchurch - go for a post flight walk and check out the smashed up city for an hour or two. Fascinating stuff if you've never seen an entire area demolished by an earthquake. Then leave

Then, as you already said, Arthurs Pass to Hokitika, brilliant drive, stop at Darfield Bakery 1 hour outside Chch and grab the best pie you've ever had, take in the epic scenery - your dates do seem to be a little wrong - you have the 9th Jan as staying in Hokitika then the 9th Jan again as driving to Franz Josef????

I would then go from Hokitika to Franz Josef on the 10th and make this a travel day, go look at the glacier to break it up then carry on down to Wanaka (weather pending) stunning scenery, stop at little rugged beaches and view points - it's 400km total, allow a nice lazy 8 hours, the West Coast is all about the journey and scenery rather than the towns.

Spend 5 days in and around Wanaka and Queenstown (use the Crown Range Road to get from one to another). Wanaka is cruisy and easy, quite busy over holidays but a nice vibe. Swim in the lake, it's much warmer than Queenstown!!

Get a lakeview hotel in Queenstown, your choice is a bit hidden up the gondola valley.

Watch bungy jumping at Kawarau Bridge (it's free, hilarious and you can stand right next to the jumper on the bridge), drive up Coronet Peak (nice sealed Road) for breathtaking views, visit historic little Arrowtown for a meander and amazing sticky bun from Provisions (65 Buckingham St) combine Arrowtown with the bungy as it's on the way, take the Gondola in Queenstown and get a multi-ride pass on the brilliant luge at the top, go on the Earnslaw at sunset, smuggle your booze on and get merry, jump in the lake just to say you've done it (not off of the boat), walk Queenstown Gardens around the lake, eat a Fergburger - they really are thatgood, party up at the lovely Bardeaux, Mini Bar, Surreal, and Debajo (all down little hidden lanes and locals favourites).

Jet boating? I'd drive to Glenorchy (40 minutes, another epic driving rd), and do the Dart River trip - bit off of the usual tourist trail and more personal than the usual Kawarau/Shotover tourist conveyor belts. The best adventure I've had in Queenstown was the quad biking trip, I'm not a biker at all but this was incredible, great value, very personal service and so much better than I imagined - http://www.offroad.co.nz/

Drive back over the brilliant Lindis Pass and vast Mckenzie Basin, stay at Tekapo, the best of the three choices of town(ettes) on the way back, go to their hot pools and relax, it's lovely. Have takeaway breakfast the next day at the incredible Fairlie Bakery half hour away and wind your way back up to Chch via the inland scenic route avoiding the busy SH1.

Yes, it is holiday time out here in early Jan, shame but you might have to book accom in advance.

My 20p worth.

[CR6ZZ]

Some good advice from Cheddar. Also, GravelBen is correct in saying your route includes some good driving roads. However, be aware that the authorities here are fixated on the “Speed Kills” dogma. You will be here in a holiday period which means that speed limit tolerances will be reduced to 4 kph. i.e. if you are spotted travelling at more than 4 kph over the posted limit you will be ticketed, no excuses accepted. Unmarked patrol cars (usually Holden Commodores) are reasonably common and speed cameras and camera vans are all unmarked. Camera vans can ping you in either direction, so be wary of reasonably modern vans parked on either side of the road. All that being said, some of the roads you will travel can be very entertaining at less than the usual 100 kph open road limit. Unfortunately I will be in the US in January, otherwise I could have shown you around a bit and put you up in Dunedin if you chose to go there.

[GravelBen]

cheddar said:

Firstly - brilliant pic of Milford road Ben - looks like the Stelvio Pass, did you take that?

Nope, just stole it from google - my photos from that area tend to be out of sight of the road. Looks to be the descent from the Milford side of the tunnel though. But here is a token Milford Sound shot from my collection (still failing to do the place justice):


Milford Sound at dusk by gravelben, on Flickr

I reckon Arrowtown bakery venison pie is the best I've ever had, and I also like Red Star burgers in Wanaka better than Fergburger in Qtown. Both are great though.

Edited by GravelBen on Friday 6th September 07:04

[GravelBen]

CR6ZZ said:

You will be here in a holiday period which means that speed limit tolerances will be reduced to 4 kph.

Police 'holiday period' ended first weekend of Jan last time didn't it? Shouldn't find many cops on the Wet Coast at least, or in the Catlins if you go that way.

[CR6ZZ]

Yes, you may be right Ben. In which case the tolerance is 9 kph.

[uncinqsix]

The Moose said:

Good to hear about the good driving roads so far!

The drive from Chch to Hokitika is brilliant. You'll enjoy that in an MX5

Stop in Arthurs Pass on the way and watch the Keas try to dismantle your car

Edited by uncinqsix on Friday 6th September 09:43

[Dave_newcastle]

We enjoyed our trip tremendously around the South Island in February of this year. We came over on the ferry and flew back out of Christchurch

Our itinerary was:

Nelson Collingwood Manor
Greymouth Coleraine Motel
Franz Josef Alpine Glacier Motel
Wanaka Lakeview Motel
Queenstown Villa Del Lago two nights
Milford Cruise Milford Cruise
Te Anau Lakefront Lodge
Dunedin Bluestone on George
Oamaru Ambassador Motor Lodge
Christchurch Merivale Manor Hotel

I found Dunedin the least interesting place but the rest was all great.

We passed through Invergordon and drove the Catlins on the drive from Te Anau to Dunedin but it made it a long day with not enough time to stop at the places we wanted to.

A highlight of our trip was a 10min flight in a Tiger Moth ($95)at the Croydon Aircraft Company at Mandeville - maybe that might appeal to you?

Of all the hotels listed above we would happily go to all again, but the best which I would unreservedly recommend was the Villa Del Lago at Queenstown and The Lakeview Hotel at Wanaka.

We did the overnight trip on the Milford Wanderer - at first look this seems expensive but when you count in that you will alternatively pay for a day boat trip or flight anyhow and that you save on a nights stay in a hotel it became for us an obvious and worthwhile way to see the sound. It was great - the highlight of our South Island holiday.

[GravelBen]

Dave_newcastle said:

We did the overnight trip on the Milford Wanderer - at first look this seems expensive but when you count in that you will alternatively pay for a day boat trip or flight anyhow and that you save on a nights stay in a hotel it became for us an obvious and worthwhile way to see the sound. It was great - the highlight of our South Island holiday.

Thats a great suggestion actually - good alternative to staying 2 nights in Te Anau with a Milford trip in between.