Travelling in NZ???

[v15ben]

I have decided the basic route for South Island but I am not really sure how long to spend in each place. I have the Lonely planet guide book for Aus and NZ but that isn't really helping decide on timings a great deal!

The route around South Island will be roughly this one:
Fly into Christchurch
Couple of days in ChCh
Then a day at Akaroa
The ChCh to Queenstown, Wanaka and Mt Aspiring National Park
Next up Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound (a day each?)
Mount Cook (day or two)
Hokikita
Franz Josef Glacier
On to Greymouth and Transalpine (3-4 days up to Nelson?)
then Nelson.

North Island
The plan is then to fly Nelson to Wellington with Origin Pacific using my ISIC card, or to go up to Picton and take the ferry across Marlborough Sound, the ferry is looking favourite on this!
Wellington for a day or two
then on to Taupo
Rotoura
Wiatomo
Auckland for a couple of days at least
and if there is time left
Bay of Islands then back to Auckland to fly back to Sydney then home!

I have roughly 5-6 weeks (if exam dates work out) to spend in NZ following a 2-2.5 week trip up the east coast of Australia so how long would you suggest at each place.
Also, where are the places that it is worth spending a day, looking and enjoying then moving on, rather than spending a long time there and getting bored (e.g. Doubtful?)

Fire away folks, thanks!

[Esprit]

Sounds like a great plan

If I was you, on the Wellington/Taupo route, I'd go via the WEast Coast and Hawkes Bay (Napier/Hastings)... a day or so in Napier would be good I think.

Basically the haul from Wellington to Taupo along the Desert road is a long, barren drive.... not as picturesque as similar drives in the south island.

But apart from that, your plan seems about the same as I'd be making if it was my own trip

[roger a]

I wouldn't personally devote a day to Akaroa.It's pretty enough in a bucolic, deforested sort of way, but you could see it in a morning. You don't mention the Nelson Lakes though-worth a look. The Coromandel may be a closer and less expensive alternative to BOI if time is short

[roger a]

I don't know if you are into getting in to the bush but if so, i would recommend doing at least part of the seaward able tasman walk-you can walk in and boat out at any point or hire kayaks-it's a goody-might be crowded mid summer, though.this is a bus trip from Nelson.Also, if you want to make the most of Ak scenery-wise, get on a ferry and get to the Gulf Islands. Gt barrier is among the best but also the furthest away and biggest. Even a half-day trip to waiheke is probably worth doing, or just walk up Rangitoto. i agree with George (ESPRIT)that, after the SI, the NI's volcanic plateau may seem like just more of the same on a lesser scale.Rotorua has much to entertain tourists-the luge is a laugh and lake Tarawera is lovely-with kayak trips to hot pools inaccessable by land.Auckland is a great city and where I choose to live but I wouldn't spend more than a day here given your time constraints-unless, as i say, you get out on the water. I'd also get out of chch after a day or less. In a long, well organised day you could probably "do" Chch and Akaroa.

[v15ben]

Thanks for the replies:
I have had a look at where I would really like to go in my 6 weeks and have come up with a total of about 38-40 days of travel. This is a top end estimate with 4 days in Auckland, 3 in Queenstown, 3 in Wellington etc etc so I could do everything easily in the time I have available - or at least I hope so!

[roger a]

Ah!-must have misread your post-thought it was going to be a bit of a whistlestop tour. Have fun!