Help with a travel itinerary to NZ
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@booboo yeah, my geography was wrong re: Queenstown and Milford Sound. It was the 90's when we did that trip, also in winter. We had a ford laser and the heater decided not to work. My legs were numb whenever l got out of the car, also remember being in Queenstown and was told it was colder there that day than it was at the South Pole. In other words, it gets cold in winter...
Probably best to do a bustrip from Queenstown to Milford Sound, get the commentary etc. Also, the roads that time of year could be a bit dicey.
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I am a kiwi etc, but while living in Aus came we came over and followed Welsh rugby tour through NZ with mate and his wife (he Welsh), One thing I would suggest Akld? It's another city (and not a particularly nice one), I would suggest heading up Bay of Islands for a couple of days, at that time of year it quiet, and still got all boat tours etc happening. Once you seen test in Hamilton, head out of there, if you interested Hobbiton, and head down to Waotomo glow worm caves? Then I would head for Taupo for a night or so, and head across to Hawkes Bay, and down through Waiarapa to Wellington .
There is a lot of bloody great scenery down South , so don't rob yourself of time down there. I personally think basing yourself in cities can be a mistake, they are just that cities, and not what NZ is about in my opinion. Anyway whatever you do enjoy your time here . -
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@nonpartizan said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
I'm worried I'm going to leave feeling that I should have spent longer everywhere I went.
That's highly likely and you'll be so exhausted you won't enjoy it as much.
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@nonpartizan said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
If I can avoid it I would like to rely mostly on public transit with perhaps renting a car for a week......
Ok, this is now another issue. Inter-city transport in NZ is poor and even worse in the South Island. Any interest in a campervan, especially now that you're spending less time in the cities?
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@nonpartizan said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
@Smudge said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
@nonpartizan said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
If I can avoid it I would like to rely mostly on public transit with perhaps renting a car for a week......
Ok, this is now another issue. Inter-city transport in NZ is poor and even worse in the South Island. Any interest in a campervan, especially now that you're spending less time in the cities?
Yes, do you know how much approximately it would cost to rent one for say, a week?
Getting a rental from a non big name company will be a better option, but Covid really screwed the rental market in NZ. Pre Covid I used to pick up cheap as chips rentals from the non big names, but now they're only really cheaper when compared with the big names. I use an aggregator site to find the best one - will try think of which one I used most recently.
If you do get a rental go for a hybrid as you'll save money on petrol (gas) costs as you'll have a heart attack when you see these prices.
But, NZ is pretty hard to do on public transport and having a car will give you much more freedom/time.
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I chucked in a few details based on your info in this thread (arrive Jul 11, depart Aug 1) rather than the one week, picking up in Auckland, and dropping off in Queenstown. You'd probably want a 2+1 (assuming your 18yo can fit into the high-up bed). So a touch over $4k for three weeks, but that covers a large part of your accommodation costs - you may want to check into a few camping grounds along the way though. Also, you'd need to factor in the Cook Strait ferry.
There are cheaper options though further down the search results.
I will hasten to add I've never travelled anywhere in a campervan, so I'm just going off the popular options.
Agree with Nepia around the rental options - I've largely had good experiences with RAD - https://www.radcarhire.co.nz/ if that's somewhere that you'd want to start.
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@BerniesCorner said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
@nonpartizan
re Outdoors. You probably wont have the time to go on overnight hikes in NZ. You have to be careful with the weather.
There's hundreds of roadside camps.- Vinegar Hill camp ground next to the mighty Rangitikei River, central North Island.
- Holdsworth Lodge Masterton.
Try a camp fire using dry manuka / kanuka firewood. Hot as.
If your son likes the outdoors don't discount the Wairarapa. Carterton Greytown are awesome.
Dairy's (shops) have steak-cheese pies, custard squares. Get a paua fritter from a fish n chip shop.Martinborough is lovely for a stroll around too , beautiful vineyards and surrounding areas.
The Rapa is awesome.
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@nonpartizan said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
@canefan said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
Getting a small car and booking motels or hotels along the way isn't as cheap, but more comfortable. The exchange rate is favourable, why not travel in relative comfort?
Canefan, on that note can you just pretty much roll into a town in NZ and relatively easily find accommodation at a motel without prebooking? Like, say I just drove into Napier will I be able to find.a room pretty easily?
If so, this may afford us a lot more flexibility instead of a hard and fast schedule that does not allow for any changes.
I'd say probably so, especially if there is nothing significant on that weekend in town. Just use booking.com as a guide and maybe book a day or two ahead once you firm up your plans. Most towns will have decent hotels, apartments hotels (Quest is a pretty solid chain in NZ for example) and lots of motor lodges where you can drive in and stay. At that time of year it shouldn't be a major problem, except you obviously want to book in Hamilton
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Is there any part of NZ that hasn't been recommended?Sorry to say but weather will play a large part in determining how enjoyable your holiday is.
The North Island is usually massively under-rated but given your time frame I would seriously consider just flying Hamilton to Wellington as a way to free up time. Rotorua has Maori culture but in a pretty faux way. It also has a lot of thermal activity but you can get that (better) in Yellowstone.
Auckland Museum has a very good Māori section and daily cultural experiences https://hakalegend.co.nz/. NZ is a seafaring nation - the Maritime Museum (bonus right opposite Auckland's main bar area) will guide you through both Polynesian and colonial nautical history - you can even book a trip on the harbour on a waka. All these tours will be touristy but that's the case everywhere.
There are plenty of small tours that offer bespoke experiences if you google.
If you do go to the Bay of Islands make sure you visit Russell or Korarareka the 'hellhole of the Pacific. You could take four days One up to the Bay along the east coast stopping in Whangarei to visit the Hunterwasser Mueum
Hundertwasser Art Centre
Hundertwasser Art Centre welcomes you to experience art and architecture in harmony with nature and individual creativity. Discover the life and the legacy of visionary, painter, ecologist and architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Two days in the BoI then travel back to Akl via Hokianga, Waipoua Forest and Matakohe Kauri Museum. 2 days in Akl to cram in Museums West Coast and a trip on the Gulf - depending on weather. Go to Tron - you should be able to get tickets. If you can't I'd skip it and just go to a bar wherever you are. It'll still be a bloody authentic Kiwi rugby experience.
If you are short of time I'd skip Christchurch and go straight to Queenstown and base myself there.
Apologies for muddying the waters even further
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@dogmeat said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
Rotorua has Maori culture but in a pretty faux way
TBH, I'm going to push back on this (even given my hatred of BoP).
Rotorua gives a pretty good insight into Maori culture that you're not going to get authentically unless you know people and are at the right place at the right time.
The cultural shows and hangi at Whakarewarewa (I think) are actually pretty bloody authentic. I take mates there even though I usually take them back to my marae(s) in the real Bay.
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@Nepia Fair enough. Must've changed since I was last there. My main point though was you can get much the same in Auckland (minus the sulphur) and free up some days on your itinerary.
If @nonpartizan had more time then RotoVegas would be a no brainer for a night but especially considering the July equation I think avoiding the Central North Island in favour of more time in the South makes sense
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If there is no rush on your travel between Auckland and Hamilton these a few ideas a little off the main road and a few towards the west coast in the wider Waikato region.
The Waikato War Driving Tour - Waikato NZ
Discover the stories behind the Waikato Wars on The Waikato War Driving Tour though the Waikato region: Waikato War downloadable apps and resources.
Walking & Hiking tracks - WaikatoNZ
The Waikato region has great Walking and Hiking Tracks. Short easy walking tracks or longer challenging hikes, the Waikato region has a walking trail to suit
You would be surprised at how many Air BnB homes there are out in the rural areas.
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Things to do in the Waikato | WaikatoNZ
The Waikato region has a range of activities and attractions to suit all ages and tastes - from surfing world-class breaks and crawling through caves to wine tasting and heritage trails.
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@dogmeat said in Help with a travel itinerary to NZ:
@Nepia Fair enough. Must've changed since I was last there. My main point though was you can get much the same in Auckland (minus the sulphur) and free up some days on your itinerary.
If @nonpartizan had more time then RotoVegas would be a no brainer for a night but especially considering the July equation I think avoiding the Central North Island in favour of more time in the South makes sense
Me personally, I think driving down the island (as part of their 5/6 Auckland days - 5/6 Wellington days time allowance) is a more real slice of NZ than flying Hams to Welly. Plus, then they have a chance to visit the greatest Bay of all.
Nikau Cave & Cafe
