Hey guys!
i love hearing the things my fellow members have when it comes to travel. Just need some ideas on the South island of New Zealand. it's going to be a 10 day trip. Road trip to be exact and possibly landing in Queenstown or christchurch. Not so sure though.
If anyone have any suggestions on what to do or the MUST DO IT activities then please let me know! Travelling around August so hopefully theres some snow going on.
Thnk you.
Agreed, I'm just putting together a 10 day trip for July next year, already have the route and stops mapped out lol
Perth to Auckland non stop. Yeah baby.
Pretty much! Not much more to select wing seats :)
Nah i usually do spontaneous trips. I have a map on the wall and throw a dart to it, wherever it lands i go. So now im going to new zealand. Havent planned anything yet.
Thought most maps don't show NZ…
Only 2 things I know about NZ are great skiing and LOTR film set tours. The rest is meant to be raw untouched natural beauty to enjoy camping around. Pretty much most people say 10 days isn't enough.
Pity it didn't land on Logan. Now that would be a fun 10 days.
Hardly spontaneous if you are going in August.
Ye not quite spontaneous as my other trips but compared to my partner she plans a year ahead. Going with the BOYS lesfgo!
Your map has NZ on it??? Many don’t. AND remarkably you hit it as well. Was it an over the shoulder from behind shot?
10 days will feel rushed and tiring if you're aiming to see everything. Depends on what you want to see and what sights are available in each city. You'll have weigh up on if it's worth the drive to that city. But the drive from CC to Queenstown is picturesque. Land in CC if you want to either head up north to visit some coastal towns or south to Dunedin for the Cadbury factory and the steepest road in the Southern Hemisphere. You can spend nearly 5 days in Queenstown for the sights, activities and visit nearby towns alone.
How long do you suggest? thought 10 days was plenty.
I did a round trip of the south and that took me over 2 weeks but was quite rushed. Again just depends on what you want to see, experience etc.
The Cadbury Factory is gone.
I had a few days, about half the time that you have and these came to mind
Queenstown: Gondola up to view Queenstown from above, go on the luge ride, hike bobs peak trail (bring snacks, lunch)
Try Fergburger and Cookietime in town
Have a few hours with a view in your hottub at Onsen hot pool & spa and follow up with a massage (do the hikes first, youll feel in heaven after the massage)
Milford Sound tour (We stayed overnight or 2 in Te Anau for convenience)
Wanaka: Wanaka tree, Hike Roys Peak (instagrammable view)
Pick up some roadside manuka honey variants
Look up a vineyard on your way and see if they have a cheese and wine spread to offer.
If you're going during ski season August-y have a ski at Cardrona. You can park and ski, just pre book your ski hire and lift ticket. Dont forget to take a few ski appropriate items of clothing (and sunscreen)
You did so much, amazing. I do plan to chill at queenstown maybe a couple days and then head around the island.
I did pretty much what txb did here and some more… Lake Tekapo (stayed overnight), The glaciers (fox glacier) and some random stops along the way. You will need to factor in time for those random stops as there so much natural scenery along the entire route.
I gota do the glaciers!!
Well, they've receeded badly. You used to be able to park in the cart park and see the end - now you have to catch a helicopter.
"Any visitor returning to Franz Josef glacier this year, after 10 years, would notice a stark distance. Since 2008, it has been retreating rapidly and lost a massive 1.56km in length, at the fastest rate ever recorded. Fox has gone a similar way, losing 900m in the decade to 2018."
I wanna catch some kingys and tunas anyone suggest a fishing charter?
Like everywhere in the post Covid world i'd be sussing out rental car prices and availability before committing to any road trip holidays. If you find a cheap rental with free cancellation lock it in asap.
Ye thnks for that, Ive searched online and theyre going about >$400. which is fair for a 4wd i guess.
$400 for the whole trip..?
Queenstown: Wanaka is a great day trip from Queenstown, and you can stop for some horseriding on the way out if you have time, the views were amazing. The drive out to Glenorchy is also very scenic. White water rafting is a lot of fun but will probably be very cold in August. Arrowtown is a short drive as well, if you're into something a bit historical. Milford sound is meant to be amazing, but I didn't have time.
Dunedin: Unfortunately the Cadbury factory is now closed, but the wildlife tour is pretty cool. It's a nice little place to stop at if you're driving from Queenstown to Christchurch (or vice versa).
Lake Tekapo: Also a beautiful place to stop at, but then 'beautiful' can be used to describe so many areas on South Island. They have hot springs there with mountain/lake backdrop, but I didn't end up going, I just walked around the lake and the surrounding areas as I was only there for half a day.
I've been twice to South Island, first time 7 days and second time 10 days (pre-covid). Both times landed in Christchurch and flew out of Queenstown. 10 days is enough to get a lot done but not everything, so you will have to pick and choose what you really want to do.
Adding to this with respect to Dunedin… I wouldn't recommend the Cadbury factory anyway unless you have young kids.
The Dunedin Gasworks Museum was an absolute highlight for me, they have all this Victorian machinery running which you can see up close, but like the Cadbury factory still closed :( Hopefully things will open up soon.
The Otago Central Rail Trail is a huge walking/cycling trail following historical rail line. There is cycle hire, cycle hire one-way and train the back, etc.
Dunedin Railways runs a couple historic train routes. Taieri River Gorge is the famous one.
The thing with NZ and especially the South Island is that its just so damn beautiful everywhere you go so just driving from place to place will be interesting.
Im excited for a picturesque escape! I dont mind the trails and hikes!
Thnk you! i did horse riding at glenworth valley last year but felt my knees were gonna snap or maybe i was too short. lol.
Ye ive heard about lake tekapo, its definitely something i gota visit.
Any ideas on like fresh raw seafood like ora king salmon i could get?
I had salmon at a Japanese restaurant in Lake Tekapo, don't remember much about it so it must have been OK but not spectacular. If you're heading up to the glaciers then you can stop by Mt Cook Alpine Salmon which is well rated and should be very fresh.
Ferg barkery
often gets overshadowed by fergburger, but def the best pies ive tried
I heard mix reviews about fergburger? busy asf so quality isnt great?
I had 10 days and this was the itinerary we went with. It sometimes got tiring, but the views were worth it. Actually feel like spending additional days at each place! Also, we went in Oct, so got a little more daylight than during winter.
Day1: Land in Christchurch - Stay Overnight
Day2: Hokitika - Beach - Glowworm caves. Stay Overnight
Day3: Hokitika Gorge - On to Franz Josef Glacier - Glacier Walk. Stay Overnight
Day4: Fox Glacier View - On to Wanaka - Wanak tree evening view. Stay Overnight
Day5: Wanaka Lake/Tree - Glendhu Bay - On to Te Anau - Stay Overnight
Day6: Te Anau Lake - Milford Sound - Back to Te Anau - Stay Overnight
Day7: On to Queenstown - Shopping - Lakeside - Gondola. Stay Overnight
Day8: Glenorchy - Queenstown Local. Stay Overnight
Day9: On to Mount Cook - Hooker Valley Track walk. Stay Overnight
Day9: Lake Ruatanihwa - Lake Pukaki - On to Tekapo - Lake Tekapo. Stay Overnight
Day10: On to Christchurch - Local sightseeing. Stay overnight
Day11: Flight back
Thats an awesome schedule, you have any good spots for seafood or just eat whatever? esp sashimi stuff like salmonnnnn
Nice list :)
On to Franz Josef Glacier - Glacier Walk. Stay Overnight
You cant walk to the glacier anymore, (unless things have changed since last year), the track ends way back from it, it's still a nice little walk to see the glacier from a distance though, there's a couple of other nice walks around there also…
The quad-bike tour at Franz Josef is great fun, money well spent: A little taster: https://youtu.be/koWMtP_eQMg
https://www.acrosscountryquadbikes.co.nz/
I booked the quad tour through Bookme, saved a heap…
https://www.bookme.co.nz/things-to-do/west-coast-glacier-cou…
I spent 8 weeks over there, May-June 2021, 8000+km in a camper, I booked a lot of activities through Bookme, a lot were less than half price but that may have been partly due to it being mid-covid and there were very few tourists around over there…
Milford Sound
I found the drive in there more fun than the actual cruise, lol, Homer Tunnel is great! https://youtu.be/hsDyQNHETw8
I also did the Doubtful Sound cruise out of Manapouri, a ferry across the lake, a bus trip up over some old remote landlocked hydro roads, then a cruise in the sound on a big yacht, I enjoyed that more than the Milford Sound cruise but it's basically a full day trip, and a bit pricey if you have to pay full price…
You really cant go wrong in NZ, just driving around the lakes in a campervan is thoroughly enjoyable, lovely scenery everywhere… The longer you can spend over there the better, make the most of it !
It's well worth spending the few dollars on Wikicamps NZ, it lists most camping spots, caravan parks, attractions and such, all with reviews, prices, and such, it's a must-have for a campervan trip IMO, (I've used the Aus version for years also)
https://www.wikicamps.co.nz/
Edit: If you need a local SIM card get one with "Spark", their coverage is better than Vodafone and such, Spark there is like Telstra here…
Be mindful fuel is about $3 per L over there at the moment… There's decent fuel discount with NZ Flybuys, Countdown (woolies) OneCard, and a lot of places offer a discount if you're a member of their AA roadside assist, if you have RACV, NRMA, or such here, you can get a reciprocal card with their AA so you can get the fuel discount…
https://www.aa.co.nz/membership/benefits/international-visit…
For a short trip it's probably not worth worrying about these things, but if you want to chase discounted fuel it's best to look into these things before getting over there, install the apps and such before you hit the ground…
Great info! I haven't been to nz for decades.
The change to the glacier sounds awful. I remember when we took a walking tour on one of the glaciers it was dodgy as approaching it on foot, had to cross creeks on narrow planks of wood, hold onto slippery chains while edging along narrow paths cut into the side of hills. But walking on the glacier was great.
Great tips. I'll go to NZ next year. The fuel pricing is about the same expensive at the moment.
Trip to Mildford Sound looks like a pain, from Queenstown is about 7 hours round-trip. I wish they make shortcuts/tunnels between Queenstown and Milford Sound.
If you can find it in the budget, do the fly-cruise-fly. We did and it left us a lot more free time. Could see the people on the cruise who had been in a bus all morning and they looked shattered!
@spackbace: Thanks. Great to know it's an option. Pricing is not bad, considering the cruise itself in it, the experience and the massive time saving.
@foxmulder: Just if you go to book it, make sure you book it the first day you're in Queenstown, and allow a couple of days. Our first booking got bad weather, so we ended up having to change around our itinerary to suit
Lived on the South Island from 2019 until when I was allowed to leave again in 2021. Did a fair bit of travelling and ozprash has a pretty good itinerary, my comments noting I had heaps more time:
Doubtful Sound is more spectacular than Milford Sound but less accessible and you will need to devote more time of your limited holiday, probably need to stay in Te Anau or overnight on a boat.
There's a nice little caravan park a 5min walk from where the Doubtful Sound tour departs in Manapouri, when I was there it was cheaper than any of the places in Te Anau, with the Doubtful Sound tour being a full day tour I spent 2 nights there:
https://possumlodge.co.nz/accommodation/camp/
if you want to visit NZ just goto pacific pines and coomera
Land at Queenstown, during day light hours, so you can see the pretty glaciers and view.
Visit and book a cruise at Milford sound, make sure you bring wind and water proof jackets.
The mountain views flying into Christchurch are pretty good also.. When I went over it worked out a lot cheaper for the flight and van rental to head in and out of Christchurch rather than Queenstown.. It's a juggling act between cost and time though…
Along with wet weather gear a couple of sets of thermals are a good idea, for day and night use, and a couple of pairs of shoes because they're likely to get wet on walks, it's not much fun if you have to wear wet shoes for the rest of the day and such…
The nights in a campervan are pretty cold when you dont have mains power to run a heater, not an issue if you plan to spend ~$50 per night in powered caravan parks, but if you're going to use free camps or DOCs camps without power be prepared for the cold… (there's very few free camps left around the popular touristy areas due to backpackers doing the wrong thing… There's big fines for camping in places where you shouldn't, especially around Queenstown and the likes)
for budget purpose - consider fuel cost.
I think 1 to 1 is exchange rate.
diesel car might work better for you.
Diesel is cheaper at the pump but you usually have to pay a separate per-km tax/surcharge for diesels, a lot/most? rental companies pass this charge on, it's on top of the usual rental fee…
From the research I did it was cheaper to rent a petrol vehicle..
Edit: https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/owning-a-car/licensing-safety-fees….
$76 per 1000km fee for diesels…
Edit, there's this app to compare fuel prices around the place, prices vary wildly over there, much worse than here… You can also add your Flybuy/Onecard/AA fuel discounts into the app)
https://gaspy.nz/
I have not calculate in this detail.
noticed fuel price when I was there 5 years ago!
The current $76 per 1000km RUC charge for diesels came in mid 2020, I'm not sure how things were before then…
Especially if you plan on doing big KM's, dont be fooled by the pump price of petrol versus diesel, you need to factor in that RUC charge…
I lived in Queenstown for 8 years and if you want to see everything you can in a few days, pick carefully and plan well in advance. Also driving from
Christchurch will only exhaust you. The scenery on the way is in parts after HALF of the 5 hour drive if you don’t stop, stunning but risky at that time of the year due to the weather closing roads which are often treacherous to drive on because of ice and snow. I wouldn’t recommend that for that time of the year and the time you have allocated. If you must drive then the trip from Queenstown to the West Coast is one of the top drives in the world and less likely to be weather affected. But it will be winter so have alternate plans as a backup. You don’t want to spend lost days staring at the tv in front of a heater in your hotel room.
10 days is nothing.. I suggest drive to Mount Cook and stay one or two nights. Walk up the Hooker glacier there, maybe up the hill to Mueller Hut where you can stay for a night, that is fantastic. Meet those kia parrots at Mt Cook too. Then drive to Queenstown and walk up Ben Lomond behind it. Can catch cable car up to start or walk from town. Allow full day. Then a drive to Milfird Sound and do the boat cruise. Absolutely spectacular. For ultimate fun get a scenic flight there. And then your time is up.
It’s gonna be very cold in August.
https://www.bookme.co.nz/things-to-do/queenstown/home
Check this closer to your travel date, previously have scored a few great deal on activities.
I went a few years back and did a heap of the LOTR stuff.. absolutely loved it. I know its not in the South island, but Hobbiton is so awesome.
Also, the Glow Worm caves was magical. Can't wait to go back and do it again.
Maybe checkout the TranzAlpine
https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/tranzalpine/
What we did last time was, fly into Queenstown pickup car rental from Apex do all the touristy things in that area, drive up to Greymouth on the West coast, drop off the rental car. then catch the TransAlpine to Christchruch. You could go the other way too.
Obviously, you need to find a car Rental place that has offices in Queenstown and Greymouth.
Also, I strongly recommend considering Doubtful Sound as an alternative to Milford Sound.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/ShowUserReviews-g255124-d27347…
I've done both and while Doubtful Sound is more expensive, you will see more stuff and it's not nearly as crowded.
Also, chopper ride to Franz Josef is expensive, but it's an awesome experience.
What he said.
Others have suggested, but the Onsen hot pools in Queenstown was awesome we did that in the evening on the first night we landed, it was so relaxing :)
Plan to visit in mid-late November and original plan was a week but looks like I need to extend to 10days - would that be enough to cover both South & North Island? First time visit in NZ so would be great to know if what is the place to stay and then trip back and forth to visit and see places?
How did you go bud? Looking for any tips. Might book in for next year.
Wouldn't you have already looked at what you might like to do before you decide where you are going?