New Zealand


sarahtan

New Member
Hi piney,

It's winter in July if I am not wrong because read from previous postings. It'll be cold, trees will be bare and days are short.
 

kite~

Active Member
hi diamonddust,

shall look forward to see ur pics.
happy.gif
 

thunderfury

New Member
Hi all,

I am going NZ this Oct for a self-drive HM.

Can anyone advise whether I should book hotel/motel in advance? I was thinking to look for motel as my wife and I drive along.
 

pisduck

New Member
hi thunderfury,
we have just returned from NZ in feb. personally, i feel that it is not essential to book motels in advance cos NZ has plenty of motels at almost all the places we went. if we go to NZ again, we will probably do what you are intending to do - drive along and then look for motels when it gets dark.
happy.gif
 

sputnik

New Member
Hi Thunderfury,

Me and hubby also went for honeymoon in NZ in Nov 02. We did not book motel in advance from Singapore, but what we did was to call a few days ahead to each place when we were in NZ. They have a book (free of charge which u can pick up when u get to NZ) which list the accomodation available in each town and the price range, so just call ahead and book. May not be very advisable to look for accomodation only when u get to that town tho, becos some of the towns have limited accomodation so u may not get what u want and waste time looking (that was what happened to us in Dunedin).
 

thunderfury

New Member
Hi Pidduck and Sputnik,

Thanks for ur tips. One thing, I saw in this thread lots of complains about National Car Rental. Is that true?
 

sputnik

New Member
Hi Thunderfury,

We rented our car from National when we were in NZ. The free and easy package that we took came with a few days rental from National, so we decided to extend with them as well. When we reached NZ, National upgraded us to a Suzuki Grand Vitara at no extra charge (ours was actually supppose to be a 'normal' car) and they gave us the extension at only abt NZ$60+ a day! Driving the Grand Vitara very shiok indeed!!

No complaints abt the car, but when we got back and received our credit card bill, realised that National charged abt $15 to the card, but we did not know what the charge was for since they did not inform us. But we just disputed it with the bank and it was reversed out.

Not sure what were the complaints abt National were about though since I don't follow this thread closely.
 

pisduck

New Member
Hi Thunderfury,
I am not very sure about National. We rented our car fom Budget. No problems with this rental company.
happy.gif
 

rebeccalau

New Member
Hi Pple,
is it ok to travel with a tour in NZ? I think planning is really tiring and with a tour is it true that we'll get to see more things?
 

twinklets

New Member
hi rebecca,

We just back from NZ south island last week.
We book the air tixs with Ken Air & joined the NZ land operator "Kiwiway" there. Everything is arranged by Kenair here. We kinda lazy type, so forgo all those free & easy planning.We only spent 3 F&E days over at Queenstown which I think is pretty enuff for us.

The land operators there are pretty good. The Coach drivers are also the tour guides, especially the Great Sights Coach.
Everything is well taken care lor.
happy.gif

Of cos the total amt is much ex compare to F&E lor.
 

kite~

Active Member
Hi twinklets,

Just wondering how many days were u there n how much did u spend and where are the nice places to recommend n worth it to visit?
Thanks.
 

twinklets

New Member
hi kite,

Spent 9 days at south island, excluding the flight hrs.
Air tixs with Kenair is $1050.
Kiwiway Land Operator is aprox $1500+-
Think total we pay is around $2540 per pax.
Think not cheap lor, as compare to F&E ..

We went to Christchurch,Mt Cook,Queenstown,Milford Sound,Fox Glacier,Tranzapine etc. Some other places are along the way of the coach rides.. cant really rem the names.

Ehh I personally enjoyed myself at Queenstown cos we skydive,bungy & rafting. heee
The other places are basically sightseeing, very beautiful & fresh.
happy.gif


Oh ya .. if u opt for F&E, & u only want to book their motels when u arrive, I scare u wont able to get any..cos seem like during our stay there,alot of motels no vacancy liao..

Btw hor, I suggest u opt for F&E, but do your booking & research on where u wanna go first.
My package very exp cos of the hotel stay, i guess.
Think u can just buy the tixs, book motels from here & plan where u wanna go.
Over there they will have those booking agents. All u need is juz go there & book with them. Very easy 1.

You can try those backpacker motels, think quite cheap, or those motels tat come with kitchen.
U can try this budgetchain motel. Their rates quite all rite. We book with them during our F&E days. Much cheaper than the Kenair one.
 

kite~

Active Member
hi twinklets,

oic so $2450 is for per pax, does this amount includes air tic?

if $2450 includes air tic, it's quite worth it.

thanks.
 

twinklets

New Member
hi kite,

$2450 is included of air tix.


Hi BabyG,

Think July is winter in NZ.. think shd be very cold, since their summer already very cold liao.
They snow quite alot in NZ, i guess.
Heard got thick snow 1..
 

happy2

New Member
hi twinklets

i thot NZ has v mild winter temperatures? r u sure they snow quite a bit n has thick snow?
hmm...coz i m planning a trip to NZ in july....
 

twinklets

New Member
hi happy,

I heard from the coach guides that some parts have very thick snow. Hmm but cant really rem where are the exact locations.. Heard that 1 of routes to Milford Sound got thick snow though..

1 of the guys at my motel told us during winter days at Queenstown, they wont really walk abt 'cos relly damn cold...
So I think u better check carefully if u wanna go during winter time .. Btw is July wintertime?
Btw, this year the pple in NZ told us their weather very weird.. usually summertime not tat cold 1.. this year exceptionally cold .. we gotta wear like winterclothes during our stay there.
 

happy2

New Member
hi twinklets

nt sure man but i guess we hv more or less decided on NZ in july...wat was the temperature when u were there?
 

sputnik

New Member
Hi Happy,

I think it gets pretty cold in NZ during winter and the winter is not mild. They have snow and think sometimes the snow will block the roads so you can't access those roads. Even when we went in Nov, it was pretty cold. When we were at Mt Cook, the wind at some places was so stong that you literally get blown off your feet and can't even walk. Better check out the NZ website for the weather there during Jul before you decide to go.
 

idono

New Member
Hi Happy,

It snow a lot in the south island. it can easily snow until its 1m deep. hence, roads closure is quite common. its a perfect condition for skiing trips. I'm planning on doing tht within the next 2 yrs.
 

janz

New Member
hi every1...
i'll be gg to NZ tis June for HM...
i was there in June too in 2002...
the snow ain't tat bad...we self drove..but so blessed..sis no meet wif any snow fall..
really hope tis time there will not be...
is there anyone who wen to NZ during winter and drove thru the Arthur's Pass area? Can tell me if it was difficult to drive during tat period during winter? thanks..
happy.gif
 

sunny3

New Member
I just returned from NZ over the weekend. It's not that cold in South Island. Most of the time, I just used a warmer or a wind breaker. The only place I used warmer and wind breaker was at Milford Sound..as the wind from the cruise was rather strong. It's end summer approaching Autumn currently.
 

janz

New Member
hi sunny, how long were u in nz?
u self drove or went on a tour package?
can share your experience?
happy.gif
 

sputnik

New Member
Sigh... i thik the exchange rate for NZD really sucks now. Wanted to go to NZ, but looking at the exchange rate.... When I went in Nov 02, the rate was abt SGD86 to change to NZD100. Now it is the other way round - SGD120 to change to NZD100. Hope the exchange rate will get better....
 

sunny3

New Member
Hi Janz, kite

I was there for 8days..excluding the flying time. We self-drove and booked the accommodation and car via emails using the "where to stay" guide book from the NZ tourism board for accommodation.

The cost for air and accommodation and car was below S$5k for a family of 2 adults and 1 toddler.

We went to:
Christchurch
Dunedin
Tae Anau
Queenstown
Lake Takapo

Dh is experienced in mt rd driving. So, the drive ard was very smooth. The lowest speed limit we encountered was 25kph ard the curves. New Zealander likes to speed..and the police has increased their efforts to catch them.

Get a small car and drive up the steepest rd in Dunedin..very exciting for me since I am afraid of height..at one pt, the rd was so steep that I thought our car would turn. We have a big car with a small engineer..was crawling like tortise up. You must be good in driving to try it. Dh not afraid at all.

Tae Anau is like a resort place...We stayed there for 2 days facing the lake.

Pray hard that it rains before you take the cruise in milford sound. The seasonal waterfalls only appears after heavy rain. It's a 2 hrs drive from Tae Anau...the rain just stopped before our cruise, so we had great views. The wind was so cold, so make sure yr wind breaker and warmer is on. I forgot to put a warmer on my dd..only a pullover and a windbreaker...she was cold and had to stay away from the wind at times.

Queenstown is beautiful. Take a helicopter up and try the luge..my dd love it so much..

Mt Cook view is magnificiant...if you have the budget, go for the the flight ard Mt Cook.

Lake Tekapo did not have much to see beside the church. We rest a day there for dh dun want to drive all the way back to Christchurch.

We rented our car from a Singaporean that has migrated there. He is very helpful. He rented us his hp(only pay for whatever rates we used) and even offer rice cooker for asian customers.

I tried Mac Donald once...the fries taste diff..ketchup a bit salty. KFC chicken taste like herbal chicken and the mashed potatoes has taste of soy. B King taste the same. I like their fish n chip from the takeaway shop. The food I like best was Mexico one. At Tae Anau, for dinner, once I had a cod fish and dh had the steak. The steak was tasty but the fish was too fishy. The food was in their original taste.

Our trip was a bit short, so did not cover the south island fully. If have the chance, might go backt here again.

As for pics, I have not send it for developing.
 

sunny3

New Member
Just a Note...at the airport transit area bank, I walked past and saw the rate at 115.**. I changed for 118. So, maybe you can try changing before going for yr plane.
 

girlz

New Member
Hi,

I'm also going to NZ in May for HM....we haven't decided on whether to self-drive or to take the land tour...becos, i will be the only driver, my hubby got a license but never drove b4, so dun know whether will it be too stressful with only 1 driver??

Btw, anyone heard of Travelations? They specialize in NZ travel, they mention that they will draw out a self-drive option holiday for us with all the routes and recommend us the places to go...
 

janz

New Member
hi girlz..i dun tink its advisable to drive wif only 1 driver...it will definitely tire u out...sure to be very stressful...and its not good for ur hubby to drive too since he'll be unfamilar with driving lest say the route there...
i'll be gg to self drive trip too...and both my fh and i will be driving and we r still worried tat we may not be able to cope with the long distance...
i hv not heard abt Travelations b4...issit a singapore or nz based agency? can let me know more details abt this company?
Thanks...
happy.gif
 

sunny3

New Member
Hi girlz,

Based on how many days you are going, you can go to the NZ Tourism board. There is a file there that recommended various routes you can take for self-drive.

For driving, try not to drive for long hrs. Whenever you are tired, change driver or take a rest. My bil never drive in Singapore at all. But whenever he travels, he will drive. So, dun think it's a problem for yr dh. As long as he is careful, should be ok.

Before reaching the curve rd, there would be road sign telling you to slow down to whatever speed and how the curves look like. As long as you follow accordingly, should not be a problem. Try to slow down when going to reach the curve, don't break only when you are in the curve. This is the way my dh drive.

The cars in NZ road are few, yr dh can take it as a practising place in the country road, which are long and straight. While in the city, maybe you can take over.

My dh had not drive the last 4 yrs here and some more yrs back in his country. He took the driving in NZ as warming up his skill.
 

girlz

New Member
Hi Janz,

I did mention abt my worries of self-drive to this travel agency...but they say they will take this into consideration for our driving route and we might be doing half-driving, half bus rides....Travelation is a s'pore based agency...they claim they work directly with vendors at nz, so that the charges will definitely be cheaper and they can cater to our needs and wat we wan to see in nz...and propose the routes..Happened to pass by their booth in Natas fair, was very impressed by their knowledge abt nz. They have some tie up with local tour agencies, so they dun really have a fixed office. I only got one of their contact. Going to meet them tonight to discuss abt our tour routes. The person is Kelvin Tan, his hp is 9455 0945, juz mention that u are got his no from Lilian.

Sunny, we will be going for 10-12 days nz...my hubby is thinking of the same thing, maybe he could drive a few straight routes first to try out, but mostly i will be the one driving...we will try to take public transport if there are places that have winding roads...have to plan this out with the travel agent...
 

sunny3

New Member
Hi girlz,

You can take a map on the highways of NZ from the tourism board, from there, you will be able to see if the road is straight or not.

Before we went, dh actually think of booking a trip for the milford sound. It's taking a coach to Milford Sound and then the cruise. The charge for the coach transport was NZ50+ if I din remember wrongly. I told dh that it's cheaper we drive ourself. In the end, he agreed. That road was not that bad to drive.

If you want to save, try booking directly with the NZ side. I got all the bourches from the tourism board and booked everything via internet. Not involving the agent here at all..save cost.
 

sputnik

New Member
Hi girtz,

Agree with Sunny, it is cheaper to book direct from NZ, dun need to go thru any agency here. What I did was purchase the free and easy package from S'pore which included air tickets and a few days car rental and vouchers for hotel stay. Only confirm the 1st nite stay, rest of arrangements only done at NZ itself when I got there.
Basically, when I arrive at each town, will visit the tourist information first, they have lots of brochures and staff to help you with your planning. I din even do much research before I went. If you book everything while you are still in S'pore, may not give you much flexibility, in the event that you like a place and want to extend, or shorten your stay in the event of unforeseen circumstances (i.e bad weather)
 

kite~

Active Member
hi gals,

anyone can help if it is better to book the air tickets with tour agency or online?

If online, which are the websites that are really good n cheaper?

www.zuji.com
airfares.com.sg
newzealand airlines

hmm anyone can contribute more? thanks.

btw i hving a budget of $4k for both person to NZ. do u think i can make it for how many days with this budget? thought of gg backpack, cheaper? pls. advise.
 

iloveoreo

New Member
<font color="0000ff">kite</font>

I spent below $2500 for 1 person and was there for 10 days. I self-drive and was the only driver thru'out and stayed mainly in motels.

So, with your budget, probaby not more than a week.
Try to grab whole of those air ticket promo. Tickets usually cost less than $800 per person for air NZ or Quantas
Not sure if the promo is still on though.
 

kite~

Active Member
hi oreo,

i wil b gg to end of Jan instead, 1 month after wedding cos wanna avoid xmas n new yr extra surcharges.

may i know which mth u went? cos different mths got different air tickets charges.

btw u mentioned u spent below $2.5k for 1 person? exactly how much? wow not bad leh, at least below 2.5k can stay there for 10 days.

can u break down wat u spent? thanks.
 

iloveoreo

New Member
<font color="0000ff">Kite,</font>

I went last Mar 2003.
If you're planning to self-drive, the std expenses that are unavoidable would be the airtickets, car rental and accomodation
The estimated breakdown is as follows:-

1) airticket - ~ $900 including tax and misc. fees.
2) Tranzalpine train - ~$85.00 (optional but highly recommended!)
2) 1 week car rental - ~$160 per person (based on 3 persons sharing 1 standard 4-door saloon car), rent from greymouth and return at christchurch airport.
3) accomodation including 1 nite farm stay - ~$295 per person (based on 3 persons sharing)

Total: $1430

For makan and other expenses, it all depends on how much you want to spend on food and go for activities or even buy souvenirs.
 

kite~

Active Member
hi oreo,

thanks for the break down.

usually do u suggest book air tickets online ownself or book through agency? which is cheaper?

yup i heard alot of raves on this tranzalpine train.

$160 per person car rental for 1 week is very cheap. is it a decent 4 door car? which car rental shop?

as for accomodation, do u suggest YHA or motels? is YHA based on sharing basis?

what abt milford sound cruise? wondering how much is it as quite interested to go there too but heard not worth the trip as not very fantastic?

sorry for so much qs.
 


sunny3

New Member
Milford Sound is fantastic if it rains the night before and stop before yr cruise time. There are a lot of seasonal falls that appears when much rain water is collected from mt top. I was luckily with it..and my sis who have been there asked me was it the milford sound they seen..haha...
 

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