New Zealand

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hi mngo,

thanks for the help!! i am going in mid jan, one wk after my wedding. but till now still have not booked ticket yet. any idea whats the average price for the tickets like? any promotion anywhere?

one more qn, did u stay in different hotel every nite as u travel through south island? also the hot is it like summer in australia where the heat can pentrate through the car?

hope its not too late for me to book my tickets. cos really busy with work n sort of neglected my honeymoon plans. if really no time, then i might book a package tour in spore. what do u thk?

thanks!
 


Hi cin,

Like i have said before. Did u see my posting?

_________________________________________

Hi cin,

I m going in mid Jan 05 (same as you), its better to book ur air tix now as afraid that if u book in Dec wil be fully booked as its peak period in NZ (mid-dec to Feb).

If u gg to south island, u wil arrive at Christchurch.

But my air tix (S$899) is not direct. Its from:

Depart: SIN - AKL - CHC

Arrive : CHC - AKL - SIN

Go and book the air tix fast as now Air NZ is hving promotion. I paid only S$899 per person.

Its better for u to DIY F&E self drive yourself, save more $ too. But if u really hv no time, probably a tour package might suits you, less hassle.

Yes Since i wil be there for 2 weeks, i will drive round the south island n stay at different accommodations.

Even in summer in NZ, u wont feel warm, cooling though. But beware of the UV rays. Wear sunglasses, hats or apply sunscreen lotion.
 
cin
Kite has replied your queries.
Of cos u need to stay in diff hotel every night if u travel around south island. How else will u stay?

Kite is right, summer in NZ is diff from summer in australia.

Jan is a good time to go, u will be light in clothings, and u will get to see all fruits and grapes in the vineyard!
 
hi all,

Since i have already book my air tix and car rental from Teddy - www.anzed.co.nz (thanks to XYZ), next shall settle my itinerary and book my accommodation.

But b4 planning, i intend to go for the following activities:

1) Puzzling World (No price stated at website) any idea?

2) Milford Sound Cruise

3) 1/2 day guided walk at Fox Glacier (NZ$54 per person - Adult)

4) Hot, Thermal pools at Hanmer Springs (NZ$10 per person)

5) Deer Park Height at Queenstown (NZ$20 per car to entry)

Hmm thats all i can think of now. Anymore to add in? prefer interesting places. Will skip adventure activities as i m not that adventurous enough, plus budget constraint.

After settle the places of activites, then i wil plan my itinerary.
happy.gif


Thanks.
 
Hi Kite,

Best time to go Milford is in the morning. The earliest cruise. Think is 10. Cos if u drive there, no traffick towards Milford, also u will have sufficient time to dirve back. Look out for the mirror lake along the way.
 
Kite,

Try the following :
1) Gibson Valley. Was told during harvesting, tourist can help to pluck grapes. Dunno whether Jan'05 is harvesting. Also the wine tour is not bad.

2) CHC botanic garden

3) Queestown gondola - luge

4) Kaikora sheep shearing

5) There is this hill top where you can drive to in CHC. Can overlook whole CHC. Cannot remember name already. Check with Teddy, he recommended when i was there. At the southern of town.
 
stussy, is the hill top at CHC is CASHMERE hill? a very long hill journey. we went to that hill, it overlooks lynetton or lyteedon .. something like tat. when we went back, we cut thru the mountain tunnel .

There is a very very long bridge at one of the sea side. u can try the buffet at Sequoir88 at redbrick (or red wood)
 
Hi mngo & stussy,

thanks. Shall not miss out Puzzling world.

I notice there is gondola ride at CHC and queenstown. Which one is more interesting?

Ok i shall book the Milford sound cruise based on the earliest morning slot they hv on the web. I see that if driving our car directly to milford to board e cruise, wil be cheaper. However issit dangerous to drive to milford sound?

Yes i think its called Cashmere Hill. However i couldnt find any article on it through website. Anyway i shall include this in my itinerary.

Seems like Teddy is good in recommending nice places, shall ask him to give me some recommendations too.

What other recommendations did he share with you?
happy.gif
 
Hi cassie
How about Mt Cook to Beech hill? How far is the drive?

I am having

Anyone knows what is the difference between Double and Twin room at YHA?
I have not booked rooms at Lake Tekapo and Lake Te Anau and Queenstown. Budget less than $70.

Any suggestions for these places?
 
hi people,

so sad! apparantly there r no tickets (both sq n air nz) for my preferred dates in jan through both the online n agents booking. the agents were telling me jan is a peak season n its also better for me to book my accomodation in spore b4 i go cos most likely the hotels n motels will be taken up. cos my initial plan was to book the hotel for the first 2 nites n the rest i will book along the way.

one qn to ask, as i cant drive, i am afraid it will be very tiring for my hb if he were to drive from one town to another.frankly speaking, for the drivers out there, is it really that tiring? on average in south island, how long is the journey like from one place to another?
 
cin,
i cant drive. my hubby also drove all the way. it is really tiring esp when is a straight road. so we had chewing gums to keep both of us awake. if not, my poor hubby will fall alseep. also, after 1 hr of drive or so, try to stop aside, look around and take a break.

the time between one place to another in south island depends. if u are going from say chc to queenstown, is going to take a few hours, and u will pass by wanaka and sort.
 
hi cin,

huh? u sure no tickets anymore? i just boooked my air tickets from Air NZ leh and they stil hv plenty of seats for Jan 05. Did u check probably?

most importantly, if u are driving, u hv to plan ur itinerary well so that u can estimate how many hours u wil be driving.
 
Dear All,

Finally, i managed to draw up my DRAFT (Subject to changes) itinerary over the long weekend. Pls. feel free to comment and give suggestions on it. Thanks in Advance!

Day 1 : Depart from Singapore at night.

Day 2 : Reach Christchurch at 2pm+. Will tour and walk around CHC.
-> Cashmere Hill, Timeball Station, Botanic Gardens, Casino, Museums

Day 3 : Lake Tepako
-> When is the best time to view Lake Tepako? Anything else to do here?

Day 4 : Mt. Cook + Twizel
-> Lake Pukaki, Hooker Valley

Day 5 : Oamaru
-> Moeraki Boulders, Yellow Eyes Penguin, Larnach Castle

Day 6: Dunedin + Lumsden Farmstay
-> Bladwin Street

Day 7: Te Anau
-> Milford Sound Day Cruise (Is it dangerous to drive from Te Anau to Milford as i heard to beware Avalanche)

Day 8: Queenstown
-> Bluff Lookout, Kngston Railway Station, Gondola Ride, Deer Park Height

Day 9: Wanaka
-> Hasst (Knight's Point View), Puzzling World

Day 10: Fox Glacier
-> Fox Glacier 1/2 day guided walk, Lake Matherson

Day 11: Punkakiki
-> Pancake Rocks, Buller Gorge Swing Bridge

Day 12: Hanmer Spring + Kaikoura
-> Hanmer Spring Thermal/Hot Pools, Want to eat seafood at Kaikoura, any recommendations?

Day 13: Depart CHC at 8am

Also, pls. recommended where can i get to eat nice seafood, cheap shopping for souvenirs according to my itinerary?

Feel free to add in or comments my itinerary.

Thanks.
 
Hello, Here's some comments...
Day 3 : the name is Lake TEKAPO not TEPAKO.
This place is quite a distance from CHC. is abt 3 hrs drive.

Day 8 : Queenstown
Seems like one day is not sufficient. there are too many activities in queenstown.

Day 12 : Kaikoura
You can try Clayfish or lobster at Olive tree restaurant. sometimes there will be pushcarts or roadside stall where they have bbq seafood.
 
Hi mngo,

thanks for enlighten me. hehe mix up Tekapo. :D

Seems like nothing much to do at Lake Tekapo.

How about like this? I will overnite at Mt. cook instead at Lake Tekapo on 3rd Nite. so that i can hv 2 days at Queenstown.

Revised DRAFT Itinerary:
Day 1 : Depart from Singapore at night.

Day 2 : Reach Christchurch at 2pm+. Will tour and walk around CHC.
-> Cashmere Hill, Timeball Station, Botanic Gardens, Casino, Museums

Day 3 : Lake Tepako, Mt. Cook, Twizel
-> Lake Pukaki, Hooker Valley

Day 4 : Oamaru
-> Moeraki Boulders, Yellow Eyes Penguin, Larnach Castle

Day 5: Dunedin + Lumsden Farmstay
-> Bladwin Street

Day 6: Te Anau
-> Milford Sound Day Cruise (Is it dangerous to drive from Te Anau to Milford as i heard to beware Avalanche)

Day 7 & 8: Queenstown
-> Bluff Lookout, Kngston Railway Station, Gondola Ride, Deer Park Height

Day 9: Wanaka
-> Hasst (Knight's Point View), Puzzling World

Day 10: Fox Glacier
-> Fox Glacier 1/2 day guided walk, Lake Matherson

Day 11: Punkakiki
-> Pancake Rocks, Buller Gorge Swing Bridge

Day 12: Hanmer Spring + Kaikoura
-> Hanmer Spring Thermal/Hot Pools, clayfish/lobster at Olive Restaurant

Day 13: Depart CHC at 8am.
 
hi kite,

some comments may help u..

remember to set aside 4 hrs for hooker valley walk, thereafter, will be good to stay at twizel.

Think during the summer, there wont be much avalanches i think. so driving up to milford sound shldnt be a problem.

Actually, when u are there, ur itinerary will most likely change, coz there n then u'll see whether the place has got anything which will interest u to stay longer.

by the way, buying souvenirs at christchurch city will be cheaper than other towns. So u can set aside the last day to do some shopping there.

hope this helps...
 
Hi gals,

Thanks for the comments.

Last day wld be unlikely to go shopping at CHC as i will be catching my early flight b4 8.30am.

Since on Day 12, I will be going to Hanmer springs to enjoy the thermal pool, then proceed to Kaikoura to eat seafood. besides whale watching (how much $), what else can i do at kaikoura throughout the nite?

Thanks.
 
Hi Kite,
From CHC, you will reach Lake Tekapo first. then u go Twizel. After which you can go Mt Cook. I am not sure if there's sufficient accomodation in mount cook. and furthermore , is more expensive. Suggest u stay at Twizel. Twizel and Mt Cook are two different routes. (one on the left and the other on the right)

From CHC to Lake Tekapo , it takes 3 hours.
From Tekapo to Twizel, it takes 1 hour.
Twizel to Mt cook is abt 40 mins.

Day 4: The Larnach Castle is at Dunedin. Not worth going, i am afraid to say. I stayed at AA Thomas Court motel in Oamaru. Its a very clean, and comfortable motel to put up. it has got a bedroom on its own too.

Day 6 : it is safe to drive from te anau to milford sound as is summer time when u go.

Day 10 and 11 : the drive is going to be tedious, and long. u need to drive at least 6 hours from wanaka to Punakaiki.

Day 12 : Be prepared for expensive seafood in kaikora. one clayfish may cost up to NZD70.
U can see whales (tour) at kaikoura.
 
Kite,

does that mean last day u'll go to christchurch airport directly from kaikoura? would think it'll be better to stay last night at christchurch? Bcos there wont be much to do at night at kaikoura, whereas for christchurch even if you reach around 8pm, the souvenir shops open till 10pm if i remember correctly.

If you take short breaks in between the drive, the drive should be fine.

Yes i agree the castle is nothing much. You may even consider skipping dunedin, personally i felt it was quite dull there.

Yes mt cook acco is limited and ex, you may want to check out Glentanner Motels, which is about 15min drive away, if not stay at Twizel would be good.
 
Hi,

thanks again. I understand that at Oamaru, there are 2 kinds of penguins, little blue and Yellow-eye penguin. wondering where to catch the views of them? hv to visit the penguin colony? cos i couldnt find the price for entry.
 
Hi,

Once again, here is my Revised DRAFT Itinerary:

Day 1 : Depart from Singapore at night.

Day 2 : Reach Christchurch at 2pm+. Will tour and walk around CHC.
-> Cashmere Hill, Timeball Station, Botanic Gardens, Casino, Museums

Day 3 : Lake Tepako, Mt. Cook, Twizel
-> Lake Pukaki, Hooker Valley

Day 4 : Oamaru
-> Moeraki Boulders, Little Blue and Yellow Eyes Penguins

Day 5: Dunedin??? + Lumsden Farmstay
-> Bladwin Street

Day 6: Te Anau
-> Milford Sound Day Cruise

Day 7 & 8: Queenstown
-> Bluff Lookout, Kngston Railway Station, Gondola Ride, Deer Park Height

Day 9: Wanaka
-> Hasst (Knight's Point View), Puzzling World

Day 10: Fox Glacier
-> Fox Glacier 1/2 day guided walk, Lake Matherson

Day 11: Punkakiki
-> Pancake Rocks, Buller Gorge Swing Bridge

Day 12: Hanmer Spring + Kaikoura + CHC
-> Hanmer Spring Thermal/Hot Pools, clayfish/lobster at Olive Restaurant

Day 13: Depart CHC at 8am.

Hmm if i were to skip Dunedin, i shall think of a place to replace it. how about Catlins or Invercargill?
 
i'm not too sure about catlins and invercargill. But if your plan is such a way you will pass dunedin, then maybe just go stay for a night. there are also museums there.
 
kite,
the blue and yellow eye penguins are at different colony. i went too see blue eye penguin @ NZD10 per pax. the penguins will only be out after 9pm but is better to be there early to get a seat. note that it might be cold at night due to coast wind.

and ginn is correct. pls do stay overnight at chc. u wont want to start driving early in the morning at 4am from kaikoura to CHC airport. isn't it?
 
hi mngo,

i will take into consideration of staying overnite at CHC since driving from Kaikoura to CHC will take 2.25hrs. Need to revise my itinerary again. will update u all.
 
Revised DRAFT Itinerary:

Day 1: Depart SIN

Day 2: Reach CHC at 2pm+.

Day 3: CHC via Ashburton to Lake Tekapo - Mt. Cook - Twizel

Day 4: Twizel via Oramara to Oamaru

Day 5: Oamaru - Dunedin ¨C Mossburn or Lumsden Farmstay

Day 6: Mossburn or Lumsden Farmstay - Te Anau ¨C Milford Sound ¨C Te Anau
Hmm but best time to go Milford sound day cruise will be in the morning rite)

Day 7: Te Anau - Queenstown

Day 8: Queenstown

Day 9: Queenstown via Arrowtown to Wanaka - Hasst

Day 10: Hasst - Fox Glacier - Hokitika

Day 11: Hokitika - Arthur¡¯s Pass - Greymouth ¨C Punakaiki - Hanmer Springs

Day 12: Hanmer Springs - Kaikoura - CHC

Day 13: Depart CHC at 8am.

Pls. advise. Thanks.
 
Hi all,
I'm thinking of taking up the intercity coach passes for my NZ trip in mid Jan.
Can any1 help with my following qns?

1) Did you all juz go ahead to book the coach passes offered e.g. Southern Discovery without knowing the time to pickup/drop-off and at which locations exactly? Cos was thinking it'll be gd if the timetable is available first, then we plan our itinery accordingly and then decide which is the best pass to book? The website asked us to book the passes without supplying the timetables first...

2)Any encounters that booking is full for certain travelling period? e.g. Jan being the peak period.

3)Did u all choose to pay by credit card by supplying details through it's online reservation site? Any1 chose phone booking? When will they do the actual transaction deduction fr your credit card?

Am trying to do up an itinery on our own for 12 days in South Island also. Both hubby and me cant drive, so it's either local agency pkg or DIY (itinery + accomdn + transport). If the coach pass booking and stuff are as easy, then we'll have 1 less thing to worry abt. We prefer to do the DIY way (never done b4, quite excited)

Hope you all can help, thanks!
happy.gif
 
Hi,
Anyone here moved around in a motorhome? Hubby and I planning to rent a motorhome and move around cos seems more flexible and no need to worry about no rooms to stay..
 
we did not try . we din like the idea, cos u can't park your motor anywhere you want. you have to park it at a holiday park. furthermore you need to top up water in the tank
 
hi kite,

ur itinerary seems ok...

hi askabride, ya, since you dont drive, think the coach will be a better choice than taking up tour package, tho i didnt try this, but guess it'll be flexible in a way too.

hi mint, motorhome may be flexi in some ways, but find it quite troublesome like wat mngo said.. however, i did see some motors parked along the way at some view points tho.
 
Hi grin,

anymore comments on my itinerary else will proceed to book the accommodation.

also i m afraid that since Jan is very PEAK season, its advisable to book accommodation 1st b4 u go.
happy.gif


seems like alot of ppl going in Jan 05.
 
oh maybe u'll have to book first, will think the more popular motels will be taken up first. maybe meanwhile u can start asking for quotation from them. but a risk is, you may not be able to change any plans thereafter.
 
Hi gals,

For accommodation, i m looking for those kinds with shower en suite double room w/o kitchenettes as we dont have intention to cook at all. any idea? abit difficult to find this kind.
 
hi kite,

no not difficult, just ask for w/o kitchen facilities thru email, they do have rooms like that. But food there isnt very cheap i must say, and some days you may get sick of burgers, fries etc, so you may want to buy some easy food like instant noodles to cook on some days.
 
Hi gals,

I've also got my itinerary planned out... can advise if it is feasible?

Day 1: Depart S'pore

Day 2: Arrives CHC

Day 3: CHC - Greymouth - Fox Glacier
>> TransAlpine, pick up rental car

Day 4: Fox Glaicer - Haast - Wanaka
>> half-day glacier walk

Day 5: Wanaka - Queenstown
>> Puzzle World

Day 6: Queenstown
>> Shotover Jet, White Water Rafting

Day 7: Queenstown
>> what else can we do in Queenstown?

Day 8: Queenstown - Te Anau
>> Glowworm Caves

Day 9: Te Anau - Milford Sound - Te Anau
>> Half-day Milford Sound Cruise

Day 10: Te Anau - Dunedin
>> world's steepest slope, Moeraki Boulders

Day 11: Dunedin - Lake Tekapo - Twizel
>> what's there at Lake Tekapo and Twizel?

Day 12: Twizel - Mt Cook - CHC
>> Hooker Valley Walk

Day 13: CHC - S'pore

How??? How??? Any disasters to prevent???
 
CHC,

Queenstown : u can try things like ludge and gondola. they have those wine trail and horse riding too! should be interesting.

Lake Tekapo and Twizel : only scenery
 
Kite, ginn is right. the food aint very cheap. we did cook almost every dinner. as there are hyper marts and super markets all around, we will get vegetables and meat there. the ham is damn cheap. but of cos there are things we need to get like, oil, rice, oyster sauce, chilli sauce.
 
Hi mngo,

Yeah... we were thinking of gondola and luge too. You went to the Gondola Restaurant? The price is very steep and wonder if there's cheaper food up there...

By the way, any where in particular to get those Manuka honey? Heard it's really good and cheap... it costs about S$20 for 500gms in the supermarkets.
 
C&C, your itinerary seems good. you can also go to the deer park heights to feed animals, nice view up there too.

There's cafe up at the Gondola, you can get sandwiches etc instead too.

Twizel and lake tekapo will be only scenery, nothing much to do there.
 
C&C , we went to the restaurant, not to eat. but to see the view and take some photos lor.
U can get Manuka honey at any supermarkets. just to name a few of the supermkt (countdown, Pak & Save, newworld, woolsworth).

but if u want to get those with some active ingredients, then u have to buy from sovenier shop, but then more expensive.
 
Hi C&C,
What time are u arriving at CHC? Cos TransAlpine leave CHC to Greymouth at abt 8.30am & u need to be on the train by 8am. There is only 1 trip from CHC to Greymouth and the train will go back to CHC from Greymouth in the afternoon. U can check the train timing and pricing from New Zealand Embassy in Takashimaya.

Deer Park Height entrance is NZ$20 per car, nuts for feeding animals is NZ$1, so prepare some $1 coin. If you are driving, you can actually bring along lots of things as compared to backpacker or those joining tour package. Me & my hubby brought instant noodles for cooking and thermal flask and 3 in 1 milo. We filled our flask with hot milo before check-out and have hot drinks with our bread in the afternoon
happy.gif
.

Hi Kite,
My hubby and I cooked most of our dinner. We brought some instant noodles and bought eggs and some canned food from the supermarket. We also bought pasta and pasta sauce. You could add ham, vege... etc into the pasta. We bought fish filet, so we grilled the fish and had fish and potato chip for dinner
bounce.gif
. We also bought a piece of butter so that we can fried our pasta with the butter and also as a spread for the bread. It may sound pathetic with these food but you image enjoy the your bread with hot milo in-front of the lake or in the park, hugging your hubby if you feel cold
embarrassed.gif
. I promise you, it will be the most romantic and memorable trip.
 
Hiya blur,

We are staying a night in CHC and taking the transalpine only on Day 3 lah...

Deer Park Height does sound fun.... just wondering if it is far (as in driving?) from town? How long would one usually spend there? Whole afternoon?

What you did for meals sounds fun too... we are undecided on what to bring for fear they can't be brought in... heard you need to pay for chilli sauce... is thatso?
 
Hi gals,

do u think my Day 11 itinerary is hectic?

Day 11: Hokitika - Arthur's Pass - Greymouth - Punakaiki - Hanmer Springs

In fact, i hv budget for my accommodation, hopefully not exceed $70 - $80.

Hi blur,

hehe sounds so sweet n romantic. hmm we are those kind of ppl who are lazy to cook. probably just buy some sandwiches or cup cup noodles? expensive over there?
 
Kite, as you are going in Jan which is peak, you may find that the pricing for some motels may be as low as $100NZD. note that motels in queenstown can be expensive

everything's expensive in NZ. except for vege and fruits.
 


For a great holiday, I strongly suggest against travelling in Dec-Jan peak. Everything will be more-ex and finding accomodation a hassle. Wait in queues everywhere.

I recommend Mar-Apr (autmn) to be more fun and relaxed.
 
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