New Zealand

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Hi NZ Lover,

Wow, you stayed NZ for five years? Which part of NZ? We are toying with the idea of investing in a house/apartment in NZ...I am very keen on Queenstown cause i love the place, but very expensive there leh...any advice?
 


Hi NZ Lover,

Can you recommend any place/winery in South Island good for rieslings/chardonnays that I shd visit?? Thanks
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Hi Nic,
It's good to invest a house or a piece of land there if you have spare money. One hectar is about NZ100,000+. Landed house (bungalow) would be ranging from NZ100,000 to 600,000. Also depends on location.
I am also planning to land there too.
 
Hi Amoeba ,

Blenheim has a lot of wineries. Most of them provide daily vineyard tour. A few of them provide free as well. I visited a vineyard called "Koura Bay". The owner was very friendly and gave us a free tour and free wine tasting. Oh man, I loved it.
Blenheim town near Picton town. It's within marbourough region. It's a small town but it has nice motels and big supermarkets.
You can book the wine tour through motel but must be 1-2 days in advanced.
 
Hi Amoeba, if you're on a self-drive, go to the Montana Wineries just south of Blenheim. Their wines are lovely. They have a free wine tour every hour or so, and wine tasting. Also in their shop, they sell some house wines which are not sold in the supermarkets or elsewhere, like late-harvest wines etc.
 
HI NZ Lover,

Price sounds reasonable. Whereabouts would you recommend? We don't want something crowded ie. town area... looking for places like Queenstown or Napier or Taupo
 
Hi Cin,
Actually, all the cities and towns in NZ are not as crowded as Singapore. Even the busiest cities like Auckland and Wellington, it's only 1/3 crowded as Singapore.
I suggest one place called "Paihia". It's located 200+ KM north from Auckland. If you rent a car, you may drive up there for 3 hours.
It has beautiful beaches, more than 50 small shops and of coz there are heaps of motels for your choice. It has a lot of activites like dolphin viewing, whale viewing, Hole in the Rock, bus tour to Cape Reinga via 90 miles beach, farm tour and etc...Those activities you can book online and pay by credit card. Please go to this link http://www.fullers-bay-of-islands.co.nz/index.cfm?fuseaction=intro_site for more info.
 
Hi Nz Lover,

Do u think it is advicable to travel to south island in July? Will i be missing out all those great scenery that had been mentioned...

Izit safe to drive during this period cos it is extremely difficult to drive if it snow...

Comments Pls..


regards
 
Just another question...

How long does it take to travel by car from North to South...Izit easy to drive..

Any good recommendation during the travel from north to south...???

Thanks
 
Hi Searcher,
July is within the winter period for NZ. To be frank, during July to Sep, the road is a bit slipperly due to "Black ice" for certain places. They called it "Black ice" because the ice on the road which is quite slipperly and you won't be able to notice it easily. Therefore, you will need to drive extra carefully, especially, cornering and overtaking. Also, you have to look at the road sign because some route might be closed. Definitely, places with thick snow, you must chain the tyres.
However, during this period, most of the motels and other attraction entrance fees are very cheap. You can get a night stay at only SGD55. It's considered off-peak.
For me, I took 15 days to complete the journey from North to South. But only explored 50% of its attraction areas. NZ is very big and it's as big as Malaysia. Everyday, I spent almost 6 hours on driving on average. Sometimes it could be very tiring. But the weather and the scenery would keep you awake all the times.
Driving in NZ it's as easy as ABC. The sigh boards are very comprehensive, of coz a lot better than Singapores'. Despite that, you would still need someone to read map for you, especially, when you reach cities like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. You may get lost somehow.
If you arrive at Auckland, I recommend you drive up to Paihia. There are a lot of beautiful beaches and activities. please refer to previous thread that I mentioned before.
South of Auckland, Rotorua and taupo, which has a lot of hot mud pools, Moari village tour, Natural spa, and lakes. If you have time, you can drive to Napier, also has beautiful beaches and enjoy the first sunrise.
Afterthat, you can head down to Wellington. Don't forget to take a walk at lambton street where it has a lot of shops along the road.
 
we stayed at motor lodges...

"jason's motor lodge guide" is avaliable at most motor lodges & at car rental.

can also get a detailed map from them. most rds r also labelled...

"lonely planet" was a plus for us... had most prices listed.

spent 18 days in both north & south. but south is more enjoyable... my fav r shotover jet @ queenstown, dolphin watch @ kaikoura & blackwater rafting @ greymouth *i think*

a nice palce to cuddle up with d one u love...

enjoy...
 
Hi everyone!
We intend to go to NZ for our honeymoon in December and probably spend christmas there as well, any advice on what kind of clothing to pack?Whats the weather like in December? Will we be needing warm clothing?

Thanks!
 
Hi,
It is basically warm in NZ during December. U prob just need a light cardigan - depending on yr tolerance at nite.

No winter clothings ...
 
Hi,
It's true that Dec is quite warm about 20C to 27C. Beginning of Nov is the best.
 
Hi Love NZ and NZ Lover,

thanks for your replies! ... what if we go on those whale watching cruises, is the wind chill at sea bad? Will we need a thick coat ?
 
Hi,
Well, at least you need a thick wind breaker during autumn and winter. Most of the time at the sea is windy. I suggest you buy your jacket here because jacket selling in NZ quite expensive but higher quality.
 
hi all.

wow..i went MIA for so long and all of sudden, this thread is so active.

LOVE NZ, thanks for your feedback. It really makes me want to fly there. I was actually planning to go for my honeymoon but was on a tight budget, so we went to Mauritius instead. But would love to visit NZ one fine day.

I still have all the research documents ...and will add on to yours as well.

I always heard that North is very boring and should spend more time on South. Is this true?

Is the car rental all starting from NZ35 onwards? Gee, it can be rather costly if you go like for 2 weeks..
 
Hi fang
yes... you shoud go South as there are more activities. if you go to the North, there is only 1 place of interest which is Rotorua.

Car Rental is abt NZ35 but it depends on the model of the car i think.

It cost abt 6K to go for 2 weeks.
 
Hi LOVE NZ,

thanks for the advice.
wah..really not cheap to tour in NZ. That's why the last time when I planned, it costs that much too. and the activities are expensive ..mostly near 100 or more than 100 bucks. also accomodation is also 100 plus.

gee! guess i must save more then can tour there....
 
Hi I am planning my honeymoon to NZ in Sept. most probably will be 10 days package tour with SA Tours. 7 days in South Island and 3 days in North Island ($2388). Is it rainy season in Sept? How abt SA-tours? Is it good?
 
Hi KS we are considering a self drive package by New Zealand Travel Centre. Cheaper than ur package.

If u can, do self-drive coz it is less stress & u r on ur own timing.

We are going there for abt 3 - 4 weeks.
 
hi ann,

we are doing self drive too for our honeymoon this oct. can u share yr pkg by NZ travel centre or is there a website i can go to..i'm also checking out on YHA in another thread.

Thks
 
hi ks...
i hv booked a 10day nz tour with SA.
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i understand fr a fren wkg in another tour agency dat SA is strong in australia and nz tour groups.

jady: u can go www.satours.com to see the packages.
 
jady...
then u can check out the SA as they have a dept dealing with Free & Easy... so u can prob book from there.
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hi soyabean,

i did chk their F&E pkg but not wat we wanted & days too short..:p

hehe, nvm, i'll see if ann reply but shd b able to plan lah..:p

thks
 
Hi gals

we haven't book yet. BUt we are checking out ticket prices & package prices. One F&E package that we were very interested in was the one by New Zealand Travel Centre. The details are:

*Return Airfare by Air NZ
*3N Accomodation by Golden Chain Blue Pass
*Free domestic flight between AKL & CHC
*Free $100 Isetan voucher for 1st 100 confirmed couples.
$988 to be booked by 31 aug and travel out 30th sept.

We checked the Golden Chain motel on the web. It was good something like a studio unit. We can extend our stay for 3 weeks no prob depends on flight availability.

We are still awaiting for better prices but if no better offers come along, it is possible that we will take this package.
 
Thks ann but we are too lazy to plan & drive tat y tour pkg better for us.
hi soyabean u r going @ which mth?hv chk various tour agency and pkg, seem like the price will increase in oct . did u realised tat? maybe the price will be cheaper if I bk in Natas fair?
 
Hi all,

Me planning to go to NZ for honeymoon in Nov. As we can only spend about 1 - 1 1/2 weeks there, we were told that we should visit the southern island as the scenery there is very beautiful.

Was wondering if anyone of you know which agencies offer better value for money tour packages to NZ (southern islands)?

Thanks in advance.
 
hi KS....
i'm going in early sep. i hv booked mine with SA. NATAS will be in mid sep... by then i prob wld hv returned fr my trip.
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hehe.... like u, we lazy to plan and drive... ;)
 
hi snow white....

why not go north island as well? cos usu tour groups will either go south island, or go both... there are no tour packages that oni goes to north.... so if next time u wan to go north, will hv to do F&E.
 
Hi soyabean,

think if this is the case, I better discuss with my FH to go for both. After all, it's value for money
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.

Any idea which travel agencies are good at NZ packages?
 
hi snow white...

try SA tours....
i did check the tour packages of SA, CTC, and Chan Brothers.... SA was the cheapest and most value.
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Hi Soyabean, the fair is on 31 Aug @ Suntec. We intend to go NZ on 15 Sep & have checked with SA. That's what they told us. Anyway, we hv gone ahead to book it becos they said whatever that will be offered during the fair will be offered to us. OUr pacakge is $2688 for 13 days, it includes one night farmstay.
 
Hi just my point of view:

Self-driving allows u to have more flexibility. I can drive anywhere i like & sleep as late as i like. Unlike tours, i gotta wake up early in the morning, then rush here & there.

However, on the other hand if u join a tour, u don't have to drive & it is more relaxed. But in my many overseas holidays, we always do self-driving so we are kinda of used to it already.

But if i have to join a tour, i would join a NZ local tour, not Spore travel agency conducted tours. I believe since they are local people, they would know the place better than Singaporeans. There are many reputable NZ tour agencies, i believe they are more worth the $$$
 
Hi Just my point of view,

Local tour is appealing. Is there anywhere I can get information on the internet for local NZ tours?
 
Hello all,

I'm planning for my honeymoon in end Nov, and like these 2 package :

1) North Island : http://www.tourmasters.co.nz/tt/display.cfm/tourid/10

Take a domestic flight to Chrsitchurch after package (1)

2) South Island : http://www.tourmasters.co.nz/tt/display.cfm/tourid/54

I am considering extending an additional day in Queenstown and Christchurch for Doubtful Sound and Whales Watching in Kaikoura. Is it worth going to Doubtful Sound since Milford Sound is already included in package (2)?

Any comments on he 2 package?
 
Hi Snow White

U can get information frm Scenic Travels who is the travel agent in Spore who tied up with many foreign travel tours such as Cosmos, Globus. Sorry i can't remember the name of the NZ travel agent they tied up with. U can give them a call to request for a mail-to-u brochure on NZ tel 6226-3611.

Or alternatively, u can search for them online. There are many such as AT Kings, Cosmos etc. They give u a detailed breakdown of the whole tour. U will know where u will be going next, which hotel u r staying & almost 2/3 of the meals are provided.

It is more comprehensive tour.

Hope it is useful to u!!!
 
Hi TC
I had been to NZ south island 2 years ago. Been to milford sound but not doubtful sound. but from what they described, i guess if you go to milford sound, you can save the time visiting to doubtful sound. if i remember correctly, milford sound has better view than doubtful sound.
 
Hi TC,

Doubtful Sound is as good as Milford Sound, but more expensive as it is more difficult to get there compared to Milford Sound. The 2 are similar, so visiting one would do.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for the advice. In that case I'll take out Doubtful Sound from my honeymoon.

BTW, how big is Queenstown, Christchurch and Rotorua? I'm a bit worry about the transport. I won't want to take a cab from point A to point B when I'm in town to visit those places of interest. It will be very expensive! Are they within walking distance?
 
Hi all,

Iam new to the thread, and like to join you all in this discussion. As I have went there for my honeymoon 2 yrs ago... and I was back there again just last month becos of a biz trip.

TC, Queenstown, Christchurch and Rotorua is not very big, however, the places of interests is definitely not within walking distance.

Nonetheless, no need to panick. The transport system in NZ is very good, even better than Singapore I would say. So if you are advanturous enough... take their public transport. Or self drive for a day of two when you are in town/city. Or take their local daily tours to the places of interests.

If you dun drive (or dun like to drive), and not so advanturous... then the daily local tours is definitely for you. All you need to do is to visit the local Visitor Information, check out the details/departure time of the tours, plan your own timing... and booked it with them. And you are ready to go.

However, do note that, each tours is either half a day or full day. As in either departs from 7.30am and return 2-3pm or return at about 6-7pm. So usually it would not be possible to squeeze in 2 tours in a day.

So most of the time, my advise to people going to NZ, South Island and like to visits a no. of places... is to stay in each town/city for at least 2-3 full days.

Feel free to let me know if you need any advise... my friends consider me an expert of NZ, South Island, as I have actually spent 1.5 yrs doing my research before going there for my honeymoon. : )
 
Hi Jon,

I'm planning for my HM this oct. just to chk with u do u think it's worth it to take the Trans-alpine train ride or just self drive there will do?

To stay overnite onboard Miford Mariner or just a cruise is enough?

Is it interesting to take the Skyline Gondola?

Hope i've the right spelling for these..hehe

Thks
 
Hi Jady,

Oct is definitely a good time to go, as it is their spring time.

TransAlpine train - Actually it has its pros and cons. But personally I feel if you are a diehard for beautiful scenaries, then my advise would be, take the train. As it would free you time to enjoy the scenaries and passing through beautiful places where cars wouldn't be going through. If self drive the same route, may deprive you from really enjoying the scenaries as you would need to concentrate on the road too.
Do plan this carefully, cos one way trip will need more than half a day. Let me know if you like to know more information on this.

Milford Mariner - Depends on what you like to have. Don't expect the rooms to be like our star cruise standard. It is very simple room. From what I observed of the place... nothing that special at night... cos it will be pitch dark all around you. However, it is a good for a romantic night together.
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. Do note that according to the local tour guide, the place experience an average 300 days of rain in a year... so be prepared. The last time I went, the place was covered in fog and rain. But thank God the last 15 mins of the cruise the sky cleared...
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Mitre Peak is so majestic!

Skyline Gondola in Christchurch or Queenstown? Anyway both will be very interesting, if you like scenaries. I would recommend that you take the ride up sometime in the late afternoon, say around 4-5pm, look around the place, have a romantic candlelight dinner at the resturant up there... then come back down at about 7-8pm... then you will have the day and night scenaries in a single trip. It is marvelous!

I hope this help.
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Hi, anybody been to Bay of Islands? Is it worth going?

I have been to Milford Sound but didn't find it very impressive... maybe becoz the sky is grey. Is it true that this place is beautiful especially during the storm and after a storm when the sun comes out?
 
Hi,

Actually if you are going NZ and if you can drive, it is definitely better to self drive. I was there for my honeymoon last Nov, went for 20 days and did South Island only. Did not even plan out an itinery before going, only when we arrive in NZ, visited their tourist info and planned out our route. No worries! It is really easy to travel around and just call and book ahead for the accomodation, maybe 2 -3 days in advance. They have a lot of guidebooks and tel nos are given, so just call and book will do.
 


Hi,

I found Doubtful Sound better than Milford Sound. (I did both) Becos most people will definitely go Milford, so it is very commercialised and the ferry is very crowded. Fewer people go to Doubtful Sound, but I found it more beautiful. When I went Milford, the boat was really crowded, did not even have standing space at the railing on the top deck. Doubtful is slightly more expensive, becos it includes the power station tour and it is harder to get there.
 

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