bellybuttony
New Member
thanks kk. will check out the int'l buffet! but i scared i eat and eat and eat until miss out on the sights. u must remember to come on deck to take photos ok? hehehee.
yup my hubby's sporean...but based here at the moment. so ya, i oso eat like crazy in HK...and some shopping too.
we're flying via spore direct to christchurch. taking SQ. how abt you? so exciting ah??? 1 more day and you'll be off!!!
yup my hubby's sporean...but based here at the moment. so ya, i oso eat like crazy in HK...and some shopping too.
we're flying via spore direct to christchurch. taking SQ. how abt you? so exciting ah??? 1 more day and you'll be off!!!
ash,
haha, should be the other way.. see the sights until forgot to eat at the buffet
Oh ya, we got to share our photos when we are back
Oh, so when u flying to singapore? Thursday or Friday itself? U coming back to see ur family at the same time?
Me flying by SQ
We love SQ.. cannot stand long flights without SQ! First time i fly cathay pacific to HK, dun like it
haha, should be the other way.. see the sights until forgot to eat at the buffet
Oh ya, we got to share our photos when we are back
Oh, so when u flying to singapore? Thursday or Friday itself? U coming back to see ur family at the same time?
Me flying by SQ
bellybuttony
New Member
hello kk,
yupyup, we must exchange photos once we get back.
i'll be leaving HK on 4pm flight to spore. departing spore for CHC at 9:05pm, arrive CHC 12noon the next day. will only be stopping over in spore for a night after we've finished NZ.
yes...SQ's the best for long-haul flights. wat will i do w/o Wisemen! hahahaa!
yupyup, we must exchange photos once we get back.
i'll be leaving HK on 4pm flight to spore. departing spore for CHC at 9:05pm, arrive CHC 12noon the next day. will only be stopping over in spore for a night after we've finished NZ.
yes...SQ's the best for long-haul flights. wat will i do w/o Wisemen! hahahaa!
ash,
Oh so urs basically a transit ya?
Departing singapore 905 pm, reaching CHC 12 noon.. the flight so long ah?? I thought around 10 hours from singapore? Ur 12 noon is CHC time rite? Mine also 905 pm flight on thurs leh! heehee.. our first stop in CHC will be international antarctic centre
Wow, looking forward to the movies onboard kekeke... and ice cream after meals
Oh so urs basically a transit ya?
Departing singapore 905 pm, reaching CHC 12 noon.. the flight so long ah?? I thought around 10 hours from singapore? Ur 12 noon is CHC time rite? Mine also 905 pm flight on thurs leh! heehee.. our first stop in CHC will be international antarctic centre
Wow, looking forward to the movies onboard kekeke... and ice cream after meals
bellybuttony
New Member
hi kk!
we're on the same SQ flight!!! reaching CHC 12noon their time. i hope i can sleep on the plane man...then once land can enjoy oredi. jus got back from buying all the travel toiletries. haven changed money yet.
happy packing and haf a fantastic trip!
we're on the same SQ flight!!! reaching CHC 12noon their time. i hope i can sleep on the plane man...then once land can enjoy oredi. jus got back from buying all the travel toiletries. haven changed money yet.
happy packing and haf a fantastic trip!
Ash,
Oh, think we may be having same flight number, but not on same flight lah haha.. u flying on friday nite rite? Me flying tomorrow nite
Ya, but what i hate is that while i sleep, they will wake us up to eat something ..aiyoh, but my hubby say it is a must, to keep everyone alert while on the plane. Exercise a bit, move a bit...
Ohh u must really catch up on ur sleep on the plane, because u and hubby will be self driving!! Must be super energetic! haha!
Me going to continue packing liao. Haven't decided on the clothes to bring haha.. vain lah
Oh, think we may be having same flight number, but not on same flight lah haha.. u flying on friday nite rite? Me flying tomorrow nite
Ya, but what i hate is that while i sleep, they will wake us up to eat something ..aiyoh, but my hubby say it is a must, to keep everyone alert while on the plane. Exercise a bit, move a bit...
Ohh u must really catch up on ur sleep on the plane, because u and hubby will be self driving!! Must be super energetic! haha!
Me going to continue packing liao. Haven't decided on the clothes to bring haha.. vain lah
Hi ash,
YOu can now view my NZ photos at http://new.photos.yahoo.com/kerenelu/album
Looking forward to ur photos too
Share with me ur trip experience!
YOu can now view my NZ photos at http://new.photos.yahoo.com/kerenelu/album
Looking forward to ur photos too
Share with me ur trip experience!
twinkle,
No the summer not hot!
I enjoy the temperatures.. from 10 to around 20 degrees. Not cold.. i can still wear my spag top with just a thin cashmere sweater over
And i even wear all my 3/4 pants instead of long jeans haha..
I really love mount cook! And the heli ride
Didn't regret it although expensive. One heli ride is around NZ195 per pax.
Fox glacier is also great. Saw the ice and everything.
Hokitika i find boring and gotta spend 2.5 hrs there that day! Torture!
Had great expectations for trans scenic train but turn out no good. Pretty boring during the ride. Nothing scenic about it after about half an hour the ride starts.
Milford Sound i find it fun. But some tour members commented that they wasted money on it as they dun find it special. Per pax around $205 - coach + cruise. No meal on board. We dabao maggi mee. We really enjoyed being splashed by the big waterfall! Too bad too sunny, else the waterfall will be even bigger! The tour guide said she got drenched as though in heavy rain when she brought a group there last time.
Didn't catch the hot air balloon because too early.. need to wake up around 4 am in the morning. And expensive around NZ260 per pax. And nobody in the group went. So that was kind of regret maybe.
I think i am still under jet lag haha.. NZ 5 hrs ahead of singapore. So soon we should be having dinner if we were there
No the summer not hot!
I really love mount cook! And the heli ride
Fox glacier is also great. Saw the ice and everything.
Hokitika i find boring and gotta spend 2.5 hrs there that day! Torture!
Had great expectations for trans scenic train but turn out no good. Pretty boring during the ride. Nothing scenic about it after about half an hour the ride starts.
Milford Sound i find it fun. But some tour members commented that they wasted money on it as they dun find it special. Per pax around $205 - coach + cruise. No meal on board. We dabao maggi mee. We really enjoyed being splashed by the big waterfall! Too bad too sunny, else the waterfall will be even bigger! The tour guide said she got drenched as though in heavy rain when she brought a group there last time.
Didn't catch the hot air balloon because too early.. need to wake up around 4 am in the morning. And expensive around NZ260 per pax. And nobody in the group went. So that was kind of regret maybe.
I think i am still under jet lag haha.. NZ 5 hrs ahead of singapore. So soon we should be having dinner if we were there
thanks for sharing!
I think hot air ballon is quite romantic and fun, but at that price, really costly! the exchange rate is NZ slightly higher than SGD right?
Kinda wondering whether to go Japan or NZ. Japan has language barrier, but the food will be better than NZ. And around March it will be spring so there'll be flowers to see there... but guess overall the scenery will be more spectacular in NZ! couldn't really see your pix cos office blocks viewing of java i think...
did you go christchurch? heard some people saying that that's a very tourist friendly city, easy to get around and lots to see and do.
How about the glow worm caves? from the pix and description from the tourist websites it seems magical, but a colleague went and he said it was nothing much. think maybe guys just dun appreciate that kind of thing.
Was it alright coaching around instead of driving? If I go, I prob won't drive either. Just want to do away with the hassle and just sleep on the coach.
I think hot air ballon is quite romantic and fun, but at that price, really costly! the exchange rate is NZ slightly higher than SGD right?
Kinda wondering whether to go Japan or NZ. Japan has language barrier, but the food will be better than NZ. And around March it will be spring so there'll be flowers to see there... but guess overall the scenery will be more spectacular in NZ! couldn't really see your pix cos office blocks viewing of java i think...
did you go christchurch? heard some people saying that that's a very tourist friendly city, easy to get around and lots to see and do.
How about the glow worm caves? from the pix and description from the tourist websites it seems magical, but a colleague went and he said it was nothing much. think maybe guys just dun appreciate that kind of thing.
Was it alright coaching around instead of driving? If I go, I prob won't drive either. Just want to do away with the hassle and just sleep on the coach.
twinkle,
Yup, NZ is higher.. i changed into NZ1800 using around S$1900.
Hmm i have heard of pple travelling to japan despite language barrier. If u worry, can join tour group lor heehee.. If u confirm self drive, NZ is a good place to do so
Then u will really explore a lot and stay in places u like longer
Oh NZ chinese food is not too good. I find aussie chinese food better. NZ food is either bland tasteless or very salty! But i really love their lamb with mint sauce. Very superb!
Christchurch is quite a warm and friendly place
I love the avon river with the willow trees at both sides of the river.. so romantic
Oh i didn't regret going this month because the roses bloom very beautifully! Everywhere is roses, and other flowers.. and i love lupins!!! U can see a lot at lake tekapo
Glow worm cave is amazing! U can see the blue sparkling lights twinkle in the cave.. we took a boat ride down the whole river in the cave. It is really an experience
No leh, my hubby loves it hahaha.. after that trip, then i know actually glow worms are not fireflies. All along i thought they are the same
Yes, i enjoy my coach a lot! And from one place to another actually quite a long distance. U must have very good stamina and energy to drive throughout ur trip. Why not go there hop on and off their coaches? I guess must be equally good too
Har.. tell u something.. u won't sleep on ur road to milford sound and mt cook haha.. they are simply beautiful!! Or if u sleep, and u happen to see a mountain, u will be awaken by the scenery in front of u and would want to see further It is simply great
Yup, NZ is higher.. i changed into NZ1800 using around S$1900.
Hmm i have heard of pple travelling to japan despite language barrier. If u worry, can join tour group lor heehee.. If u confirm self drive, NZ is a good place to do so
Oh NZ chinese food is not too good. I find aussie chinese food better. NZ food is either bland tasteless or very salty! But i really love their lamb with mint sauce. Very superb!
Christchurch is quite a warm and friendly place
Oh i didn't regret going this month because the roses bloom very beautifully! Everywhere is roses, and other flowers.. and i love lupins!!! U can see a lot at lake tekapo
Glow worm cave is amazing! U can see the blue sparkling lights twinkle in the cave.. we took a boat ride down the whole river in the cave. It is really an experience
Yes, i enjoy my coach a lot! And from one place to another actually quite a long distance. U must have very good stamina and energy to drive throughout ur trip. Why not go there hop on and off their coaches? I guess must be equally good too
Har.. tell u something.. u won't sleep on ur road to milford sound and mt cook haha.. they are simply beautiful!! Or if u sleep, and u happen to see a mountain, u will be awaken by the scenery in front of u and would want to see further
It is simply great
Hi folks!
For those going NZ, I strongly recommend self-drive! It's a really great place to explore on ur own & the roads are very easy to nagivate, just like Australia. Been there 2 times already & we always drive around each time, 'coz we dun like to be confined to the agenda of a tour operator. And it's really fun! So dun worry abt getting tired 'coz u can always stop & rest whenever u feel like taking a break. It's even more flexible & relaxing than joining a tour group.
Anyway, it's still up to individual & what u really want!
Cheers!
For those going NZ, I strongly recommend self-drive! It's a really great place to explore on ur own & the roads are very easy to nagivate, just like Australia. Been there 2 times already & we always drive around each time, 'coz we dun like to be confined to the agenda of a tour operator. And it's really fun! So dun worry abt getting tired 'coz u can always stop & rest whenever u feel like taking a break. It's even more flexible & relaxing than joining a tour group.
Anyway, it's still up to individual & what u really want!
Cheers!
oceanmist,
Yes, i agree self drive is better but it can only be done if we can devote more days to it. My colleague did a self drive for her honeymoon and it was 3 weeks long!! Covers North and South. I can only afford around a week or so. To me, 10 days already a lot liao!! And i miss my baby girl over here.
Twinkle,
Agencies such as greatsights, scenic tours, etc do provide good tours
I see their coaches almost every stop we go to
Yes, i agree self drive is better but it can only be done if we can devote more days to it. My colleague did a self drive for her honeymoon and it was 3 weeks long!! Covers North and South. I can only afford around a week or so. To me, 10 days already a lot liao!! And i miss my baby girl over here.
Twinkle,
Agencies such as greatsights, scenic tours, etc do provide good tours
KK,
Actually, time frame is not a hindrance. Self-drive is always possible unless u really hv no time to plan for ur trip & it wld be the easiest to take on a package tour. For our 2nd trip, we only went for 8 days to South Island & we're able to cover places starting from Christchurch to Milford Sound. Was a really great experience overall, very relaxing also..
Actually, time frame is not a hindrance. Self-drive is always possible unless u really hv no time to plan for ur trip & it wld be the easiest to take on a package tour. For our 2nd trip, we only went for 8 days to South Island & we're able to cover places starting from Christchurch to Milford Sound. Was a really great experience overall, very relaxing also..
Hi. I just came back from NZ yesterday night and thought of sharing some info which i have gathered /experienced during my trip.
1st of all... Beautiful! Im talking about the south island. The nature and landscape is amazing.. Esp Mt Cook area.
1) Drive away from Christchurch, no point staying there for 2 nights if u all are planning to do so cos itz jus a town, like perth city. Full-stop. Just book a place for a nite of good rest cos most likely, u will get jet-lag after a 9+hrs flight +time difference. Go stock up the next day at Pak and Save. Itz a must! Itz the cheapest place to stock up your next few weeks of foodstuff.
2) Even though the day is long during summer, sunrise at 545am and set at ard 9pm. Dont expect the shops/activities to be open till so late. The shopping area in town close at 5pm SHARP less superamrket. After that, the town is dead quiet.
3) Milford Sound. Over hyped place. When i went there, it was clear blue sky, a typical summer day. But i heard from a guy saying that Milford Sound is beautiful when itz misty and rainy. Cos some of the mountains will start to have mini waterfalls. We did see a couple of water falls but we reckon it will be more beautiful if itz raining. Mt Cook is 10 times better than Milford Sounds. But itz my opinion lah.
4) We tried kayaking at Milford Sounds instead of the cruise ard the sounds. 3+hrs of kayaking and i tell u all... itz not fun but torturing. (itz not like kayaking at east coast) The brochure shows calm water, the guide talking to the group about the history of the sounds, the group moved together blah blah blah. Bullshit! Word of advice : if u are not fit, dont attempt. The brochure says moderate fitness.. well, itz meant for the angmo, but not for us hobbits.. hehe. Cos my wife is not really fit, i ended up being the one giving all out. I ended up with a bruised ass cos of friction and blister on my thumb.. that eventually burst at the end of the kayak tour. The rest of the group was always ahead of us and we always ended up the last to join them. The water was rough n i mean real rough. My wife cried during a short break in between the kayak tour.. cos she felt tired, cold and do not like the feeling of being the last. I gotta cheer her up despite my pain as well and we completed the paddling eventually. But when we looked back on our experience, we tot we done amazing well. Well, for the next 1 week, i couldnt really sit still cos my ass hurts and i gotta bath with one hand
5)Stay in YHA. Go apply for a member card in Spore, the office is at Costa Sand resort at pasr ris. Check out their website for more info. U get $3 discount per room per person. Basically, u get a room with a bed. Most of the time is communal toilet/showers and kitchen. My wife and myself enjoyed our experience at YHA. We stayed in YHA at Christchurch, Mt cook, Haast, Franz Josef Glacier(ensuite), Nelson, Wellington(ensuite), Auckland(ensuite). Don't expect too much though.. if u really want a romantic honeymoon, then don bother.
6)Sight seeing places. Lake Tekapo is beautiful, peaceful and romantic. We had a freak weather experience on our journey to Tekapo.. it snowed.. during summer! but we loved it.. something i will remember forever. Beautiful Mt Cook! Go for the track walk, Hooker valley (3hrs return for the angmo again, for us hobbits 5hrs) and Tasman Valley walks (too easy if u had attempt hooker valley 1st). Queenstown! If u are a thrill lover, can stay there for 3-4days. If u are not, 2 days is more than enuff. My wife don even dare to take the gondola.. hehe.. so your guess is as good as mine. Go for the deer heights park, where some of the LOTR scenes are. Quiet and peaceful.. we sat on the hillslope listening to the wind and grass sway for a good 30mins and we din see anyone ard us. Amzing! Can self drive in. Get ready 20bucks for entrance. No one is manning the entrance, its a machine to put in the notes. Im not too sure if it will return u change in notes if u put in bigger notes. Don try! No one can help u there. Western Glacier is a must go. We took the helicopter ride up for snow landing at fox. Wanted the helihike initially but itz fully book for the time we wanted. One lesson learnt,book ahead if u have time constraint. Don leave it to chances. Heli hike is popular but expensive. 300bucks for fox glacier and 340bucks for franz glacier. 1 nite there is enuff. Other than the glacier, nuttin else to do there. Punanaiki rocks, waste time, don bother. Wasted my drive there.
7) South island can get a little chilling when itz raining. Get some warm clothings and jackets. Don need gloves though unless u are expecting it to snow there like what we had experience.. U may purchase at NZ if the wx really turn bad.. it can be cheaper. Snow cap is cheap there, 10bucks can get.
8) North island.. *sigh*. Busy Wellington and Auckland.. like sydney. More more more cars on the roads. But the drive in between Wellington to Aukland is okie.. a little more busy than in south island. Waitomo Glow worm cave is beautiful but too shorta time to spend in the cave. 30mins guided tour. Take the combo for 2 caves, 50+bucks.. but must go before 3 pm cos one of the cave close at 3pm. Rotorua is smelly, cant get use to it despite staying there for 2 nites. Most of the motel has a spa tub, cost of 100bucks per nite.. reasonable. Thermal area like Crater of the moon(north of Taupo) used to be free entry, now need to pay 5bucks per person. If u have the intention to go to the thermal wonderland at rotorua, then don need to go the crater of the moon. Itz bigger in scale at Rotorua smelly wonderland. Itz the last place i will want to migrate to when im old.
Do map studies before entering Auckland.. itz complex! Although the angmo there said Singapore roads are more busy and complex, but our road sign posts are definitely more road-user friendly compared to theirs!
9) Bring your own song CDs if u are self driving. ITz a must! There can be time on the road when u have no radio reception, just the buzz. Or the staion keeps repeating the same old songs.. Bring your own chilli! For spice lover like me, u can die there. I nearly.. until i bought my chilli sauce there.
Sorry for my long post but i hoped u pple who are going to NZ can find some useful info. Hate to come back to S'pore after 3 weeks there. But i have learn to appreciate S'pore more in term of the user friendly road sign
, cheap and good asian food(spicy), shopping centres that open till 9pm or till midnite during xmas. But overall, NZ is beautiful with friendly pple and itz a must go. Another word of advice, 3 weeks on south island is just nice. Don bother about North island. For us, we left south island after 2 weeks with so many things and places yet to do or go.
We'll be back to NZ! Meanwhile, we be going for our fish ball noodles at our fave hawker centre for lunch..and yes! with lottsa chilli!!
1st of all... Beautiful! Im talking about the south island. The nature and landscape is amazing.. Esp Mt Cook area.
1) Drive away from Christchurch, no point staying there for 2 nights if u all are planning to do so cos itz jus a town, like perth city. Full-stop. Just book a place for a nite of good rest cos most likely, u will get jet-lag after a 9+hrs flight +time difference. Go stock up the next day at Pak and Save. Itz a must! Itz the cheapest place to stock up your next few weeks of foodstuff.
2) Even though the day is long during summer, sunrise at 545am and set at ard 9pm. Dont expect the shops/activities to be open till so late. The shopping area in town close at 5pm SHARP less superamrket. After that, the town is dead quiet.
3) Milford Sound. Over hyped place. When i went there, it was clear blue sky, a typical summer day. But i heard from a guy saying that Milford Sound is beautiful when itz misty and rainy. Cos some of the mountains will start to have mini waterfalls. We did see a couple of water falls but we reckon it will be more beautiful if itz raining. Mt Cook is 10 times better than Milford Sounds. But itz my opinion lah.
4) We tried kayaking at Milford Sounds instead of the cruise ard the sounds. 3+hrs of kayaking and i tell u all... itz not fun but torturing. (itz not like kayaking at east coast) The brochure shows calm water, the guide talking to the group about the history of the sounds, the group moved together blah blah blah. Bullshit! Word of advice : if u are not fit, dont attempt. The brochure says moderate fitness.. well, itz meant for the angmo, but not for us hobbits.. hehe. Cos my wife is not really fit, i ended up being the one giving all out. I ended up with a bruised ass cos of friction and blister on my thumb.. that eventually burst at the end of the kayak tour. The rest of the group was always ahead of us and we always ended up the last to join them. The water was rough n i mean real rough. My wife cried during a short break in between the kayak tour.. cos she felt tired, cold and do not like the feeling of being the last. I gotta cheer her up despite my pain as well and we completed the paddling eventually. But when we looked back on our experience, we tot we done amazing well. Well, for the next 1 week, i couldnt really sit still cos my ass hurts and i gotta bath with one hand
5)Stay in YHA. Go apply for a member card in Spore, the office is at Costa Sand resort at pasr ris. Check out their website for more info. U get $3 discount per room per person. Basically, u get a room with a bed. Most of the time is communal toilet/showers and kitchen. My wife and myself enjoyed our experience at YHA. We stayed in YHA at Christchurch, Mt cook, Haast, Franz Josef Glacier(ensuite), Nelson, Wellington(ensuite), Auckland(ensuite). Don't expect too much though.. if u really want a romantic honeymoon, then don bother.
6)Sight seeing places. Lake Tekapo is beautiful, peaceful and romantic. We had a freak weather experience on our journey to Tekapo.. it snowed.. during summer! but we loved it.. something i will remember forever. Beautiful Mt Cook! Go for the track walk, Hooker valley (3hrs return for the angmo again, for us hobbits 5hrs) and Tasman Valley walks (too easy if u had attempt hooker valley 1st). Queenstown! If u are a thrill lover, can stay there for 3-4days. If u are not, 2 days is more than enuff. My wife don even dare to take the gondola.. hehe.. so your guess is as good as mine. Go for the deer heights park, where some of the LOTR scenes are. Quiet and peaceful.. we sat on the hillslope listening to the wind and grass sway for a good 30mins and we din see anyone ard us. Amzing! Can self drive in. Get ready 20bucks for entrance. No one is manning the entrance, its a machine to put in the notes. Im not too sure if it will return u change in notes if u put in bigger notes. Don try! No one can help u there. Western Glacier is a must go. We took the helicopter ride up for snow landing at fox. Wanted the helihike initially but itz fully book for the time we wanted. One lesson learnt,book ahead if u have time constraint. Don leave it to chances. Heli hike is popular but expensive. 300bucks for fox glacier and 340bucks for franz glacier. 1 nite there is enuff. Other than the glacier, nuttin else to do there. Punanaiki rocks, waste time, don bother. Wasted my drive there.
7) South island can get a little chilling when itz raining. Get some warm clothings and jackets. Don need gloves though unless u are expecting it to snow there like what we had experience.. U may purchase at NZ if the wx really turn bad.. it can be cheaper. Snow cap is cheap there, 10bucks can get.
8) North island.. *sigh*. Busy Wellington and Auckland.. like sydney. More more more cars on the roads. But the drive in between Wellington to Aukland is okie.. a little more busy than in south island. Waitomo Glow worm cave is beautiful but too shorta time to spend in the cave. 30mins guided tour. Take the combo for 2 caves, 50+bucks.. but must go before 3 pm cos one of the cave close at 3pm. Rotorua is smelly, cant get use to it despite staying there for 2 nites. Most of the motel has a spa tub, cost of 100bucks per nite.. reasonable. Thermal area like Crater of the moon(north of Taupo) used to be free entry, now need to pay 5bucks per person. If u have the intention to go to the thermal wonderland at rotorua, then don need to go the crater of the moon. Itz bigger in scale at Rotorua smelly wonderland. Itz the last place i will want to migrate to when im old.
9) Bring your own song CDs if u are self driving. ITz a must! There can be time on the road when u have no radio reception, just the buzz. Or the staion keeps repeating the same old songs.. Bring your own chilli! For spice lover like me, u can die there. I nearly.. until i bought my chilli sauce there.
Sorry for my long post but i hoped u pple who are going to NZ can find some useful info. Hate to come back to S'pore after 3 weeks there. But i have learn to appreciate S'pore more in term of the user friendly road sign
We'll be back to NZ! Meanwhile, we be going for our fish ball noodles at our fave hawker centre for lunch..and yes! with lottsa chilli!!
coffee,
U know wat, the tour group before mine experienced snow in milford sound!!!!!!!!! And that was only 1-2 days before our trip there
Ya, i agree it is too sunny for milford sound. Mine was quite a warm day in fact. The waterfall would have been bigger if it had rained
I agree! I do love mt cook and lake tekapo more than milford sound. I still have memories of mt cook
I love my heli ride. It is really worth the money
A lot of my tour members dun like milford sound and find it a waste of money. I dun mind, in fact it is beautiful too. Just that comparatively, i have greater memories for mt cook and lake tekapo
Did you experience rain often?? i only experienced rain once in dunedin but nite time already so never mind. And another time in auckland when we were at mt eden. Nothing much except the volcanic crater. After that we headed for airport liao, since raining and we can't do anything much anyway.
Wah, no chilli there and if got chilli, taste awful haha.. miss belacan chilli here
Oh ya, in fact i find the route to mt cook is more scenic than the rote to milford sound, dun u agree? Dunno why pple say milford sound journey very beautiful?! Or is it first impression comes first? I went mt cook on 3rd day, milford sound on 5th day.
u went fox glacier?
U know wat, the tour group before mine experienced snow in milford sound!!!!!!!!! And that was only 1-2 days before our trip there
Ya, i agree it is too sunny for milford sound. Mine was quite a warm day in fact. The waterfall would have been bigger if it had rained
I agree! I do love mt cook and lake tekapo more than milford sound. I still have memories of mt cook
Did you experience rain often?? i only experienced rain once in dunedin but nite time already so never mind. And another time in auckland when we were at mt eden. Nothing much except the volcanic crater. After that we headed for airport liao, since raining and we can't do anything much anyway.
Wah, no chilli there and if got chilli, taste awful haha.. miss belacan chilli here
Oh ya, in fact i find the route to mt cook is more scenic than the rote to milford sound, dun u agree? Dunno why pple say milford sound journey very beautiful?! Or is it first impression comes first? I went mt cook on 3rd day, milford sound on 5th day.
u went fox glacier?
twinkle,
To me waitomo caves is good because of the boat ride to see the glow worms. It is that short experience which is quite memorable. If u have visited other caves in other countries, perhaps waitomo caves won't be a surprise to u cos it is all about stalactites, stalacmites and typical limestone cave.
To me waitomo caves is good because of the boat ride to see the glow worms. It is that short experience which is quite memorable. If u have visited other caves in other countries, perhaps waitomo caves won't be a surprise to u cos it is all about stalactites, stalacmites and typical limestone cave.
KK,
Ya, agree more time is usually more fun cos u can explore more areas. But it also depends on how u plan out ur itinerary. 1 week is actually just nice to do self-drive. For us, it was also bcos of time constraint tt's y din stay longer for our 2nd trip.
Btw, we went in mid Oct on our last trip & Milford Sound was really beautiful. It was very misty, partly bcos of the slight drizzle which just went by when we reach there & the waterfalls were splendid! Saw plenty of them during the cruise. And while waiting for the cruise to depart, we also venture a bit out to another side of the montain on a trail by ourselves & saw a magnificent waterfall right in front of us! (can't remember the name). Was an unforgettable experience cos it was just awesome! So I guess it all depends on luck sometimes. Like we missed the hot air balloon we've planned for cos of bad weather & they had to cancel it.. sigh...
Mount cook is no doubt a very mesmerizing place & we really missed it when we left, even till now =) But I wld say both Mount Cook & Milford Sound are all beautiful, each in their own special ways..
Ya, agree more time is usually more fun cos u can explore more areas. But it also depends on how u plan out ur itinerary. 1 week is actually just nice to do self-drive. For us, it was also bcos of time constraint tt's y din stay longer for our 2nd trip.
Btw, we went in mid Oct on our last trip & Milford Sound was really beautiful. It was very misty, partly bcos of the slight drizzle which just went by when we reach there & the waterfalls were splendid! Saw plenty of them during the cruise. And while waiting for the cruise to depart, we also venture a bit out to another side of the montain on a trail by ourselves & saw a magnificent waterfall right in front of us! (can't remember the name). Was an unforgettable experience cos it was just awesome! So I guess it all depends on luck sometimes. Like we missed the hot air balloon we've planned for cos of bad weather & they had to cancel it.. sigh...
Mount cook is no doubt a very mesmerizing place & we really missed it when we left, even till now =) But I wld say both Mount Cook & Milford Sound are all beautiful, each in their own special ways..
oceanmist,
Hot air balloon is like tat.. supposed u made a reservation, just before the designated time they can call u and say they are not flying. All these due to weather conditions.
Hmmm, probably should find a chance to take the balloon when go australia next time. Missed three times liao!
Hot air balloon is like tat.. supposed u made a reservation, just before the designated time they can call u and say they are not flying. All these due to weather conditions.
Hmmm, probably should find a chance to take the balloon when go australia next time. Missed three times liao!
oceanmist,
I plan to go tasmania next dec haha.. have u gone there before? Heard it is very scenic too!
I went gold coast in the year 2000. I dun really like it because i dun take those thrilling rides. Visited sea world (which i like) and movie world. I dunno much about english movies so didn't really appreciate movie world. But the academy show is a good one
Very action-packed.
No time to cover dreamworld. I followed tour group too
I plan to go tasmania next dec haha.. have u gone there before? Heard it is very scenic too!
I went gold coast in the year 2000. I dun really like it because i dun take those thrilling rides. Visited sea world (which i like) and movie world. I dunno much about english movies so didn't really appreciate movie world. But the academy show is a good one
No time to cover dreamworld. I followed tour group too
bellybuttony
New Member
hi kk!!! i'm back!! thanks for sharing your photos!!! gorgeous!! i think your photos had more snow than mine leh! heheheh. i totally miss NZ SO MUCH!!! i NEED to go back there again!! ahhahaha. will share my photos once they're uploaded ok? still sorting them out and then the uploading process takes time too. =(
so strange rite? we went in summer but it was still so cold! some days even freezing and some days quite hot. freaky.
so strange rite? we went in summer but it was still so cold! some days even freezing and some days quite hot. freaky.
KK,
Nope haven been there yet but have plans to go in a few years time. But I know it's v. beautiful.. esp. Cradle Mountain area which u shldn't miss..
I've been to GC 4 yrs back too, also self-drive. Nice & exciting place with many fun activities..
Visited places like Fraser Island, Byron Bay, 3 worlds, Mount Tamborine & Paradise Country Farm, etc. Had a great time there. And I'm just the exact oppposite of u cos I like thrilling rides keke..
Our trip next year is more for my little girl. There's many activities for kids there so I believe she's gonna like it. Will venture up to Sunshine Coast which we missed on our last trip, so shld be more fun this time. Already looking forward..
Nope haven been there yet but have plans to go in a few years time. But I know it's v. beautiful.. esp. Cradle Mountain area which u shldn't miss..
I've been to GC 4 yrs back too, also self-drive. Nice & exciting place with many fun activities..
Our trip next year is more for my little girl. There's many activities for kids there so I believe she's gonna like it. Will venture up to Sunshine Coast which we missed on our last trip, so shld be more fun this time. Already looking forward..
ash,
How many photos u took??? I took 700++ photos leh, so i can understand how difficult to sort them out! And i took some time before i get all my albums organised
In fact we didn't get any hot days, except in the north. And even though there is sun, the wind is still blowing
How nice
Oh ya, when i took heli and landed on the snowy mountains, second day i kena sunburn on my face. So i quicky get the lanolin cream in dunedin and applied on my face and it works!!
Must share ur experience with us ok?
oceanmist,
I think cradle mountain is one of the world heritage areas ya? Freycinet area, etc etc all very beautiful i read
Oh no no.. i can't even taking viking in singapore haha! U know i even had to have lotssss of courage to take the luge in rotorua!! And glad that i decided to take it (my hubby forced me too) and i enjoyed it sooo much! Too bad, we didn't have time to proceed on to intermediate track and advanced one. Only taken the scenic route.
How old is ur ger? Hmmm dun think will bring my ger to countries so far for the time being. Next year dec, she is only 18 mths heehee..
How many photos u took??? I took 700++ photos leh, so i can understand how difficult to sort them out! And i took some time before i get all my albums organised
In fact we didn't get any hot days, except in the north. And even though there is sun, the wind is still blowing
Oh ya, when i took heli and landed on the snowy mountains, second day i kena sunburn on my face. So i quicky get the lanolin cream in dunedin and applied on my face and it works!!
Must share ur experience with us ok?
oceanmist,
I think cradle mountain is one of the world heritage areas ya? Freycinet area, etc etc all very beautiful i read
Oh no no.. i can't even taking viking in singapore haha! U know i even had to have lotssss of courage to take the luge in rotorua!! And glad that i decided to take it (my hubby forced me too
) and i enjoyed it sooo much! Too bad, we didn't have time to proceed on to intermediate track and advanced one. Only taken the scenic route. How old is ur ger? Hmmm dun think will bring my ger to countries so far for the time being. Next year dec, she is only 18 mths heehee..
KK,
Ya, the luge was really fun! We went for the one at Queenstown, after the gondola ride. The view was just awesome up there! And I gotta say the scenery & view is so much better than the one at Sentosa, haha. Glad u enjoyed it too!
So did u go for zorbing at Roturua then? I haven't been to the North Island yet but will definitely go for it if I'm there.. heehee..
And ya, agree that it's not advisable to bring young toddlers & babies for overseas trip at such ages cos they're still too small to appreciate anything. Besides, it's also very cumbersome cos u gotta bring so much stuffs along. A more appropriate age will be at least 2.5 yrs old, when they're slightly older & more independent & more appreciative of things ard them.
My gal is coming to 3.5 yrs old soon in 2 mths time. Brought her to Perth couple of mths back & she had a great time there. Till now, keeps bugging me to bring her to Oz again.. haha.
Ya, the luge was really fun! We went for the one at Queenstown, after the gondola ride. The view was just awesome up there! And I gotta say the scenery & view is so much better than the one at Sentosa, haha. Glad u enjoyed it too!
So did u go for zorbing at Roturua then? I haven't been to the North Island yet but will definitely go for it if I'm there.. heehee..
And ya, agree that it's not advisable to bring young toddlers & babies for overseas trip at such ages cos they're still too small to appreciate anything. Besides, it's also very cumbersome cos u gotta bring so much stuffs along. A more appropriate age will be at least 2.5 yrs old, when they're slightly older & more independent & more appreciative of things ard them.
My gal is coming to 3.5 yrs old soon in 2 mths time. Brought her to Perth couple of mths back & she had a great time there. Till now, keeps bugging me to bring her to Oz again.. haha.
oceanmist,
If only we can have the luge in queenstown. For queenstown, we took the gondola after our return from milford sound and we actually paid for it because it was not included in the package. By then, the luge closed already, so cannot take. Our package included the one at rotorua.
Queenstown is definitely more scenic than rotorua!! Up the gondola, rotorua just appeared all green. But queenstown, can overlook lake wakatipu!!
Did u try the one at sentosa already?? I heard from other tour members that sentosa one is a much shorter one. Not worth the money.
How did ur gal react on the plane?? Ok with the pressure? How old was she when u brought her on her first trip overseas?? I think no matter where u bring them, they will enjoy it haha.. kids are kids.
My colleague had 3 children - 6,4 and 2. He say he will hold on all travel plans for the time being as there is no difference to the kids no matter where they go, be it punggol end or australia beaches haha!
If only we can have the luge in queenstown. For queenstown, we took the gondola after our return from milford sound and we actually paid for it because it was not included in the package. By then, the luge closed already, so cannot take. Our package included the one at rotorua.
Queenstown is definitely more scenic than rotorua!! Up the gondola, rotorua just appeared all green. But queenstown, can overlook lake wakatipu!!
Did u try the one at sentosa already?? I heard from other tour members that sentosa one is a much shorter one. Not worth the money.
How did ur gal react on the plane?? Ok with the pressure? How old was she when u brought her on her first trip overseas?? I think no matter where u bring them, they will enjoy it haha.. kids are kids.
My colleague had 3 children - 6,4 and 2. He say he will hold on all travel plans for the time being as there is no difference to the kids no matter where they go, be it punggol end or australia beaches haha!
KK,
Yup, the view of Lake Wakatipu & the snow-capped mountains were simply awesome! We actually can't bear to come down.. haha.
And yes, we've tried the luge at Sentosa last year when we brought my gal for a short stay. We actually have the islander memebership so it was v. cheap. It was definitely a much shorter route with so-so views but it was fun for my gal cos she really enjoyed the ride down. In fact, the ride was more for her cos it's the 1st time she's taking it. For us, we've already been to the one at Queenstown so definitely no comparison.. hehe. But the one at Sentosa will be gd for 1st-timers & those keen to try out.. at least dun hv to travel all the way to NZ to experience it..
My gal actually had no prob with air-pressure onboard the plane. I told her to swallow during take-off & she's ok. She was actually more excited abt the plane taking off than anything else, haha. But different kids do react differently so if swallowing doesn't work, juz standby some water before hand & let ur kid sip some. It does help. Some parents gave sweets for them to suck but I dun encourage.
My gal was was 33 mths when we brought her there, 3 mths before she turned 3. She was extremely excited of cos since it's her 1st overseas trip & also 1st time on a plane! We were quite nervous as well cos she's only 2.5 yrs old then & a little real terror, so kinda worried if she'll be ok there. But surprisingly, everything turned out well & it was not 'disastrous' as wat we wld hv expected. Overall, we had a great time there. And she actually liked staying in hotels so much & going ard visiting interesting places tt she cried when she knew tt she's going home on the last day, haha.
I guess it's a totally different feel if u travel overseas, cos u get to experience & see different things, not only abt having fun, beautiful sceneries & interesting places, but also the culture & lifestly of pple there. I think it's a really good exposure for the kids. Like my gal, she really enjoyed the farmstay in Perth & the mingling with the farm animals, as well as feeding of kangaroos & koalas & wild live dolphins up close. U'll never be able to do tt here..
Yup, the view of Lake Wakatipu & the snow-capped mountains were simply awesome! We actually can't bear to come down.. haha.
And yes, we've tried the luge at Sentosa last year when we brought my gal for a short stay. We actually have the islander memebership so it was v. cheap. It was definitely a much shorter route with so-so views but it was fun for my gal cos she really enjoyed the ride down. In fact, the ride was more for her cos it's the 1st time she's taking it. For us, we've already been to the one at Queenstown so definitely no comparison.. hehe. But the one at Sentosa will be gd for 1st-timers & those keen to try out.. at least dun hv to travel all the way to NZ to experience it..
My gal actually had no prob with air-pressure onboard the plane. I told her to swallow during take-off & she's ok. She was actually more excited abt the plane taking off than anything else, haha. But different kids do react differently so if swallowing doesn't work, juz standby some water before hand & let ur kid sip some. It does help. Some parents gave sweets for them to suck but I dun encourage.
My gal was was 33 mths when we brought her there, 3 mths before she turned 3. She was extremely excited of cos since it's her 1st overseas trip & also 1st time on a plane! We were quite nervous as well cos she's only 2.5 yrs old then & a little real terror, so kinda worried if she'll be ok there. But surprisingly, everything turned out well & it was not 'disastrous' as wat we wld hv expected. Overall, we had a great time there. And she actually liked staying in hotels so much & going ard visiting interesting places tt she cried when she knew tt she's going home on the last day, haha.
I guess it's a totally different feel if u travel overseas, cos u get to experience & see different things, not only abt having fun, beautiful sceneries & interesting places, but also the culture & lifestly of pple there. I think it's a really good exposure for the kids. Like my gal, she really enjoyed the farmstay in Perth & the mingling with the farm animals, as well as feeding of kangaroos & koalas & wild live dolphins up close. U'll never be able to do tt here..
HI all,
My hubby & I had our wedding last thurs, and were planning to go to NZ coming CNY. We were sick of travelling in tour group since we last went to japan. But not Quite sure on how to go about for F&E .Anyone had suggestion where to book our air ticket & hotel stay.
My hubby & I had our wedding last thurs, and were planning to go to NZ coming CNY. We were sick of travelling in tour group since we last went to japan. But not Quite sure on how to go about for F&E .Anyone had suggestion where to book our air ticket & hotel stay.
Hi everyone,
We have booked group tour to depart in Feb. However now due to not enough people, the tour will not depart. Is there any companies that do coach travel from one place to another. Cos both of us can't drive. And we dun wish to postpone our honeymoon too long. We are thinking of using our deposit with the travel agent to pay for the air tickets.
We have booked group tour to depart in Feb. However now due to not enough people, the tour will not depart. Is there any companies that do coach travel from one place to another. Cos both of us can't drive. And we dun wish to postpone our honeymoon too long. We are thinking of using our deposit with the travel agent to pay for the air tickets.
Hi all, it's so nice to hear so much info on NZ, especially Christchurch. My hubby and me planning to go this coming Oct, but not sure yet. How is the weather like in Christchurch/Queenstown in Oct? Is it as cold as Australia during winter?
Hi kk (kerenelu),
Have you tried Greatsights? My hubby saw one tour grp from greatsights for 4Days. Do you think is advisable to take such tours or just take day tours will do?
Hi kk (kerenelu),
Have you tried Greatsights? My hubby saw one tour grp from greatsights for 4Days. Do you think is advisable to take such tours or just take day tours will do?
Hmm... was hoping that there would be a travel fair in January to catch those who want to travel over the CNY break. But expo doesn't seem to have any coming up...
guess need to check the papers and then just go direct to the agencies. Am looking to travel from 20 Mar-28 Mar...
guess need to check the papers and then just go direct to the agencies. Am looking to travel from 20 Mar-28 Mar...
HI Kenshare,
It's nice to drive.
I'm those very lazy to read so my hubby is doing the itenary. From what i can remember, we probably will go Milford Sound, Mt Cook, Glacier, Arther's Pass, Avon River, somewhere that take the choo choo train (i dunno wat is it called) and some others which i cannot remember off hand.
When is your wedding?
It's nice to drive.
I'm those very lazy to read so my hubby is doing the itenary. From what i can remember, we probably will go Milford Sound, Mt Cook, Glacier, Arther's Pass, Avon River, somewhere that take the choo choo train (i dunno wat is it called) and some others which i cannot remember off hand.
When is your wedding?
By the way, does anyone heard of magic bus? The price quoted only includes accomodation and transportation only. when u reach certain place and u need a tour, u need to pay extra. for eg. if they bring u to Milford Sound, you need to pay $150 extra for that tour. the basic package without the tour is ard 600 plus for 8 days and 400 plus for 6 days. i think ard there. The stay will be YHA.
My Question is, is this tour bus good? Worth spending for it?
My Question is, is this tour bus good? Worth spending for it?
<font color="aa00aa">I've heard of the magic bus. Apparently they have a fleet of coaches departing according to fixed schedule... so you can tailor it to your needs.
But how do you book for this? online? Possible to stay in hotels instead of YHA?
You guys are planning early, or rather maybe I'm planning late...</font>
But how do you book for this? online? Possible to stay in hotels instead of YHA?
You guys are planning early, or rather maybe I'm planning late...</font>
I think if we want to book, we will book via email see whether got response. I'm not sure whether can dun stay in YHA but can find out more. I think will need to pay more if staying in better accomodation. YHA got standard rooms instead of those bunk type.
Seems like the magic bus has got more freedom.
we are not familiar with the place and at the same time count the total expenses and see whether it suits our budget. so no choice got to plan early. Also, In case got dilly dally, then we still got time to sort out. nothing is concise yet. just planning and give ourselves some expectations.
Seems like the magic bus has got more freedom.
we are not familiar with the place and at the same time count the total expenses and see whether it suits our budget. so no choice got to plan early. Also, In case got dilly dally, then we still got time to sort out. nothing is concise yet. just planning and give ourselves some expectations.
hi worry,
yes, we will be heading for honeymoon after AD.
Make use of our marriage leave...
wat abt u?
yesterday, i came across this..
can anyone advise me if this is a good itineary?
as in sight seeing, scenery etc..
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/driving-routes/christchurch-milford-sound-christchurch.cfm
appreciate any feedback from anyone? thanks!
yes, we will be heading for honeymoon after AD.
Make use of our marriage leave...
wat abt u?
yesterday, i came across this..
can anyone advise me if this is a good itineary?
as in sight seeing, scenery etc..
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/driving-routes/christchurch-milford-sound-christchurch.cfm
appreciate any feedback from anyone? thanks!