New Zealand itinerary

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bartbridge

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Just wondering if anyone that's previously been to new zealand has a rough itinerary that i could look at? I've been reading guide books etc but it's very hard to decide what to include or leave out, and what's the best route to take. Myself and the OH are going for 3 weeks mid august- september flying into christchurch and out from auckland.

Also, if anyone has a suggestions for somewhere to book for the first night or two in christchurch, that would be great as I hope to book that beforehand?
 
bartbridge said:
Just wondering if anyone that's previously been to new zealand has a rough itinerary that i could look at? I've been reading guide books etc but it's very hard to decide what to include or leave out, and what's the best route to take. Myself and the OH are going for 3 weeks mid august- september flying into christchurch and out from auckland.

Also, if anyone has a suggestions for somewhere to book for the first night or two in christchurch, that would be great as I hope to book that beforehand?
Click to expand...

I'll put your mind at ease. It doesn't matter where you go on either of these
magnificent Islands, it's pure magic. It just depends what your looking for after
that. Was there for 2 months, spent 3 weeks in the North and 5 in the South.
Preferred the South because it's more rural and like small towns and villages.

Stayed in a campervan, but accommodation seem's reasonable. Hostels are of a
pretty high standard it seemed. Would recommend the campervan option for
maximum flexibilty, the facilities are superb. The ferry is quite expensive though
so maybe an option for one of the islands.

Swimming with Dolphins in Kaikoura (South) was a highlight for us but other
fantastic experiences were had in Rotorua, around Taupo and skiing in the South.

Dunedin was a good drinking town, Christchurch had some nice historic sights
to see. If in Wellington, definitely go to Te Papa Museum. It's excellent and free.

Milford Sound was nice, but it's a long journey to see it, too long i'd say given the
timeframe.

An idea maybe to do 10 days in the South to explore the top half of the island,
and ten days in the North going as far at Rotorua, just pick out the most exciting
things along the way to see and do. Whatever you decide you won't be disappointed.
 
Spent 3 weeks in NZ on honeymoon in 2005. Fantastic place.

Higlights would include:

Sea-kayaking, walking, camping in Abel Tasman National Park
Walking on Fox Glacier
Sailing in the bay off Auckland
Wine Tour on Waikiki Island
Rafting on the Rangataki river near Geraldine.

You'll have a fantastic time, its just a magnificent place. Would recommend motels for accommodation, if you want a bit more comfort than a hostel.

C
 
Hi Nacho_libre,

We are going to New Zealand on honeymoon in November this year, and are looking into the campervan option.

I would appreciate it if you could provide some further information,

What company did you use for campervan rental?
What type of insurance policy did you use?
Is it a cheaper option than car and hostel/motel?
Is there a good selection of camp sites?
Are there any area's unsuited to campervan's?

Any other information you think might be useful would also be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jason.
 
Jason_77 said:
Hi Nacho_libre,

We are going to New Zealand on honeymoon in November this year, and are looking into the campervan option.

I would appreciate it if you could provide some further information,

What company did you use for campervan rental?
What type of insurance policy did you use?
Is it a cheaper option than car and hostel/motel?
Is there a good selection of camp sites?
Are there any area's unsuited to campervan's?

Any other information you think might be useful would also be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jason.
Click to expand...


Hi Jason,

We went with KEA campervans they have a pretty good website which we
booked through (just google kea campers). It worked out about 2,000 euro
for 2 months and this was for a 2-berth high-top which was practically brand
new. 24k on the clock when we picked it up. It was in immaculate condition
and everything is provided. From blankets to cutlery. Ours didn't have a toilet
but we stayed mostly at campsites so it didn't pose a problem.

We felt like the country was designed for campervans. The roads are nice and
wide, even in rural areas and the facilites are top notch. There are campsites
which you can stay for free (donation expected) with basic facilities but these
are almost always in a beautiful setting.

We chose not to take insurance. What we did instead was gave them a like a pre-
deposit on our credit cards so that if any damage was incurred that they could
access the money immediately, or if we tried to do a runner with the van. This
may depend on the limit of your Credit Card so check it out. To take out any
insurance would have added about $20 a day or so to our costs which we thought
was too much. It just meant we had to drive extra carefully and look after the van,
which we would have done anyway.

I think it's a cheaper option to hostels/motels. To stay in a campsite cost between
$20 -$30 per night. The selection of campsites is excellent and they are well kept.

A hostel for 1 person would also be around $25 at least, but remember with the
campervan you can do your shopping in the supermarket and have the fridge
stocked at all times. Pull over at any of the beautiful stops and have lunch when
you feel like it. It's also your transport which is good. The fuel is a lot cheaper than
here and if you shop in the big supermarkets you can eat really well for little
expense, you have 2 gas rings in the camper and a microwave, (we never used
our microwave but we used the stove every day).

If I was going again I would not even consider any other type of accommodation
besides a campervan and I'm not a camping enthusiast or anything. This was the
first time my girlfriend and I had ever travelled/stayed in one, but we loved it.

Hope this was of some help. I think the longer you book the van for the cheaper it
works out per day, so you may get more expensive quotes. There are lots of
companies though. Budget is one I remember and Maui is another. maybe look
them up also.

Enjoy!
 
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The campervan provider will mark off certain areas on a map that are no go zones.
These are basically the roads up to ski resorts or maybe unfinished dirt roads and
are very remote. Unless your Ray Mears, it shouldn't be a hinderence.
 
Hi Nacho Libre,

The information you provided is very useful, thanks for that.

If I have any more questions, I hope you don't mind if I fire them your way.

Thanks,

Jason.
 
A quick tip. If you're doing the trip on a tight budget have a look in some of the campervan rental places/hostels.
My daughter & her boyfriend got free use of a campervan for about 4 days just to drive it to the north island from the south. They saw a notice in a hostel. Ferry fare was paid. All they had to do was put petrol in it & have it in Wellington on a specific day. Some of the companies just want them returned & will let you use them free for the priviledge....
 
bartbridge said:
Would hiring a camper van in August/ September be a no no or is it mild enough?
Click to expand...

It probably depends how far South your going as the temperature drops as your
heading South and also if your staying on higher ground it'll be a bit colder.

We were there in June & July and it did get cold as we headed South. Our camper
came with a plug-in electric heater so we made sure we stayed in campsites with
power when we thought it was a particular cold evening. We just made sure we
were well wrapped up aswell.

If your not near power you can turn on the gas stove and that soon warms the
camper aswell or another alternative is to leave the engine running for a while and
get some warm air blowing into the camper, but the electric heater was the best
solution and made for a warm and cosy environment.
 
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