New Zealand trip - advice needed

[Matus Kalisky]

Hello,

me and my wife are planning a 3 week trip to New Zealand this year (either March/April should be more stable weather, or September/October - would be easier to prepare for). We are in Europe (Germany) and for both of us this would be a first trip of this kind (other side of the world, basically).

Our plan is to visit the nature parks, mountains and the seaside. Maybe also some more day guided trips too. We both do photogrpahy, but the photogrpahy is not the very first priority (though definitely more than just a holiday snapshots - I hope ), so I do not plan at this stage to take My Tachi4x5 along as this is just too slow to use (and does not take a 6x12 back apart from Sinar ZOOM ). I do plan to take SOME MF camera for sure (my wife takes her SLR and digi P&S).

If possible I would like to ask for advices like:
- where to fly from (London? - seems to be around 2200 pounds for return ticket to Queenstown for 2 persons)
- when to go (is the March/April really optimal considering the weather or would December-February be better?)
- accommodation in the region of Queenstown/Wanaka/Fiordland (how much $ is reasonable)
- places to visit?
- guided tours - yes/no? if yes - which one?
- renting a car - is 4x4 a necessity?
- what about a camper van for a week or so?
- prices for common stuff
- any particularities one should be aware of?
- anything else ?

I know this is a bit too general, but I guess that many of you have travelled a lot (or even live in New Zealand) and indeed have valuable experiences.

thank you

[Paul Ewins]

We went to NZ in June last year, so most of this should still apply. For most accommodation you can simply book via the net.

We paid NZ$105 per night at Queenstown, but this was during the ski season so may be less at other times. Around NZ$100 seemed to be the average, $130 was the worst, in a large Christchurch hotel. Highly recommend Mt Cook View motel (www.mtcookview.co.nz) at Fox Glacier.

We did an overnight cruise on Milford Sound which included the bus trip to/from Queenstown - a little expensive but well worth it.

At Fox Glacier we did the Helicopter Ride which was very expensive but great for us. Probably a lot less interesting to Europeans who have more access to glaciers.

We travelled on all three long train trips and the TranzAlpine was the best.

I would pick March/April as the best time to go, but this may mean the place is packed with tourists. April should mean you get all of the Autumn colours.

4x4 is not needed. We hired a 10 year old Toyota Corolla and that was just fine (and really cheap). Camper Van is probably OK if you like that sort of thing.

Bring your own film, especially if you like a particular type of colour film. You won't find MF out of the major cities and even then you will need to know exactly where to go.

Prices will appear cheap by European standards.

[Vaughn]

Matus, it has been 21 years since I bicycled in NZ for about 6 months with a 4x5 (October to March). Understandably and a bit to my disappointment, I understand that the long stretches of unpaved roads are now paved, and the quiet roads that I biked for hours with little or no traffic and now well traveled by mini-campers driven by crazy tourists...many of them fellow Yanks trying to look at the scenery and stay on the correct side of the road at the same time...not always very successfully.

If I were to return to NZ (and it would be geared towards photography) I would be one of those Yanks in a campervan (along the lines of a VW bus...not a mini-RV) and camping at various small motor camps, etc. I am not one to hang around Queenstown, Wellington, Auckland or other large cities for very long. And staying anywhere that costs $100 a night offends my budget...

On my bicycle trip I stayed primarily in Youth Hostels (which welcome people of all ages) and you might consider them as places to stay if the weather gets bad or would like to commune with fellow travelers...the small motor camps scattered across NZ are good for this, too. And the camps often have small cabins, and usually a building with cooking facilities and hot showers.

Places I fondly remember.

The East Cape on the North Island (NI).

Te Urewera National Park. http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...ks/te-urewera/ Lake Waikaremoan was wonderful -- some god hikes there in the temperate rain forest. The hike around the lake is incredible, but you probably won't have the time for it. I spent Christmas near there.

Tongariro National Park (NI) is worth the visit, too.

On the South Island, Able Tasman National Park is a paradise for backpackers, then the drive down the west coast of the SI in some ways is like the US Northwest coast, but with a whole different flavor. Punakaiki is a neat place. And of course the glaciers. But it is worth the trip up to Authur's Pass to the backbone of the Southern Alps...great hikes right out of the town (and all up!)

Too many places....

I arrived in October and spent the first 3 months on the NI, slowly moving south and spending the Fall on the SI. Good weather most of the time. The week of rain, stuck in my little tent in a motor camp with the flu in Westport was not particularily pleasant, but it was generally good. So generally, I would think March/April would be nice, but I would immeadiately fly down to Christchurch and spend March in the south and work my way back north to Auckland...rather than working one's way south and getting to Fiordland in April. But if you go in September, then you would want to work your way south instead.

Have lots of fun! Vaughn

[Vaughn]

Whoops --- writing too late at night.. That is "good" hike at Lake Waikaremoana.

Other favorite places...Opononi on the NI west coast (North of Auckland), Opoutere on the Coromandel Peninsula (NI), Okarito on the west coast of SI...just north of Franz Joesf.

Vaughn

[cjbroadbent]

I did NZ in a camper van but another time would do it in an ordinary car and sleep in motels. Much cheaper. Though the camper sites are fabulous. You could rent a tent for emergencies.
River beds miles wide. That's NZ for me. Check out the 'Lords of the Ring' series and the film location web page for where they shot. I did China like that. The film location people always get it right.

[Paul H]

If possible I would like to ask for advices like:
- where to fly from (London? - seems to be around 2200 pounds for return ticket to Queenstown for 2 persons)

You can fly from any of the main European centres, including Frankfurt and Amsterdam. You may get better deals by flying to Auckland or Christchurch, the two main international airports.

- when to go (is the March/April really optimal considering the weather or would December-February be better?)

February to Mid April is the best time for stable weather. Schools finish December, and the school holidays cover January, so all the locals are on holiday then. Jan-Feb is the main tourist season. I'd recommend end of February & March.

- accommodation in the region of Queenstown/Wanaka/Fiordland (how much $ is reasonable)

You can pay anything from several thousand to less than NZ$100. With the rate at which the kiwi is falling against the Euro, anywhere will seem cheap Note that there is very little accomodation in Fiordland itself.

- renting a car - is 4x4 a necessity?

Pick one of the rental companies that rents out second hand Japanese imports - just do a google search for rent a wreck or similar, and you should find something. A car is fine, 4x4 is only necessary if you plan on going way out into the sticks.

- prices for common stuff

Petrol is around NZ$1.55 a litre at the moment, diesel is $1.03. For supermarket items, check this link to get an idea.

- any particularities one should be aware of?

Take extra care in the sun - you NEED a high protection factor sunscreen, even if you have never gotten sun burn. You will get sunburnt, even if you are outside for 1/2 an hour without sunscreen.

If you are doing any walks or tracks, go well prepared. If in doubt, ask a local or Dept. of Conservation, and let someone know where you are going. Too many tourists get caught out, taking to the tracks with nothing more than the clothes they go out of the car with.

Oh, and drive on the left!

- anything else ?

Bring lots of film, and enjoy yourself!

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

[John Powers]

Matus,
Since you are film shooters, go to www.apug.org (analog photographers users group), meet & introduce yourself to 30,000+ film shooters. Apug was founded and is run by Sean, an American living in NZ. Introduce yourself and ask a few New Zealanders where the good sights are. Have a wonderful trip.
John

[r.e.]

Me and my wife are planning a 3 week trip to New Zealand this year (either March/April should be more stable weather, or September/October - would be easier to prepare for).

If possible I would like to ask for advices like:
- where to fly from (London? - seems to be around 2200 pounds for return ticket to Queenstown for 2 persons)
- when to go (is the March/April really optimal considering the weather or would December-February be better?)
- accommodation in the region of Queenstown/Wanaka/Fiordland (how much $ is reasonable)
- places to visit?
- guided tours - yes/no? if yes - which one?
- renting a car - is 4x4 a necessity?
- what about a camper van for a week or so?

When I was planning my trip to New Zealand, I found the official tourism site very helpful: www.newzealand.com I don't know about Germany, but the site says that one can fly London/Auckland return for as little as 620 pounds.

I don't think that it matters when you go, except as mentioned above you may want to avoid the school year break. I went in August, when New Zealand is allegedly experiencing winter. They don't know what winter is. The weather was a bit cool, but otherwise fine, and there were fewer tourists.

We flew to Auckland and rented a car from Hertz, which had quite reasonable rates. The roads are good. No need for a 4x4 unless you are planning to go offroad. When we got to Wellington after touring the North Island, we took the ferry to the South Island as foot passengers and picked up a new car on the other side. When we were finished in the South Island, we dropped off the car in Queenstown and flew back to Auckland. If I recall correctly, there was no financial penalty for doing this.

We stayed in hotels and bed and breakfasts, but I got the sense that a lot of people do use camper vans and/or campgrounds. In Auckland, we stayed at the Hilton, which is right on the water. If you get a room with a balcony overlooking the harbour, the view at sunrise is spectacular. One of our best experiences was at Lake Moeraki Lodge, which has guides for nature hikes and canoeing. A hike through the rainforest to the ocean to see Crested Fiordland Penguins was a highlight of the trip. There is a video about Lake Moeraki Lodge, and its sister lodge at Arthur's Pass, on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=sFeLEC9sDBg

What struck me about New Zealand, apart from how friendly and helpful the people are, is the extraordinary diversity of the geography. It's very hard to make a list of "places to visit", because there is something new every few miles that you drive, and it is quite unspoiled. Of the four million people in the country, over half of them live in four cities. That said, I would urge you to see the west coast of the South Island. It is very rugged and very beautiful.

It sounds like you want to go to Milford Sound. Perhaps because I've seen a lot of fiords, I was underwhelmed by Milford. However, I will never forget the experience of getting there. From Queenstown, you can take a small plane to Milford. The flight takes you through mountain passes, just above the source of a giant waterfall, etc. An unforgettable experience.

If you are into wine or fishing, the wine areas are definitely worth visiting, and there is great fly fishing for trout.

[Matus Kalisky]

Hello again,

1)
we are gaining on information. The destination that looks really interesting would be to visit the "Doubtful sound" in the Fiordland as it is supposed to be very beautiful. However - most of the cruises start from Manapouri take a short boat/car cruise to reach the "Deep Cove" (the head of the Doubtful Sound) and than the main boat cruise takes place. In principle it should be possible to reach the Deep Cove by car (unsealed road). We will have a camper (unsealed roads allowed) so in principe I would be interested to go to Deep Cove directly and than take a cruise directly from there, or even hike around. I just did not find any info on that on the web. I would like to know whether this version of mine makes sense and whether one should be able to reach the Deep Cove by normal camper or 4x4 would be necessary.

2)
We will probably visit also the Milford Sound, though I expect this place to be rather full and that is not what I am after - so we will probably only go for 1 day driving trip.

[Chris Dunham]

Hello again,

1)
we are gaining on information. The destination that looks really interesting would be to visit the "Doubtful sound" in the Fiordland as it is supposed to be very beautiful. However - most of the cruises start from Manapouri take a short boat/car cruise to reach the "Deep Cove" (the head of the Doubtful Sound) and than the main boat cruise takes place. In principle it should be possible to reach the Deep Cove by car (unsealed road). We will have a camper (unsealed roads allowed) so in principe I would be interested to go to Deep Cove directly and than take a cruise directly from there, or even hike around. I just did not find any info on that on the web. I would like to know whether this version of mine makes sense and whether one should be able to reach the Deep Cove by normal camper or 4x4 would be necessary.

2)
We will probably visit also the Milford Sound, though I expect this place to be rather full and that is not what I am after - so we will probably only go for 1 day driving trip.

Hi Matus,

Summer is not the best time of year to visit Milford or any of the sounds as there is a lot of haze, winter is the best time of year for getting shots - high humidity and nice clear crisp air (less sand flies too, these little buggers will eat you alive and make life unpleasant unless you use Deet or a similar spray).

TeWaiPounamu (South Island) is full of interesting material - it's at every turn without having to go to the overworked 'chocolate box' sites. I would suggest your at a good point to stop planning, just decide on a car to hire and take it as it comes.

Chris.