Hi,

Me and the missus are off to NZ for new year, can anyone recommend a campervan hire company that will allow pick-ups from Queenstown and drop off in Christchurch for a 2-3 week period? Oh and what shouldn’t we miss out on doing on south island?

Cheers

Buying lots of proper nasty fly repellent (vit B maybe) to avoid the sand flies, Arthurs pass, a flight from nr Lake Wanaka over fiordland to Milford sounds. Loads of touristy stuff to do in Queenstown, which isn’t all rubbish but not worth spending loads of time there. Be prepared to become very very blasé about the fantastic views. Lovely place and you can’t go wrong just trundling around and turning up places.. We spent a night at a desolate Cannibal bay & came out to discover some huge sealions sunbathing on the beach. Sound like you’ll be going mid season, expect it to be bloody hot, with lots of tourists in campervans doing the same as you… I wouldn’t get too tied up in doing specific stuff, though stuff like Whale watching need to be booked up now, there no turning up and getting on a trip (well there wasn’t when I went)

Lovely place and you can’t go wrong just trundling around and turning up places

What he said, esp this +lots. Had 4 weeks there several years ago and ‘The Itinerary’ went out the window after day three and was (mostly) all the better for it!

I suggest http://www.seakayakfiordland.co.nz/kayaking/doubtful-sound/

An utterly staggering and wonderful experience

Have you considered hiring a car and stopping in hostels/ B and Bs/ hotels/ holiday parks instead? We did this in 2006 and met so many interesting and wonderful people.
We used the NZ iSites (Tourist information offices) to book accommodation and activities a few days ahead. The staff were very knowledgeable and we stopped in some lovely places. Prices back then were so cheap.
The newzealand.com website has/had a great planner to work out all of the activities to do.
Expect to be very busy. There is so much to do.
We had 6 weeks (3 south and 3 north) in NZ and travelled pretty much according to plan, few spare days in case of weather issues.

Things to do:
Get up early to catch sunrise at the Moeraki boulders.
Swim with dolphins
Go whale watching
Walk/kayak the Abel Tasman
Kayak Milford Sound
Do a Canyon Swing in Queenstown.
Helihike the Franz Josef glacier
See the penguins near Oamaru (We also saw Orca off the coast and the seals and penguins left the water pretty smartish).
etc…..

Just waiting a few years until our daughter is old enough and we will be going again.
Enjoy the trip.

Unless you have family or some other reason to go to north island I would just fly straight to Christchurch if you only have 2 or 3 weeks. If not make sure you factor in the cost of the ferry. I seem to recall its not cheap. Whale watching in Kaikora is a must imo. I also want to kayak abel tas at some point if I ever gain the desire to go back. Other than that just head off into the hills on foot.

Other than that just head off into the hills on foot

My main plan at the mo, I just don’t want to get back and found a “damn, should’ve done that” moment. We’re visiting family in QT for a week or so and then will be heading around places. Good point on the itinerary

Absolute tons of things to do but would second the recommendation of Doubtful Sound. Most people will recommend Milford Sound but that’s only because that’s where 90% of the tourists are herded to so is more widely known. I think only two or three boats have licences to do overnight cruises on Doubtful in comparison to hundreds on Milford. I can heartily recommend this company; http://www.doubtful-sound.com/

Other things;

Heli-biking in Queenstown
http://vertigobikes.co.nz/tours/guided-tours/remarkables-heli-tour/
Realistically the trail we rode wasn’t all that amazing but the experience of being dropped off on top of a mountain with a bike was amazing.

Biking the Queen Charlotte track
http://www.marlboroughsounds.co.nz/mountain-biking-the-queen-charlotte-track/
Again not the most amazing trails, but oh my god the views! You get dropped off at one end by boat, they take your bags to a hotel at halfway point, next day they pick up your bags and pick you up at the end.

other recommended South Island things;
– Marlbourough wine tour
– Kaikoura – swimming with wild dolphins / whale watching (do it by plane if poss.)
– Mount Cook
– Franz Joseph glacier
– Abel Tasman kayaking

We went some years ago, we used these guys, they were very good as above you cant go wrong, we made no plans before we went as above plenty to see & do

For the Millionth time, it is THE South Island and THE North Island. They don’t have names, we didn’t just name them North and South. It isn’t Australia.

They do have Maori names, but small steps, try getting the English ones right first !

(and I am grumpy cos ai have been living in Scotland too long – most Kiwis are pathologically friendly)

And, if you just go to the South Island you are not seeing New Zealand. It has lovely scenery, but the culture is very different up north. It is like going to Fort William and thinking all of the UK is like that, I won’t bother with London or Birmingham, or Wales even.

Chill out bro

North Island is great but with just two weeks you’d just end up doing a lot of driving. If I had to choose one or the other I’d go to the south island.

You could do the top half of the North island in two weeks – fly into Auckland, up to Kerikeri, then through Coromandel and the East Cape (carefully) across to Rotorua and Taupo, walk the Tongariro crossing. Wellington if you can make it and visit Te Papa.

I used these guys: http://www.spaceshipsrentals.co.nz/, although I see they don’t do pickup/dropoff in Queenstown… They did me a mega deal last year, but it was off season so probably why ($25 per day all-in).

I went whale watching, Milford Sound, penguins, steampunk, flights over the Alps on the south island. All great, I don’t think you can go wrong, really. I ended up on the north island too, did both in 18 days or so.

http://kitcarruthers.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/sun-sea-and-steampunk-in-new-zealand/

You could hels but you’d miss the best bits 😉

Go Sea kayaking. We did Doubtful Sound guided and Abel Tasmin unguided. I prefered Abel Tasmin

Visit Milford sound

Do a tramp between huts

See wildlife dolphins etc

Go on a glacier hike

Go rafting

Ask if you want to discuss hikes we did a few

If you really want to use a camper thats great but there are alot of other options. Its worth knowing that all campsites on the road have guest kitchens. very sociable and most have wooden tents

And, if you just go to the South Island you are not seeing New Zealand. It has lovely scenery, but the culture is very different up north. It is like going to Fort William and thinking all of the UK is like that, I won’t bother with London or Birmingham, or Wales even.

If some one came on an activity holiday to Britain would you expect them to come to Birmingham and London

anthill +1

I’d happily suggest to ppl that they went to Fort Bill and avoid Brum and London & definitely Wales, and so then went away thinking “what a nice place”.

I can’t add anything to the list, but you’ll have an awesome time. 4yrs ago we went for a month and did 1 week NI, 2 in SI, 1 in NI (my sister, uncle, aunt, cousin all live in Auckland)

We wished we’d spent the month in SI, it was ace – I really enjoyed Queentowns (Fergburgers)

Sadly, now we have a sprog we just go to NI to see my sister now (but I’ll be in Auckland when you’re out there, probably seeing this thread updated with awesome photo’s!)

Don’t forget to go to the bridge and look at idiots like I was