Looks like i'm going to heading to New Zealand in June for 6 weeks (ish). Going to be based in Auckland for 5 weeks and was planning/hoping on spending a week on the south island before heading up to the north island.

Can anyone reccommend some "must see" places on the south island? Think i'm going to rent a car for the week if thats any help. Really wish I could spend longer there but its not possible 🙁

I spent a few weeks there, my advice (although there are some Kiwis on here I think who'll know more):

Doubtful sound (might be doubtless) rather than Milford Sound
Franz Joseph
Mt Cook (although a long way from anywhere)
Arrowtown
Swimming with dolphins at Kaikoura
Lake Tekapu

Plenty to keep you busy either way!

Milford and/or Doubtful Sound – stunning place
Abel Tazman – see above
Franz Josef Glacier – see above
Queenstown – a great town for anyone who likes "outdoorsy" stuff. Try to walk the Ben Lomond track on a clear day, the views off the top over the Southern Alps are incredible
Christchurch – just a nice town
Mount Cook – stunning
Nelson – another damn fine little town

Dunedin to see the albatross, Abel Tasman, some one will say Queenstown but I prefered Wanaka, South Island is ace 🙂 enjoy.

How did I miss out Milford 😯 oh and laugh at Keas, alpine parrots no wonder they are angry, you would be.

Yep, standard tourist route (but that is no bad thing in NZ).

Bear in mind it will be chilly in June (ski season starts in July).

The ferry crossing is lovely to the South, try to get to Okarito not many get there its pop approx 5.

Paradise is also isolated and blissful just outside Queenstown, i drove there in a '73 Honda Civic, i really needed a 4×4.

Oamaru is pleasent, i lived there for 6mths, Dunedin is rough and ready but fun, they love the rugby.

Another vote here for:
Christchurch, Mount Cook, Swiming with dolphins at Kaikoura, Franz Josef, Queenstown and Christchurch. I was out there a few years back and like Pigface still kick myself for missing Milford Sound.
South Island is a stunning place.

Bluff is a long way for a let down, you can even see the aluminium smelters from there 😐

Cheers guys, there's just too much that I want to see in the time I have. Not sure that driving 300 miles+ each day is a great idea, as I will jsut be spending a large proportion of my time driving. hmmm….decisions.

With a week it's the NZ equivalent of 'see 10 European countries in 14 days but fly real low over 3 others.'

You need to sort out your start and end points- You could try flying into Queenstown, and shipping out on the ferry from Picton- a couple nights in Queenstown, Milford, drive up the West Coast to see the glaciers, a flight to see Mt Cook/Tasman Glacier if you've got the money/time, then Nelson/Blenheim, maybe a daytrip down to Kaikoura for the whales if you're inclined.

Maybe read up a bit, make a list of things that sound interesting, then ask for opinions on each one.

haha you wont get out of the car if you try and do even half whats been suggested.

I would go do a days kayak in abel tasman from marahau and spend the rest of the time in wellington on north island its a city but like no other city ive been in – driving the coastal road to picton and taking the ferry over , the marlbourough sounds are lovely

failing that fly into christchurch and get up into the mountains – rakaia gorge – lake tekapo and mount cook.

are you serious about arrowtown and queenstown as must do places – if he was there for a month yes they are but seriously not worth it with a week to play with. LOADS better to see,

The glaciers were a major let down for me but pancake rocks were sweet great

paradise is worth seeing – i went in there on a kona jake :D. Kinloch do ace ice coffee too. Glenorchy is the one unspoilt area in nz – too much commercialism – glenorchy is pretty pure imo. and the further in you go the nicer it is.

if you can fly into queenstown its worth taking 2 days to drive into milford imho , the drive in is pretty spectacular – perhaps i just appreciated more than most folk in there cars as i was riding it.

road to glenorchy

mitre peak n me

drop into milford

Wellington

abel tasman

If you have the choice then I'd spend longer in the south island.

The North Island is okay, but the South Island is way more interesting if you like outdoors stuff.

(Though definitely do the skydive over Lake Taupo – it's a really nice view)

I think im going to fly into christchruch, then after the week I can fly from christchurch to auckland. Qantas do a really reasonable multi-city flight which allows me to do that very cheaply (adds about 60 quid ontop of standard heathrow–> auckland). As much as i'd like to get down to see milford sound I don't think its feasible to do with the time i've got.

I would have liked to have spent much longer on the south island, but I got an offer to do my elective (medical student) in Auckland and accepted that….since then I have received offers from places in the south as well though!

When i'm there its going to be winter/ski season, are places like milford sound, fox glaciers and mount cook going to accessible/worth seeing at this time of the year?

Cheers

Some good suggestions so I'll list a couple of don't do…

I don't think it's worth visiting Bluff or Dunedin. There are better places to visit in your limited time.

I do not rate Welly. It's not a bad city but there are more impressive sights.

We prefered Wannaka as opposed to Queenstown.

Very jealous as it's an awesome country. The Kiwis have a fantastic work/life balance. Some awesome riding out there too (a good few routes are rideable directly out of some of the cities).

RRD: Hoping to hire a bike at some point when I'm up in Auckland. Also hoping to go skiing at some point, though last time that I went I managed to break my arm!!

bike hire available at Woodhill bike park. 40 mins north of Auckland CBD.

If you want to get out of it for a day and have a cheap night in walking hut go here nice natural hot pools for weary legs 😀

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/west-coast/south-westland/copland-track/

I also recommend glenorchy and paradise there's a nice walk up Mt Alfred with stunning views if you fancy another leg stretch.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/otago/wakatipu-area/mount-alfred/

Loads already been said and repeated, but really really recommend Lake Tekapo.
+1 for Wanaka vs Q town (2 or 3 good resorts close by)
+1 for Abel Tasman – if tight on time a 1 day walk/ hike out to seal colony and then walk on AT track is a goodun.
+1 Nelson Lakes NP – Hut to hut walks difficult in snow, unless you're all geared up though.
Franz Joseph Glacier is nice, and very accessible. The full day glacier walk is good VFM, and if you can afford it, then the Helihike is awesome.
Loads of small ski fields all over S Island if you want to save some dosh and get on some less crowded slopes too.
Don't know about riding near Auck, but some lovely riding around Taupo and Rotorua (good bke shops for routes / rentals too – esp Rotorua).
I could go on, but it's all been said.
But seriously, Lake Tekapo is amazing. walk up to observatory, hot springs on the way back. Nice.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!

Spent a month in the South. Great!!
Queenstown, Te Anau, Doubtful sound (sea kayaking), Wanaka (biking)…..and the rest. That was in January.
As for June. It will be the middle of winter. The pictures above were more like Jan or Feb. The wife did a winter trip there and had a good time skiing and a bit of walking in Abel Tasman.
A week is no time at all to see the South Island. Get some local knowledge. Pick a couple of things and go do them. Enjoy.
p.s. Plenty to do in the North Island too.

First trip to NZ we flew down to Queenstown then up the west coast – fox glacier, pancake rocks, abel tasman, etc to get the ferry back to the north island. Second time it was a week-long loop out of Christchurch, down to queenstown, te anau (for doubtful sound), invercargil then round the coast back to cch. Lots of driving both times though, more time spent doing that than seeing things really.

With just a week, I'd be inclined to fly in and out of Queenstown. Go down and do doubtful sound (or milford) – there's a good overnight trip on doubtful where you can go kayaking, watch the sun set, have a good dinner and a few drinks then up for the sunrise which was incredible. It's over 100 miles to te anau, milford sound is almost double that so a fair trek. There are bus trips to either, but the day trips will be hours on a bus, a very brief boat trip then many more hours on the bus to get back. Taking two days to do the overnighter is worth it IMO.

I loved the jetboat/kayak trip up then down the dart river and would do it again any day. http://www.dartriver.co.nz/ – stunning LOTR scenery and a wonderful way to spend a day.

If you've ever wanted to bungy jump, the Nevis one is one of the best and based down there. Worth going up the skyline gondola too on a clear day, fantastic views and the luge there is quite fun.

Fox or Franz Josef glaciers are about 200m out of queenstown and they do great walking tours over them. Would be a good trip to head out early, catch an afternoon tour then get up before dawn and head for Lake Matheson for the postcard view of Mount Cook as the sun rises, all reflected in the glass-smooth lake.

Plenty more to do down that way – more a case of filtering it down to a week, I could spend at least a month there. Don't necessarily need a car either, although one might be handy for getting about.

The only way to travel

Abel tasman

Wellie trails!

View from our bed

Did not like Christchurch!

http://www.queenstownadventure.co.nz/vertigo-mountainbikes.htm

did a heli bike with these guys – amazing !!!

didnt notice he is there in winter in which case id just hit up the ski fields tbh.

be aware when hiking that when they say alpine they mean alpine – we did mt luxmore which is considered low and its still above ben nevis

Depends when in JUne and when the snow is scheduled to fall this year 😉 Can be boomer or awful as with all great ski areas !

Everyone has suggested what I would so wouldn;t waste any more of your time. If time is short (which it is) a fly in/out of MIlford would be more pleasant and is an awesome experience in itself. Bit more expensive mind but worth it.
Theres lots of great adventures but nothing that I would point you to with so little time.

No-ones mentioned the Trans Alp train from Greymouth to Christchurch – surely one of the most stunning train journeys in the world.

With the proviso that having spent 25 years in New Zealand I never went to Queenstown (it's like being from London and spending your hols in Blackpool) I would recommend Nelson Lakes and Marlborough Sounds region.

There are also some nice bits of the North Island, and given that you will be there in June I would stay north. It is easy enough to get the famous Picton Ferry across and see a lot of Nelson.

The driving thing. Yes, NZ looks small on the map but thats because it is next to Australia. Roads are scenic but aren't great, very little motorway, it takes longer to get places, and there is not much to see in between places, especially when its raining. Oh yes and the West Coast of the South Island has some kind of record breaking rainfall in winter, do some research don't believe me…

Wellington is unmissable even in winter for Te Papa, and the cafe/bar/music culture. Base yourself in Wellington, it is in the middle after all !

Oh yes and sorry but please allow me a pedants riposte – it is THE South Island, and you will be IN it, not on it. There are reasons for this, search on the http://www.stuff.co.nz there was a big article about the names of the main islands recently in that they don't actually have names.

Kia Kaha Aotearoa!

Oop sorry, that should obviously be "pedant's".

Nothing else to add other than reading all the suggestions has me wanting to go back. It is a wonderful place.

Don't bother with one of the organised MTB 'downhill' days in Queenstown – it was on my 'must-do' list and it was rubbish – completely watered-down experience to cater for people with little or no MTB experience.

BTW – if you are driving make sure you remember the rules for right turns (the person turning right has right of way over the car coming in the opposite direction on the road you are turning from).