New Zealand in October

[BecBennett]

Thanks to Zanzibar DH, DD and I are heading to NZ in October

We have to be in Auckland on October 15th to fly home at 8am the next day and we're thinking of renting a campervan for our time there.At the moment I'm thinking we'll be in NZ for two weeks, but that is far from set in stone.

So! What do we have to see? Is early October school holidays? Do you recommend we stick to only one island on this trip? How much time would you recommend for either Island or both?

 

[WanderlustNZ]

That is very exciting! I'm so pleased those flights worked for you.

The first 2 weeks of October are school holidays, but don't let that worry you. October school holiday crowds are pretty bearable.

It can still be pretty cold in October, so come prepared for any kind of weather, possibly even late snow. Hire snow chains just incase.

I wouldn't hire a camper for a number of reasons. They are rarely less expensive than a rental car and motels, they are slow and cumbersome on our steep, windy roads, and in October I would go for the a warmer option of motels. (Motels in NZ don't have the poor stigma of many motels around the world).

I am a North Islander, but I would recommend you spend the bulk of your stay in the South Island. I have pretty much seen my whole country and have places that stand out as clear favourites. If you are interested I can recommend an exact itinerary including bush walks that are short and child friendly.

The North Island probably is better if you are mainly interested in culture, the South Island if you are mainly interested in beautiful scenery.
The North Island tends to get a lot of rain in spring. The South Island will be lovely and scenic with snow most likely still in the mountains.

 

[BecBennett]

The reason we were thinking camper is mainly because we won't have to pack and unpack every day (if that's how often we move to a new place, I know that's not likely, but I'm hoping you get what I mean) especially with a 17 month old. It will be nice to know where all our bottles, and toys and food and nappies and everything is, without having to search for anything.

Plus this way I'm hoping it will be easier to be a bit more spontaneous.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

The reason we were thinking camper is mainly because we won't have to pack and unpack every day (if that's how often we move to a new place, I know that's not likely, but I'm hoping you get what I mean) especially with a 17 month old. It will be nice to know where all our bottles, and toys and food and nappies and everything is, without having to search for anything. Plus this way I'm hoping it will be easier to be a bit more spontaneous.

At the end of the day only you know what is right for your family.

Here are the pros and cons as I see them to hiring a camper in October

Pros:
No packing and unpacking
The freedom to stop and have lunch and breaks pretty much anywhere
There is something a bit fun and intrepid about the camper-style holiday

Cons:
They are rarely cheaper (particularly once you factor in camping ground fees and extra petrol)
They move slower meaning more time spent on the roads. (As a side note: please pull over regularly if you are holding up traffic. Slow campers on windy stretches of roads drive the locals crazy).
Harder to manoeuvre and park in towns and built-up areas.
Less spontaneity than one might expect. In most touristy areas of NZ, freedom camping is either illegal or frowned upon. In school holidays, you should probably book at least the popular camping grounds in advance.
Less spontaneity when it comes to popping out in the evenings to the supermarket, takeaways etc. This is particularly the case if your little one is sleeping or playing. With a car your DH can pop out on his own. With a camper you need to move your child to their car seat, unplug the electricity, and all head into town together.
A motel usually has a bigger bathroom, a bigger kitchen, and a flushing toilet.
Not as easy to drive if you encounter snow or as comfortable if the weather is cold.

For me the cons outweigh the pros, but for others the cons may not be a very big deal.

As for moving to new places everyday, don't instantly dismiss the idea. My favourite kiwi road trip to date was a 9 night trip spent at 8 different accommodation places. I write about that trip briefly in my first blog entry. The packing up is a pain, but it's more than made up for by all the great scenery you get to see in a short amount of time.
I think the main thing to consider with a young one is the length of time spent in the car each day and the number of stops and meal breaks you plan.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

This is a great website for finding out about NZ. I've linked to the page that gives you a bit of an idea of places you can camp.
Have fun with the research. You'll love NZ

http://www.newzealand.com/int/article/where-you-can-camp-in-new-zealand/

 

[zanzibar138]

Following along with interest I had also planned to spend about 2 weeks on the South Island with a campervan hire at some point in the future, so interesting to hear Wanderlust's take on that. She has talked me out of it

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, and I hope you'll do a TR when you get back, or at least share some of your photos

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Agreeing with Wanderlust on the pros and cons - we haven't campervanned NZ but have the UK and she sums it up exactly. For us the issue of having to pack up and unplug to pop out (and once getting back and finding someone has taken our "spot" even though they shouldn't have) outweighed the pros, especially when we stayed a couple of nights in one place. We also found the height of the camper an issue getting parking in shopping centres in the UK but that's probably not an issue in NZ. We have done 2 road trips now around NZ and found the range of cabins and motels excellent for all the reasons Wanderlust said, especially in the cold months. My SIL campervanned with 3 young kids in winter and had a great time but found caravan park fees and other costs much dearer than she anticipated. That being said we still remember our 3 weeks in the camper in the UK as very special with memories created just through the experiences from being in the van.

 

[BecBennett]

Following along with interest I had also planned to spend about 2 weeks on the South Island with a campervan hire at some point in the future, so interesting to hear Wanderlust's take on that. She has talked me out of it

She's very persuasive isn't she? Her pros and cons definitely had me rethinking it, but it looks like DH has his heart set on it. So I think the cons are just going to have to be something we keep in mind.

I'll definitely post pictures. I'd like to do a TR too, but I know from experience that they take me a long time to complete, and I won't have as much "free time" on this trip as I usually would. First overseas holiday with a daughter and all

I think we're going to have to either do a week on each island or just stick to the north, because we're flying out of Auckland. There's nothing stopping us flying into Dunedin for example, and driving all the way up.

However it's possible that we may need to limit our driving on certain days just for DD

Off to do more reading! Thanks for the link Wanderlust!

 

[zanzibar138]

There's nothing stopping us flying into Dunedin for example, and driving all the way up.

Good idea

I'll look forward to seeing your photos, even if you don't get around to doing a TR. I know my DH always gets cranky with how much time I spend on mine

 

[WanderlustNZ]

If you want a taste of both Islands, here is what I would do.

Fly from Australia to Queenstown (or Christchurch if doing the following itinerary in reverse)

Day 1. Fly to Queenstown. Hire a camper. Spend a night there and visit Arrowtown, the lake front, and perhaps take a trip up the gondolas.

Day 2. Drive to Te Anau. Book campground for 2 nights.

Day 3. Day excursion to Milford Sound. The road to Milford Sound is one of the most beautiful in the country and better, I would argue, than the fiord itself. It rains frequently, but don't let that put you off. As you exit Homer Tunnel, you enter the Valley of a Thousand Waterfalls. During the rain, it is simply stunning. I would suggest you consider a child friendly tour though instead of doing this drive yourself. The roads aren't easy, particularly for a camper, and the driver misses much of the stunning scenery by having to focus so intently on the road. I can recommend the Trips and Tramps Coach and Cruise Tour. I did it with my son when he was about 2. They provided us with a car seat and were very good with my son. Overnight Te Anau

Day 4: Drive to Wanaka for 2 nights. Child friendly activities include the lake front, the Toy and Motor Museum, Puzzling World, and the playground at the lake front.

Day. 5: Wanaka

Day 6: Drive to Aoraki/Mt Cook. There is a great Doc campground there in a stunning location. The road into Mt Cook is so beautiful. For great pics, make stops at Lake Pukaki on the way. There is an Planetarium in the Mt Cook Hermitage which your family may enjoy.

Day 7: Make the short drive to Lake Tekapo and stay the night. It might be a short drive, but it's worth spending a night here for it's lovely outdoor hot pools.

Day 8 Drive to Christchurch. Explore and spend the night.

You can do all of the above in reverse if you fly into Christchurch instead of Queenstown.

Day 9. Fly to Auckland. Hire a car and drive to Rotorua. Rotorua is one of the most child friendly places in NZ to visit with many activities that are free or cheap. You would be much better here with a car than a camper. Spend 3 nights here.

Day 10 - 11. Free time in Rotorua. I would recommend a visit to Blue Lake and Lake Tarawera. Paradise Valley Wildlife Park is excellent for young kids. The Redwood Forest has safe child-friendly walks. The Lakefront playground is great. You can see Thermal activity for free in parks around Rotorua or you can pay to see one of the bigger more impressive reserves. The Gondola and Luge is great. I would recommend the Luge here over the one in Queenstown. We took our son on a tandem luge from a very young age and he loved it. You could also do a day trip to Taupo to check out Huka Falls, Lake Taupo and Huka Prawn Park. The Prawn Park has a great kid friendly walk around the outside of the park.

Day 12: Drive up to Auckland. Spend a night or two visiting places like the Zoo, Auckland's Regional Parks, Butterfly Creek etc.

Day 13 or 14. Fly home.

I hope that helps.

 

[Mortymer]

That plan looks nice, no lost hours !

 

[BecBennett]

Wow that's awesome. Thanks Wanderlust!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Wow that's awesome. Thanks Wanderlust!

You're welcome.

I wanted to suggest an itinerary that is manageable with a child, but also one that touches on many of NZ's most scenic locations. The return day trip to Milford from Te Anau is quite a long, tiring day for a young one, but oh so worth it. All other days I mentioned should be fine for your daughter as long as you take your time with each drive and allow for stops. This is fairly easy to do in a country where the drive is the attraction itself.

I wouldn't recommend a drive from Dunedin to Auckland as it simply isn't that exciting. The road from Christchurch to Blenheim is beautiful, as is the centre of the North Island around Taupo and the Central Plateau. But as a complete experience, I would argue that there are way better options. Plus getting a vehicle across the Cook Strait on a Ferry can be prohibitively expensive - usually way more than one way flights between the North and South Island.

There are stunning beach areas in NZ, but as Australia has equally stunning beaches (if not more stunning), I haven't mentioned any of these. If I was going to recommend a NZ beach to an Australian, I would be more likely to recommend a remote West Coast beach (e.g. Gillespies Beach) for it's unique and rugged charm.

The prettiest roads in NZ in my opinion are:
The road into Milford Sound
The road into Aoraki/Mt Cook
Haast Pass between Wanaka and the West Coast
Arthurs Pass between Greymouth and Christchurch
The Catlins
The East Coast of the North Island towards Te Araroa
The road between Thames and Coromandel Township in Dec/Jan when the Pohutakawa are in full bloom
The road from Kaikoura to Blenheim.

It is possible to do the first 4 in the above list doing a loop drive to and from Christchurch with a side excursion out to Milford. (i.e. Tekapo, Mt Cook, Queenstown, Te Anau/Milford, Wanaka, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, Greymouth, back to Christchurch). This could be an option if the one way fees on the camper are scarily expensive. However, you would need at least 11 days to do this drive comfortably with a young child. If you are keen to see the North Island as well (and Rotorua is fantastic for kids) the itinerary I have already suggested would probably be better.

I'm pretty passionate about child-friendly travel in New Zealand and have had first hand experience with hundreds of kid friendly activities from playgrounds to pram-friendly bushwalks. Please feel free to ask for advice as I enjoy giving it.

http://3batteredsuitcases.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/the-simple-things-in-life-road-trip.html

 

[TulipsNZ]

I think Wanderlust's iteinery is great, I also would fly from Christchurch or Queenstown to Auckland or direct to Rotorua, it's a long drive otherwise and not the best use of time. I know your hubby is set on a camper I would just add an extra caution to the above con's in that for a number of the snowy roads you will want to drive with chains on, we have hired a camper in the Sth Island and while I would do it in Summer I would not in Spring, it is still very cold and snowy and it will be very hard driving. I definitely would not drive a larger camper to Milford sound, the road is stunning but very narrow and in the snow it's slippery with very few places to stop.

 

[BecBennett]

How does this look?

Sep 30 - Arrive Christchurch 3:20pm
Pick up campervan and a few supplies, if weather/forecast for following day is clear drive out to Banks Peninsular, spend night somewhere like Little River. If it’s not clear spend night at a campground around Christchurch somwere.
Oct 1 – Spend some time around Banks Peninsular (if we’re there). Drive back into Christchurch. Activities again will depend on weather - Orana wildlife park, Christchurch Gondola, Spencer Park, Tothill’s Mazes. Spend night around Christchurch.
Oct 2 – Drive to Glentanner Holiday Park Mount Cook. Stopping on the way to spend some time at Lake Tekapo. May do stargazing tour.
Oct 3 – Take in the sites around Mount Cook/Aoraki - Hooker Valley Track and/or Kea Point Walk. Drive to Queenstown, spend night at campground.
Oct 4 – Activities in Queenstown - Odyssey Sensory Maze and Sunshine Bay Walk. Drive to Te Anau and spend night.
Oct 5 – Milford Sound coach tour (hasn’t been booked yet, still trying to decide which one to do, hopefully it’s not booked out by the time we decide). Return to Te Anau for night.
Oct 6 – See Fiordland National Park, tour a glowworm cave – can anyone recommend if one of these tours would be suitable with a 2 year old in a carrier on either mine or my husband’s back? Drive to Wanaka for the night.
Oct 7 – Spend some time at Puzzling World before driving on to Franz Josef Glazier – what are some walks we can go on here? Hot pools. Spend the night.
Oct 8 – If we didn’t get to do anything the day before that we still want to do, it will be done today. Drive on to Greymouth. Spend the night.
Oct 9 – Drive to Christchurch. Doing anything that we missed from start of trip.
Oct 10 – Drop off campervan. Fly to Rotorua. Hire a car. This part of the trip hasn’t been booked yet, but essentially what follows is where we’re planning on being. We’ll be staying in hotels.
Oct 11 – Rotorua
Oct 12 – Drive from Rotorua to Coromandel
Oct 13 – Coromandel
Oct 14 – Drive from Coromandel to Auckland
Oct 15 – Auckland
Oct 16 – Fly out of Auckland at 8am.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Hi Bec,
I like your plan because it is visiting all my favourite places. I do have quite a few suggestions, but no major alterations.

My main suggestion is to not underestimate the length of your drives. One quite a few of your days you have a lot of activities planned, plus a drive. My suggestion is to view the drives as the activities. NZ roads are slow and windy with MANY places to stop to take photographs or go for short bush walks. The drive from Wanaka to the Glacier Region, for example, could potentially take you all day (and an awesome day at that).

My suggestions in Red

How does this look?

Sep 30 - Arrive Christchurch 3:20pm
Pick up campervan and a few supplies, if weather/forecast for following day is clear drive out to Banks Peninsular, spend night somewhere like Little River. If it’s not clear spend night at a campground around Christchurch somwere.
I would probably stay overnight in ChCh and skip the Peninsula on this trip. By the time you arrive, pick up the camper, get to a supermarket and then to a campground, it will be gettting to dinner time. If you stay in ChCh you can begin early the next day on all your planned activities.
Oct 1 – Spend some time around Banks Peninsular (if we’re there). Drive back into Christchurch. Activities again will depend on weather - Orana wildlife park, Christchurch Gondola, Spencer Park, Tothill’s Mazes. Spend night around Christchurch. I would hit the road late afternoon and spend the night just outside ChCh. Perhaps Rakaia or Ashburton. That way you can get going early the next morning for Mt Cook without contending with ChCh traffic. Having this head start will mean that the roads are quieter and more peaceful.
Oct 2 – Drive to Glentanner Holiday Park Mount Cook. Stopping on the way to spend some time at Lake Tekapo. May do stargazing tour.
Definitely stop in Tekapo for a few hours. The church and lake are lovely, as are the hot pools. If you have a self-contained camper (highly recommended) I think you should stay in White Horse Hill DOC campground instead. Glentanner is quite a nice area, but nothing beats waking up at the foot of the mountain watching the sun rise behind it. Also if you head all the way in Mt Cook Village, you will be able to explore the area that afternoon. Know that there are minimal facilities in the area and restaurants are quite expensive. The attraction is the stunning views.
Driving into Mt Cook, take the small road past the Salmon Farm. It has the most stunning views of the mountains and Lake Pukaki. I will try and find a link to this road for you tonight. It's an easy road to miss.
Oct 3 – Take in the sites around Mount Cook/Aoraki - Hooker Valley Track and/or Kea Point Walk. Drive to Queenstown, spend night at campground.
Head off in the morning. Stop at Arrowtown on the way - I love it there. Do some Queenstown activities in the afternoon.
Oct 4 – Activities in Queenstown - Odyssey Sensory Maze and Sunshine Bay Walk. Drive to Te Anau and spend night.
Drive through to Te Anau around midday. If you can do the glowworms (not sure about the age limit) do them this afternoon/evening
Oct 5 – Milford Sound coach tour (hasn’t been booked yet, still trying to decide which one to do, hopefully it’s not booked out by the time we decide). Return to Te Anau for night.
Oct 6 – See Fiordland National Park, tour a glowworm cave – can anyone recommend if one of these tours would be suitable with a 2 year old in a carrier on either mine or my husband’s back? Drive to Wanaka for the night.
Get going to Wanaka in the morning. Take your time driving over the Crown Range. It is steep and windy, but has a beautiful view from the top. Do Puzzling world in the afternoon. The playground and lake front are also lovely.
Oct 7 – Spend some time at Puzzling World before driving on to Franz Josef Glazier – what are some walks we can go on here? Hot pools. Spend the night.
Make a day of this drive. It's a long one but has great places to stop for short walks. I will email you a whole list of short walks tonight if you are interested. I would recommend staying the night in Fox Glacier instead. My favourite walk in the whole country (Lake Matheson) is there, but it is best done late afternoon or early morning before the winds pick up. Also the weather changes from hour to hour in that stretch of the country. You need to allow a bit of time to wait out the weather should it be bad when you arrive.
I should mention that the Lake Matheson walk is about 45mins. What is the longest you can carry your little one on your back?
Oct 8 – If we didn’t get to do anything the day before that we still want to do, it will be done today. Drive on to Greymouth. Spend the night.
Drive to Franz josef, visit the Hot pools and do a short walk to see the Glacier. Carry onwards to Greymouth. I should mention that while Fox and Franz are close together there is a fairly steep mountain road between them. It is not ideal to backtrack if you decide to spend the night in Franz instead.
Oct 9 – Drive to Christchurch. Doing anything that we missed from start of trip.
Allow at least half a day for this drive. Arthurs Pass is stunning and you will want to stop regularly for photos.
Oct 10 – Drop off campervan. Fly to Rotorua. Hire a car. This part of the trip hasn’t been booked yet, but essentially what follows is where we’re planning on being. We’ll be staying in hotels.
Oct 11 – Rotorua
Oct 12 – Drive from Rotorua to Coromandel
The Coromandel is lovely, but is not always it's best at this time of the year. Definitely visit if you are keen, but an alternative option could be Taupo. This will give you a bit more time in Rotorua which I think you will need.
Oct 13 – Coromandel
Oct 14 – Drive from Coromandel to Auckland
Oct 15 – Auckland
Oct 16 – Fly out of Auckland at 8am.

Other than that, make sure you keep your petrol tank topped up. There are long stretches without stations and gas is very expensive on the West Coast. As are food supplies. Your best places for getting groceries are Christchurch, Queenstown and Wanaka.

 

[TulipsNZ]

I added a few thoughts in blue feel free to ignore them I think Wanderlust has made great suggestions, I don't know the South Island half as well but have added my two cents worth

Hi Bec,
I like your plan because it is visiting all my favourite places. I do have quite a few suggestions, but no major alterations.


My main suggestion is to not underestimate the length of your drives. One quite a few of your days you have a lot of activities planned, plus a drive. My suggestion is to view the drives as the activities. NZ roads are slow and windy with MANY places to stop to take photographs or go for short bush walks. The drive from Wanaka to the Glacier Region, for example, could potentially take you all day (and an awesome day at that).

My suggestions in Red
Sep 30 - Arrive Christchurch 3:20pm
Pick up campervan and a few supplies, if weather/forecast for following day is clear drive out to Banks Peninsular, spend night somewhere like Little River. If it’s not clear spend night at a campground around Christchurch somwere.
I would probably stay overnight in ChCh and skip the Peninsula on this trip. By the time you arrive, pick up the camper, get to a supermarket and then to a campground, it will be gettting to dinner time. If you stay in ChCh you can begin early the next day on all your planned activities.I really like the Top 10 holiday park, good for a 2 year old, it's near a mall with a good supermarket and is an easy drive from the Airport, I think you'd be pushing it to drive out to Banks Peninsular and appreciate it, to do anything in CHCH the next day you'd need to leave early.
Oct 1 – Spend some time around Banks Peninsular (if we’re there). Drive back into Christchurch. Activities again will depend on weather - Orana wildlife park This park involves quite a bit of walking, you can hire a buggy or carry your little one, I'd say at least 1/2 a day though , Christchurch Gondola, Spencer Park, Tothill’s Mazes. Spend night around Christchurch. I would hit the road late afternoon and spend the night just outside ChCh. Perhaps Rakaia or Ashburton. That way you can get going early the next morning for Mt Cook without contending with ChCh traffic. Having this head start will mean that the roads are quieter and more peaceful. I agree, I'd probably do Orana park last as it's on the outskirts and not backtrack into town.
Oct 2 – Drive to Glentanner Holiday Park Mount Cook. Stopping on the way to spend some time at Lake Tekapo. May do stargazing tour.
Definitely stop in Tekapo for a few hours. The church and lake are lovely, as are the hot pools. If you have a self-contained camper (highly recommended) I think you should stay in White Horse Hill DOC campground instead. Glentanner is quite a nice area, but nothing beats waking up at the foot of the mountain watching the sun rise behind it. Also if you head all the way in Mt Cook Village, you will be able to explore the area that afternoon. Know that there are minimal facilities in the area and restaurants are quite expensive. The attraction is the stunning views.
Driving into Mt Cook, take the small road past the Salmon Farm. It has the most stunning views of the mountains and Lake Pukaki. I will try and find a link to this road for you tonight. It's an easy road to miss.
Oct 3 – Take in the sites around Mount Cook/Aoraki - Hooker Valley Track and/or Kea Point Walk. Drive to Queenstown, spend night at campground.
Head off in the morning. Stop at Arrowtown on the way - I love it there. Do some Queenstown activities in the afternoon.We have easily spent a day at Arrowtown, it's one of my favourite places
Oct 4 – Activities in Queenstown - Odyssey Sensory Maze and Sunshine Bay Walk. Drive to Te Anau and spend night.
Drive through to Te Anau around midday. If you can do the glowworms (not sure about the age limit) do them this afternoon/evening
Oct 5 – Milford Sound coach tour (hasn’t been booked yet, still trying to decide which one to do, hopefully it’s not booked out by the time we decide). Return to Te Anau for night.
Oct 6 – See Fiordland National Park, tour a glowworm cave – can anyone recommend if one of these tours would be suitable with a 2 year old in a carrier on either mine or my husband’s back? Drive to Wanaka for the night.
Get going to Wanaka in the morning. Take your time driving over the Crown Range. It is steep and windy, but has a beautiful view from the top. Do Puzzling world in the afternoon. The playground and lake front are also lovely.
Oct 7 – Spend some time at Puzzling World before driving on to Franz Josef Glazier – what are some walks we can go on here? Hot pools. Spend the night.
Make a day of this drive. It's a long one but has great places to stop for short walks. I will email you a whole list of short walks tonight if you are interested. I would recommend staying the night in Fox Glacier instead. My favourite walk in the whole country (Lake Matheson) is there, but it is best done late afternoon or early morning before the winds pick up. Also the weather changes from hour to hour in that stretch of the country. You need to allow a bit of time to wait out the weather should it be bad when you arrive.
I should mention that the Lake Matheson walk is about 45mins. What is the longest you can carry your little one on your back?I agree, we got flooded in to Franz Josef when we were there.
Oct 8 – If we didn’t get to do anything the day before that we still want to do, it will be done today. Drive on to Greymouth. Spend the night.
Drive to Franz josef, visit the Hot pools and do a short walk to see the Glacier. Carry onwards to Greymouth. I should mention that while Fox and Franz are close together there is a fairly steep mountain road between them. It is not ideal to backtrack if you decide to spend the night in Franz instead. [I would consider driving further north and going to Punakaiki and see the pancake rocks & the blowholes, there is a small campground here and then you could return via Arthurs pass
Oct 9 – Drive to Christchurch. Doing anything that we missed from start of trip.
Allow at least half a day for this drive. Arthurs Pass is stunning and you will want to stop regularly for photos.
Oct 10 – Drop off campervan. Fly to Rotorua. Hire a car. This part of the trip hasn’t been booked yet, but essentially what follows is where we’re planning on being. We’ll be staying in hotels.
Oct 11 – Rotorua


If you check out my PTR it has my latest trip report from Rotorua, I would probably do things a bit differently feel free to ignore me
Oct 10/11 Rotorua -lots of amazing things to do, the farm tour at the agrodome is good with young ones, my two year old loved the luge, Rainbow springs is good to see the Kiwi & Tuatara.
Oct 12 drive from Rotorua, stop at Wai-o-tapu -amazing natural spot, I think the best of the thermal areas. From there to Waikite hot springs, lovely natural hot springs great value and far nicer than any of the ones in town. Drive to Wairakei, there's a nice little maze/puzzle world on the way stay the night at Wairakei resort? Wairakei also has hot pools and is child friendly
Oct 13: The next morning do Craters of the moon and any other Taupo activities that interest you. Drive round the bottom of lake Taupo and head north past the mountains on State highway 4. Stop at Waitomo for the night, see the glowworm caves - beautiful.
Oct 14: The next morning head to Auckland

Oct 12 – Drive from Rotorua to Coromandel
The Coromandel is lovely, but is not always it's best at this time of the year. Definitely visit if you are keen, but an alternative option could be Taupo. This will give you a bit more time in Rotorua which I think you will need.
Oct 13 – Coromandel
Oct 14 – Drive from Coromandel to Auckland
Oct 15 – Auckland
Oct 16 – Fly out of Auckland at 8am.



Other than that, make sure you keep your petrol tank topped up. There are long stretches without stations and gas is very expensive on the West Coast. As are food supplies. Your best places for getting groceries are Christchurch, Queenstown and Wanaka.

 

[TulipsNZ]

A few links
http://www.waitomo.org.nz/
http://www.wairakei.co.nz/
http://www.cratersofthemoon.co.nz/
http://waiotapu.co.nz/
http://www.hotpools.co.nz/
http://www.amazeme.co.nz/
http://www.agrodome.co.nz/

 

[WanderlustNZ]

The suggestion to drive up to Punakaiki is a good one. The walk up there is quite lovely and there isn't a lot to do in Greymouth.

Hokitika is a nice place to stop enroute for a short visit. There are some great little Arts shops. We enjoyed stopping in the Glass place as the glass blower was working behind the counter.

 

[BecBennett]

That's awesome! Thanks guys! I'm going to take all of your advice I think

The activities I've got listed aren't necessarily what we're planning on doing, they are more suggestions for myself

Unfortunately we can't take DD into the glow worm caves at Te Anau, but I'm hoping we'll be able to do them at Waitomo.

We were hoping to do the majority of our driving during DD's nap which usually starts at about 11am. So my plan was to do what we can when we arrive at our destination, and then catch up on what we missed out on the following morning before driving onto our next destination, around 11am. Is this too late? Should we be trying to get on the road first thing in the morning? This will probably create a grumpy toddler.

Wanderlust I'm definitely interesting in the list of walks between Wanaka and Franz Josef/Fox Glacier. Most of my research has been done on Trip Advisor, and they don't really go into road side walks...

DD and I have been going for daily walks to get us both used to the carrier. Yesterday our walk lasted 50 minutes, I was fine, but she was getting a little restless, however she can always get down for a little bit, which will give me time to take heaps of pictures

Tulips I started reading your blog yesterday. I'm still catching up, but it's very handy to see what else you get up to with your little ones