To all the NZ Disers - need advice for a poss NZ trip

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

My pleasure Shuttergirl. Here is the link to the pics.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1571298167799.2075425.1395851267&l=ded3da5d71&type=1.

I'll dig out some of the places we stayed tonight and pm you. We also are too old (but lots more than you!) to rough it-the last time was a backpackers style tour around Alice Springs and Uluru-around 2003-was great but decided that would be the last for us. Remind me you have 2 children? so will see if any places slept 4 rather than 3-I am sure several did.

Loved loved loved the photos. I'm book marking them to show my DH once I surprise him with the trip lol .

We do indeed have 2 children, DD13 and DS9 and we are used to sharing a 2 double bed situation.

Who mentioned Perth

I despise the heat...why do you think we travel in December January....getting lots of Winter time If I could...I'd spend 2 months a year in a ski resort.

I never plan to go back to Singapore...nor back to LA during September
But I ADORE the outback of Australia. It is simply amazing.
Rottnest Island is lovely too

Just a thought...I'd sooner go there than Nu Zuland is all...so thought I'd mention it.

Rottnest Island - NY Day 1989, fell asleep on the beach slightly hung over, sunburnt to the colour of crispy bacon. Will never forget it .

Outback Australia doesn't appeal to me, too much dust as you mentioned .

Glad you are still around, haven't heard from you for a while Miss Q.

 

[queenie82]

Rottnest Island - NY Day 1989, fell asleep on the beach slightly hung over, sunburnt to the colour of crispy bacon. Will never forget it .

Outback Australia doesn't appeal to me, too much dust as you mentioned .

Glad you are still around, haven't heard from you for a while Miss Q.

Erm...ok...

How does one who grew up on this life survive in a country town

Alive...just...

Hope you sort something DH will enjoy.

 

[BigDisneyOE]

My two cents worth : if you like wine, culture and craft is that the South Island is excellent for all those and the suggestions already made are excellent. The scenery is very different to the North Island but the North Island is in no way less beautiful. However, I'd like to suggest the North Island too.

If it was a shorter trip you are after (a week or less than 10 days) I'd go into Auckland, up to Bay of Islands (above Auckland) - it's amazing up there and you get to see the area where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Lots of boat tours out of there, plenty of craft and great weather. An alternative to the BOI would be The Coromandel, it's wonderful up there and an easy drive from Auckland. Then I'd go to Rotorua as nowhere in NZ is like it and it's the place where you'll see geothermal activity and Maori culture done very well (if you got keen you could do a floatplane trip out to somewhere like White Island or along the National Park, it's not all about zorbing out that way!). Finally I'd head out somewhere like Napier, our Art Deco town and sample some of the lovely wineries in the area. It's possible to rent a camper or car and do all of these things in a week.

We've hosted many overseas visitors in our time. They love both the North and South Island and freely agree that both are very different. We've taken our kids away each year for their birthday. Last year we did Christchurch area and had a lovely time (post the first big earthquake, so we could still get into Chch central), we've done Auckland (not a fan, never have been) and The Coromandel. This year we are off to Rotorua. Whereever we go in NZ we enjoy it, each place is very different. The only caution I'd say is that you may find yourselves repeat visitors!!

Whatever you decide to do, look at websites like bookabach and there you can rent people's holiday homes on a day by day basis in most cases. It's a good way to get the extra space and a flavour of the place.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Thanks BigDisneyOE. I really appreciate the ideas for the North Island. I haven't heard of the places you mention so I'm going to spend some time this week doing a bit more research I think. I definitely think we need to look at what NZ has to offer before making a final decision on North v South.

 

[Saskiwi]

OK - just to show I'm not a one-eyed "Mainlander" - if you think Maori culture and glow worms are what your kids would like, then maybe you should consider the North Is over the South for a 7-10 day trip (two weeks or more you could do both islands)

Waitomo Caves in the North is THE caving spot in NZ - you float on a boat on an underground lake with millions of glowworms overhead- just magical. And Rotorua is THE spot for Maori cultural tourism also, although there are shows and experiences you can do in other centres also. Rotorua and its neighbour, Taupo, are also the geothermal areas, with hot pools for swimming, geysers and mudpools - definitely worth visiting, especially Waiotapu thermal area, which is my favourite - check it out on Tripadvisor. And if you do go to Rotorua (or Queenstown) take your kids on the luge - even for fraidy cats, it is heaps of fun - billycarts on steroids!

I wouldn't spend too long in Auckland - it's nice enough but just seems like an Australian city pretty much to me - Sydney's baby brother, maybe??
Wellington would be Melbourne's younger sibling, but with a very pretty harbour setting - similar in that it prides itself on 'cool', culture, coffee, cafes and lots of people dressed in black. Te Papa, the national museum is worth checking out there - very hands on for kids.

Hawkes Bay is lovely, as another poster has said: wineries, art deco architecture, good climate (usually).

Maybe get hold of a copy of the Lonely Planet NZ guide and have a read up and decide which island you want to do - or if you want to do both - and then we can come bnack with hotel/campground recommendations and intineraries.

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Order up some free Jasons guides too, that's what we always do for a bit of a nosey on the cheap.

Remember you don't have to do it all in one trip. It's always going to be a good deal for you guys to get over here and have a holiday. You could look at Top/Central North, Below Chch to Queentown and beyond and then smaller trips to Lower North and Upper South (both the latter are great areas but if you were going to do two trips I'd peg the first two).

I live 40 mins North of Wellington. Like the above poster said, there is a lot of black clothing there, always has been. Maybe because it's the centre of Govt and people dress a bit more conservatively on their days at work. However it's got a good artsy vibe and more cafes per square km than Manhatten - so if you want to eat and drink and walk about it's a great place.

Also like the above poster - I'd get out of Auckland quickly. It is like a smaller Sydney to me as well. Yep Wellington can be a little Melbourne too, good analogy!