So, my DIL got an alert that Delta had deals to New Zealand. They were few and far between, but low and behold, I got Minneapolis to New Zealand for 42,400skymiles/per person, departing late January (I got 15% off for having a Delta AMEX). I don't know what cities were included in the deal but I did notice the price was the same for Atlanta to New Zealand.
I post in case others want to look for similar deals.
We did the North Island on a Trafalgar Tour a few years ago and it was great. To do the entire country, you need a couple of weeks.
Thanks Geo, subtracting our travel time, I have about 23 days. I know very little about New Zealand. It was what my husband wanted for his retirement trip. He was gone when the deals were cropping up, so I just took what I could find in terms of dates.
Congrats on your upcoming trip Jules. We had about 3 weeks for our trip, too. And you've got plenty of time to flesh out an itinerary. I found the NZ tourism website to be a big help, as well as Lonely Planet. Jan/Feb will be very warm in the North Island, and cooler as you progress down the South island. We were driving, so only made it as far south as Christchurch. One of our most favorite countries on earth. Hope you have a wonderful time.
Hi Jules, nice deal! We did a two week trip to New Zealand in 2002. I just wanted to say don't miss Rotorua and Queenstown, my two favorites. Easy country to plan and navigate!
Rotunda is nice, but we loved Wellington. Don't miss the fantastic Botanical Gardens in Wellington.
I'm excited about this great deal and it looks like there are New Zealand experts on the forum!
BTW, my DIL got wind of the sale/promotion from a Delta Sub Reddit. I barely know what that means, but I'm sure glad she saw it.
Thanks for the heads up!
Congrats!
I had a wonderful trip to the North Island lasting about 2 weeks just before Covid lockdowns. I hope things have returned to the tourist-easy travel I found. Have fun planning your trip!
Some of the highlights for me:
Rotorua - so many options! Give it a couple days (or more) for a relaxed visit. Maori, thermo/volcanic/hot spring sites, animal exhibits
Wellington - Botanic Gardens as mentioned and Zealandia Nature Sanctuary - very special. When I was there , they offered evening tours for potential kiwi bird and other nocturnal bird/animal sightings. Highly recommend if still available. I had no car, but the employees were helpful in calling a taxi for me to return to my hotel. (I traveled solo, female.) Wellington is a pleasant city.
Hobbit Movie Set Tour from Aukland - not really my thing, but I had to have pictures for one of my adult kids. I did enjoy. Recommend for any with a special interest.
Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula - another unexpected visit. My plans for the day were blown and I found a day tour that included this stop. It would also be an easy drive from Aukland if you rent a car.
Glow Worm tour in the Waitomo Cave area.
Auckland Museum was a good intro to the Maori and Pacific Island culture for me, but could be skipped if you want to visit one of the Maori sites in Rotorua. (I enjoy museums) There are boat tours and ferries for birding or hiking to several of islands near the city. Wineries on Waiheke Island.
I'm sure you don't need my suggestions, but thank you for allowing me to indulge in fond memories!
On the contrary, ORDTraveler, I could use lots of suggestions. I’m the trip planner, but my husband is the one that has been dreaming about New Zealand for 40 years. I know he will want to do anything Lord of the Rings and Hobbit.
I appreciate any further comments/suggestions. I just ordered a guidebook so I can start giving it some thought. I’m sure he will want to cover as much of the two islands as possible. And for me, I will be focusing on birds (esp. penguins), sauv blanc and beautiful views.
So your DH is a LOTR fan, too! Then a visit to Hobbiton will be a must. And a visit to the Weta Workshop in Wellington. Don't wait too long to get tickets. When we were there, all tickets were timed. Since we were on a driving trip, we made a point to stopping at, or at least driving past, as many of the film locations that we could. We were bummed that we couldn't get down to the mountain shooting locations on the south island.
And if you like wine, maybe take a day for a wineries tour. There are several wine growing areas, producing some very tasty products. And for your DH, see if you can find a bottle of Middle Earth sauvignon blanc, from the winery in Nelson.
Since your flights will likely be going into and out of Auckland anyway it makes sense to delay a few days on the North Island seeing some the attractions previously mentioned. For a first time visitor, however, I'd advise devoting as much of your limited time as possible to the splendors of the South Island. Though you'll find LOTR film locations all over the country I think most of the gorgeous scenery that you associate with the films will be on the South Island in general and in the vicinity of Queenstown in particular. Plus, it's just a great area to have a car and just wander around - It's literally LOTR scenery around every corner.
Abel Tasman National Park at the northern tip of the South Island is a personal favorite, as is the nearby Marlborough wine country. Flying from Auckland (or Wellington for that matter) to Christchurch would be one suggestions - collecting a rental car there for a one-way trip over to Queenstown, Te Anau, Milford Sound, etc. The Banks peninsula just east of Christchurch is beautiful, with the charming little French-themed town of Akaroa being another particular favorite of ours.
No matter how you decide to structure your trip it'll be great. NZ is a beautiful country with tons to see and do whether you're a LOTR fan or not.
Although there are a host of excellent guidebooks available to help you with your planning, we especially like the format and presentation of the one by DK publishing. You can typically find used copies on Amazon for just a few dollars.
Just a head's up for you : NZ has become a popular visitor destination for Asian tourists - mainly from mainland China but also from other countries in SE Asia with significant ethnic Chinese populations. The Chinese New Year holiday period runs from mid-January into early March and is a very big deal in the region. On our most recent visit to the country a few years ago we were amazed at the size of the crowds - not only in the larger cities but also in some of the more rural areas where accommodations, tours, and rental car availability were severely impacted. Accommodations in Queenstown, for example, were literally sold out for several weeks. Had we not booked months in advance we would have been out of luck. Likewise several of the smaller little towns we visited.
Point being that I wouldn't delay locking down your reservations during the time you plan to be there to avoid disappointment, since it appears that you'll be visiting in the heart of the high traffic season.
Thanks for the heads up, Robert.
I really don’t have the vaguest idea what we want to do. I’m 237 days away. When would you say I need to start booking.
I think you have ample time to do your research and flesh out an itinerary, but I'd advise having everything locked down by around the 4 month mark ... or around the middle of September in your case. Anything later than that will start to get a bit risky. You don't want to try just winging it that time of year.
One strategy that we rely on is to research and tentatively book accommodations early - places with liberal cancellation policies to use as "place holders" while we look for something better at our leisure, having then the option of cancelling the original booking without penalty in favor of something we like better. Booking.com is a good search engine for that, but do pay close attention to the fine print. We've also had good luck with BookaBach - a local NZ website specializing in self-catering cottages and apartments.
Rental cars too. AutoEurope is favored by many of us here on the forum for their competitive rates, clear explanation of the insurance options, and liberal cancellation policy. One observation from our last (pre-COVID) trip was that the Asian tourists we encountered seemed to favor independent travel versus organized group tours, meaning that rental car availability was severely impacted by hordes of independent travelers (lots of families mostly) all wanting to book vehicles at around the same time.
Day trips and tours are another matter since they typically have more restrictive cancellation policies. Still, I think you'd be well advised to book visits to the more popular attractions (Hobbiton, the WETA studio tour in Wellington, etc) as far in advance as you're reasonably comfortable with.
Have fun with your planning.
Very good advice on the pre-booking. I traveled shoulder season and still was locked out of my first and 2nd choice accommodations in the little town near the Waitomo Caves. I was attempting to book about 4 months in advance as I recall and was rather stunned at the sold outs. As for the rest in shoulder season, I had no trouble with bookings in larger cities/towns. However, having traveled in Asia and Australia during Chinese New Year, I know things do get very crowded. I'm not surprised New Zealand sees the same influx of tourists.
I'm glad you got good advice on the South Island. I'm sure it is stunning, but I have had trouble with mountain travels in the past, so I stuck with the lower elevation North Island!
In the interest of jump starting your search:
Take a look at Rotorua especially if you are interested in Maori culture - multiple Maori run centers with demos. I loved the National Kiwi Sanctuary since you indicated an interest in birds. The thermal/geyeser/ hot spring areas outside of town are fascinating, but if you've seen Yellowstone, could be skipped for other interests or South Island sites. There are hot springs in the town itself (and a smell of sulphur). You can walk around and visit - and options for a mud bath or sulphur scented hot spring bathing! Pre-Covid, there were small companies that ran day trips to GlowWorm Caves (an interesting experience) and Hobbiton from Rotorua. Driving didn't seem challenging if you are renting a car - I didn't as a solo traveler. I haven't driven on the left for over 30 years and didn't want to wade in not knowing that wouldn't really be difficult.
For birding, this is the "birding island" I ferried to and had the guided hike. From the Aukland ferry area. https://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Overall, I preferred Wellington to Auckland.
Thanks again for the opportunity to renew my pleasant memories!
I appreciate all the tips!
Does anyone know the price of the ferry to the South Island or have a link to it? That will help me with determining what I want
My difficulty is in the itinerary, I’m not concerned about the process of booking inns, As much as possible, I book directly with the inn. Now, all my experience is Europe so things might work out very differently in New Zealand.
It is good to know that I have at least a month to flesh out an itinerary
I have always used Autoeurope and I’ve never found rates lower. However, I had a huge problem during my recent trip to Portugal, and I didn’t find Autoeurope, or Gemut, which I used for the first time to be very helpful. I’m still working with Autoeurope to resolve.
EDITED TO ADD:
Autoeurope has resolved my Portugal issue, and I have decided I will rent with them again. I have used them for many trips with no issue until Portugal.
Congrats, Jules, on the great fare. I was also able to get this fare - what a deal! The deal was gone by the next day - back to well over 150,000 miles or at least $2000.
I was already booked for a tour with Mondumo Tours in February (so was thrilled to find such a good fare). This company is run by Colin Mairs, one of Rick Steve’s’ Scottish guides who now lives in New Zealand. I know that you are not interested in a guided tour (and his tours are sold out in any case). But I thought you might like to look at his two-week itinerary as a start in planning your own. Here’s the website:
https://mondumo.com/
It's the Interislander - the ferry that goes between Wellington and Picton. While it's a very pretty transit, it does take much of a full day what with staging, boarding, the actual trip across, and the unloading at the other end. It's also pretty expensive to take a car with you, not to mention possible issues with the rental car company regarding one-way drop charges. Might be more efficient use of your time to drop the rental car in Wellington and just fly to your next destination on the South Island.
Aside from Air NZ, consider JetStar - the Qantas low-cost affiliate that also services New Zealand. They offer some very attractive fares for getting around the country. I see that they offer cheap, direct service from Wellington to Nelson for example.
Thanks, Robert and Renee! Renee, Collin’s itinerary is quite helpful.
jules m,
I was alerted to the same deal via Reddit! 42k Skymiles RT from Omaha per person. What a deal!
Glad to see you've posted here and are getting great advice. I'm taking notes.
NZ Experts,
We'll have just a week (I know!) and will spend some time in Auckland and then on to see family in the Wellington area. We're considering renting a car and stopping at either Rotorua or Taupo, but have never been in a left-side driving country before. Would welcome your thoughts.
Air New Zealand is our other option and seems quite reasonable.
Christy, I felt like the fare was a mistake, but I was noticing it was available for many dates and departure cities. For a while, I couldn’t find anything for MSP so was looking at Atlanta, almost booked one figured we’d just find a flight to Atlanta. My DIL was on her app at the same time searching. In the end, I couldn’t get a transaction to go thru so Delta tech support was helping me. He was telling me that for MSP, there were many dates in January and Feb., just that there were very few flights at that fare per day so they were disappearing while I was getting my info entered. He told me that the fare wasn’t a mistake. No idea, why they did it tho. Delta has only been flying nonstop from LAX to Auckland since January.
I hear about great deals now and then but never have I had one work for me before. Happy Day. We had no plans to go to New Zealand this soon, but, why not!
I was under the impression that Delta isn't flying to AKL yet. Daily fights start in October and that was the reason for the sale.
I didn't get an email alert, so I'm going to have to check my preferences in my Delta account. I don't want to miss another great deal. In 2019, I was able to get flights to Europe for 27k miles r/t! I'm pretty sure we won't see that again, but it was great while it lasted.
This offering to New Zealand was one we just couldn't pass up. We have no plan, but we got time. ;)
I'm so glad Delta was able to help you out - they are pretty great.
Thanks for starting this thread, I've already started taking notes.
@Christy, I went back to the Delta press release and I had misread it. The release was January 23, 2023 and flights start in October. Can you tell me more about Delta email alerts? They tell you about sales or price drops? For everywhere? Is it with your sky miles account?
The thing I can't get my head around is 15 hours on a plane with a 3-3-3 configuration. But, still, I'm going to New Zealand!
jules m, I had the exact same thought regarding the 3x3x3. Ugh. IT. WILL, BE. FINE. (that's what I keep saying to myself) I'ts not my preferred aircraft, but as you said, I'm going to New Zealand! IT. WILL. BE. FINE.
In your Delta account, there should be an option for communication preferences in your profile. It's at the bottom of the section. I don't recall seeing the offer for AKL, but I am known to delete emails without reading. ;) I do recall the email alert regarding special fares to Europe in 2019 that I booked for 2020.
If you do decide to take the ferry from the North Island to the South, plan on dropping your rental car before the ferry and picking up a new one on the South Island. Some rental agencies (Hertz for one) does not allow the cars to be taken between islands.
When you land at Picton, you could start your South Island. Isit with a 2-night stay at Lochmara Lodge, a nice eco-lodge accessed by water taxi from Picton. It is a very peaceful and relaxing place, with kayaks and SUPs available to guests for free. The property has a nice network of trails, and you can continue to the Queen Charlotte Track for more walking if you like. The restaurant served nice dinners when we were there.
Upon returning to Picton, you can pick up a rental car there, or take the bus to Nelson and explore Abel Tasman National Park for a couple of days before picking up the car at Nelson Airport.
Things Tom see and do at Abel Tasman NP:
https://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/national-parks-abel-tasman/
We did a boat + hiking trip with Wilson’s, the major tour provider. They picked us up at our hotel in Nelson, and drove us to the boat dock, then returned us to Nelson by bus at the end of the day. Here are some of the activities and tours they offer:
Once you have the car, work your way south to Queenstown (allow at least a week for this, as there is lots to see and do on your way). Mountains, lakes, fjords, rugged beaches, rail-trails for cycling, whale watching boat trips, bungee-jumping, wine-tasting, botanical gardens, nice towns and little hamlets—-all on offer, depending on your interests.
The highlight of our New Zealand trip was a 5-day Milford Track inn-to-inn guided hiking trip, finishing with a boat on Milford Sound. You meet the group in Queenstown, and they take you to the boat dock for the track and return you to Queenstown at the end. You would return your car before the start, saving 5/days of rental fees.
https://www.ultimatehikes.co.nz/multi-day-guided-walks/milford-track
If this is above your budget, you can also do the trip unguided, staying in huts with shared sleeping space and shared kitchen facilities. But that means careful planning and carrying all your own food and other needs for the 3 days of walking. It is not for everyone, especially those without backpacking experience.
From Queenstown, you can fly back Auckland for your flight home.
I really appreciate all the info. New Zealand wasn’t on the “docket” for the near future. We are researching like crazy, but feeling overwhelmed. Yet, we are so grateful for this great deal on the tickets and for all the help we are getting. Sometimes the stars just align.
Well, we are pretty deep into our research. We just started watching some Samantha Brown, Places to Love, episodes in New Zealand. I found them on my PBS passport. I highly recommend them for folks that are interested in New Zealand. I would welcome suggestions for YouTube videos or other programs for New Zealand.
We have always done carry on for our international travels. I'm starting to think that we will probably have to check luggage. I can imagine that I'll want sneakers, hiking boots or shoes, and maybe sandals or something dressy. I think there is more potential for clothes to get dirty so we may want more changes. Also if I check, I can bring my hiking poles. I am interested in how others packed for New Zealand. I would probably need to buy a suitcase. Ours are either quite large (remnants from family travel and kids moving cross country) or roll aboard carryons.
Your mention of packing your hiking gear reminded me of something you may find useful: NZ immigration is pretty strict about enforcing the country's environmental laws. On each of our last few visits to the country we've had our hiking boots removed from our bags and dipped in some sort of disinfectant solution, then given back to us in a plastic bag ... still soaking wet (the outside only thank goodness). Made it an interesting scramble on the spot to try to repack them. We finally just gave up and carried them separately to our rental car. The poles received special attention too. The potential for the introduction of invasive species is a very big deal for the Kiwis. I recall on our first visit years ago having to pick off every stray seed that had accumulated on our boots before we could be cleared to leave the airport.
Point being that I'd suggest that you take extra care in sanitizing your hiking gear before you pack everything up. Will save you a bit of aggravation (and delay) upon arrival.
I wore my hiking boots on the plane, so had them on when I arrived in Auckland. I remember showing the soles to the immigration official after he asked if I had hiking boots. He didn't seem to expect that - I got an odd look! I had cleaned off the boots before I left home.
I have trekking poles that break down for travel. Something like this, there are a lot of brands. I don't think these are what I have, but you get the idea: https://www.amazon.com/CLINE-Collapsible-Adjustable-Lightweight-Backpackers/dp/B07SBTJ1SW/ref=asc_df_B07SBTJ1SW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=366307019433&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9749988531079445174&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021486&hvtargid=pla-790218924655&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=77662694313&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=366307019433&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9749988531079445174&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021486&hvtargid=pla-790218924655
As suggested above, I had cleaned the poles before I left the US, but I didn't get any pole scrutiny on arrival.
I have traveled, carry-on only, with those poles to New Zealand, Cambodia, and Hong Kong. No problems with any of the carriers.
If you are used to carry-on only travel, I would encourage you to seriously consider it for New Zealand. I have traveled to NZ, Australia, and several other Asian destinations with hiking gear, city wear, and business clothes in one 21 inch suitcase and a small tote in which I can place a medium size purse, over the counter medicines, and toiletries. It does take a lot of color coordinating of tops and bottoms, and I admit to washing out undies and socks. I also don't shop for large souvenirs or gifts so have no need for excessive extra room in the luggage. I have made a few purchases of pottery and art works abroad that I have had shipped back to the US. I've found the extra packing thought and effort well worth while. I feel such freedom as I walk past the baggage claim!
Glad to hear that the planning is on track! Special destination!!
So much fabulous information!
@Lola, looking back through all these fabulous recs., I was reminded that I want to go through all of your links, yet.
I've been doing a crash course in New Zealand for this trip. Usually, I like to make my own itineraries, but I'm still overwhelmed. It seems to me that some on the forum get a kick out of putting itineraries together. If anyone is interested, I'd love some draft itineraries to give me a place to start. So far we know this:
I did the “standard” Waitomo Cave boat tour. I am not generally claustrophobic, so not sure how to review for you. The cave tour is in a boat, it feels like you easily drift along. There is a guide in each boat. The lights are low so you see the glow worms. At one point, as I recall, the lights are turned off for full effect of the worms. You are warned! There was one section at the end of the route where you hear rushing water from the underground river. The boats don’t approach this and, in fact, the access is wired off. That was the only slightly nerve wracking part of the “voyage” for me, the sound of that water like a falls as we approached. I felt better when I saw the fencing. I am a stickler for water safety (life guard, licensed scuba diver) and the attraction did not seem unsafe to me.
You could buy a ticket to accompany your hubby. You enter the boats within the cave. If uncomfortable, just ask to back out! If you do this, be aware of where you can meet up again. Entrance and exit are different (or were when I visited in late 2019).
I would say give the glow worms a try! Unique experience.
Rotorua has so much to see. Wellington is cute snd I loved the nature preserve, Zealandia, evening tour. Again, unusual to me. Botanic Garden was good also. Two separate places!
I haven’t been to the other island as I have a fear of heights and thus am not a big mountain fan. I’m sure you can’t go wrong with anything you are considering!
Jules, about the rental car. If you are going to the South Island by ferry, see if you can rent a car at Picton where the ferry lands, or nearby Nelson, then drive south and turn it in at Queenstown. You can fly fly from there back to Auckland for your homebound flight ( preferable not the same day). Intercity and inter-island flights with Air New Zealand are inexpensive. And you would get great views of both islands and their coastlines from the plane.
I’m new to the travel forum but so this post about Australia and NZ. Does anyone have suggestions for getting from the cruise pier in Sydney to the airport?
Hello rpaschall, welcome to the forum! I would put your question in a new post. I think more people would see it that way. If you look u see destination Q & A, I think the category is something like “Beyond Europe”.
Happy Travels!
For rpascall: from the cruise ship terminal it's a short walk (maybe 200 yards) down a level concourse to Circular Quay. There you'll see the train station located on the second level. There are frequent trains running to the airport from there - taking less than 30 minutes and costing less than AUD$20.
You can google the whole process for more detail but that's the short version.
If your husband is a big Hobbit fan, you might consider the Hobbiton Evening Banquet Tour. It is somewhat of a splurge, but is very well-done. I'm not a Hobbit fan and loved it. It includes:
*A fully guided tour of Hobbiton Movie Set at dusk
*Your first Hobbit Southfarthing beverage upon arrival in The Green Dragon Inn
*A two course banquet feast served inside The Green Dragon Inn fit for a Hobbit
*Additional drinks available to purchase throughout the night
*A lantern-lit walk through the movie set under moonlight
https://www.hobbitontours.com/en/experiences/evening-banquet-tour/
Also recommend Spellbound's Glowworm and Cave Explorer tour. It was magical. You tour private caves so they are not crowded like many of the other tours and each tour group has 12 or fewer people.
https://www.glowworm.co.nz/tour/glowworm-and-cave-explorer
There are two ferries you can take between the North and South Islands, Interislander or Bluebridge.
https://www.interislander.co.nz/
https://www.bluebridge.co.nz/
We rented cars from Apex. Apex allows you to take their cars on the ferries and sometimes even covers the cost of the ferry ticket for the car. That said, we flew between islands instead of taking the ferry. We booked good deals through Air NZ's grabaseat.
https://www.grabaseat.co.nz/
If you are interested in birds, you might enjoy the Catlins, at the southern tip of the South Island. Depending on how much time you have, you may or may not be able to go there. We stayed at Curio Bay Accomodation, which has little blue penguins nesting in the garden. We saw little blue penguins and yellow-eyed penguins in the Catlins.
https://www.curiobay.co.nz/
Where to see birds and other sights in the Catlins:
https://www.catlins.org.nz/explore/nature-and-wildlife/where-to-see/
Of course, penguins are found in other parts of NZ too. In Dunedin, Elm Wildlife Tour was highly recommended; see royal albatross, penguins, seals, sea lions, and other animals in their private conservation area. We didn't take this tour but heard good things about it from locals.
https://www.newzealand.com/int/plan/business/elm-wildlife-tours/
Also, PM'd you some NZ trip planning resources that I found helpful. Have a wonderful trip!
I did the Spellbound's Glowworm and Cave Explorer tour as well as the Waitomo Cave. I agree with the above, very nice tour. I’m not sure if the cave(s) might feel claustrophobic to you. Probably not the glow worm cave, but perhaps the 2nd cave. It is a small group and you could wait outside if you didn’t like the situation. There was an opportunity to have coffee and chat - some interesting people on my visit.
Do consider one or other of the tours. The glow worms are hard to find elsewhere. (At least I haven’t encountered them - someone will probably have different info!)
I went back to this post to print it out, and there is so much here that I hadn't committed to memory! Its a lot to take in.
I appreciate all the logistic options. Has anyone rented or considered a camper van for the south island?
Regarding Hobbiton, it seems that on various NZ forums, anyone that has done the brunch, lunch or dinners loved them. Any additional feedback on the extra Hobbiton options? Initially seemed to be an additional way to make money off Lord of the Rings fanatics, but YOLO??
I've been playing with google maps. Are there any specific routes/highways/scenic drives we should include? I'm waiting for Lonely Planet guides, so I'm guessing I'll find some in there.
I'm concerned about this really long flight. I haven't been on a plane for more than 8-10 hours. I hate this 3-3-3 configuration, unless we get an empty middle seat! Somehow I will get silver status after an upcoming trip. Currently I have main cabin seats for the NZ flight. If we get upgrades to comfort +, I'm thinking if we have an empty middle seat in main cabin of not taking comfort +. Thoughts on this or any strategies? We have a 5 hour layover at LAX. I was thinking of tightening this up if given the opportunity, but maybe its extra insurance for making sure we don't miss the NZ flight? I've never used an airport lounge. Any hot tips about getting into one, with hopefully a deal?
I did a half day small bus tour from Auckland to Hobbiton that included the lunch. As part of a tour group, we may have gotten faster access, but the buffet was the same for all. It was excellent! I still remember it and I'm not typically a food fanatic. The area itself is rather isolated, if you will be there during a meal time, it might be easiest to eat there. I would have thought the same as you if I'd been booking as a DIY traveler and not in a tour group, i.e. money-maker for Hobbiton. I'd probably have skipped the meal, but that would have been a mistake.
I fly to Asia several times a year. If I'm out of points for Business Class, I book a Premium Economy. For the carriers I use, that is a separate cabin with larger seats and various configurations, but more room than economy cabin. I flew standard economy once about 10 years ago and vowed never to do it again. None of my usual carriers are Delta (doesn't serve ORD well). I flew Air New Zealand with an upgraded seat option. Sorry, I can't help specifically, but I would go for more room if you can handle the cost.
You could do an incomplete booking (as in don't submit the credit card at the end!!!) for the flight you are scheduled on to NZ. At some point, you should see a map with the current seats available. That would give you an idea if the plane will be full or not.
A 5 hour layover is what I would feel comfortable with going overseas. Weather in January and all that. I'm lucky to book direct flights to most of my destinations - hate worrying about those connections!
Some of the Credit Cards have lounge access, sometimes there is an option to pay for access, higher fare class tickets include lounge. Probably check with Delta to see your options. Or, someone may weigh in with a good solution. Not a bad idea for a new thread. I'm sure there are tricks that I've never heard of!
I took a look at Tom's link. I think I was probably at one of those locations, but can't identify it for certain. Those are all options for DIY with night driving. I took a small group tour (I didn't have a car for my trip and was solo). This tour was excellent: https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g255111-d14923870-or10-Nocturnal_adventure_Glow_worm_tour-Rotorua_Rotorua_District_Bay_of_Plenty_Reg.html
I guess I didn't write a review for the experience - or I can't find it. Anyway, I would give it 5 stars. The guide has his own company and really takes care of his customers! That might be an option other than Waitomo or DIY if you didn't want to drive at night through rural areas outside Rotorua.
If you do go to Waitomo area during the day for the caves, just down the road, there is Ruakuri Walk | Waitomo from Tom's link. I did this during the day. It is quite pretty - you've indicated you are nature lovers. Parking lot and free entry, as I recall.
Thanks for helping me re-live my great times in New Zealand!
This is what I did - also from ORD. I had an entire row and was given sheets and pillow. I slept the night quite comfortably. However, that was Air New Zealand. The OP has tickets to fly Delta. (I think....)
yup, Delta
Yes, that's what it was. My sleep quality was actually comparable to Business Class flat bed on other carriers I take to Hong Kong and Japan. Cheaper!
