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New Zealand (South Island) 10 Day Itinerary

Hello -

I will be traveling with my husband to New Zealand for 10 days in May. We will be flying directly from the states to Sydney and spending approximately 3 days in Sydney to recover from jet lag and see the Opera House. After that we will have 10-11 days to dedicate to New Zealand and would prefer to focus on the South Island. We will be flying out of Auckland, but for us, that is just a departing location (unless we hear otherwise). Typically, we do not like to hop town to town daily and prefer to use good locations as a base and do daily excursions. We are trying to keep our bases to about 3 or so, which would give us roughly 3 nights at each. It looks like Queenstown and 1-2 other cities may be good bases, but we are more than open to suggestions. I know I want to see the glow worm caves at Te Anau, a glacier and Milford sound if at all possible (would love to catch some penguins or other indigenous wild animals at some point). We are also interested in possibly a hot air balloon ride or something adventurous. Any recommendations or help is extremely appreciated as our guide books are very overwhelming. I've used Rick Steve's books for our many European trips, so this is the first time we have had trouble landing on an itinerary. Please help!! Thanks so much!

Posted by
2791 posts

Both Air NZ and Jetstar, the Australian low cost airline, run non-stop flights between Sydney and either Christchurch or Queenstown. Those would be the two obvious choices for a few days on the South Island. Dunedin is a very pretty university city and the nearby Otago peninsula offers visits to the penguin colonies.
Christchurch is quite nice, although we've not been there since the earthquake a few years ago so am not sure how the recovery is going. One interesting day trip is out to the village of Akaroa - about an hour from Christchurch center. It's the site of the original French settlement that was established around 1840. Beautiful place with a fascinating history.
Queenstown is spectacular in its own right and would be handy for day trips to Te Anau and Milford Sound. The nearby town of Glenorchy has some terrific hikes, and if you continue the drive around the lake another few miles you can access one of the trailheads for the Routeburn Track - one of NZ's Great Walks. You'll recognize several film locations from the Lord of the Rings movies - it really is a spectacular area. Queenstown is the adventure capital of NZ, with jet boat rides, helo tours, and other activities that will provide the requisite adrenaline rush. Not sure about balloon rides though.
Abel Tasman National Park on the north end of the South Island was one of our favorites. More terrific hikes and it's also handy for day trips to the Marlborough wine country.
Can string together a very nice itinerary connecting any or all of these places with a rental car. Could then fly to Auckland to be in place in time for your flight home.

Posted by
703 posts

the south part of the south island really is best seen from up high IMO. (I don't think you get the same effect when driving around) when we have skied there being up in the mountains looking down over the lakes etc its spectacular. we also took a small plane out of lake tekapo, over mt cook and the glaciers and landed on the west coast ( sub tropical) then returned. fantastic ! ( if the weather is good) so if you do get the opportunity to take a flight etc, think about it.
Auckland by comparison is much like Sydney
with only 10 days the south island might be your best bet. particularly in and around Queenstown. May is starting to get cold, so be prepared. the south island is pretty un-populated and really suits those looking for natural scenery etc, rather than large cities.

If you are in sydney and want to see animals don't miss the sydney zoo, its so convenient and has some of the best views of sydney, just take the ferry across the harbour.

hope this helps.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you so incredibly much, glennlorrainer and robert! This confirms what I have been thinking, which is using Queenstown and Christchurch as a base. I really appreciate the great feedback!

Posted by
16025 posts

We spent almost three weeks on the South Island just over a year ago. You will be going in the off-season ( almost winter), so some of what we did will not be available. For example, the Routeborne Track mentioned above is not recommended for hiking from May to September due to avalanche danger.

Christchurch has not recovered from the earthquake but is working on it. We spent one night there then picked up,our rental car and headed south. I would not recommend it as a base for several days as most of what you want to see and do will be elsewhere.

Dunedin is mentioned above and I would agree on that one as a second base. It gives you easy access to the Otago Peninsula where you may see penguins and other wildlife ( although I am not sure about May). For glaciers you will want to visit Fox or Franz Josef Glacier, both of which are southwest of Christchurch.

This article gives a good flavor of the South Island,Maithili descriptions of Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, and other areas, and links to providers for various activities like glacier treks, etc.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ausandpacific/south-island-new-zealand-dolphin-watching-glacier-hiking-island-hopping-and-more-10058036.html

If you want lodging recommendations in Queenstown, Dunedin, or Christchurch let me know!

Posted by
389 posts

OP, I'm in NZ now, five days into a three week trip. For meaningful answers to your inquiry, it will be helpful if you can provide more information about youselves. Such as, will you be driving? Do you prefer group tours, or explore on your own? Do you prefer places with hordes of tourists or off the beaten path locations? Are you outdoorsy type fit for long strenuous hikes?

Posted by
60 posts

I'm going to jump on this thread as I'd love some specific suggestions for places to stay and things to do while in NZ. My husband and I will be spending the last 3 weeks of December this year in NZ. We do not take hikes longer than 3-4 miles but I'd love to see any of the areas that are gorgeous. We like to stay away from crowds except for day trips to visit cities, so we enjoy staying in boutique hotels, apartments and even farms where the accomodations are nice.

Since we will have 3 weeks, we can spend time relaxing and hanging out with locals. I like to learn about the culture too.

I know this is vague, but even if you can tell me your favorite places to stay (especially in areas where there are hot springs--my favorite) that would help me get started with my planning! Thx !

Posted by
703 posts

With 3 weeks you should have time to visit both islands. the south island is very sparsely populated and the towns/cities are not large, so IMO people visit NZ for the scenery and/or activities. probably the best place to look would be the NZ tourism web sites for ideas. from what you are asking, it sounds like you would like somewhere 'special' to stay. NZ has definitely made a point of providing 'special' places to stay ( if you have the money). sorry I can't be more specific.
at first work out how many days you will devote to each island, as they are both different in their own way.

Posted by
126 posts

Here's a start on some interesting, boutique accomodation...none of which I can personally recommend as they are well out of my price range...

http://www.blanketbay.com/accommodation/rates/
http://www.hapukulodge.com/kaikoura/ (always wanted to stay here...)
http://www.otahuna.co.nz
http://www.hukalodge.co.nz
http://www.millbrook.co.nz
http://www.annandale.com
http://www.purepods.com

Most walks/short hikes are maintained by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Their website gives you lots of information on what you might want to consider in the different parts of the country including the National Parks. NB. Hiking is also called tramping ie. tramping boots, tramping pack..etc...you get the idea.

http://doc.govt.nz

Places with hot springs....here's a website with natural and commercial hot springs...For something that feels like a bit of a secret try Otumuheke Stream near Taupo.

http://www.nzhotpools.co.nz/hot-pools/

For mixing with the locals...well we don't usually hang out at boutique accomodation. Our natural habitat is pubs ( watching the rugby) and cafes (to drink flat whites). We do good, strong coffee.

Also, tipping is quite weird. Do it if you want, but don't feel it's expected or required. I never tip except to round up and I don't feel rude. This (and that taxes are included in the price) is why some things can seem expensive.

Try Rotorua and Taupo for some unique to NZ type cultural experiences. Also the national museum in Wellington (Te Papa).

Posted by
60 posts

Glen--thank you ..... that's really good information!
Kiwi--perfect! I like strong coffee too.....its funny that because after I posted I thought, "All I need in the morning, is a good cup of strong coffee." I'll check out all the places you listed for places to stay. I was not really signalling "expensive" when I said boutique, but I can see why you'd think that. As long as the place is really clean, (my husband is a bit OCD) we're good with different kinds of places to stay. Also I appreciate the museum references, the special places to engage with culture and the hiking info.

One thing I would like to do is take a boat ride and maybe even a cruise or riverboat tour. Are there any of those anywhere in NZ?
Thx again!
Carol

Posted by
703 posts

can I suggest you spend some time in and around the queenstown and lake wanaka areas. there are boat tours on the lake at queenstown and of course on milfound sound. one of the reasons why people visit this area. december will be our summer, so I would also check the school holiday period for NZ to see how difficult it will be to book accom.

hope this helps.

Posted by
389 posts

Having a whale of time and quite exhausting. Reading the forum in hotel for relaxation. Carol, I'll share my experience in a few weeks after my trip and have recovered 😁 Meanwhile, head over to TA's very active NZ forum for sample itineraries and reviews.