New Zealand tour with APT tours

I haven't taken it, but a current RS guide, Colin Mairs, offers NZ tours through his company Mondumo Tours https://mondumo.com/. Some folks in the forum have taken it. Here's a post with some other ideas too https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/odyssey-tour-for-new-zealand

I've taken the Mondumo tour to New Zealand and it is quite similar to RS tours. I believe Colin asked for permission to use RS methods.
I thought it was great!

You might also look at Inspiring Vacations based out of Australia. I took one of their tours in Japan last year. Major Aussie tour company.

Thanks everyone - very helpful! Looking at the linked thread https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/odyssey-tour-for-new-zealand (now closed, sadly), and gathering the information here, I see:

Mondumo Travel - https://mondumo.com/tours/new-zealand-in-14-days/

Odysseys Unlimited - https://www.odysseys-unlimited.com/tours/australia-the-south-pacific/new-zealand-adventure/

MoaTrek - https://www.moatrek.com/new-zealand-tours (almost all sold out, as warned in the other thread)

All seem to be well regarded here in the forum, and not totally dissimilar in terms of pricing. Some rely in internal flights to get from north to south; some include a rail journey across the 'alps'; some include a lot (too many!) one-night stays. I'll try to pull together a comparison table. We want to travel in October so time is running out (MoaTrek already sold out).

I also found -
Overseas Adventure Travel - https://www.oattravel.com/trips/land-adventures/south-pacific/pure-new-zealand

Road Scholar -
https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure/22753/A-New-Zealand-Odyssey-Indigenous-Culture-Natural-Beauty

I'd love to hear some comparisons between these, and also with my original 'find' - the APT tours.

I haven’t done a land tour with APT, but we did a do a river cruise in Europe with them a few years ago, and enjoyed it very much - fully inclusive, laid back and very well organised. They are a well regarded Australian company of long standing.

I haven’t toured with RS, but do have an impression that it attracts a more ‘intrepid’ type of clientele with lots of walking and culture. I imagine ATP NZ land tours to attract more of a well off, older Aussie clientele that aren’t very adventurous (the adventurous ones would be doing their own thing in NZ if they were fit enough). But I could be wrong.

I found APT to be quite responsive when I was dealing with them a few years ago, and have encountered some of their travel reps at shows that know the product well, so it should be easy enough to get some further details from them if you would like to.

I have no idea about any of the tour companies but I have done a bit of Kiwi travel (always self planned and guided).
I have visited nearly all the areas of the APT tour in 4 x 3 week trips. Personally I wouldn't try to do that trip in less than 6 weeks and would feel 8 weeks about right. So it is very much a smash it out sort of tour.
You do get to most of the "hotspots" though.
The cost of NZ tours always seems to me to be extraordinarily high but I am not a wealthy person so travel on a tightish budget.
APT seem a well regarded company here in Australia.
Time of year is a big factor too. November thru March would be very crowded in the tourism hotspots. Obviously try to avoid the summer school holidays December/January. Our last 2 visits were in May (3weeks for each Island). Not so crowded much less expensive but still pretty decent weather (mostly).

Wow, 9K per person is way expensive.

Consider other tour companies.

https://www.tourradar.com/d/new-zealand

Cannot speak to your basic question, but I do have two pertinent observations.

• Guided tours are always more expensive, perhaps one third or more than self-planned or self-guided. The guide and bus driver, for some reason, get paid. So do the specialty guides. I was recently looking at RS tour prices … both Rick Steves and Road Scholar. Tour prices in Europe for RS are up a fair bit than what we paid for Rick Steves Sicily 2024, our one and only Rick Steves tour, so far.
• With guide books, internet resources and tools like this forum, one can do pretty darned well planning a trip that suits one’s choices and interests, pace and style.

So, I’d look to what the guides - particularly the specialty guides - give you to enhance your experience and your understanding for the place, people, sights, culture, art, music, whatever. To me, that’s where the value is … or isn’t.

FWIW, we visited NZ (self-guided) back in 2012 because our son spent a year in Wellington, teaching. Wellington is a GREAT little city … almost like a blend of San Francisco and Berkeley, except that it was clean, plus it has Zealandia and filmmaker Peter Jackson’s Weta Studio for a bit of “industrial light and magic.”

In two weeks, we also briefly visited the South Island (Queenstown and nearby, and our own day trip to Milford Sound) and then back to the North Island for a road trip from Wellington to Auckland via Tongariro NP, Lake Taupō, Huka Falls, Rotarua and a lovely, lovely stay on the Coromandel Peninsula at a quiet little rental home we found on-line, situated along a stream just across the street from an ocean beach. Waiheke Island, near Auckland, was another treat.

BTW, our son was not a trip or sight planning resource … he was too dialed into his teaching and research, but at least he had a two week break, so we delightfully toured with him

We took the MoaTrek tour last year. It was a great tour with a similar vibe to the RS tours and a similar split of scheduled activities and free time. We selected this tour because it was a full three weeks split between the two islands. 18 people on the tour, 8 were from Canada. Apparently this is a well known and popular tour company in some Canadian communities. One caveat-the bus was an 18 seater so no spreading out like the RS tours but the drive days included a number of stops. The luggage was transported in a trailer hauled behind the bus. Our guide was also our driver.

We also went with moatrek last november and recommend them very highly. They sell out quickly.

The MoaTrek itineraries look great, but - I count 5 or 6 one-night stops in the itinerary, and only 1 or 2 three-night stops. One-night stops are, for us, torture and make the vacation less enjoyable (one or two may be unavoidable, but 5 or 6!). Of course, it maximizes the amount of 'stuff' you see, but it's just not worth it for us - forever packing and unpacking (or basically, living entirely out of your case), getting used to different beds, etc. The same applies to several of the other tours, including the one I originally posted (the APT tours - 6 one-nighters!).

The 'Mondumo' itinerary, OTOH, has only 1 one-nighter, and 2 three-nighters; much more in line with our preferences. The 'Odysseys Unlimited' itinerary also has only 2 one-nighters, and has 1 three-nighter. Obviously there's more to consider, but these are some factors that are jumping out at me.

Having spent 2 days doing a 'deep dive' now (still early days!) we are leaning towards putting together a DIY tour, and focusing on the South Island (using local tour groups / guides as appropriate). It looks like 3-4 nights (at least) in Te Anau (as opposed to Queenstown) is a good idea - getting us closer to Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, and by all accounts a lovely place to stay. After that, perhaps using a rental car to drive to Wanaka, and then Wanaka-> Franz Josef -> Greymouth, and then the train to Christchurch, then fly from Christchurch to the North Island. Haven't explored much beyond that yet.

Regarding the 'cultural experiences' on several of these tours - I see several tours include visits to Maori sites, and include 'performances'. I've typically found these types of events to be somewhat 'hokey', or 'cheesy' (in Alaska, and elsewhere); - not sure how to explain it, but I get the impression the locals are getting dressed up in traditional costumes and performing for the tourists and the whole thing feels uncomfortable. Are these events enjoyable / genuine in New Zealand?

One caveat-the bus was an 18 seater so no spreading out like the RS tours but the drive days included a number of stops. The luggage was transported in a trailer hauled behind the bus. Our guide was also our driver.

That's great information! I absolutely LOVE the fact that on RS tours, you can spread out at the back! Does this apply to other NZ tours, does anyone know? Perhaps the roads don't accommodate bigger coaches? Having the luggage towed behind - does that result in your luggage getting a bit of a 'shakedown'? The guide being the driver also; I'm thinking that's illegal in Europe, is it not? We had that on a tour in Alaska, and I was always concerned that our driver was not paying enough attention to the road! The more I think about this, the more I appreciate how RS runs his tours in Europe!

I took the Mondumo tour in February 2024. We were on a full-sized bus with a professional driver. It was run just like a Rick Steves tour (Colin started guiding in Scotland and as of 2024 he still was doing a couple Scotland tours for Rick). I really enjoyed the Mondumo tour. I arrived to Auckland a couple of days early and stayed an extra week afterwards. I took the train from Christchurch to Kaikoura and then train/ferry Kaikoura to Wellington and flew home from Wellington.

I took the Mondumo tour in February 2024. We were on a full-sized bus with a professional driver. It was run just like a Rick Steves tour ...

Thanks for this info. So the Mondumo tour really does sound good - few one-nighters, nice big coach! Are the hotels similarly 'RS-grade'?

Any thoughts about the 'cultural' (Maori) aspects I mentioned? The Mondumo tour seems quite heavy on 'culture' (Day 5, Rotorua) and I just wondered if it comes across as genuine or not. I also note he focuses on a whiskey 'event' and a winery tour (Day 3, Waiheke Island, and Day 7, Otago). Having spent time in Scotland, and now living near the wine country in CA (and having quit drinking due to health reasons!), I'm not sure I'm that keen on two days focusing on whiskey and wine!

EDIT TO ADD:

I took the train from Christchurch to Kaikoura and then train/ferry Kaikoura to Wellington and flew home from Wellington.

We're thinking of taking the TranzAlpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch. Would it be possible to chain that to a the train to Kaikoura, and then the train/ferry to Wellington? That sounds like a great option!

The guide on my Mondumo tour was a Maori woman, and I thought the Maori focused parts of the tour were really well handled.
I don't drink much, but the winery tour involved a pleasant walk and you could either do that or enjoy the very pleasant surroundings outside.

For the wine and whisky tastings - Both of the tastings took less than an hour. The winery stop was en route to Queenstown and I suspect it was timed to give the bus driver a rest. Similarly, the whisky tasting was just a stop on a longer day exploring Waiheke Island. We had a couple people who did not participate in the tastings. I believe they just took a walk around the grounds at the winery. I’d just let the guide know you don’t want to participate and I am sure they could suggest alternatives.

We had a few different Maori cultural experiences on my tour. We had lunch on the property of a Maori family and the family ate with us and told us about their land and history. We visited a Maori meetinghouse and were told about its history by a Maori woman who was a relative of Guide Rangi. We also went to Te Puia.

We're thinking of taking the TranzAlpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch. Would it be possible to chain that to a the train to Kaikoura, and then the train/ferry to Wellington?

As part of the Mondumo tour, we took the TranzAlpine train between Greymoutn and Christchurch. The tour ended in Christchurch and I spent 2 extra days there before taking Coastal Pacific, first to Kaikoura (3 nights) and then to Picton where I transferred to the Interislander ferry to Wellington. There is just one train a day and the train departs Christchurch fairly early in the morning.
https://www.greatjourneysnz.com/scenic-trains/

https://www.greatjourneysnz.com/scenic-trains/

Those trains look interesting! Thanks for the link. It would appear that there are three major train routes available - One running the length of the North Island (Auckland to Wellington), another running from Picton down to Christchurch, and a third running from Christchurch across to Greymouth. Each taking about a day.

We are thinking of abandoning the idea of an organized tour, and just crafting our own visit, and focusing mainly on the South Island. We are thinking of getting down to Queenstown to start (by plane), then driving to Te Anau, and spending several days there to experience both the Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound. Then, 'somehow', get ourselves up to Greymouth, and from there, take the three train journeys mentioned above over several days. So the big question here is, can you pretty easily use these three train journeys in a usable sequence over, say, 6 days.

The biggest challenge of all is getting from Te Anau to Greymouth. We were thinking of driving from Te Anau to Wanaka (spending 1-2 nights there), then from Wanaka to Franz Josef Glacier area (staying where ...?), then driving from the Franz Josef Glacier area to Greymouth. Are these places worth staying at, and is there much to see/do in the towns themselves (as opposed to the drive between them). Are the drives arduous, perhaps too much for one-day segments?

from Te Anau to Wanaka (spending 1-2 nights there), then from Wanaka to Franz Josef Glacier area (staying where ...?), then driving from the Franz Josef Glacier area to Greymouth

I did almost this exact thing last year in February. The drive is not difficult.

I went from Te Anau to Queenstown and stayed 2 nights, and from there to Wanaka. For me, 3 nights in Te Anau would be enough if you are taking 2 day trips out.

Wanaka isn’t far from Queenstown so yes, you could do Te Anau to Wanaka in a day. I drove the Crown Ridge and it was gorgeous. Stop and wander Arrowtown and stop for a snack at the Cardrona Hotel.

Wanaka is a cute town. I stayed 3 nights and am delighted to recommend Criffel Peak B&B. If you like bed and breakfast places, New Zealand had some of the best I have ever stayed in. In Wanaka, I went to the lavender farm, took the water taxi to Mou Waho Island (and hiked up to the lake on an island in a lake). I also took a full day wine tour recommended by my B&B and it was really good.

I went from Wanaka to Franz Joseph and stayed 2 nights. It was a 4 hour drive but I added some stops along the way to break it up. I wanted to do the glacier helicopter ride and was lucky to have great weather (but I was prepared for clouds and cancellation because it does happen). If you aren’t interested in that, you could just spend one night and go to the West Coast Wildlife Centre. I stayed in the town of Franz Joseph because I chose Glacier Country Helicopters for my heli ride.

From there I drove to Hokitika (instead of Greymouth because I was cutting cross country to Kaikoura and not taking the train). But Greymouth is only about an hour further. For me, Hokitika was just a stop to break up a drive until I arrived - but I really loved the little town. AND I loved the B&B I stayed at: Teichelmann’s Bed & Breakfast.

Hope that helps. New Zealand is actually super easy to do on your own. The key to driving is to not get in a hurry.

@TexasTravelMom - that is VERY helpful indeed! I used to love driving but these days I get suddenly sleepy and need to 'nap' for a short while - just 15 minutes is enough, but there has to be somewhere to pull over. Once I have my 15 mins I'm great! It's just that it happens unexpectedly (mostly mid-afternoon, when the sun is up and the car gets warm). I was born in UK so can still remember how to drive on the 'wrong side' :). I used to be an aggressive driver (I can admit, now, in retrospect!) but these days I'm happy to putter along slowly; I certainly don't like risking my life passing others on two-lane roads!

We maybe getting tight for time, based on other choices, so is it really worthwhile spending nights in Queenstown AND Wanaka (after 2-4 nights in Te Anau)?

Also - we were told that Te Anau is a much better base for Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, and a cute place to stop. But most people do seem to stop in Queentown. Is Te Anau worth it?

Did you visit Milford sound AND Doubtful Sound? They both sound great and are right up our alley (having loved Norwegian Fjords), but seeing both, and getting in some relaxation, pushes us to 4 nights in Te Anau. If I can convince myself that one 'Sound' is enough, then I could reduce the # of nights. OR - just do the two Sounds on two consecutive days. We're not 100% committed to the TranzAlpine train; is the drive from west coast to Christchurch a good drive?

Also - we're planning on doing this in early October (1-16 or so). Are we still far enough out to be able to book things or are we getting too close (May 19 now)?

Thanks again!

In my previous reply I was exploring the details of a road-trip around the South Island. That's very much under consideration.

However, thanks to another poster up above, I became aware of this 'mostly train' organized tour - https://www.greatjourneysnz.com/tours/signature-tour-wellington-to-queenstown/?direction=Wellington

They do longer versions (North Island to South Island), but the above may fit our schedule better. We would make our own way to Wellington (possibly by just hopping on that Auckland to Wellington train), then start in Wellington with the tour, cross to the south island on the ferry, then take two train journeys - one to Christchurch, then the TranzAlpine train over to Greymouth. From there, it would be a coach tour down to Queenstown, and a tour of the Milford Sound. I've always loved train journeys, and this seems to fit into that.

Does anyone have any experience with this particular tour operator? 'From $9999' sounds reasonable ($5,800 USD) for 10 days, assuming the hotels are decent.

So I did a 3 week roadie around the Southern Alps and Fiordland (South Island) back May 24. Should be a bit of a trip report floating around under my name. That was the very popular classic route. C'church then along the East side of the Alps (Aoraki/Mt Cook NP etc) to Q'town then an out and back to Te Anau then north via Haast up the West side of the Alps. Then over the via Arthur's Pass and back to C'church. Easy to do, absolutely frigging stunning and as cheap as chips to do. Our only extra costs were the 2 commercial excursions on the 2 Fiords. Costs and some specific details are in the trip report. We did it in a little fully self contained Jucy Campervan and stayed mostly in commercial campgrounds, I think only 3 freedom camps. We did spoil ourselves at FJ with a private room at a backpackers and our last night in a quite fancy motel in C'church.
2 nights in Twizel, 3 in Te Anau and 2 in Hokitika otherwise one night stays. We kept point to point distances short (always less than 200 kms) so to not be under pressure to get to the next stop.
Very relaxed.

There are many ways to travel and you have to sort out priorities for yourself. Planning and reservations take time (which is money) and a guide can be worth something that it’s hard to assign a dollar amount.

But just for comparison, I was there for 5 weeks, had 2 cars, did all the special activities I wanted (whale watching, swimming with dolphins, glacier heli ride, 2 penguin tours, 2 wine tours, glowworms, Hobbiton banquet, Milford Sound, the TSS Earnslaw, and an all day Lord of the Rings tour) and several internal flights - and spent less than what 2 people will cost on the tour for 10 days (that doesn’t include flights to and from NZ). I stayed in hotels, B&Bs, and a couple of private room hostels - not high end or fancy but also not camping. Cost may not be a deciding factor but I wanted you to have information for making a decision.

Sorry - just saw your actual questions!

1. Pullover places: I admit that could be a problem. Traffic wasn’t usually heavy but there were some stretches where a place to pull over wasn’t common. My answer would have to be that it just varied by area. It’s a bit like Texas in that regard - you may find a place every half hour or so but no guarantee. I rarely drove more than 3 hours a day, starting in the morning. And I almost always had 2-3 places marked along the route to stop, stretch my legs, and look around. Speed limits are low - sometimes I would feel like I was speeding along at 70kmh and realize I was actually only going about 35 mph.
2. Te Anau is definitely a better base for both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound. It’s a cute little town. I had 4 nights and it was 1 more than I needed - even for as slowly as I travel. There are bus tours or even flying tours that leave from Queenstown - very long days. I debated but ultimately only did Milford Sound. I was truly truly tempted by the overnight Doubtful Sound.
3. Queenstown: some people love it and some don’t. Other than the full day Lord of the Rings tour, I could have skipped it. But I am also not generally a city person (I never even spent a night nor drove in to Auckland). There’s a cute waterfront but the city itself was not a highlight for me (although very nice).
4. Booking now: that is also a real concern. Lodging does book up fast so your choices might begin to thin out. But I went in January-February, so demand was higher (and I started a year out). That’s something you will just have to look at. I mainly used booking.com, except when I couldn’t find something I was interested in. I had 8 stays on the South Island and 3 were bed and breakfasts I found using Google Maps and booked direct. I found all of the proprietors to be exceedingly enjoyable and generous with their time and conversation (a highlight).
5. Māori experiences: My perception from everyone I encountered - while geared to tourists, these are genuine. The treatment and the integration of cultures is, of course, complex, but I felt like the Māori used these experiences to try to teach about their culture. I went to 2 places in Rotorua. Te Puia, with a tour of the school for Māori traditional crafts, was very interesting.

All just my perceptions - I hope it’s helpful.

In 2024 we took a NZ and Australia small group tour with Globus. It was great and I got to see everything I wanted to see. Based on that, I would choose the Mondumo tour. I agree with someone on the earlier thread that the Odyssey itinerary doesn't include many of the things that I really enjoyed on our tour such as Waheike Island and Hobbiton. We also took a separate LOTR tour on our free day in Queenstown and I would recommend it. I really enjoyed the visit to the Maori Cultural Center(the school that teaches native crafts) and the hangi dinner was fun, but definitely touristy.

@TexasTravelMom - thanks for the great information! I'm reading some reviews of that 'great journeys NZ' tour, and they don't look reassuring - poor hotel choices, cramped busses, very early starts, and rushed itinerary. So a DIY is again looking like the best option!

Te Anau is definitely a better base for both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound. It’s a cute little town. I had 4 nights and it was 1 more than I needed - even for as slowly as I travel. There are bus tours or even flying tours that leave from Queenstown - very long days. I debated but ultimately only did Milford Sound.

For Milford Sound, from Te Anau - did you find a good local 'all inclusive' package that picked you up / dropped you off in Te Anau, or did you do more of a 'self assembly' tour, driving some of the way, etc? I'm still trying to get my head around all the options for Milford and Doubtful!

We only have 14 days total 'in country' due to other constraints, and we've already decided that we'll focus on the South Island (but we have to fly in and out of Auckland). So that gives us more like 12 days to play with. It's looking like we may just focus on Christchurch as the real 'start point', and Te Anau as the 'end point', so flying down from Auckland to Christchurch at the start, and flying back from Queenstown at the end. If we spend 3 nights in Te Anau, that leaves 9 nights for 'the rest', which should be enough to allocate to Wanaka, Franz Josef, Graymouth, and Christchurch. We could give each of those spots 2 nights, which gives a full day for local exploration at each stop (though that may not be necessary / justified). We don't mind some 'one nighters', but we do prefer 2 night stops. If we drop those down to 1-nighters, then we COULD extend the 'start point' up from Christchurch to Wellington (So fly into Auckland, then fly down to Wellington and 'start').

Possible 'extended' itinerary ...

1. Land in Auckland (early), fly Auckland to Wellington (night in Wellington)
   
2. Cross the water to Picton, Pick up car. Drive to Kaikoura (night in Kaikoura)
   
3. Drive to Christchurch. Drop off car. Night in Christchurch.
   
4. TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth. Pick up car, drive 2.5 hours to Franz Josef
   
5. Full day in Franz Josef
   
6. Drive to Wanaka (long day's drive)
   
7. Full day in Wanaka
   
8. Drive to Te Anau (3+ hour drive)
   
9. Full day in Te Anau (Milford Sound)
   
10. Full day in Te Anau (Doubtful Sound?)
11. Drive to Queenstown. Drop off car. Fly to Auckland. Fly out of Auckland

So that's 2 nights in Franz Josef, 2 nights in Wanaka, 3 nights in Te Anau; the rest being 1 nighters.

This leaves 2-3 days of 'spare', which means we could add nights in, eg, Wellington, Christchurch, or another spot along the route.

Just brainstorming here…

I applaud sticking to the South Island with the limited time you have. I missed Wellington so I can’t speak to it. Just know that sometimes the ferry is cancelled. Of course, sometimes flights are also but it seems it happens more with ferries. So you’d need a back up plan ready to go.

If you aren’t giving Kaikoura a full day, I think I might skip it (as much as I loved it). However I might also recommend you give Kaikoura (or elsewhere) one of Franz Joseph’s nights unless you plan to hike or do a glacier something. Otherwise there’s not much and one night would be enough.

Definitely give Christchurch an additional night. There really is quite a bit there - a very full day easily. I really liked it.

Had you considered doing (in reverse) what Laura did on her own at the end of her tour, since you are interested in the trains? I.e., fly to Wellington, ferry to Picton, train to Kaikoura for 2 nights, train to Christchurch. Pick up the car there.

And of course you will need a night in Auckland before your flight home. With all that I see 13 nights: Wellington - 1, Kaikoura - 2, Christchurch - 2, Greymouth - 1 (or Hokitika if it helps even out your drive times), Franz Joseph - 1, Wanaka - 2, Te Anau - 3, Auckland - 1. I didn’t check train or ferry timings to know if you’d need a night in Picton or not.

In Te Anau I drove myself to Milford. There are pros and cons. I think Real New Zealand runs a bus to and from with your boat trip included (definitely someone does). I was able to take my time, but it IS a drive you have to pay attention to. I might do the tour if I went back. I didn’t go to Doubtful Sound but I hear the drive is much closer and much easier from Te Anau.

Some of this may depend on reservation availability for lodging, trains, and cruises.

Is there a particular reason you are flying from Auckland to Wellington and then taking the ferry?
You could simply fly from Auckland to Queenstown. From Queenstown no need to hire a car, take the bus to Te Anau (2ish hours).
Doubtful Sound was my highlight so I strongly recommend it. We went with RealNZ, they were exceptional. I will explain the trip later.
Given your issues with driving definitely book Milford Sound with one of the tour companies, there are a few choices. It was also a highlight.
I know RealNZ also do a Glow-worms cruise, we didn't do it but will next time.
Doubtful Sound. I think it was an 8am start, pickup at RealNZ HQ by the lake. Bus to Manapouri then cruise across beautiful Lake Manapouri. From there another bus along the Wilmot Pass Road (not a public road) with a few stops. A stunning view of the fiord from Wilmot Pass. Down to little lonely Deep Cove then a long cruise on Doubtful Sound. We were fortunate with conditions and did get to venture out into the Tasman Sea. Doubtful is much bigger than Milford and the cruise much longer. Then back to Deep Cove and return the way we came. So you actually have 3 cruises and 4 bus rides. All up I think it was 8 or 9 hours.
Milford was a 10 am pickup at the big cafe in town. A 3 hour bus ride with a number of stops along the stunning Milford Rd. Milford Sound harbour is a stark contrast to little Deep Cove. Huge infrastructure. I think the cruise was only about half as long as Doubtful but it is very spectacular. Back on land we then did a non stop trip back to Te Anau, a bit under 2hrs.
3 or 4 nights in Te Anau then bus back to Queenstown.
Choices aplenty from there.
Hire a car and drive to Wanaka and then the West Coast via Haast Pass through to Hokitika via Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier over a few days.
More choices. Can you drop off the car at Greymouth? I know Apex have a depot there. If so then you could take the Tranzalpine to Christchurch.
We drove over the wonderful Arthur's Pass and stayed up there. It is a magnificent spot, the drive both up and then on the other side heading to Christchurch absolutely brilliant, the forest hikes, waterfalls, wildlife at Arthur's Pass were wonderful.

One thing you haven't mentioned is Aoraki/Mt Cook NP and Lake Pukaki. This was another highlight for me.
To include them you would skip the West Coast drive of Wanaka, Haast, FG, FJG, Hokitika , Greymouth. Instead you might go Kawarau Gorge, Cromwell, Lindis Pass, Omarama, Twizel. From there back to Christchurch via Lake Tekapo and Geraldine.
Anyway plenty to think about.

In what month are you planning to travel? United has a non-stop flight from SFO to Christchurch that runs from December to March. If you are focusing on the South Island, that might be a good option for either starting or ending your trip.

I liked Kaikoura because I did both the dolphin swim and the albatross watch with Encounter Kaikoura. If you are interested in one of the various the wildlife activities you will need more than a night there. If you aren’t interested, I’d skip Kaikoura.
https://www.dolphinencounter.co.nz/
https://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/

i missed Wellington so I can’t speak to it. Just know that sometimes the ferry is cancelled. Of course, sometimes flights are also but it seems it happens more with ferries. So you’d need a back up plan ready to go.

There are 4 ferries a day it seems; we would likely target the second one. Hopefully at least one of them runs but yes, it would seriously damage the itinerary if we couldn't make it on the day (hotel cancelations, etc).

If you aren’t giving Kaikoura a full day, I think I might skip it (as much as I loved it). However I might also recommend you give Kaikoura (or elsewhere) one of Franz Joseph’s nights unless you plan to hike or do a glacier something. Otherwise there’s not much and one night would be enough.

If we gave Kaikoura a full day, I presume we'd be doing dolphin watching or similar. We aren't sold on Franz Joseph as a destination, it's just a way to break up the drive (which is apparently the main attraction).

Definitely give Christchurch an additional night. There really is quite a bit there - a very full day easily. I really liked it.

I like towns / small cities, especially if they have a nice walkable 'downtown', with good hotels and good restaurants. So it sounds good.

Had you considered doing (in reverse) what Laura did on her own at the end of her tour, since you are interested in the trains? I.e., fly to Wellington, ferry to Picton, train to Kaikoura for 2 nights, train to Christchurch. Pick up the car there.

Absolutely - if the train schedules cooperate, I'd be more than happy to train it from Picton to Christchurch, even doing it non-stop and just passing through Kaikoura if appropriate. Then it would be all about getting cabs (or public transit) to and from train stations.

And of course you will need a night in Auckland before your flight home.

We are actually flying out of AKL to Tahiti at circa 10pm, so we have the option (I believe) of flying into AKL on the same day. That's part of our 'wiggle room'.

With all that I see 13 nights: Wellington - 1, Kaikoura - 2, Christchurch - 2, Greymouth - 1 (or Hokitika if it helps even out your drive times), Franz Joseph - 1, Wanaka - 2, Te Anau - 3, Auckland - 1. I didn’t check train or ferry timings to know if you’d need a night in Picton or not.

Thanks for your great suggestions. Very helpful!

Is there a particular reason you are flying from Auckland to Wellington and then taking the ferry?
You could simply fly from Auckland to Queenstown. From Queenstown no need to hire a car, take the bus to Te Anau (2ish hours).

Well, we could fly to Queenstown first, then backtrack to Christchurch or Wellington, but that doesn't seem to make any difference, does it? We're still flying in or out of QT and CC or W? The only reason we decided on CC or W to QT was that we save the most spectacular to last, and hopefully not be falling asleep on the coaches due to jetlag!

Regarding busses from QT to Te Anau - I looked into them a while back and it seemed like there was only one per day, and it left very early - not compatible with an airport arrival at all. Did I miss something? (we are there early Oct).

Great info on Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound - thanks!

One thing you haven't mentioned is Aoraki/Mt Cook NP and Lake Pukaki. This was another highlight for me.
To include them you would skip the West Coast drive of Wanaka, Haast, FG, FJG, Hokitika , Greymouth. Instead you might go Kawarau Gorge, Cromwell, Lindis Pass, Omarama, Twizel. From there back to Christchurch via Lake Tekapo and Geraldine.

We have to decide between the coast route (FJG/FG/etc) and the Mt Cook route. We chose the coast route, for better or for worse (not finalized yet but that's the way we are leaning). Hard choice, not much to go on. The desire to take the TranzAlpine train swung it in favor of the coast.

What about ... if time permits - doing a day-trip, or a 1-nighter, from Wanaka to Mt Cook (and back)? So, a 'loop' or 'spur' off the main coast journey. Is that just 'not worth it'?

Thanks again.

In what month are you planning to travel? United has a non-stop flight from SFO to Christchurch that runs from December to March.

Thanks ... we are traveling in October so not an option.

How does 'the team' rate October as a time to travel? Is it already too late to be planning for October? We are finding several hotels already booked up (it's not like there are no options, just things do seem to be filling fast!). Would it be better to come at a different time?

How does 'the team' rate October as a time to travel? Would it be better to come at a different time?

I can’t comment on October. However, I thought February was an excellent time to travel. The kids were back in school and the weather was nice.

And of course you will need a night in Auckland before your flight home.

I flew back to the US from Wellington on Air New Zealand. I just booked a flight from Wellington that had a connection in Auckland.

To clarify is taking the ferry from Wellington and then travelling from Picton to Christchurch important to you? If it is fine if it's not then flying to Queenstown or Christchurch will give you a bit of extra time elsewhere. My thought is flying into one and flying out of the other might work.
Re buses from Q'town to Te Anau. There were shuttle buses running between the two in the past (hiking friends used them) but they would be seasonal. I will look into it.
Wanaka to Mt Cook village is about 2h 45m/3hrs. If you got out early you could spend a good day in the NP then head back to Twizel for the night then back to Wanaka early next day. It would be weather dependant.

How does this look?
1. Arrive Auckland then fly to Christchurch. O/N Christchurch.
2. Christchurch sightseeing. O/N Christchurch.
3. Tranzalpine to Greymouth. Pickup car drive to Hokitika. O/N Hokitika. Evening visit to Glow-worm Dell.
4. Hokitika sightseeing (the Gorge, Treetop walk come to mind). O/N Hokitika
5. Hokitika to Franz Josef Glacier. Various hiking options short to long. O/N Franz Josef Glacier.
6. Franz Josef Glacier. Short morning hike. Drive to Fox Glacier. Hike to Glacier view. Drive onto Haast. O/N Haast.
7. Haast to Wanaka via Haast Pass. Numerous points of interest along this road including Blue Pools. O/N Wanaka.
8. Wanaka to Mt Cook Village stunning drive. Hike options. Red Tarns, Hooker Valley, Tasman Valley etc. Drive back along Lake Pukaki to Twizel. O/N Twizel.
9. Twizel to Queenstown via Omarama, Lindis Pass, Cromwell, Kawarau Gorge. O/N Queenstown.
10. Queenstown to Te Anau. Spend day in Queenstown then do the 2 hour drive to Te Anau in the afternoon. O/N Te Anau.
11. Doubtful Sound excursion. O/N Te Anau.
12. Milford Sound excursion O/N Te Anau.
13. Te Anau to Queenstown. If you have time maybe a visit to Arrowtown or fly back to Auckland in the afternoon or O/N Queenstown.
Maybe that gives you a bit of a template to work with.