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Post by yellowhood on Jan 10, 2011 18:23:43 GMT
We're thinking of having a three month trip to New Zealand in 2012. Wife will take a career break.
Has anyone been there on holiday professionally planned by a local NZ company? If so, did they do a good job and do you have contact details?
Alternatively, has anyone done their "own thing" out there? Which cities / sites would you recommend?
There is obviously a load of stuff on the Internet, but personal recommendation is always welcome.
Cheers.
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Post by peterdevo on Jan 10, 2011 18:26:45 GMT
I am going in 2013 and can't wait.
There is plenty to see North Island with Wellington
I will try and send you some scenic shots that you might like by email
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Post by Grampsioli.... on Jan 10, 2011 19:13:16 GMT
I spent a month out there in the 1990's. It's still the best country i've ever visited by a long way. The South Island is particularly stunning.
The North Island has some great places like the Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua & Lake Taupo + a couple of impressive volcanoes.
The South Island is truely fantastic. I particularly loved Christchurch & Dunedin. Must places to visit are Queenstown, Milford Sound & the Franz Joseph Glacier....
If you're going for 3 months you'll have plenty of time to do everything - i must say i'm certainly jealous YH....
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Post by Yellow River on Jan 10, 2011 19:32:02 GMT
We're thinking of having a three month trip to New Zealand in 2012. Wife will take a career break. Has anyone been there on holiday professionally planned by a local NZ company? If so, did they do a good job and do you have contact details? Alternatively, has anyone done their "own thing" out there? Which cities / sites would you recommend? There is obviously a load of stuff on the Internet, but personal recommendation is always welcome. Cheers. Back in 2005/06 Mrs YR and I went to New Zealand, we ended up spending 5 weeks there. It was part of our 9 month 'grown up gap year' It was certainly one of the highlights of our trip. NZ is a great country, the scenery is spectacular (especially in the South Island) I would love to go back one day. Highly recommended. Would love to go back one day. We flew into Christchurch, spent a couple of days there before picking up a camper van and travelling around the south island for 3 weeks and then across to the north island via the ferry for a further 2 weeks before dropping the 'van' off in Auckland. It's a great way to see NZ ( although quite expensive) but it does give you a lot of freedom to do what you want to do. Places we visited - South Island, christchurch, Akaroa (Banks Peninsular), Lake Takupo, Mount Aoraki/Cook, Lake Pukaki, Dunedin,, Otago Peninsular, the Catlins, Curio Bay, Manapouri, Te Anay, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Queenstown, Fox Glacier, Franz Joseph Glacier, Kaikoura, Marlborough wine region, Nelson, Abel Tasmin NP. Noth Island, Napier, Lake Taupo, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, Mount Maunganui, Coromandel Peninsular, Cathedral cove, Bay of Islands, Matouri bay, Doubtless Bay, Auckland. YH - I wrote a diary of our trip (which we sent home in e-mails to friends & family), if you like I'd be happy to send a copy to you via e-mail, the NZ section is probably about 8 pages long! so too much to post on here. |
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Post by yellowhood on Jan 10, 2011 19:47:12 GMT
Peter - don't know if you've started planning yet? If you have we could swap notes (not that I've started yet!)
Gramps - cheers for the tips. Everyone I've spoken to so far has recommended Queenstown.
Yellow River - I'll PM you with my email address. Your diary entries would be much appreciated.
Cheers guys.
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Post by fredwest on Jan 10, 2011 22:46:26 GMT
Macdonalds wont let you have 3 months off without demoting you to a 1 star merchant.......is it worth it??  |
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Post by Pogue Mahone on Jan 11, 2011 8:59:41 GMT
Hoodsie, what's happening with your profile?
Anyway, I'm sure that there is a sulphur plant or some such thing near Rotorua, which has led to it's nickname of Rotting-rua. Big touristy place, lots to do apparently. Would love to go in September/October this year....
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Post by amarillo on Jan 11, 2011 10:24:59 GMT
Spend a couple of months there and would recommend doing your own thing. Its easy to get around and obviously theres no language barrier so very easy to make own arrangements and much more rewarding doing it that way IMO.
My parents went there as well and used a company called Audley Travel to book up some things in advance and would very much recommend them if thats more your thing.
In terms of places, all the obvious well known ones. If you're into walking/hiking try and do one of the big walks, Milford, Kepler, Queen Charlotte tracks, Tongariro crossing - these get you away from the tourists and into amazing scenery
Fjordland/Milford Sound area is the most impressive, but aside from the one road to Milford is quite inaccessible so worth doing an organised trip involving a boat into the fjord or plane trip into the remote valleys.
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Post by Agadoo on Jan 11, 2011 11:21:44 GMT
I suspect that's not the real Yellowhoods
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Post by Ricky Otto on Jan 11, 2011 12:03:50 GMT
I went for the British Lions tour in 2005. Was awesome.
Hired a camper van and four of us worked our way down from Auckland to Rotorua, Lake Taupo, Wellington, then on to Queenstown (Must visit).
It's basically a case of North Island having some interesting geothermal phenomena to visit and then south island just being very beautiful. Helps if you're interested in doing some activities.
Caving, tubing, sky diving, rafting, skiing, etc
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