Auckland hotels

[OzKiwiJJ]

10 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

That looks like a good itinerary considering time available.

Re Waitomo glow worm caves. I have done that tour but a far more enjoyable experience is Waitomo Blackwater Rafting which is much more fun and you still get to see the glow worms. I've done that one twice, most recently Feb last year. Here's a link for info.

What Is Black Water Rafting | Discover Waitomo

Hobbiton is great - I'm a Tolkein fan - needs to be booked well in advance.

Weta workshop is great. Did that one in Dec 2017. Tour included some Wellington sightseeing and walking to some of the places/scenes used in the LOTR movie.

 

Although I agree that the Black Water Rafting is great fun (I did it many, many years ago when it had just started) it takes too long given all the other places they want to go to. 

 

For the North Island, after Auckland I would recommend going direct to Hobbiton for a late morning tour. Then go on to Rotorua and stay two nights. From Rotorua head across to Waitomo Caves for a late morning tour, then go through to National Park and stay the night at the Tongariro Chateau Hotel where you will get wonderful views of Mt Doom aka Mt Ngaurahoe. Next morning drive to Wellington where you will have the late afternoon and following day to sightsee before flying to either Christchurch or Queenstown.

 

You can do the South Island either way depending on where the best flights to Australia leave from.

[lissie]

48 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Tentative stops we were planning (feel free to jump in and suggest alternatives if some are too 'touristy' or overrated and not worth the venture).

 

North Island (5 nights)

Waiheke Island

Waitomo glow worm caves

Hobbitton dinner tour

Rotorua

Tamaki Maori Village

Wellington - Lord of the Rings related tours or visit to the Weta Workshop

Fly to Christchurch

 

South Island (4 nights)

Christchurch

Lake Tekapo - Dark Sky Project

Queenstown - trying to squeeze in a visit to Milford Sound, not sure if there's enough time

Fly to Australia

 

Melbourne (2 nights)

Cairns/Port Douglas (3 nights)

Sydney (2 nights)

 

One of the many downsides to being from the states is the limited vacation time off from work. This trip is using up all of our time off and then some, but when it takes 3 days to get there we unfortunately can't stay longer or come back anytime soon. 

Happy to have an opinion LOL 

 

Get off the flight in Akl and get straight on a flight to Rotorua - you are going to wrecked anyways 

2 nights in Rotorua (can do Hobbiton from there) 

skip Waitomo - they are beautiful caves - but unless its a real  specialist interest  it not worth your time on this trip. 

skip Wellington - Weta is cool - but its very, very small compared to something likeUniversal. I like Wgtn - I live here but I'd still tell you to prioritize the south island - and see the real scenary that Weta uses to shoot movies 

Fly straight to Queenstown 

2 nights in Queenstown inc Gelnorchy trip, Shotover, wine tour, Wanaka. 

Fly to Milford  1 night there - fly back ideally helicopter one way small plane the other 

Try to find an overnight cruise into Fiordland. 

Drive back to Chc via Lindis Pass  Mt Cook (1night) and Tekapo (1 night). Tekapo is only a few hours south of Christchurch and on the right side of the city for the airport.  (this would depend on your flight times You could also fly Rotorua / Chc and drive immediately to Tekapo - Mt Cook - Queenstown. Then fly Queenstown-Chc-home at the end.) . A night Chc is a waste unless you have a v early flight 

 

Also re Australia: 

Melbourne - wonderfulcity for food and shows - but if I had to pick 1 - it would be Sydney 

Sydney - definitely one of the worlds great destinations 

Cairns/PD hmmm if this is just a a few days to chill in a nice tropical setting do it.  In March it will be stinger season - you can't swim on the beaches (though you can on the reef). If you primarily want to get to the reef - I'd actually recommend  Lady Ellliot - fly from southern Queensland (Hervey Bay or Bundaberg) . Cairns is 3 hours flying time from Sydney -  its possibly further than NZ - you cannot underestimate the size of Australia. Cairns has nothing much to recommend it but I do like PD - but its a long way to go on such a quick trip. 

Edited August 3, 2021 by lissie

[NSWP]

The jet boat at Queenstown was good too.  I declined the Bungy Jump.  AJ Hackett was on a winner there.

[OzKiwiJJ]

4 minutes ago, NSWP said:

The jet boat at Queenstown was good too.  I declined the Bungy Jump.  AJ Hackett was on a winner there.

White water rafting on the Shotover is also very good.

 

The Bungy Jumping is fun. I've done it twice, one at the regular Kawerau spot, and the second off the historic Skippers Bridge during a bus trip into Skippers Canyon. I don't think they do jumps off that bridge any more though. The latter got me quite a few free beers in the pubs that night. The bus driver insisted they give me the tshirt which I proudly wore that night. I was about 40 at the time and the young guys in the pubs were rather astonished that a female of that age did what was the biggest bungy jump in NZ at the time, hence the free beers which I shared with my ex.