3 Weeks in New Zealand

[davidI]

In Sept/Oct I'm headed to Singapore for the F1 races and then down to NZ for just over 3 weeks. I know it's not a lot of time, but I'd like to see as much as I can.

Is it better to rent a car or bus it cost wise?

I fly in and out of Auckland and have friends in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington that I plan to visit. Just looking for some highlights so I can build an itinerary.

I'm considering taking a tent & sleeping bag and doing some trails - any recommendations are appreciated.

[thrasher22]

The roads in NZ are ultra windy, and it takes ages to get anywhere. I'd actually recommend flying from Auckland to Christchurch and driving back (or vice versa). It'll give you a lot more time to explore and internal flights aren't very expensive.

Christchurch is actually not a super interesting city, its really nice, but I'd recommend giving at least a week driving further south. Queenstown is a MUST if you're in New Zealand.

I didn't do any real hiking while I was there, but was told there was great hiking around Wanaka.

[BlueGoblin]

I totally second making Queenstown a priority. it's like Disneyland for people who like outdoor sports and activities.

The roads are a lot of fun to drive, but it does take time to get places. That being said, i drove the whole country, from the Coromandel to Dunedin, and back up to Christchurch, in two weeks with no problems.

The Coromandel region is beautiful, by the way. there is a beach where you can dig a hole anywhere on the beach and let it fill with hot water from the springs running below the sand.... the area around Nelson (North part of the South Island) is wine country, a lot like the Okanagan in BC.

The food is really good throughout the country as well, and they make some really good local beers.

[kaput]

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[davidI]

Originally posted by kaput
I'm debating going down there for awhile too at about the same time, but with no real timeline. For those who have been, how long do you figure is the breakeven point where it becomes worth buying a car vs. busing or whatever to get around? I'd like to stay for a month or two, possibly more, and can't decide how to approach that.

If you end up down there at the same time maybe we could split a car rental for a couple weeks.

[ExtraSlow]

As for trails, the Abel Tasman track is supposed to be pretty good. I drove around that area, and it looked fantastic.

Driving is slow, just assume that you'll average 50km/h and you'll be fine.

[asp integra]

queenstown and check out the nevis highwire bungee! also go skiing at cardrona!