Back from South island New Zealand

appledabble

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2013
Messages
270
Reaction score
0
Was planning to tour only the South Island originally , will have to change plan to visit just the North Island for 2 weeks.

Will wait for bigroadtrip bro to update his blog on some sample itineraries he is working on ... is there any indication when you would publish it? :)

I've been feeling aftershocks here and there. Doesn't help that there's a strong wind tonight :(

Sent from ~ using GAGT
 

_Dave_

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2013
Messages
2,242
Reaction score
2
Was planning to tour only the South Island originally , will have to change plan to visit just the North Island for 2 weeks.

Will wait for bigroadtrip bro to update his blog on some sample itineraries he is working on ... is there any indication when you would publish it? :)
Don't let the earthquakes put you off the south Island really. It's quite nice down there. Really nice drives too.

Sent from ~ using GAGT
 

mybigroadtrip

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
Was planning to tour only the South Island originally , will have to change plan to visit just the North Island for 2 weeks.

Will wait for bigroadtrip bro to update his blog on some sample itineraries he is working on ... is there any indication when you would publish it? :)
paiseh ah....cos last week very busy..also to update you that in Kaikoura and Wellington, people are generally ok but quite tired and stressed by the quakes, completely understandable..I was caught out in the first M7.1 quake in Christchurch in 2010 (but that was nothing compared to this one). Will update here again once my itinerary post is ready. Shd be by Tuesday. Thanks for being patient :)
 

mybigroadtrip

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
Don't let the earthquakes put you off the south Island really. It's quite nice down there. Really nice drives too.

Sent from ~ using GAGT
My friends in Wellington are still carrying on as normal. They are still receiving guests from Malaysia. So, yes, while earthquakes can be devastating and scary, making some practical adjustments in your itinerary would still accord you a very nice vacation. Bear in mind that New Zealand is a very large country compared to Singapore. An earthquake in a particular area has little bearing, as far as tourists are concerned, on the rest of the country. One gentleman who lives in Waiau, and was badly affected by the earthquake, bemoaned the fact that the rest of the country seemed unperturbed by the earthquake and it was business as usual. But that just goes to show that it is safe to travel to New Zealand, even to the south island.

I was there in Christchurch in 2010 when the first quake struck and I went back again in 2011, 2 weeks after the devastating one. While the damage was widespread in some areas, in other areas, it was almost nothing had happened. I am not down playing the seriousness of an earthquake, but all in, the rest of the country should be ok for now.
 

_Dave_

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2013
Messages
2,242
Reaction score
2
I was on SH1 at Kaikoura 2 days before the big one. It was quite sobering to see the tunnels which I had previously driven through now covered by the landslide. :(

Sent from ~ using GAGT
 

mybigroadtrip

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
40
Reaction score
0

appledabble

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2013
Messages
270
Reaction score
0
Thank you for your effort in putting this together. It certainly offers many insights and advice not found on other articles wrote by other travelers. I have truly enjoyed it. I will not be able to do the South Island for my upcoming trip (this time round) as we have decided to just do the north island for 2 weeks. It's a pity I know but weighing all considerations, this seems to be the best move for now.

I certainly look forward to your 2-week itenirary for north island :)

Btw. Great landscape pics. Great eyes. Thanks for sharing the amazing photos.

Hi guys,
Hot off the press! Part 2 of the 15-day NZ South Island sample itinerary is now ready: http://mybigroadtrip.com/new-zealand/the-highlights-of-new-zealands-south-island-in-15-days-part-2/

Happy reading! And all the best to your trip!
 

invisible999

Master Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
3,570
Reaction score
1
Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound cruises/activities

If anybody here has taken cruises or sea kayaking at Doubtful or Milford Sound - could you please share how much it cost and what was your overall impression?

Thanks
 

hawkwind

Master Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
3,875
Reaction score
568
If anybody here has taken cruises or sea kayaking at Doubtful or Milford Sound - could you please share how much it cost and what was your overall impression?

Thanks

I have done day cruises at both but not kayaking. Doubtful Sound is a full day affair because you need to go cross Lake Manapouri by boat, cross a mountain pass by coach to finally reach the sound for a 3hr cruise. Milford is a simple 2.5hr cruise if you are already at the ferry terminal or another 1.5hrs if you start from Te Anau.

I think I was lucky because it was drizzly and foggy at Doubtful, sunny and bright at Milford. Each offered a different mood and atmosphere to experience. There is a higher chance of the former since it rains much more days in the sounds. Doubtful is bigger, more spaced out while Milford is more scenic and compact. Doubtful is about $200 while Milford can be less than half of that. If you had to chose only one, I would say Milford.
 

mybigroadtrip

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
Thank you for your effort in putting this together. It certainly offers many insights and advice not found on other articles wrote by other travelers. I have truly enjoyed it. I will not be able to do the South Island for my upcoming trip (this time round) as we have decided to just do the north island for 2 weeks. It's a pity I know but weighing all considerations, this seems to be the best move for now.

I certainly look forward to your 2-week itenirary for north island :)

Btw. Great landscape pics. Great eyes. Thanks for sharing the amazing photos.
You are most welcome, thank you too and I appreciate your feedback. I have not had the chance to do up a 2-week itinerary for north island in NZ yet. Presently, on request from some of my readers, I have done up a 6-day itinerary. If you are keen, please feel free to check it out here: http://mybigroadtrip.com/new-zealand/a-6-day-itinerary-of-new-zealands-north-island/

North Island is a little more 'disparate', in my opinion. There are also many points of interest, scenic though they are, certainly not as breathtaking as the south. It is a little harder to plan a 'circulatory' itinerary for north island, because the usual point of entry for most visitors is Auckland. Now, Auckland is right smack 2/3 up the north island, and so one would have to traverse Auckland twice, if he were to see the north island over 2 weeks, taking in Cape Reinga in the far north and Wellington in the south. If you are visiting north island in summer, do make a point to visit Cape Reinga, it is really quite something. And if you want a bit of a rush, go tobogganing at Te Paki, which are sand dunes near Cape Reinga.
 

JinHockie

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
97
Reaction score
0
Hi, I have a plan to go NZ south islands during Oct next year for road trip. Current SQ air ticket is about 1.3-1.4k (2 way) per pax. any idea when is the promotion period for the air ticket?
 

invisible999

Master Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
3,570
Reaction score
1
Hi, I have a plan to go NZ south islands during Oct next year for road trip. Current SQ air ticket is about 1.3-1.4k (2 way) per pax. any idea when is the promotion period for the air ticket?

Grab that ticket and run. I paid for my ticket $2250 in Economy. During Christmas time there were no other cheaper tickets available and I booked my ticket in March.
 
Important Forum Advisory Note
This forum is moderated by volunteer moderators who will react only to members' feedback on posts. Moderators are not employees or representatives of HWZ. Forum members and moderators are responsible for their own posts.

Please refer to our Community Guidelines and Standards, Terms of Service and Member T&Cs for more information.
Top