Back from South island New Zealand

[peachberi]

Hi, is it possible to tour South Island without self drive? I do not drive and my husband is not a seasoned driver and does not feel comfortable driving.

I intend to fly to Christchurch and do the following places:
wanaka, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Mt Cook.

I haven't figure out the route because i have no idea how to travel in between these places.

Any one has a suggested route and the transport that I can take?
Thanks very much in advance!

oh by the way, i am planning to go in March 6, so seriously need to finalise the plan before i start to book the air tickets and accomodation.

 

[_Dave_]

Hi... Planning to go with my friends to new zealand during june / july period this year. Thinking of caravan for about 6 guys. Search the net and it shows that it's winter period. Just wondering if anybody went there during winter period? And also will it be hard to do skydiving and bungee jumping during winter period?

I don't think it'll be hard to do the activities you've listed. At most wear 1 more layer lor. And, you could even do snow sports if you're so inclined.

Sent from ~ using GAGT

 

[_Dave_]

Hi, is it possible to tour South Island without self drive? I do not drive and my husband is not a seasoned driver and does not feel comfortable driving.

I intend to fly to Christchurch and do the following places:
wanaka, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Mt Cook.

I haven't figure out the route because i have no idea how to travel in between these places.

Any one has a suggested route and the transport that I can take?
Thanks very much in advance!

oh by the way, i am planning to go in March 6, so seriously need to finalise the plan before i start to book the air tickets and accomodation.

Check out mana bus, naked bus, intercity bus. Or, go on couch surfing or backpacker forums or Facebook pages to see if anyone is willing to dompang you around. Or, pray and hope that you can hitchhike around. For this to work, you'll definitely need to pack light.

Sent from ~ using GAGT

 

[invisible999]

Hi... Planning to go with my friends to new zealand during june / july period this year. Thinking of caravan for about 6 guys. Search the net and it shows that it's winter period. Just wondering if anybody went there during winter period? And also will it be hard to do skydiving and bungee jumping during winter period?

Do you know what temperatures are in NZ's South Island during winter period? If not, why don't you start doing a little bit more research.

 

[invisible999]

Hi, is it possible to tour South Island without self drive? I do not drive and my husband is not a seasoned driver and does not feel comfortable driving.

It all depends how much are you willing to pay and how much you are willing to skip seeing because you can't get there.

If you are going to NZ with suitcases then you are confined to places where buses go and taxies are willing to take you. Just as a note - it will take at least twice as much time to go from A to Z and it will cost you twice as much comparing to your own car.

 

[desboo]

Hi, is it possible to tour South Island without self drive? I do not drive and my husband is not a seasoned driver and does not feel comfortable driving.

I intend to fly to Christchurch and do the following places:
wanaka, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Mt Cook.

I haven't figure out the route because i have no idea how to travel in between these places.

Any one has a suggested route and the transport that I can take?
Thanks very much in advance!

oh by the way, i am planning to go in March 6, so seriously need to finalise the plan before i start to book the air tickets and accomodation.

It may be cheaper and better to take a package tour if you don't intend to drive. Chances are that you will most likely be taking local tours anyway.

 

[sCuzzZy]

Used Jucy 3x in the last 15 months. Twice in North Island and once in South Island for holiday. No issues. Take note they are a 2nd tier car rental company unlike Hertz or Europcar where they have counters at the airports. Car pickup and drop off are about a couple of km away from terminal for both Christchurch and Auckland.

thank you for that.

any ideas if it's expensive to take a taxi after midnight in CHC? problem being the flight back is 6in the morning so I reckon drop-off has to be probably 3 in the morning. or thereabouts.

 

[_Dave_]

thank you for that.

any ideas if it's expensive to take a taxi after midnight in CHC? problem being the flight back is 6in the morning so I reckon drop-off has to be probably 3 in the morning. or thereabouts.

i dont think there are midnight charges per se. the meter jumps are high enough as it is. u can also use uber to estimate your fare.

 

[lookers]

Hi... Planning to go with my friends to new zealand during june / july period this year. Thinking of caravan for about 6 guys. Search the net and it shows that it's winter period. Just wondering if anybody went there during winter period? And also will it be hard to do skydiving and bungee jumping during winter period?

Me loR~ I went during mid June! Skydive no problem! Winter does not necessarily mean snowing/ Blizzard ma... The only thing that hinders Skydiving is bad weather #RainSucks .....

You will be wearing your own winter jacket + their skydiving suit + gloves + helmet. It's freaking cold but definitely worth the $500 (Inclusive of video and stuff) #YOLO

 

[lookers]

Hi, is it possible to tour South Island without self drive? I do not drive and my husband is not a seasoned driver and does not feel comfortable driving.

I intend to fly to Christchurch and do the following places:
wanaka, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Mt Cook.

I haven't figure out the route because i have no idea how to travel in between these places.

Any one has a suggested route and the transport that I can take?
Thanks very much in advance!

oh by the way, i am planning to go in March 6, so seriously need to finalise the plan before i start to book the air tickets and accomodation.

HOW CAN DRIVING IN NZ not be comfortable? Not mocking him but really..... get him to pluck his courage and drive in NZ! Maybe you guys can take a day tour to Milford Sound but the rest is really idiot proof and easy peasy driving! No MRT/Train one...

 

[sCuzzZy]

i dont think there are midnight charges per se. the meter jumps are high enough as it is. u can also use uber to estimate your fare.

thanks!

Trying to find a reliable car rental that is reasonable and also provides full insurance coverage including windshield and snow chain.

any recommendations anyone?

I've checked europcars and was quoted 2.3k for 14days. the wife almost choked.

 

[NoTimeToWaitAr]

thanks!

Trying to find a reliable car rental that is reasonable and also provides full insurance coverage including windshield and snow chain.

any recommendations anyone?

I've checked europcars and was quoted 2.3k for 14days. the wife almost choked.

https://www.rankers.co.nz/tags/rental-cars check here..
Alternatively, you may want to try out http://www.anzed.co.nz/

 

[NoTimeToWaitAr]

Hi, is it possible to tour South Island without self drive? I do not drive and my husband is not a seasoned driver and does not feel comfortable driving.

I intend to fly to Christchurch and do the following places:
wanaka, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Mt Cook.

I haven't figure out the route because i have no idea how to travel in between these places.

Any one has a suggested route and the transport that I can take?
Thanks very much in advance!

oh by the way, i am planning to go in March 6, so seriously need to finalise the plan before i start to book the air tickets and accomodation.

There are:
-Stray: http://www.straytravel.com/
-Kiwi Experience: http://www.kiwiexperience.com/
-Contiki Tour: http://www.contiki.com/destinations/n...
-Naked Bus: https://nakedbus.com/home
-Atomic Travel: http://www.atomictravel.co.nz/
-InterCity: http://www.intercity.co.nz/

You may want to check out this vlog.. very informative:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVeWu5YBkc

 

[invisible999]

any recommendations anyone?

I've checked europcars and was quoted 2.3k for 14days. the wife almost choked.

ACE Rental cars. 5 y/o economy car with 90000km on odometer- $540 for 15 days.

 

[BlurKillerEX]

thanks!

Trying to find a reliable car rental that is reasonable and also provides full insurance coverage including windshield and snow chain.

any recommendations anyone?

I've checked europcars and was quoted 2.3k for 14days. the wife almost choked.

You going during holiday season? The price can increase 2-3x during winter period there.

 

[parkson]

I guess it all depends on what type of lodging and food you want. Also many people go to NZ for activities like paragliding, bungee jumping, heli-hike or skydiving, which can cost a lot. A skydive can cost from $350 so best you do some research on the web to get your budget.

Forgot to mention 4k is per pax and around 2 weeks

 

[sCuzzZy]

https://www.rankers.co.nz/tags/rental-cars check here..
Alternatively, you may want to try out http://www.anzed.co.nz/

ACE Rental cars. 5 y/o economy car with 90000km on odometer- $540 for 15 days.

You going during holiday season? The price can increase 2-3x during winter period there.

thanks folks! I'll check them one by one.

yup I'm going in winter. early August. is it normal for the steep price?

I must mention I'm. going with my wife's family so we have 6 pax. looking at a 8 seater to fit all the luggages.

given the above. is Europcars reasonable in the end?

 

[_Dave_]

Me loR~ I went during mid June! Skydive no problem! Winter does not necessarily mean snowing/ Blizzard ma... The only thing that hinders Skydiving is bad weather #RainSucks .....

You will be wearing your own winter jacket + their skydiving suit + gloves + helmet. It's freaking cold but definitely worth the $500 (Inclusive of video and stuff) #YOLO

while on this topic... it is the height of summer now, and it just snowed in central otago. heh. come nz is really must prepare for 4 seasons

 

[_Dave_]

thanks!

Trying to find a reliable car rental that is reasonable and also provides full insurance coverage including windshield and snow chain.

any recommendations anyone?

I've checked europcars and was quoted 2.3k for 14days. the wife almost choked.

eh, windshield is extra? first time i heard of this..

moi no experience with snow chains unfortunately, seeing that you're booking for a large group, you'll probably have to pay more to ensure reliability and service. the cost should be ok if it's split among the group.

 

[mata_hippo]

snow chain is usually a 1 off cost not daily cost...

only used it once when we were coming down from cadrona ski resort... in july... other places didnt have to use at all...