Back from South island New Zealand

circleheart

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Tips on planning

Hello all!

I am planning my south island trip coming up in March and have been depending on the google map to plan out the itinerary. Not sure if the routes below are the most effective, hence seeking some good advice from gurus out there.
It would be our first time in NZ, kindly let us know if there are some locations we should stay longer or should skip entirely. Also just want to make sure that the planning below allows sufficient rest in between each drive.

This is a 15 days trip purely in South Island - via Campervan:

Day 1: CHC (late afternoon)
Day 2: Lake Tekapo
Day 3: Lake Tekapo > Mt Cook (Hooker Valley)
Day 4: Mt Cook > Wanaka
Day 5: ****a (Roys Peak - 2 nights stay in total)
Day 6: Wanaka > Queenstown
Day 7: QT > Te Anua (glow Worm tour)
Day 8: Day Tour to Miford Sound > Te Anua
Day 9: Te Anua > Queenstown (fergburger)
Day 10: Queenstown > Arrowtown
Day 11: Arrowtown > Wanaka
Day 12: Wanaka > Fox Glacier
Day 13: Fox Glacier (heli-hike) > Franz Josef Glacier
Day 14: Franz Josef Glacier > Hokitika
Day 15: Hokitika > CHC > SG

Looking forward to the feedback!

Cheers
 

sandzstormz

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Hello all!

I am planning my south island trip coming up in March and have been depending on the google map to plan out the itinerary. Not sure if the routes below are the most effective, hence seeking some good advice from gurus out there.
It would be our first time in NZ, kindly let us know if there are some locations we should stay longer or should skip entirely. Also just want to make sure that the planning below allows sufficient rest in between each drive.

This is a 15 days trip purely in South Island - via Campervan:

Day 1: CHC (late afternoon)
Day 2: Lake Tekapo
Day 3: Lake Tekapo > Mt Cook (Hooker Valley)
Day 4: Mt Cook > Wanaka
Day 5: ****a (Roys Peak - 2 nights stay in total)
Day 6: Wanaka > Queenstown
Day 7: QT > Te Anua (glow Worm tour)
Day 8: Day Tour to Miford Sound > Te Anua
Day 9: Te Anua > Queenstown (fergburger)
Day 10: Queenstown > Arrowtown
Day 11: Arrowtown > Wanaka
Day 12: Wanaka > Fox Glacier
Day 13: Fox Glacier (heli-hike) > Franz Josef Glacier
Day 14: Franz Josef Glacier > Hokitika
Day 15: Hokitika > CHC > SG

Looking forward to the feedback!

Cheers

Hi ur plan n route is pretty similar to mine. Mine was 17 days.
I'm typing this in a cafe at Hokitika now and just spent last night at fox.
Hmm just a rough look I feel that u shouldn't spend 2 days in fox and Frans Joseph since it's pretty similar. I'll just go to FJG from Wanaka.
 

evilerniex

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Hi ur plan n route is pretty similar to mine. Mine was 17 days.
I'm typing this in a cafe at Hokitika now and just spent last night at fox.
Hmm just a rough look I feel that u shouldn't spend 2 days in fox and Frans Joseph since it's pretty similar. I'll just go to FJG from Wanaka.
Actually i think it is ok to have 2 nights at FJG... Coz from wanaka to FJG is almost a full day of driving, so by the time u reach, cant do much.
Second day at FJG is the helihike. Tt is a half day thing already. So if u want to do more hiking at fox glacier and lake Matheson, maybe not enuf time already
 

evilerniex

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Hello all!

I am planning my south island trip coming up in March and have been depending on the google map to plan out the itinerary. Not sure if the routes below are the most effective, hence seeking some good advice from gurus out there.
It would be our first time in NZ, kindly let us know if there are some locations we should stay longer or should skip entirely. Also just want to make sure that the planning below allows sufficient rest in between each drive.

This is a 15 days trip purely in South Island - via Campervan:

Day 1: CHC (late afternoon)
Day 2: Lake Tekapo
Day 3: Lake Tekapo > Mt Cook (Hooker Valley)
Day 4: Mt Cook > Wanaka
Day 5: ****a (Roys Peak - 2 nights stay in total)
Day 6: Wanaka > Queenstown
Day 7: QT > Te Anua (glow Worm tour)
Day 8: Day Tour to Miford Sound > Te Anua
Day 9: Te Anua > Queenstown (fergburger)
Day 10: Queenstown > Arrowtown
Day 11: Arrowtown > Wanaka
Day 12: Wanaka > Fox Glacier
Day 13: Fox Glacier (heli-hike) > Franz Josef Glacier
Day 14: Franz Josef Glacier > Hokitika
Day 15: Hokitika > CHC > SG

Looking forward to the feedback!

Cheers
Not sure if it is worth it to travel all the way to te anau just for glowworm, since ur milford sound tour is from Queenstown. My frens who went says not worth it

Instead of stopping at wanaka and Queenstown twice, maybe can do one place on the way down and the other on the way back.
My route was :
Chc - tekapo - mt cook - Queenstown - te anau - wanaka - FJG - chc
 
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Satki General

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Not sure if it is worth it to travel all the way to te anau just for glowworm, since ur milford sound tour is from Queenstown. My frens who went says not worth it

Instead of stopping at wanaka and Queenstown twice, maybe can do one place on the way down and the other on the way back.
My route was :
Chc - tekapo - mt cook - Queenstown - te anau - wanaka - FJG - chc

Agree, in fact Hokitika got a glowworm cave too. It's on google maps just off the main highway. For something that is free, I think its pretty decent.
 

evilerniex

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Agree, in fact Hokitika got a glowworm cave too. It's on google maps just off the main highway. For something that is free, I think its pretty decent.
FJG have also i heard. On one of those short hiking trails. I didnt managed to go though, too lazy to go out at night :p
 

BlackCube

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Yeah. If going purely for glowworm is not worth it. But can go te Anau for other stuff too.

I think quite waste money for the glow worm. Nothing much to see one leh. But gg inside the cave is quite a experience.

day 7 to 10 seem like very very rush. can't enjoy much.
 

angcsbenny

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FJG have also i heard. On one of those short hiking trails. I didnt managed to go though, too lazy to go out at night :p
Not sure if the fjg one you are referring to is the tatare tunnels if it is then there was less than 20 for the whole tunnels. Glow worm dell at hokitika is good just a v short walk and plenty to see.

Sent from OPPO X9076 using GAGT
 

circleheart

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Thanks for highlighting. Then i will go for the free one at Hokitika!
My purpose at Te Anua is more of a pitstop.
I see that one day tour starting from Queenstown is extremely exhausting given the 5 hours to and another 5 back...
 

sandzstormz

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Thanks for highlighting. Then i will go for the free one at Hokitika!
My purpose at Te Anua is more of a pitstop.
I see that one day tour starting from Queenstown is extremely exhausting given the 5 hours to and another 5 back...

Thats right. I also stayed one night at Te Anua if not its gonna be too rush.
 

belgarathc

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We drove all the way from Wanaka to Te Anau and spent the night at a campsite (there are quite a few DOC sites) between Te Anau and Milford Sound. The next day we took the morning cruise and walkabout before spending the night at Gunn's Camp. There is a free Glow Worm area within walking distance from Gunn's Camp. We didn't go as we were lazy (but we did the free Ruakuri Bush Walk at Waitomo in the end and saw glow worms). The next morning we drove to The Divide for 3D2N Routeburn Walk which ends at Glenorchy side. We engaged a relocator to drive our Campervan from Divide to Glenorchy so we can drive off at the end of the hike. Quite a costly arrangement but we see no good way around it.
 

angy

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@circleheart

My advice to you is, take a rest once you landed in CHC. You would be on the air for 10 hours and maybe before hand 1 hour at Changi Airport. You would have spend another hour or more in CHC airport for custom clearance and waiting for your campervan.

Your body clock has then to adjust to the 4 hour difference. Then you want to spend another 2 hours and 50 minutes to drive to Lake Tekapo for a country that you have never driven before? You are going to NZ to enjoy yourself. Why rush?
 

irisse

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hi everyone, we would be going for our NZ South Island trip in March and intend to book a campervan. Like to check how do most of you pay for your deposit and rental given that there is a surcharge for credit card payment by the company and exchange rate via credit card is not fantastic....
 

winguy

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Hi need some advice regarding car rental.

Going in apr. Book about 1 month before in mar?

2 passengers, 3 large luggages. Is a car like toyota yaris enough? Safe to expose luggage in back seat when parked for long hours? Or better to get sedan where all luggages can be in boot? If so any sedan to recommend? Corolla? Thanks
 

DiCaprio

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Hi need some advice regarding car rental.

Going in apr. Book about 1 month before in mar?

2 passengers, 3 large luggages. Is a car like toyota yaris enough? Safe to expose luggage in back seat when parked for long hours? Or better to get sedan where all luggages can be in boot? If so any sedan to recommend? Corolla? Thanks
I think it's relatively safe to leave luggage in hatchbacks. But I think a mid size hatch would be much better in terms of comfort and spaciousness on long drives. I quite liked the Toyota corolla hatch as compared to the Ford fiesta 2012. Both rented from apex when I was there.

Sent from Tomorrowland using GAGT
 

BlackCube

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hi everyone, we would be going for our NZ South Island trip in March and intend to book a campervan. Like to check how do most of you pay for your deposit and rental given that there is a surcharge for credit card payment by the company and exchange rate via credit card is not fantastic....

ICBC MasterCard. Oversea rebate 3% . Beats the bank charges and get .5% rebates. Best card right now.
Unless you wanna earn miles while oversea.
 

BlackCube

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Hi need some advice regarding car rental.

Going in apr. Book about 1 month before in mar?

2 passengers, 3 large luggages. Is a car like toyota yaris enough? Safe to expose luggage in back seat when parked for long hours? Or better to get sedan where all luggages can be in boot? If so any sedan to recommend? Corolla? Thanks

Although I feel that NZ is quite safe but still have to stay safe yourself. So I took sedan instead of hatch. Price I feel not too much of a difference. Pay Abit more for the comfort and safety. Worth the price.

As a rough estimation for you. I rental sedan (Toyota Corolla or similar) from go rental. 13 or 14 days with full insurance cost me just below 900 nzd. So 800+ sgd?
 
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