Hi Guys!
Managed to plan a more detailed itinerary after all the queries... not sure if this is doable so wanna seek as much details as possible...
pls click the spoiler to see the full itinerary!
Day 1: Tekapo (4 Nov, Mon)
- Reach Christchurch airport at 1.30pm, collect rental car and drive to Tekapo
- Visit COGShepherd
- Star-gazing at lake tekapo
- Stay in Tekapo
Day 2: Mt Cook (5 Nov, Tues)
- Drive to Lake Pukaki
- Pack lunch at High Country Salmon
- Hike Hooker Valley track
- Hike Sealy Tarns track
- Stay in Twizel
Day 3: Dunedin (6 Nov, Wed)
- Elephant Rocks
- Moeraki Beach Boulders
- Steepest Road
- Stay at Dunedin
Day 4: Te Anau (7 Nov, Thurs)
- Nugget Point Lighthouse
- Drive to Te Anau
- Visit Lake Mistletoe, Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lake, Knobs Flat, Lake Gunn
- Stay at Te Anau
Day 5: Fiordlands NPark (8 Nov, Fri)
- Pop's View Lookout
- Lake Marian Hike (3 hours)
- Key Summit Trail at The Divide
- Stay at Te Anau
Day 6: Milford Sound (9 Nov, Sat)
- Milford Sound Cruise
- The Chasm
- Gertrude Valley Lookout
- Drive to Queenstown
- Dinner @ Fergburger
- Stay at Queenstown
Day 7: Queenstown (10 Nov, Sun)
- Bob's Cove
- Skyline Gondola & Luge Rides (buy thru Klook)
- Dinner @ Fergburger
- Stay at Queenstown
Day 8: Wanaka (11 Nov, Mon)
- Drive to Wanaka
- Wanaka Tree
- Roy's Peak
- Stay at Wanaka
Day 9: Franz Josef (12 Nov, Tues)
- Drive to Lake Matheson
- Lake Matheson Walk
- Drive to Franz Josef
- Stay at Franz Josef
Day 10: Franz Josef (13 Nov, Wed)
- Franz Josef Heli Hike
- Drive to Hotitaka
- Sunset Point at Hotitaka
- Stay at Hotitaka
Day 11: Hotitaka/Arthurs Pass (14 Nov, Thurs)
- Hotitaka Gorge
- Otira Viaduct Lookout
- Devils Punchbowl
- Stay at Christchurch
Day 12 & 13: Christchurch (15&16 Nov, Fri&Sat)
- Nothing planned yet as I'm not sure if there's any places I oughta have spent more days...Maybe Franz Josef for the heli hike? In case of weather conditions....
- My flight on the 16 nov is 2pm flight back...
I think you might be underestimating the drive times between locations. Leave you little time for sightseeing and that's not the best way to enjoy NZ.
At FJ or Fox Glacier, many people do the walk to see the terminal face of the glacier, although it's not that spectacular, the walk itself is probably more compelling than the walk around Lake Matheson, which although nice, is kinda like a walk at MacRitchie but with different vegetation.
If you plan to do multiple hikes along the Milford Area, consider staying a night at Milford Sound itself instead of Te Anau. The lodges there are limited and more expensive but allows you to spend more time hiking.
Christchurch - nothing much to see there, suggest you plan to arrive late afternoon day before departure.