Actually most of them are similar, just survey 2-3, compare review on tripadvisor, choose whichever fulfill your budget.

wat is the difference between Scenic cruises and Natural cruises

https://www.realjourneys.co.nz/en/experienc...scenic-cruises/

and
https://www.realjourneys.co.nz/en/experienc...nature-cruises/

Hello. would like to seek advise. Will be flying to Auckland this May for 12 days. What the best driving route to take..

Option 1 - Fly to Queenstown and drive from South to North Island, back to Auckland
Option 2 - Drive from North to South Island, fly frm Queenstown to Auckland

Depending on what you want to see though. 12 days doesn't do justice for the islands for both route. I would suggest to choose either North Island or South Island.

I'm going to NZ this coming March and have booked campervan to explore south island, car on north island.
Would like to ask sifu here if this itinerary is workable? Will it be too tiring / rushing?

Day 1 : 9am collect campervan in TAB near airport. Do some grocery shopping, then head to Hokitika. (Overnight at Lake Mahinapua DOC)
Day 2 : Franz Josef/Fox Glacier Helihike, Lake Matheson (Overnight Fox Glacier)
Day 3 : Helihike if day 2 tak jadi, Haast Pass, Lake Hawea, Lake Wanaka (Overnight Lake Wanaka)
Day 4 : Crown Range Road, Arrowtown, Queenstown, Winery, Skyline , Fergburger (Overnight Queenstown)
Day 5 : Skydiving if morning weather allows, tour around Queenstown / Glenorchy (Possible to overnight at Glenorchy than in Queenstown? )
Day 6 : Te Anau Wildlife Bird Reserve, Lake Manapouri, Glowworm Cave (Possible to overnight at Milford Sound than in Te Anau? )
Day 7 : Milford Sound Cruise (Overnight Te Anau. Should I start head to east coast to shorten next day distance ? )
Day 8 : Nugget Point Lighthouse, Baldwin Street, Dunedine town (Overnight at Dunedin)
Day 9 : Moeraki Boulders, Penguin, Oamaru (Overnight at Oamaru)
Day 10 : Lake Pukaki, Alpine Salmon, Tasman Glacier, Mt. Cook , Kea Point Track (Overnight at Mt Cook/ Lake Pukaki)
Day 11 : Mt John, Church of good shepherd, Lake Tekapo (Overnight at Lake Tekapo)
Day 12 : Christchurch town return campervan at 3pm (Overnight at Christchurch town)
Day 13 : Christchurch town tour, take flight to Auckland and collect car at 4pm (Overnight at Auckland town)
Day 14 : Auckland fish market, Hamilton Garden, Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Lake Taupo (Overnight at Lake Taupo)
Day 15 : Lady Knox Geyser, Rainbow Spring Nature Park Rotorua, return car at 4pm at Auckland airport (sleep in plane )

Many thanks in advance

I think this is really tiring for you. The distance between each places in NZ is quite far hence you might spend few hours driving. I've note down some of my comments on top. Hope it helps.

You cannot go pass 100km/h, and with campervan, prolly you will be driving 80km/h - 90km/h which will considerably extend the driving times.

This post has been edited by doinkz_gaara: Jan 12 2018, 11:03 PM

Thanks @doinkz_gaara
How to judge if the rented campervan can survive the drive from Queenstown/Te Anau to Milford Sound?

Revised version. Removed Dunedin and Oamaru.
Day 3 : Helihike if day 2 tak jadi, Haast Pass, Lake Hawea, Lake Wanaka (Overnight Lake Wanaka)
Day 4 : Wanaka skydive (Overnight Lake Wanaka)
Day 5 : Crown Range Road, Arrowtown, Queenstown, Winery, Skyline , Fergburger (Overnight Queenstown)
Day 6 : Te Anau Wildlife Bird Reserve, Lake Manapouri, Glowworm Cave (Overnight Te Anau)
- How to check whether the rented campervan can survive along the road there? We are renting Kuga automatic transmission, year 2009-2014

Day 7 : Milford Sound Cruise (Should overnight Te Anau or Queenstown ? )
Day 8 : Queenstown (Should overnight at Queenstown or Omarama ? )
Day 9 : Lake Pukaki, Alpine Salmon, Tasman Glacier, Mt. Cook , Kea Point Track (Overnight Lake Pukaki)
Day 10 : Mt Cook (Overnight Mt Cook)
Day 11 : Mt John, Church of good shepherd, Lake Tekapo (Overnight at Lake Tekapo)
Day 12 : Christchurch town return campervan at 3pm (Overnight at Christchurch town)
Day 13 : Christchurch town tour, take flight to Auckland and collect car at 4pm (Overnight at Auckland town)
Day 14 : Auckland fish market, Hamilton Garden, Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Lake Taupo (Overnight at Lake Taupo)
Day 15 : Lady Knox Geyser, Rainbow Spring Nature Park Rotorua, return car at 4pm at Auckland airport (sleep in plane) - to be revisit

just back from Milford Sound Cruise, for me it is doesn't worth the money, given visited to Li Qiang and Halong Bay.
- you can see seal colony from Cape Foulwind, MSC give you much closer distance but still not close as you can touch them. to me no different
- the waterfall even yesterday had rain but not impressive as our lata kinjang waterfall
- basically the cruise scenery... hmmmmmmmm nothing much to say because it is just typical mountain view with trees and rock


I not recommend drive all the way just for the cruise, given grow worm cave you can see it elsewhere
i rather skip MSC in my itinerary

the scenic drive...... nothing much to see also, just the big land of grasses and the mirror lake (where you can get an awesome @ lake Matheson), dun waste the petrol and that 3hr driving, i rather choose to sleep @ coach

i rate mangrove river cruise @ langkawi better sightseeing than this MSC


if you still insist to
just MSC
i suggest take coach from Queenstown, the bus will stop at interest spot along the journey. you can have more rest time and save petrol money

MSC + growworm cave
suggest take MSC around 2pm, where you can drive from dunedin or some other place from 9am, overnight @ Te Anau, check out then go to grow worm cave

for those who interest to drive to Milford Sound, please spare extra 30mins,
- you need to walk 500m (which is 10mins) to the visitor centre (the port)
- almost at the last part of the road is all down slope + curve road, generally you're driving at 30 km/h only for like 15km

Milford Sound is often a hit or miss due to the weather condition there.
Most of the nice picture taken there are usually during a clear day (or night) when the water is more calm.
But I do agree that on a normal day, the scenery is just..normal (maybe cause we are too used to see lake and mountain closeby ie. Phuket,Langkawi etc.)
I do find the drive especially the last part to be quite exciting though

btw, in the end did you take the campervan or car for your trip?

Car. Campervan too expensive

Those who interest to flight or heli ride. Do take the visitor broucher from airport or information counter there ks discount coupon

Hello there~

Welcome back to Malaysia. How was your trip in NZ?

Mind to share your final itinerary and which is the must go place? Because I'm travelling to NZ this year for about 12 days too. Still planning on the route.

Any tips to share with us here? any MUST GO place to recommend?

Do you use campervan for the whole South Island trip?

Looking forward on your beautiful pic as well

This post has been edited by TechnicalGuy: Jan 22 2018, 10:12 AM

just to share my experience, i did exactly same as you. fly to auckland drive to queenstown, (ferry from north to south island) 3000km in total.
average we drive 300km per day! tiring! especially the driver, kesian. but if you let me choose again, i would do the same.

oh! sounds fun.. we have 2 driver.. so they can rotate

Any particular route or scenic site we must go?

which car rental co did you rent from?

thanks

Go Rental, we choose normal car instead of campervan, campervan if drive 300km perday will be too slow, i dont think can achieve our plan on time.

haha yeah must get a few drivers to standby.

my top 3 in my heart, mt cook, Church of the Good Shepherd night time, queenstown (activitiesss)

Lindis pass at the best time.. bagus sekali

from Twizel to Mont Cook Village, blur because 8x zoom from iPhone

you must try these 2, all taken by my iPhone, direct from native camera, no modification been done


Te Anau - Milford Sound not bad (if you driving to Te Anau, pump petrol @ Mossburn)

comparing west coach drive vs ocean scenic drive @tasmania... tasmania wins hand down

This post has been edited by jam_lennon: Jan 26 2018, 11:01 AM

nice pics ! thanks ya.. will add into my itinerary..

IMG_7180 by BabyRyou, on Flickr

Hooker's Valley Reward

scenery from mt cook, went there last year

This post has been edited by xbbshampoo: Jan 30 2018, 03:27 PM

u guys went up to astro cafe, mount john at lake tekapo as well? there is one chinese guy, he's a malaysian, not sure if he still working there.. Super nice view there.. overlook the lake and the small town..

Hi all..
I will arrive at auckland airport in the evening in September 2018, then rent a car at 6pm. I want to go to hobbiton the next day. So, should I stay at nearby airport or continue drive at night and find accomodation somewhere near matamata?

Also, in the same day, I need to get back to airport by 6pm also because I got an 8pm flight to christchurch. So, after finish the hobbiton tour, what else can I visit in auckland within that short period of time? Can you suggest a good place to visit while having enough time to arrive to airport by 6pm?

Thanks.

Wow ~ You have an tight schedule there!!
The distance from auckland airport to mata mata took around 2 hours plus! And the tour for a hobbiton takes up to 2 hours per tour!
On the way to matamata doesn't seem to have any hotel or resident but a wide field which is full of sheeps, cow and etc!!
Adviced to use airbnb to rent a room if possible!

Best of luck