is the tranzalpine good? thinking of driving or taking transalpine...

mind to share what's the good food there? might go if it sounds tempting ;p

well,u must try fergburger in queenstown,the size is tripled than the normal size of a burger,i could continuosly eat it for few days. Patagonia chocolate near the lake is well know for its ice-cream and chocolate drink.
Fish and chips is the most common food in new zealand,i recommend u tried the one in Kaikoura,the town of whale-watching

I spent the night at the airport sharing the floor with like another 20-30s other LOL. Bus don't serve after midnight & taxi is hell expensive. Yup, YHA is closed liao. I stayed at Dorset Backpacker, great location, clean & reasonably priced but the sound insulation between rooms is horrible.

If I can do it again, I would fly into Auckland, then make my way down south before fly out from Christchurch.

supermarket in new zealand got many cheap and tasty food,snack..go to pak n save there to grab cadbury chocolate,cookies time's cookies and bluebird potato chips...

Hi, how r u?

Do u able to get the ticket to CHC before AAX halve the operation end of May 2012.

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Added on April 8, 2012, 6:12 pm

Sorry dip back old post.

Currently busy to finalise my hotel booking and prepare some Itinerary for SI 10D8N tour end of April 12.

Plan to stay at YHA, but found that they do charge almost 90% amount of the adult fees for kid >5 year old, and some even charge a fee for kid> 2 year old. Any advise how to overcome it? Shall i look for others choice instead of YHA only?

Have search through the Groupon.co.nz, counter a offer from Heritage Height Holiday Apartment (In QT). It a packages offer to 4 person for a 2 bed apartment for 2 nite(NZ295), and can do own cooking, but the cons is you need fully paid when you place yrs booking.

Any NZ traveller have stay over this hotel ?, it that realiable and worth for stay?, btw, they do charge extra  for kid >2 year old, NZ10, kid >5 year old, extra charge NZ40.

My Itinerary,

Chc-l/tekapo(1N)-Mt Cook-QT(3N)-MS -T Anau(1N) -Wanaka(1N) -Hasst Pass -F/Glaciar -FJ/Glaciar-Greymouth(1N)- A/Pass- Springfield(1N)-Akoira

Initially was plan to cover Dunedin, but hear that nothing much to see. Any comment of my travel plan?

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Added on April 8, 2012, 6:49 pm
Hi,

How r u? me same as yrs family will travel SI on 27th-7th May. Have you doing yrs accomodation already?, any reccomendation for hostel/hotel which allow kid stay in without extra charge?

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Added on April 8, 2012, 7:54 pm

My group will be stay @QT for 3 nite from 30/4-2nd May, hope will meet u they?. If you lack of kaki, can joint my group too, but all uncles and aunties might not suit you, we more on nice scenery and not into any extreme sport, btw our group fr KL.

hi youngman,

not really, my son is 4 yrs old but he's is being charged at kids rate, i managed to get YHA Hostels @ Oamaru, Dunedin & Te Anau. Its triple charing but they still charge around rm50-60 for my son, no such thing s foc for kids.....XBase hostels dnt charge my son the xtras but the per nite charges covers all i suppose...quite pricey...for me...

Yes pak n save but if u wanted something more delicious then head to New World... But recently I discover that for chocolate and honey, all supermarket are same price when they doing offer....

I wanted to go Fox Glacier/Franz Josef but it looks very far from where we want to go. How do I turn around my itinerary?? We will rent a car throughout our trip in NZ.

Just want to chk if any farm stay in NZ?? I mean I want to stay in the farm experience fruits picking/plucking and sheep herding.

The glaciers are amazing, but I guess if you're driving/hiking up to Mt Cook you get a feel for it there. I think someone else may have to chime in here as well.

There's Walter Peak's farm at Queenstown, very nice demo of sheep herding, shearing and animals there. No fruit stuff though. I liked it, it's a half day visit.

If there's anything I'd say that you're spending way too much time on the road. Queenstown to CHC for example is almost a whole day drive and it's tiring since the roads are regular kampung roads, not highways.

I think I want to fly from Queenstown to Auckland instead of return to CHC.

BTW,any animals to see along the way on our journey?? My husband love animals. Penguin, seal or others?

Sorry, came back 2-3 week, never check this thread.

Well, i found that Countdown in CHC have more choice and generally a bit cheaper compare to Pak N Save, my groups member sapu alot  of 3 litre pack red wine they.

Concerning the food they, if you want cheaper , try to register on Grabone.nz.co, they got some offer everyday, if the time and place suit yours plan joyney, just grab it. normally can get 50% discount on menu, but read the term and condition carefully before place yrs booking.

For summary for my trip, for 11D9N for south Island , i spent above Rm6k for 2 adult and 2 kids (excluded airfare, with some sovernior and value buy fr NZ only)

The most beautiful place to visit- Glenochy for LOTR site
The best and value for money food -Fergburger in QT
The boring/less scenery road travel - fr Hasst to Greymouth