Last time booked AA return RM700 KL-CHC. Damn cheap!

Lucky you

Now 2k is cheap and normal is 3k+

This post has been edited by bearbear: Sep 27 2013, 10:51 AM

That was way back when AA just started fly to CHC, new route promo lor. Now want back that rate also don't have edi.
Normally fly Jetstar to Auckland these days, transit in SGP for 3 hours or so. You manage to get below RM2k that's very cheap! This year flew to Auckland return also RM2.5k with Jetstar.

i just checked, planning to travel during winter next yr

i manage to find around 1.5-1.7k ones...

How is the flight with Jetstar? How do you deal with the meal as its a long flight? I suppose no entertainment like AA?

yes! about 1 and half day either in the plane or airport! crazy...

Meals onboard Jetstar are friggin expensive too. Seats are something like AA, more cramp than MAS or SQ.

I think they have a no outside food policy but you see everyone bringing their own food on board the plane, especially when they open up their Subway sandwich, the smell woahhh hahah. Me myself also pack some food (often fried rice/bihun or bread) from home to eat on the plane. You can ask to refill your water bottle with no extra charges, in other words, water is free if you have a water bottle, hot or cold.

I usually don't bother about the entertainment cause I'll be too occupied with my own tablet so I can't really answer you about that. But I think there have some movies playing on board the plane considering they have a webpage on inflight entertainment.
http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/what-we-offer...t/entertainment

Noticed the food price on board as well. My SIN - AKL flight board about 7pm so we can do dinner in Singapore airport before boarding and by the time we land just nice for breakfast. Maybe some light snacks just in case.

The return flight is what worries me as its a morning - evening flight. Anyway thanks for the info as i'm preparing both laptop and tablet for my self entertainment as well

Just for sharing,

As we (4 pax) need to stay overnight in Auckland to catch a morning flight back to Singapore, managed to find this 2 bedroom apartment named St Martins Waldorf Apartments. Booked it for Rm290 which is less than NZD30/pax...in some places we can only stay in a hostel at this price

Dear all,

I'm going to NZ South Island from 10th till 18th Nov

1) Anybody interested to join us as we only have two person. We will be driving from Christchurch and tour the most must see places and back to Christchurch

2) Just to double check, malaysian do not need VISA to enter NZ right?

3) If anyone got promo code for car / mini camper in NZ, please share

Correct. You can stay up to 3 months without a visa.

thanks for replying

once i get my itinerary draft up, mind commenting taking into account that it is going to be late spring / early summer time?

It'll be a good time to travel I guess. Summer time has longer daylight hours, can do more stuffs. Daylight saving times usually start ends September and finishes early April.

Hi any recommendation for a good (cheap ) fresh salmon and seafood? Also wineyard?

Below is my proposed itinerary. Please suggest any place i missed out


Day 1 (11th Nov)

Arrived airport 5.00 am
10.00 am Christchurch via Arthur's Pass to Greymouth (3 hours) - may skip Greymouth to Hokitika directly if nothing interesting there
Greymouth to Hokitika (0.5 hour)
Hokitika to Franz Glacier (1.5 hours) - too late to explore Franz Glacier?
Overnight at Franz Glacier


Day 2 (12th Nov)

Franz Glacier to Lake Wanaka (3.5 hours)
Lake Wanaka to Te Anau (2.5 hours) - worth to overnight at Lake Wanaka instead?
Overnight at Te Anau


Day 3 (13th Nov)

Te Anau to Milford Sound (1.5 hours)
Milford Sound to Queenstown (3.5 hours)
Overnight at Queenstown


Day 4 (14th Nov)

Queenstown to Glenorchy and back (0.5 hour + 0.5 hour)
Queenstown to Arrowtown and back (0.5 hour + 0.5 hour)
Overnight at Queenstown

Day 5 (15th Nov)

Queenstown to Dunedin and back (3.5 hours + 3.5 hours) - this one is optional and interchangeable for any other more interesting place
Overnight at Queenstown

Day 6 (16th Nov)

Queenstown to Cromwell (0.5 hour)
Cromwell to Mt Cook (2 hours)
Mt Cook to Lake Tekapo (1.5 hours)
Overnight at Lake Tekapo

Day 7 (17th Nov)

Lake Tekapo to Kaikoura (5.5 hours)
Overnight at Kaikoura

Day 8 (18th Nov)

Kaikoura to Christchurch (2.5 hours)
Christchurch 4.00 pm
Depart airport 9.00 pm

This post has been edited by X-Zen: Oct 23 2013, 04:56 PM

Not sure if there is any wineyard in between your journey, as we are coming from north to south we will be visiting vineyards around Picton. As I have absolutely no interest on wine below research by a friend

Vineyard visits - Cloudy Bay (10am-5pm), Herzog, Hunter's Wines & Highfield Estate

My schedule excluding North for your reference (Slightly different as we had to cover North for some reason)

Day 1:
Morning - Ferry from Wellington - Picton
Afternoon - Vineyard
Drive to kaikoura for a night stay

Day 2:
Morning - Whale watching
Once done will drive to Christchurch to explore the town area / Akaroa if we want to
Overnight at Christchurch

Day 3:
Lake Tekapo / Pukaku / Mt Cook
Overnight Queenstown

Day 4:
Milford Sound
Overnight Queenstown

Day 5:
Morning explore Queenstown
Afternoon flight to Auckland

For salmon my friend told us there's plenty to get at Lake Tekapo area.

This post has been edited by bearbear: Oct 23 2013, 05:44 PM

Thanks. Slightly different route as you are going from Lake Tekapo / Mt Cook to QT whereas I'm the opposite

Just want to ask, the whale watching is it only in the morning? And how much?



Edit - Thanks for the salmon tips

This post has been edited by X-Zen: Oct 23 2013, 05:48 PM

http://www.whalewatch.co.nz/

Valid for whole day till late afternoon but was advised to take the 1st tour in case weather is bad you can still take later tours on the same day rather than spending another day.

NZD145/pax

I might skip this myself and maybe chill around at Kaikoura.

This post has been edited by bearbear: Oct 23 2013, 05:50 PM

Do note that there's no highway in NZ, so if Google Map says 1 hour, expect to drive 1.5hour or more ... You also need time to adjust the road condition in NZ, tight turns and lots of dangerously close edges.
- Salmon farm in Lake Tekapo, lots of wine tasting in tourist area. Seafood , Kaikoura or any place that close to sea.

Day 1 (11th Nov)
You drive? If so, put some time in Arthur's Pass. Not much to do in Greymouth, I suggest you skip.
For the Glacier, you can only view it from afar unless you join a tour. Btw, that's a lot to do in just 1 day!

Day 2 (12th Nov)
If you join a tour (min 4 hours), you still want to drive all the way ? ... Good Luck!

Day 3 (13th Nov)
Day 4 (14th Nov)

Day 5 (15th Nov)
Why return to Queenstown? Just stay overnight in Dunedin, lots to do/visit there! Or you can overnight in Oamaru for the blue penguin colony

Day 6 (16th Nov)
Cromwell in Spring? Skip it, spend your time in Mt. Cook!

Day 7 (17th Nov)
Another whole day of driving ... Good Luck!

Day 8 (18th Nov)

This post has been edited by fallout: Oct 23 2013, 11:28 PM

Thanks for the tips bro

Day 1 - Noted. Will skip Greymouth since you mentioned the journey may be longer than what Google Map says

Day 2 - Sorry which tour your are referring to that is 4 hours?

Day 5 - Thanks for the suggestion

Day 6 - Ok will do that

Day 7 - there's two of us so i guess still manageable. Anyway it is not cast in stone, will adjust accordingly if it is really tough

This post has been edited by X-Zen: Oct 24 2013, 10:07 AM

Day 1
Nothing in Greymouth can skip. If you have time, spend a short while in Arthurs Pass to Devil Puchbowl waterfall. Very nice.
If you don't have enough time, suggest you to stay overnight at Fox glacier instead. It's take shorter time and route to walk from trailhead to the glacier face compared to Franz Joseph, if you must see glacier. And at Fox glacier, you can have a walk at Lake Matheson.

Day 2
On the way from west coast to Wanaka, u can stop by Lake Hawea. mirror like lake wif weather is good. There's a rippon vineyard at wanaka but how much is the cellar door visit i have no idea.

Day 4
2 places in a day, not sure enough time or not as they are in different direction. suggest to stop by kawarau bridge to see ppl doing bungy jump on your way to arrowtown.

Day 5
Dunedine - Speight's Brewery tour. drink kau kau, only if u stay overnight
I remember when i was on road trip from oamaru to questown, we stopped by aviemore dam. i just like the place and at cromwell, lake dunstan. just awesome to have that kinda view on a long road trip...

Day 6
The salmon farm is on the way from mt cook to lake tekapo route

Day 7
Suggest you to vist the seal pups at kaikoura. super cute.


have fun!