Hi there,

I'm planning a backpacking trip to NZ this October/November. I'd like to see if anyone there is interested to join me, at least partially. I plan to rent a car, so having (a) partner(s) could help to lower the car budget and fatigue from driving

Why NZ?
-Beautiful scenery
-Exciting activities
-Many more

Why Oct/Nov?
-I know it's still cold, but it's not the busiest season

Why this year?
-H1N1 + economic factor = Lower exchange rate.
-Taking advantage of the MAS "all-in" farelah. Return trip KUL-AUK = RM 2,400 (INCL tax & surcharge!) . Promotion ends 07/06/2009, travel date until 30/11/2009
-The normal (MH-flex) return ticket is easily >RM 4,000, while the MH-low is about RM 3,100 (tax & surcharge NOT INCLUDED)

Why drive?
-Can take on time. Easy to stop to take photo, eat, go to toilet etc.
-No need to carry bag everywhere. If bring suitcase also can
-If go shopping no need to carry bags, just shove into trunk

These are the basic details of my travelling plans:
Departure from KUL: 15/10/2009 21:10 MH 131, Arr AUK 12:20+1
Return from AUK : 08/11/2009 13:50 MH 130, Arr KUL 20:15
Main mode of transport in NZ: Car rental --> Rental budget: NZD 800 max for 22 days incl ferry crossing (Wellington/Picton)
Type of car : Compact auto, fuel efficiency about 7 litres/100 km @ 14 km/litre
Fuel budget : NZD 700 max (5,000 km @ NZD 2.00 per litre)
*Fuel in NZ is currently between NZD 1.70-1.80 per litre

Accommodation: Backpacker's hostel is between NZD 22-30 per night for dorms/bunk bed.

Food : To save budget, I plan to make my own meals most of the time. I may dine out once in a while.

Tentative Itinerary (subject to changes):

North Island: 7 nights
Waitomo (Glow Worm, caves), Matamata (Hobbitton), Rotorua (Maori Culture, Hells Gate, Agrodome), Taupo (Lake Taupo, Tongariro 1-day hike), Wellington

South Island:
Abel Tasman, Kaikoura (whale watching), Christchurch, Hoikitika (jade factory), Fox & Franz Josef glaciers (interested to do 1 day hike), Queenstown (adrenaline stuff), Doubtful Sound overnight cruise, Milford Sound (4 days independent walking on Milford Track + 1 night at Milford Sound), Mt Cook.


Yes, I do admit those plans are rather ambitious. Those are basically everything I want to do and I'll try to stream my itinerary so that it'll be possible. Logically though, I may have to sacrifice 1/4 of those.

I'm still calculating how much I may need for the trip. RM 10,000 (airfare, insurance, accommodation, transport, food + some activities is pretty tight). RM 15,000 is less suffocating. Anything more that is basically heaven!

@navilink

2011 is still a long way, but having a target is good indeed . Keep working towards it!

My actual NZ dream vacation would require about 6 weeks . And a whole lot of cash . Initially I wanted to go in 2010, either in Apr/May or Oct/Nov, but I couldn't resist to see if it can be realized this year.

I've surveyed MAS airfare for NZ for a few years already. It is cheaper to purchase when they are having a promotion. And it it cheapest at THIS promotion because they allow a longer travel duration. Previous promotions allow return tickets for two weeks only.

And it helps that NZ dollar is lower against ringgit compared to before. Unfortunately, most of the activity fees in NZ has increased NZD 10 since last year.

I prefer solo travel as I have the power to call on any decisions. If I make a bad call, there's only me to blame. After all, I'll still meet people along the way and forge new friendships.

Going this year is a bit of a handicap due to the time/budget constraints. I need to decide soon .

This post has been edited by dzareth: Jun 4 2009, 02:37 PM

@soulpower

winter vacation, huh? how long are u going?

i've surveyed most airlines. MAS promotion fare is cheapest. but the normal fare is expensive lor. besides, when u take into account the need for flight transit PLUS the waiting time, less is not necessarily better. after all, KUL-AKL is already a 10 hour flight. that's long.

i manage to buy some NZD while it was low but it is steadily rising

after spending more than half of my life studying (sistem pendidikan malaysia yg berorientasikan peperiksaan), i'm not keen to get back to school at least for another couple of years. currently enjoying a steady income stream and pursuing a career. and despite the many faults of the nation, i can't imagine migrating when may closest family and friends are here. but i wouldn't mind one of those work+holiday schemes