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[Dr. Feel Good]

Me and the Mrs. are planning our Honeymoon in New Zealand later this year and we're hoping to get the details out of the way in case we need to figure out travel within the country itself.

We will have 9 days within the country and am looking on best advice on how to properly utilize the time and see the country. As an FYI we are flying from LAX to Auckland. I'm lost on how to best travel during this time. Rent a car? Fly cheap domestically? Both?

My rough idea was:

1. Auckland (3 days) to spend in and around the city. I'm sure it's touristy but Waiheke Island, Tiritiri Matangi Island, Hot Water Beach, Mission Bay Beach. One day potentially to also drive (?) down to Hamilton area to see Glowworm Caves, Hobbiton, Lake Taupo (have a buddy that lives here) and Huka Falls.
2. Fly (?) to Christchurch from Auckland (2 days) to see the city, slow down a little bit, Hot Air Balloon, ride the trolleys. Honestly I'm up in the air on this one as the town seems a bit dead and sort of messed up from the Earthquakes over the years.
OR
2. Drive (?) to Wellington from Auckland (2 days) to see the city, check out the movie studios, Botanic Gardens, Mt. Victoria, and probably slow down a little bit.
3. Fly (if from Wellington)/Drive (if from Christchurch) to Queenstown (3 days). Here we would do Bungee Jumping, The Giant Swing, explore the city, possibly see Milford Sound (but doubt we would have time) as we want to spend one day out in Fox Glacier skydiving. Is this doable? It seems impossible to get out there?

Is there major stuff I'm missing here? Major sights to hit? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[lastplayed]

2. Fly (?) to Christchurch from Auckland (2 days) to see the city, slow down a little bit, Hot Air Balloon, ride the trolleys. Honestly I'm up in the air on this one as the town seems a bit dead and sort of messed up from the Earthquakes over the years.

Definitely not dead. You can visit the Canterbury Museum, one of the country's best, ride up the Gondola overlooking the city, visit Lyttelton harbour, and there's day trips out to Castle Hill (where they film the odd movie) or Mount Sunday where they filmed Edoras in LOTR.

And yeah hire a car as much as you can, the best way to do short trips.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/new-zealand/christchurch-and-canterbury/christchurch

 

[F!ReW!Re]

I think the North Island is great and there's some really beautiful places there.
(Tongariro crossing is a must do)

Still the South Island is my favorite. It's super varied with some amazing hikes, beaches, fijords, etc.

I would recommend spending most of your time on the South Island.

 

[Hypron]

One day potentially to also drive (?) down to Hamilton area to see Glowworm Caves, Hobbiton, Lake Taupo (have a buddy that lives here) and Huka Falls.

I really don't think you'll have time to do all that in a day. Driving down to Taupo takes 4 hours by itself. You're probably looking at 2/3 days' worth of activities so you'll need to choose which sounds the best to you (seeing your mate and checking out one or two things on the way?).

 

[Dr. Feel Good]

I really don't think you'll have time to do all that in a day. Driving down to Taupo takes 4 hours by itself. You're probably looking at 2/3 days' worth of activities so you'll need to choose which sounds the best to you (seeing your mate and checking out one or two things on the way?).

Good to know. I've heard Hobbiton is overrated as fuck but the LOTR nerd in me needs to see it. Glowworm Caves I've heard great things about too. Maybe buddy from Taupo could drive up to Hamilton?

 

[The Mule]

New Zealand is one of those places where you want to take your time to enjoy the scenery.

My wife and I went to NZ for our honeymoon a couple of years ago. We had much more time than 9 days (I think it was almost 4 weeks) so what we did may not work for you, but we flew into Christchurch, hired a car and drove counter-clockwise around the south island.

The south island is where all the truly magnificent landscapes are, so if you have the option I'd spend most of your time there. Me and my wife particularly enjoyed:

Kaikoura (chill coastal town where we swam with dolphins. beautiful area)

Franz Josef/Fox Glaciers (epic mountain scenery. we got a half-price helicopter ride up the mountain and landed on the glacier. AMAZING!)

Wanaka (another chill town with beautiful mountain surroundings)

Queenstown (yeah, it's nice, but your typical tourist trap)

Milford Sound (did a little kayak adventure on the water. AMAZING drive there from Queenstown. you're rolling the dice with weather though. we were very lucky to have a clear day)

Dunedin (Beautiful university town, but kind of dead if it's not the teaching period at the university. Lots of history and old architecture. Check out Olveston Historic Home if you're into that kind of thing)

Mount Cook (this was overall a bit disappointing because I was really looking forward to the star gazing, but clouds ruined the opportunity. otherwise it just felt really overpriced and underwhelming. again, great scenery and walks though)

 

[Idle Storm]

I just studied abroad in new Zealand over our Winterm. Christchurch isn't that great, I say you split your time between Auckland, Queenstown, and wellington. Each are fairly distinct and have a lot of great sights to see. And as a huge lotr nerd, you haveee to go to hobbiton. It was such an incredible experience. Glow worm cave tour was a lot of fun as Well! Queenstown is great to walk around and explore the shops and markets. If you go to Queenstown, take the cable car loft up the giant mountain right on the cities side. On the top there is a diner and gift shop as well as a street luge track. Bungee jumping outside of Queenstown is incredible too.

Lake tepako on the south island is so incredibly beautiful too if you have a chance to go there.

 

[Alienfan]

Me and the Mrs. are planning our Honeymoon in New Zealand later this year and we're hoping to get the details out of the way in case we need to figure out travel within the country itself.

We will have 9 days within the country and am looking on best advice on how to properly utilize the time and see the country. As an FYI we are flying from LAX to Auckland. I'm lost on how to best travel during this time. Rent a car? Fly cheap domestically? Both?

My rough idea was:

1. Auckland (3 days) to spend in and around the city. I'm sure it's touristy but Waiheke Island, Tiritiri Matangi Island, Hot Water Beach, Mission Bay Beach. One day potentially to also drive (?) down to Hamilton area to see Glowworm Caves, Hobbiton, Lake Taupo (have a buddy that lives here) and Huka Falls.
2. Fly (?) to Christchurch from Auckland (2 days) to see the city, slow down a little bit, Hot Air Balloon, ride the trolleys. Honestly I'm up in the air on this one as the town seems a bit dead and sort of messed up from the Earthquakes over the years.
OR
2. Drive (?) to Wellington from Auckland (2 days) to see the city, check out the movie studios, Botanic Gardens, Mt. Victoria, and probably slow down a little bit.
3. Fly (if from Wellington)/Drive (if from Christchurch) to Queenstown (3 days). Here we would do Bungee Jumping, The Giant Swing, explore the city, possibly see Milford Sound (but doubt we would have time) as we want to spend one day out in Fox Glacier skydiving. Is this doable? It seems impossible to get out there?

Is there major stuff I'm missing here? Major sights to hit? Any help would be appreciated.

Skip Christchurch, there's not much to do there and it's a pain to get around (everything is so weirdly spaced out) plus it's ugly. You'll regret spending any amount of time there. Instead spend those two extra days in Queenstown and Milford Sound, and if you have more time, visit Dunedin. It's a great city that you could see almost all of it in 2 days. Plus everything is walkable, and the buildings are old and beautiful (think Edinburgh), it's a great wee place, especially now with Univeristy back the place is lively (ends Novemeber though).

Adding to things to do in Queenstown canyoning is a must. Same price as Bungie, but lasts 4 hours. Cookie Time is great too! And Ferg Burger does some of the best burgers in New Zealand, just be prepared for 30min queues by going early. I'll also second the Glow worm cave tour in Waitomo.

Also, the South Island is objectively better than the North Island for tourism, so maybe even spend less time in the North Island. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HIRE A CAR

 

[legend166]

We did our honeymoon for 6 days just staying in Queenstown and doing a couple day trips. It was absolutely amazing and I'd recommend it to anyone. Oh, and we didn't even do any of the adrenaline junkie stuff (bungee, swing, etc). We did do the Shotover Jet but I wouldn't include that in the adrenaline junkie category.

Do a helicopter ride over the lake and land on the side of a mountain. Or if you've got money take it to the glaciers.

What time of year are you going? Obviously this is dependent on when your wedding is, but we did late October/early November and it was the best. Still some snow on the mountains but not too cold.

 

[KahooTs]

Christchurch is no real loss.

 

[lastplayed]

Good to know. I've heard Hobbiton is overrated as fuck but the LOTR nerd in me needs to see it.

It's an amazing place, I've been there twice and loved it each time. Initially it wasn't much to look at, but the last few years have transformed it into a permanent fixture that just oozes atmosphere. If you're anywhere near that corner of the NI then it's a must IMO.

 

[Alienfan]

Good to know. I've heard Hobbiton is overrated as fuck but the LOTR nerd in me needs to see it. Glowworm Caves I've heard great things about too. Maybe buddy from Taupo could drive up to Hamilton?

If you want to please the lord of the rings nerd in you, do one of the horse treks in Queenstown. They all visit most of the filming locations (that look even better in real life), no horse riding experience required (my 6 year old sister even did it). One of the best things I've ever done for sure. It's truly the most epic way to experience Queenstown's landscapes, and If you're feeling extra adventurous try out one of the overnight treks, otherwise they have half day - full day treks available.

 

[Dr. Feel Good]

Could Wellington be done in a day? Say fly in at 10AM and leave the following day at 10AM?

Looking more and more into it Christchurch doesn't seem worth our time. Might consider skipping staying in Hamilton too and avoid Taupa given how far out of the way it is.

OH and forgot to mention the dates are November 18th-26th.

Day 1 -- Auckland -- Explore the city. Take it easy, recover from jet lag. Mission Bay Beach if weather permits.
Day 2 -- Auckland -- Waiheke Island, Hot Water Beach, Tiritiri Matangi Island, explore the city at Night
Day 3 -- Auckland -- Drive south to Glowworm Caves, Hobbiton, Hamilton Botanical Gardens
Day 4 -- Wellington -- Fly in the AM, take the Cable Car and Kelbrun Lookout, Waterfront, Mount Victoria, Princess Bay. This might be too much?
Day 5 -- Queenstown -- Fly in the AM, beach if weather permits, ride the gondola, see The Remarkables. Explore city at night.
Day 6 -- Queenstown -- Bungee Jump, Giant Swing, Explore the City
Day 7 -- Fox Glacier / Franz Josef -- Drive/bus out in the AM, Skydive, Helicopter Ride
Day 8 -- Queenstown -- Drive back. Somehow force in Milford Sound through Helicopter? Doubt this is doable? Could be a relaxed day in Queenstown.
Day 9 -- Queenstown most of the day but fly into Auckland at night to catch our flight back to the States.

 

[catmincer]

I'd highly recommend skipping Christchurch, it's boring and soulless imo. Dunedin id much better and being settled as a Scottish city the buildings are different.

I echo the comments about hiring a rental car. If you want pm me and I can give you a discount code for one, might save you some money.

 

[Dr. Feel Good]

Do a helicopter ride over the lake and land on the side of a mountain. Or if you've got money take it to the glaciers.

How does this work exactly? What is the glacier route? I'm assuming nothing can take us to Fox Glacier?

 

[lastplayed]

Could Wellington be done in a day? Say fly in at 10AM and leave the following day at 10AM?

Looking more and more into it Christchurch doesn't seem worth our time. Might consider skipping staying in Hamilton too and avoid Taupa given how far out of the way it is.

OH and forgot to mention the dates are November 18th-26th.

Day 1 -- Auckland -- Explore the city. Take it easy, recover from jet lag. Mission Bay Beach if weather permits.
Day 2 -- Auckland -- Waiheke Island, Hot Water Beach, Tiritiri Matangi Island, explore the city at Night
Day 3 -- Auckland -- Drive south to Glowworm Caves, Hobbiton, Hamilton Botanical Gardens
Day 4 -- Wellington -- Fly in the AM, take the Cable Car and Kelbrun Lookout, Waterfront, Mount Victoria, Princess Bay. This might be too much?
Day 5 -- Queenstown -- Fly in the AM, beach if weather permits, ride the gondola, see The Remarkables. Explore city at night.
Day 6 -- Queenstown -- Bungee Jump, Giant Swing, Explore the City
Day 7 -- Fox Glacier / Franz Josef -- Drive/bus out in the AM, Skydive, Helicopter Ride
Day 8 -- Queenstown -- Drive back. Somehow force in Milford Sound through Helicopter? Doubt this is doable? Could be a relaxed day in Queenstown.
Day 9 -- Queenstown most of the day but fly into Auckland at night to catch our flight back to the States.

That sounds kinda exhausting to be honest lol. I'd probably stick to one island but if you wanna see both I suppose it's possible.

Queenstown is kinda overrated IMO, I'd rather spend time in Marlborough/Nelson area.

 

[Alienfan]

Could Wellington be done in a day? Say fly in at 10AM and leave the following day at 10AM?

Looking more and more into it Christchurch doesn't seem worth our time. Might consider skipping staying in Hamilton too and avoid Taupa given how far out of the way it is.

OH and forgot to mention the dates are November 18th-26th.

Day 1 -- Auckland -- Explore the city. Take it easy, recover from jet lag. Mission Bay Beach if weather permits.
Day 2 -- Auckland -- Waiheke Island, Hot Water Beach, Tiritiri Matangi Island, explore the city at Night
Day 3 -- Auckland -- Drive south to Glowworm Caves, Hobbiton, Hamilton Botanical Gardens
Day 4 -- Wellington -- Fly in the AM, take the Cable Car and Kelbrun Lookout, Waterfront, Mount Victoria, Princess Bay. This might be too much?
Day 5 -- Queenstown -- Fly in the AM, beach if weather permits, ride the gondola, see The Remarkables. Explore city at night.
Day 6 -- Queenstown -- Bungee Jump, Giant Swing, Explore the City
Day 7 -- Fox Glacier / Franz Josef -- Drive/bus out in the AM, Skydive, Helicopter Ride
Day 8 -- Queenstown -- Drive back. Somehow force in Milford Sound? Doubt this is doable. Could be a relaxed day in Queenstown.
Day 9 -- Queenstown most of the day but fly into Auckland at night to catch our flight back to the States.

You picked really good dates, you'll still see snow, but it won't be too cold and you'll miss the summer rushes.

My advice is find a way to squeeze in Milford sounds (it would only take up 7hrs total driving time), and you'll pass through Te Anu, a great place to stop for lunch, and maybe rest in the hot pools before continuing the drive. But please don't consider bussing, that will slow everything down and restrict what you do. NZ is one of those places you'll overhear people talking about really cool places and want to make a spontaneous adventure out of it.
And yeah the helicopter rides land basically on the Glacier (at least when I did it)

 

[Dr. Feel Good]

You picked really good dates, you'll still see snow, but it won't be too cold and you'll miss the summer rushes.

My advice is find a way to squeeze in Milford sounds (it would only take up 7hrs total driving time), and you'll pass through Te Anu, a great place to stop for lunch, and maybe rest in the hot pools before continuing the drive. But please don't consider bussing, that will slow everything down and restrict what you do. NZ is one of those places you'll overhear people talking about really cool places and want to make a spontaneous adventure out of it.
And yeah the helicopter rides land basically on the Glacier (at least when I did it)

I think a helicopter to Milford Sounds might be the best way to do it.

Any advice on 24 hours in Wellington? Would be trying to force too much in?

 

[Dr. Feel Good]

That sounds kinda exhausting to be honest lol. I'd probably stick to one island but if you wanna see both I suppose it's possible.

Queenstown is kinda overrated IMO, I'd rather spend time in Marlborough/Nelson area.

Well we have to fly in and out of Auckland which is why we are spending time there. Queenstown is necessary because we wanted to do all the extreme sports stuff too, so I don't really know how we can not spend time on both islands to be honest...

 

[lastplayed]

Well we have to fly in and out of Auckland which is why we are spending time there. Queenstown is necessary because we wanted to do all the extreme sports stuff too, so I don't really know how we can not spend time on both islands to be honest...

Fair enough, just check and double check Google Maps for driving times. It can be a deceptively big country, our motorways are quite small and windy and people often underestimate how long it'll take them to drive places. And don't forget to drive on the left. There are far too many stories of horror road smashes caused by tourists driving on the wrong side of the road.