We are 3 people (all around 30) who are planning our trip to New Zealand (early planning, going between december and end of march) I just wanted to ask if my itinerary is doable and good.

Hello,

We are 3 people (all around 30) who are planning our trip to New zeeland (early planning, going between december and end of march)

I just wanted to ask if my itinerary is doable and good:

1. Fly from Frankfurt to Christchurch

2. Arrive in Christchurch

3. Stay in Christchurch and explore

4. Drive to pancake rocks (Arthur's Pass)

5.Drive to Franz Joseph Glacier

6. Heli hike and maybe hot pools

7. Wanaka

8. Wanaka

9. Te Anau (maybe visit glowworm cave)

10. Milford Sound

11. Queenstown

12. Explore QT (maybe excursion, like jet boat)

13. Dirve to mt cook, do the hooker valley track

14. Drive to CHC , evening flight to Rotorua (sleep in Rotorua)

15. Explore Rotorua

16. Drive to Turnagi (stop at Lake Taupo / Wai-o-Tapu)

17. Tongariro alpine crossing

18. Drive to Coromandel , Hahei (stop at Hobbiton)

19. Explore Coromandel

20. Explore Coromandel

21. Hahei to AKL Airport (to take flight in evening)

22. Arrive in Frankfurt

Questions:

Day 3 : I am not a fan of cities and i prefer stunning nature. Shall i skip this day?

Day 8 : Shall i stay in Wanaka explore and relax? Or do a tour( maybe a 4WD Off Road Tours?)

Day 9: Glowworm cave maybe not as good as Waitomo but good to end the day? Then i can skip it on north island

Day 13: Is it doable? Driving to mount cook, and do the hike in afternoon? Not sure if it is worth staying one more night..

Day 14: Seems to be a long drive? Not sure if i should take the plane on the same day... But i dont see why i should stay one more night in Christchurch if i can already sleep in Rotorua?

Day 17: I am not sure if i should skip tongariro alpine crossing.. Looks nice but if the weather isn't good i can skip it... Shall I skip this and add one or 2 nights in other areas?

Day 18: Is the drive to long?

I guess the itinerary seems not to stressful because there are some 2 night stays. If i would skip the Tongariro Alpine Crossing I could even make it less stressfull, and have 2 more nights in other places. (maybe Kaikoura and see dolphins?)

What i am missing is the Abel Tasman National Park. But if i would do the traditional 3 weeks Tour and take the ferry, i have to stay in Wellington and in Picton, which means i have 2 more stays in cities..?

3 nights in Coromandel seem good as a more relaxing ending of our trip.(As Bay of Islands is to far away)

Thank you very much for your help and information.

With best regards
You already invited:

ZOE

Upvotes from:

18. Rotorua to Hobbiton and up to the Coromandel Peninsula. I recommend that you take the SH2/Karangahake Gorge route to Waihi, and then SH25 from Waihi to Hahei.

3 nights at Hahei will give you a full day to explore the Mercury Bay area, since you will return to Auckland on your final day in NZ for departure.

SH25A is the shortest route from E. Coromandel (Hikuai) to Kopu near Thames. The longer route takes you from Mercury Bay through Whitianga to Coromandel Town and down the Thames Coast road into Thames township. The entire peninsula is scenic, with sandy beaches on the east, and silty bays on the Firth of Thames.

T Ryan

Upvotes from:

I am not a big fan of having to drive 6 hrs return a hire car and catch a plane on the same day.

What happens if there is an accident ,the car breaks down rtc. Best to be around CHC area for the flight out the next morning.

It would cut down the stress a lot more.

Upper Hutt

Upvotes from:

Just offering an alternative route for the SI. If you do want to fly to the NI on Day 14 (quite possible as long as you allow a full 6hr for the drive from Aoraki Mt Cook, including stops) could be modified to avoid all that backtracking:

14. Drive to CHC; Fly to WLG (more flights than to Rotorua)

15. Drive to NP (2N)

16. You don't have to do the TAC but there are lots of lovely short walks too.

16. Drive to Rotorua (2N)

18. Drive to Coromandel ...Edited: 3:00 pm, March 05, 2020

Milse Dessert

Upvotes from:

It's a bit rushed, but there are no glaring oversights in your plan, it's doable.

To your specific questions:

day 3: no, I'd advise you to keep this day, you'll need an easy day to help with jetlag. There's plenty to do in Christchurch, including walks and outside things. Don't drive for at least 24 hours upon arrival, not even to get from the airport to your accommodation. Jetlag is a serious issue on NZ roads.

Day 8: entirely up to you. Keep in mind that you'll need most of day 7 to get to Wanaka: the drive via the Haast Pass is very scenic, has plenty of stops along the way and the driving is somewhat slow-going.

Day 9: again, up to you. With the current itinerary, you won't have time to get to Waitomo so if you want to see glowworms, this is a good chance. If you prefer Waitomo, you'll have to rearrange things to make time.

Day 13: yes, that should be doable if you don't get a very late start (and assuming you're not there at the end of March, when daylight hours are getting shorter). Though to your second point, if nature and impressive landscapes appeal to you, a second night at Mount Cook could be time well spent. There are plenty of wonderful walks there.

Day 14: this could work, but you'll need to plan this quite precisely. Have you looked up flight times? I'd allow 6-7 hours for the drive, with some time for short stops along the way. Another hour to deal with handing in the rental car (longer if you're planning on a campervan - you haven't said what your plans are?). So if you can get an evening flight, this could work.

Day 17: first of, I'm assuming you're planning on Turangi for day 16? I think there are better bases for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, like National Park, which would be closer to the start of the track. In summer, this is important because the track is very exposed and thus can get very hot. An early start is important.

You should know that this is NOT a casual walk. It's a track that requires decent fitness, gear and preparation (like up to date weather information).

If you're coming in the high season, it is likely that you will need to pre-book accommodation and possibly shuttles, you may not be able to set this up last-minute. And there is a chance that weather conditions are not favorable on the one day you have to do the track. If it's a priority for you, another day would give you a buffer.

Day 18: this is just about doable, though you will spend half the day driving. Hobbiton requires a tour, which you may need to prebook in summer, so you'd be on a bit of a schedule this day.

The thing with the buffer day also applies to Franz Josef Glacier: the weather is kind of infamous along the West Coast and heli-hikes are cancelled often. If it's a priority for you, you may want a buffer day. By the way, if any glacier will do, you might want to look into the Tasman Glacier at Mount Cook. Heli-hikes are also offered there, and the weather is often more stable (so not as many cancellations). You'd probably need that second night there, in that case.

On the way to the West Coast Glaciers, you'll pass Hokitika. The Hokitika Gorge is a very nice detour.

If you decide to skip the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, I'd be inclined to use those nights in destinations you already have. Wanaka and Queenstown, for example, could keep you busy for weeks and are wonderfully situated for walks in the area. There are also plenty of tours on offer.

Kaikoura is offered as a daytrip from Christchurch, if you really don't want to spend a day there you could take a tour. Though several hours on the bus and a boat tour on the open ocean might be a bit much if jetlag catches up with you...

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