Just returned from AUS/NZ

"JohnM" a écrit :
I had a fantastic time in NZ by the way.

How was the weather?
I'm off to NZ at the end of the month :0Þ

My itinerary was:

Auckland-Bay of Islands-Auckland-Waitomo-Rotorua-Whakatane (White
Island)-Gisborne-Napier-Taupo-Tongariro-Wellington-New Plymouth-Mount
Taranaki-Wanganui-Wellington-Picton-Nelson-Nelson Lakes-Picton-Kaikoura-
Christchurch-TranzAlpine to Greymouth-Hokitika-Franz Josef- Queenstown-
Te Anau-Milford Sound-Doubtful Sound-INvercargill-Stewart Island-
Invercargill-Catlins-Dunedin-Oamaru. Then flew Dunedin-Wellington-
Chatham Islands- Auckland.

Great i keep it to help me to do mine.
Did you rent a car or maybe a motorhome?

which is pretty comprehensive. the only places I didn't go to were the
Coromandel

Why not?

have pix will put them up somewhere, too.

I'm impatient to see them :0)

Nataly

In article , Nataly
writes
"JohnM" a écrit :
I had a fantastic time in NZ by the way.

How was the weather?
I'm off to NZ at the end of the month :0Þ

Well, it was getting cold and wet in the South Island below Christchurch
when I left.

The weather was generally good and it only really changed my plans three
times in the whole ten weeks, so I can't complain. The worst was when
there were these high winds on the West Coast of the South Island
(resulting in a twister in Greymouth, did you read about that?). I was
about to go on a cruise to Doubtful Sound. We left Te Anau, crossed Lake
Manapouri, forded a place on the road where it had been washed away by a
temporary waterfall, went all the way to the ship down on the Sound, and
after all that we encountered gusts of 45 knots AT THE WHARF! The
captain wouldn't leave and, frankly, neither would we if we were told we
could sail.

The company (Real Adventures) took us back to Te Anau and compensated us
to the full, BTW.

I was mostly at Te Anau during bouts of bad weather. I met later a
couple of guys who were doing the Milford track and they were lucky. The
previous day's party had to be evacuated because of an avalanche. they
themselves had to ford "Meg" and the water came up to their chests.

There was fog for five days at Welly airport when I was flying in (from
Dunedin) and out (to the Chathams) but miraculously my flights weren't
affected.

Great i keep it to help me to do mine.
Did you rent a car or maybe a motorhome?

No, because I was alone. I took the flexipass offered by Intercity and
Newmans which seems to be a very popular choice. Mine was on an hour
basis and I did something like 65 hours with 4 minutes left :-) the pass
plus the Interisland ferry cost $NZ545.

This was the total price for this part of the itinerary:

Auckland-Bay of Islands-Auckland-Waitomo-Rotorua-Whakatane-Gisborne-
Napier-Taupo-Wellington

New Plymouth-Wanganui-Wellington-Picton-Nelson-Picton

Greymouth-Hokitika-Franz Josef- Queenstown-Te Anau

Dunedin-Oamaru-Dunedin

These bits were extra:

(Welly to New Plymouth $NZ80, flight)
(Picton-Kaikoura-Christchurch-TranzAlpine to Greymouth - took the trains
$125)

Te Anau-Invercargill-Stewart Island-Invercargill-Catlins-Dunedin: took
the Scenic Bus and Catlins Coaster (About $NZ250 incl. ferries to and
from Stewart Island). Catlins Coaster arranged everything for me.

Then flew Dunedin-Wellington-Chatham Islands- Auckland ($NZ600 the most
expensive part of the trip).


which is pretty comprehensive. the only places I didn't go to were the
Coromandel

Why not?

Couldn't fit it in. Hey, next time!

--
JohnM

In article , Nataly
writes
"JohnM" a écrit :
I had a fantastic time in NZ by the way.

How was the weather?
I'm off to NZ at the end of the month :0Þ

Well, it was getting cold and wet in the South Island below Christchurch
when I left.

The weather was generally good and it only really changed my plans three
times in the whole ten weeks, so I can't complain. The worst was when
there were these high winds on the West Coast of the South Island
(resulting in a twister in Greymouth, did you read about that?). I was
about to go on a cruise to Doubtful Sound. We left Te Anau, crossed Lake
Manapouri, forded a place on the road where it had been washed away by a
temporary waterfall, went all the way to the ship down on the Sound, and
after all that we encountered gusts of 45 knots AT THE WHARF! The
captain wouldn't leave and, frankly, neither would we if we were told we
could sail.

The company (Real Adventures) took us back to Te Anau and compensated us
to the full, BTW.

I was mostly at Te Anau during bouts of bad weather. I met later a
couple of guys who were doing the Milford track and they were lucky. The
previous day's party had to be evacuated because of an avalanche. they
themselves had to ford "Meg" and the water came up to their chests.

There was fog for five days at Welly airport when I was flying in (from
Dunedin) and out (to the Chathams) but miraculously my flights weren't
affected.

Great i keep it to help me to do mine.
Did you rent a car or maybe a motorhome?

No, because I was alone. I took the flexipass offered by Intercity and
Newmans which seems to be a very popular choice. Mine was on an hour
basis and I did something like 65 hours with 4 minutes left :-) the pass
plus the Interisland ferry cost $NZ545.

This was the total price for this part of the itinerary:

Auckland-Bay of Islands-Auckland-Waitomo-Rotorua-Whakatane-Gisborne-
Napier-Taupo-Wellington

New Plymouth-Wanganui-Wellington-Picton-Nelson-Picton

Greymouth-Hokitika-Franz Josef- Queenstown-Te Anau

Dunedin-Oamaru-Dunedin

These bits were extra:

(Welly to New Plymouth $NZ80, flight)
(Picton-Kaikoura-Christchurch-TranzAlpine to Greymouth - took the trains
$125)

Te Anau-Invercargill-Stewart Island-Invercargill-Catlins-Dunedin: took
the Scenic Bus and Catlins Coaster (About $NZ250 incl. ferries to and
from Stewart Island). Catlins Coaster arranged everything for me.

Then flew Dunedin-Wellington-Chatham Islands- Auckland ($NZ600 the most
expensive part of the trip).


which is pretty comprehensive. the only places I didn't go to were the
Coromandel

Why not?

Couldn't fit it in. Hey, next time!

--
JohnM

"JohnM" a écrit :
The weather was generally good and it only really changed my plans three
times in the whole ten weeks, so I can't complain. The worst was when
there were these high winds on the West Coast of the South Island
(resulting in a twister in Greymouth, did you read about that?).

No i didn't (i'm searching news on internet about that right now).

Are you gonna do a website with you travel diary and pictures?
Are there places that you have seen and you would recommend me or in
contrary advice me not to go?

Thank you :0)

Nataly

"JohnM" a écrit :
The weather was generally good and it only really changed my plans three
times in the whole ten weeks, so I can't complain. The worst was when
there were these high winds on the West Coast of the South Island
(resulting in a twister in Greymouth, did you read about that?).

No i didn't (i'm searching news on internet about that right now).

Are you gonna do a website with you travel diary and pictures?
Are there places that you have seen and you would recommend me or in
contrary advice me not to go?

Thank you :0)

Nataly

In article , Nataly
writes
"JohnM" a écrit :
The weather was generally good and it only really changed my plans three
times in the whole ten weeks, so I can't complain. The worst was when
there were these high winds on the West Coast of the South Island
(resulting in a twister in Greymouth, did you read about that?).

No i didn't (i'm searching news on internet about that right now).

Are you gonna do a website with you travel diary and pictures?

I do have a website but I have no space for more pictures. Just had a
good look at them and they are quite good.

Are there places that you have seen and you would recommend me or in
contrary advice me not to go?


Well, I think my experience during the summer will be very different
from yours in the autumn, possibly winter, but everything you've read
about New Zealand regards its beauty and the hospitality of its people
is true.

The only place I would consider as approaching a 'rip off' is Kaikoura
which attracts flocks of people to watch the whales and eat the
crayfish. As a result, there are expensive whale-sailings every half
hour for in catamarans where you are not allowed to go outside except
when the boat has stopped in order to rush out and photograph the whales
(two in two hours, the most you see is three) and the crayfish cost
something like NZ$50 for a half and NZ$90 for a whole crayfish which is
less that you might pay further down in the South Island let alone in
Kaikoura where they practically jump on you from the sea! This mentality
has crept to all bars and restaurants and I paid NZ$10 for a tiny piece
of fish and chips which would have bought me two large pieces in the Bay
of Islands. Go if you must, but if they want to treat you like a
Japanese megacoach tourist, pay them back: jump off the bus/train with
your sarnies, get on the whale-watching boat for two hours and catch the
next bus/train out.

Also a place that is overlooked coz visitors don't stay in Auckland for
long is Tiritiri-Matangi, an island in the Hauraki Gulf which is a rare
bird sanctuary that you can visit. It costs $45 return from Auckland
Harbour, $5 for a tour guide (worth it) and you spend 4 hours on the
island where the birds are so fearless they come up to a branch by your
face and look at you.

Napier is being proposed by the New Zealand government as a UNESCO site;
don't know if it is going to be accepted, but it deserves to become one
because of the art-deco architecture of the town centre. Go there before
the tourists discover it. At the moment it's off the main backpacker
route which goes 'Paihia-Auckland-Rotorua-Taupo-Wellington' in the North
Island and 'Nelson-Kaikoura-Christchurch-Dunedin-Queenstown-Franz Josef-
Christchurch' in the South Island.

If hiking is your 'thing' the Tongariro Crossing is mindblowing, indeed,
but be mindful of the weather reports.
--
JohnM

"JohnM" a écrit :
If hiking is your 'thing' the Tongariro Crossing is mindblowing, indeed,
but be mindful of the weather reports.

Yes i like hicking and i hope the weather won't be too bad.

Thank you a lot for all your advices :0)

Nataly