New Zealand

Travellerinterp

Thanks to a lot of great advice from other people on this forum I’ve decided that I want to head to New Zealand for three weeks later this year.
I'm looking for name of a company that specialises in tours for faily youngish people under the age of 30, I'll be going solo.
Or can anyone think of a decent New Zealand itinery for three weeks, if not are there any links to previous postings about New Zealand?
Thanks!

Norinoco

Hey ya.

The two main companies used by backpackers are kiwi experience and the magic bus. Im sure there are other ones out there but these were the most advertised when we looked in to doing a tour around NZ.

In the end we hired out a car and worked out about half the cost of doing a tour. (NZ$19 per day)

With 3 weeks you'll definitely be caught for time if you want to see everything, we did both islands in 3 and half weeks and that was solid going, and still didnt get a chance to see the far north and the west of the north island.

As for an itinerary, it depends on which city you land in. If you pop in to the magic bus or the kiwi experience websites it will give you an idea of the main areas to go to.

Spent 15 days on the south island and 9 days in the north island.
It was a fairly beaten track that we took...

Christchruch - Lake Tekapo- Mount Cook (good walks) - Dunedin (chocolate factory!) - Invercargill (national park for walks) - Te Anau (overnight before heading to MS - Milford Sound - Queenstown (great night life!) - Wanaka (Nice lake) - Franz Josef (Glacier, do a full or 3/4 day, 1/2 ****e unless caught for time) - Greymouth - Able Tasman National Park (great walks) - Picton (Ferry to Wellington)

Wellington - Tongariro National Park (17 hour walk) - Taupo (skydiving / zorbing) - Rotorua (mud baths, maori village, smelly!!) - Over to the Cormandel(sp?) Pinnculla (more walks) - Waitomo (Black water rafting) - Auckland (sky tower, drank alot again!)

Spent about AUS$2500

xebec

Contiki also do tours which seem to take in most of both islands.

Travellerinterp

Thanks for that. Sounds like I have underestimated the size of NZ!
A couple of things...
I had planned on spending a week in Oz and two in New Zealand.
Given the size of the countries is that an insane plan?
IE four days in Sydney and on to Auckland and home from there.
Flight wise, I take it you have to stop off in Singapore or Hong Kong.
Do virgin fly there?
What Irish travel agencies do package tours to NZ/Oz? Was thinking trailfinders.
Do you gain time on way to or from?
How many hours Dub to Auckland?
If anyone else is interested in heading to that part of the world for three weeks in December then please let me know!

bridestream

Forget using travel agents. Save money by doing it online.
I'm going to Oz and NZ for 8 weeks in Mid Feb.
My NZ friends tell me Christchurch is a good starting point and the TranzAlpine trip (http://www.alpinesafari.co.nz/) is a must.
If u are going to Sydney first use Jetstar for Sydney/Christchurch sector. If within budget hire a car. The Sth Island is the most scenic. Christchurch to Mount Cook and on to Wanaka, Queenstown, Milford Sound to Franz Josef Glacier.
The ferry trip between Picton on the Sth Island and Wellington is supposed to be worthwhile.
Im told Taupo in the middle of Nth Island is worth a visit as is Pauanoi on the Coromandel Peninsula. Auckland is due west from this point.
Incidentally avoid Heathrow by flying Gulf Air direct Bahrain where you change planes for Sydney with a technical stopover in Singapore. Gulf Air have very competitive fares.
On my return Mid April I promise to post my experiences here.

mikekrupel

I've just been to New Zealand travelling alone too. After some searching I decided to take one of the tour buses which take you around and at the same time give you lots of flexibility to do what you want. I chose the less popular Stray Bus but I think all of them Kiwi Experience, Magic Bus etc. offer basically the same thing.

I've barely managed to do the main New Zealand spots in 3 weeks so I think doing both Oz and NZ is stretching it a bit. Are you planning of going in Summer.

As for the locations I agree with what the previous posters said, they mentioned all the main ones.

You can stop reach Auckland either through Singapore/Hong Kong or from LA. But if you're thinking of going to Sydney it'll be better going through Singapore. You lose a day getting there and the flight to Auckland might take a full day.

I've got a report of most of the holiday here http://www.mindspill.org/travel_channel/newzealand

If you want more info or have any questions I'll be willing to reply. You can use the contact address on the site.

gagalina

I did the Magic bus a few years ago - I'm sure they have a website, so check it out. They have all different routes that you can go for. I for instance went from Christchurch with the TransAlpine Train (a definite must) to Greymouth then down to Queenstown and then back up to the North Island and to Auckland (I only had 10 days to travel as I was working the other 3 months of my stay there). The Magic Bus drivers are quite funny and were always making jokes about the Kiwi Experience bus drivers ;-)

You get to meet loads of people on the bus (I met a canadian girl who I saw again 6 months later on O'Connell street by accident ;-) and all the sites are just stunning!!! I wish I could have stayed there...

Gagalina

Ritchi

Am thinking of doing the magic bus tour soon(or possibly stray), just wondering if it's better to book ahead online, or should we wait until we get there. Has anyone found it cheaper to do it when you arrive?

preddy

Not really just keep an eye out for specials on there website 50% off sometimes!

youcancallmeal

Ritchi wrote: »

Am thinking of doing the magic bus tour soon(or possibly stray), just wondering if it's better to book ahead online, or should we wait until we get there. Has anyone found it cheaper to do it when you arrive?

There is an offer on from Magic at the moment, if you book a South Island tour you get a North island tour for free(or vice versa?). Think Kiwi Experience have more or less the same offer aswell, both around $500nz. They both finish their offers on 31st March. I'm thinking of going for one them but can't decide, probably Magic because there are so many negative views on Kiwi Experience out there.

I was looking at renting a car/camper van but I'm flying in and out of Auckland and the prices for taking a car via ferry to South Island is crazy! Almost $500nz return for two adults and a car. With regards car rentals I looked around quite a bit and I figure after petrol, ferry tickets and various other vehicle related expenses that it would be way more expensive than going with the likes of magic. I'm also doing the east coast of Oz after NZ so I'm saving my money to rent a vehicle for that trip.

mikedragon32

Moved from Travel and Holidays

belleray

Hey,
Just finished New Zealand leg of the trip.
I did it in 26 days but to be honest some of that can be left out.

Spent 3 days in Northland which was beautiful but Stray do day trips from Auckland to the bay of Island if thats all you'd be interested in.

Spent 3 days in Auckland - I didn't really like the city so no great loss if you miss that.

Then we took the stray bus for 6 days to cover the rest of the north island - coromandel region, raglan for surfing, taupo for sky diving, cultural experience (spend the night in a Mauri meeting house) rotarua for white water rafting, National park for the 7 hour hike, and then on to wellington, its very packed but I had a fantastic time, made loads of friends - generally had a blast - not too young a crowd, good mix.

From there we got a car and did the south island by ourselves in 12 days, if you plan ahead you could cut if down, just work out what you really want to see - for example the milford sound is an extra day out of the way.

Would def recommend stray

breadmonkey

Norinoco wrote: »

Christchruch - Lake Tekapo- Mount Cook (good walks) - Dunedin (chocolate factory!) - Invercargill (national park for walks) - Te Anau (overnight before heading to MS - Milford Sound - Queenstown (great night life!) - Wanaka (Nice lake) - Franz Josef (Glacier, do a full or 3/4 day, 1/2 ****e unless caught for time) - Greymouth - Able Tasman National Park (great walks) - Picton (Ferry to Wellington)

Wellington - Tongariro National Park (17 hour walk) - Taupo (skydiving / zorbing) - Rotorua (mud baths, maori village, smelly!!) - Over to the Cormandel(sp?) Pinnculla (more walks) - Waitomo (Black water rafting) - Auckland (sky tower, drank alot again!)

Spent about AUS$2500

Would agree with all of that and add Kaikoura.

Travellerinterp wrote: »

Thanks for that. Sounds like I have underestimated the size of NZ!
A couple of things...
I had planned on spending a week in Oz and two in New Zealand.
Given the size of the countries is that an insane plan?
IE four days in Sydney and on to Auckland and home from there.

I think spend the whole time in NZ. Flying in and out of places eats up a lot of time and is a pain in the ass even if it's a fairly short flight.

bridestream wrote: »

Christchurch to Mount Cook and on to Wanaka, Queenstown, Milford Sound to Franz Josef Glacier.

While Milfor d Sound is quite close to Franz Josef in a geographical sense, if you look at a road map you'll find that Milford Sound is an almighty cul de sac and it would take a very long time to travel between the two!

youcancallme>al wrote: »

I was looking at renting a car/camper van but I'm flying in and out of Auckland and the prices for taking a car via ferry to South Island is crazy! Almost $500nz return for two adults and a car. With regards car rentals I looked around quite a bit and I figure after petrol, ferry tickets and various other vehicle related expenses that it would be way more expensive than going with the likes of magic. I'm also doing the east coast of Oz after NZ so I'm saving my money to rent a vehicle for that trip.

Al if you rent a car in NZ you'll have to drop it off in Wellington and pick up a new one in Picton so you have no choice but to avoid the extra charges for the van!

With regard to tours, I really really belive that the best way to see NZ is to drive yourself!