Big Holiday to New Zealand

[PuzzledObserver]

We have both always fancied New Zealand - thinking we might finally get round to it for a big birthday next January. Have got as far as picking up a Trail Finders brochure and been stunned by the difference between the first two suggested itineraries - 19/20 days for around £2.5K pp, and a couple of later luxury/boutique ones, similar length but over £6K!! And that’s without flights….

So, whatever we do we’re into 5 figures, which is a lot to swallow - but we will only do this once. We are (early) retired. One reason for not doing this earlier was the feeling that if you’re going to go so far, you need to go for a good long time - so I’m thinking minimum 3 weeks. More would be amazing, but obviously cost more too.

So - what is your experience of New Zealand? What do you recommend either for or against? What should we absolutely not miss? We have thought about renting a motor home, but neither of us have ever driven one, and I think a car would be more flexible. What is the general cost of living like there compared to the UK - meals out, coffees etc?

If you are reasonably experienced travellers you could sort your own itinerary. We went in 2019 so things may have changed a bit, but car hire was reasonably inexpensive and there are a lot of mid range hotels/motels to stay in.
I'd probably not stay in a camper unless its something you really want to do. The big ones are quite clunky to drive round and the small ones aren't as comfortable as a cheap motel.
My favourite place was Queenstown just because it was such a cool place.

You could easily do it yourself. We hired a motor home to tour the South Island. Didn't prebook anything and had no issues finding lovely places to stay.

We didn't have a big fancy camper and it was easy to drive, also did a couple of air B and B type stays.

I won't comment on the cost as it was nearly ten years ago; some stuff can be expensive but if you sort your own flights and itinerary you'll definitely get best value.

I'm from nz and have travelled there lots too.

Minimum 3 weeks. You can easily spend 3 weeks on South Island. 2 weeks is a good pace for South Island if you are watching time.

Hire a car if you like driving. It's a wonderful epic place to drive. You can rent older cars a bit cheaper.

Stay in motels or backpackers. Get a local sim and book as you go. I did this over Easter without any issues at all.

March is my fav month in nz.

If you want to stay at really epic places there are lots you can find and book online.

In north island there is so much to see you're only limited by time. Rotorua is a must. The rest is all wonderful gravy.

With the exchange rate as it is these days food will be noticably more expensive in nz - but it is pretty good quality.

Accommodation & petrol - the prices are probably on a par with uk.

Not sure about car hire.

If you're retired and could take your time you could look at the volunteer work schemes like woofing or help exchange. I did that years ago and got to stay in some amazing places that I wouldn't have found otherwise. Staying with people from the place really helped with travelling too, got loads of insider tips. Just hire a car, arrange the first volunteering then take it from there, go for as long as you possibly can!

We had our honey moon there.. 20 years ago. We had a mixture of boutique B&B, camper van, hut to hut hiking (can be difficult to book the popular ones) and a boat trip on Milford Sound. The campervan had some highs and lows.. loved being able to turn off and follow a signpost to deserted beaches, waking up to amazing views with no one else around, less so sitting in the camper for 2 days in the rain waiting for the weather to clear for our whale watching trip. Any cost info is totally out of date but it felt expensive.

I’ve been twice and it is fabulous. You can 100% organize it yourself and they even drive on the proper side of the road 😂. Last time we went we were a bit squeezed for time so took quite a few internal flights which are really straightforward (the distances are big if you are driving). Some of our high points were an overnight to Milford sound (so you have it almost to yourself in the morning before everybody else arrives) and the Abel Tasman trek. We also loved hobbiton (are you lord of the rings fans?)

I think you can go a lot cheaper than the Trailfinders if you just rent a car and book your own accommodation. There are lots of options like bed and breakfasts, motels (sometimes have cooking facilities), AirBnB, private rooms in hostels etc. Definately worth going for longer and staying at cheaper places if you can as distances are quite long - the country is bigger than the UK and the roads are slower. You can use Trailfinders itineraries as a starting point and add or subtract places to suit your interests or just Google "3 week itinerary for NZ" for inspiration on where to start. Organised tourist activities are quite expensive but lots you can do for free too, especially if you like nature, scenery, walking etc Like anywhere else prices for car hire and accommodation can be seasonal so if you avoid going during New Zealand school holidays over their summer the costs will probably be a bit less.

Prices for eating out are similar or a bit more than the UK but quality is usually better in my opinion at least in urban areas. Supermarket prices have gone up a lot recently according to family that live there.

My parents in their 70s hired a campervan the scariest bit was getting in / out Auckland but everything else was ok from a driving point of view - however the bed in the van got pretty hard going after a couple of weeks both were struggling a bit with comfy levels creaky older bodies so it’s a great option but expensive and tricky with getting around smaller roads / towns if you get a bigger one for comfort. I’d maybe do one week in a camper, and mix it up with a hire car & cheaper B&B - hostels have great private rooms with self catering facilities and if you get chatting to people they tell you the best places to go. I last went pre-kids but loved it as a country to be outside hike / kayak - camp - nature beaut of a place. Easy to book stuff yourself and more fluid too, hope you have an amazing time.

Some great ideas there - thank you everyone. Honourable mention to @trrk for the idea of using Trailfinders’ itineraries as a starting point!

When are the NZ school summer holidays, if we wanted to avoid those? It would be nice to be there for my actual birthday, but that would mean being there for New Year, and I imagine that would add ££.

I’m actually just organising a similar trip for us. It’s always been top of our list but never had the time or opportunity before.

this is our itinerary. Might not appeal to you but it’s what we love.

flight to Sydney. Couple of days in Sydney then NCL cruise (half price at moment) from Sydney to Auckland, calling at a few places in Australia, all day cruise of Milford, dusky, doubtful sound and then going up the east coast of NZ. We’ll hire e-bikes at each port or walk local trails to get out into the area.
then fly from Auckland to Queenstown and stay there for a week, hiking, biking etc.

it’s the flights that are proving the most expensive at the moment. It’s very easy to organise yourself though if you know what you want to do.

Go for as long as possible. We did 4 weeks and it wasn't enough.

If you have no time restraints make the most of it.

Hire a car and put together your own itineraries using trip advisor.

I'd try to avoid December and January as this is the main holiday for New Zealanders and flights will be expensive from people traveling home for Christmas.

We went at Easter and that was a reasonable time to go - fairly decent weather but not crowded - or I'd probably say November might be best as decent weather and flight prices should be lower.

Unfortunately New Years is peak holiday season in New Zealand for locals and also popular with tourists so it will be more expensive and you will have to book more in advance. This year flights were crazy expensive at Xmas/New Years (like £3000+ return) and even in a normal year they are much more expensive than at other times.

Cheap in cheerful is amazing in New Zealand. You'll have a great time no matter what!

I'm so glad I came across this thread. We too are planning a big NZ holiday in the next year or so. So looking for tips and advice too. ☺️

Always check to see if splitting your flights is cheaper. My exh saved £400 by buying two separate flights (lon-san Francisco, the sf-Sydney) this year, my friend from New Zealand has done this too. He added a 2 night stay in sf outbound too for added fun.

It's all amazing - we did both North and South Islands in 3 weeks but loads left to see and that was a fair old pace with lots of driving. We did 2 x car hires for North Island and South - both one way hires as the distances are so huge you won't want to have to return to starting place to get the car back. The ferry between North and South Islands is a great experience

Blenheim
Wellington
Napier
Queens town

Were probably my highlights but also Rotorua and the wildlife and scenery. Main roads are great and navigation straightforward but at one point we had to take a 4 hour diversion mainly down a dirt track due to a road closure.

We stayed in B&Bs
Food and wine all great and similar prices to UK (this was 2019)

November weather was mainly lovely for sightseeing but both our scenic flights got cancelled due to bad weather and we weren't in that place long enough to wait for a reschedule - something to bear in mind if for example the flight over Milford Sound is a must do for you I would allow an extra day or two

Definitely hire a car and drive - you don't want to be on a coach, on someone else's agenda. Whilst distances between some of the main places are big, it's a lovely place to drive, and you can stop off at leisure.
Make sure you allow enough nights in each place. You may arrive late in the day (see point about long drives!).

I prefer the South Island... Christchurch, the drive down to Queenstown via lake Tekapo and Lake Ohao, Wanaka, Milford Sound, the glaciers, the drive up the west coast, the pancake rocks at Punakaiki, Arthur's Pass, Hamner Springs... and Abel Tasman National Park (that one's on my list for next time). It is the most beautiful country.

The North Island is also lovely, but I prefer the South.

Go for as long as you possibly can. Maybe stay a week in one place so you don't have that feeling of always being on the move.

We visit every couple of years. South Island is our favourite, especially the top part.
Abel Tasman with Kaiteriteri beach, Tarkaka hills, Picton, Blenheim and wine growing district. Then on to Kaikoura for wales and dolphins, followed by Christchurch. Further down to Queenstown, Mount Cook.
We hire a car and use motels. Camper vans are good, but not always practical to get into the hills or on narrow bumpy roads.
Have a good trip.

I returned from NZ (original home) yesterday, having visited for 3 weeks. It wasn’t too busy but they aren’t getting the usual number of tourists yet. Being there is summer was amazing.
I was shocked by how expensive everything is. We spent double our budget and didn’t eat out much at all. A coffee and cake for two was approx £18 at an ordinary cafe. Great coffee and cake though!
I booked independently and had flights cancelled/rearranged, which has never happened before. Internal flights are eye wateringly expensive.

What route and airlines are the best to fly from the UK? I want to visit New Zealand next year but the long flight time puts me off. I have back and joint problems and long haul flights are always painful for me.

I'll write another reply when I'm more awake, but our school hols are last couple of weeks in Dec and all of January. It gets very busy for the 2 weeks over Christmas and new years as all offices etc shut down and kiwis go on holiday. I'd highly recommend coming from Feb onwards as it will be quieter and easier to get availability. I have noticed it has seemed very busy with international tourists lately but I think that's because we are so used to having everything to ourselves! Motels are a great idea as they are everywhere and have cooking facilities, but be aware that some of them are being used for temporary accommodation still - we have a big homeless problem, so I'd check that when you book them. Rental cars have also apparently gone up a massive amount since the borders opened, hopefully this will settle down by the time you come though.

Campers are great as there are lots of beautiful freedom camping spots, e.g. Hawke's Bay where I live have lots of council ones in some pretty beautiful places, many right next to the beach. You don't need an absolutely massive one though, I always think these are a good size for 2 people www.britz.com/nz/en/campervan-hire/2-berth-venturer. But only do it if you're happy with camping! If you prefer camp sites have a look at the 'Top 10' ones as a starting point as they are at each tourist area so might give you an idea.

My favourite place to camp is Kaitoke regional park (where they filmed rivendell for lord of the rings fans!). We go each year and it is stunning. Great river to swim in too.

Food can be expensive compared to uk, but buy seasonal and look for farm shops. Our cafes and coffee are pretty good and always pretty easy to find one.

Any questions feel free to ask!

Holidays in NZ dec-beg. Jan (summer holiday), Easter moves as it does here winter holiday august. (Some variation in schools). Waitangi Day is beginning of Feb (can't remember exactly when). I'd look at hiring a camper van and then you are free to choose. You could fly into Christchurch and fly out of auckland or vice versa. Apart from Auckland, driving in NZ, although good luck finding a map that is to scale!. Is very easy. The roads tend to be wide as do parking spaces (find out about unsealed roads though, as your hire company may not allow their vehicle on them).

Auckland is okay to drive around, it just gets very snarled up so avoid peak travel times. Personally I'd avoid quite a lot of the main tourist attractions, as the best parts of the country are slightly more off the beaten track. Look into doing a 'tramping' route, hikes can be self guided or with a group....depending on where and length of time.
Food and coffee is amazing even a mac D coffee is far and away better than the dishwasher fluid they serve here in the UK!
Don't take much with you, as you can get everything you need out there. I'd go back in a heartbeat.
Just one thing op, the sun is very, very strong over there, so decent hat, sunglasses and suncream is essential.

Don't know how they 'beg' got in there I'll try again!
Christmas summer holiday is Dec-Jan!