r/travel • u/AutoModerator • Jun 20 '19
Advice r/travel Region of the Week: 'South Island of New Zealand'
Hey travellers!
In this new series of weekly threads we want to focus on regions that have a lot to offer to travellers: the towns, nature, and other interesting places whether they are lesser or more known. If more known provide more in depth suggestions like tours, things to do, places to eat, etc.
Please contribute all and any questions / thoughts / suggestions / ideas / stories about this travel destination.
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Example: We really enjoyed the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. It was $35 each, but there's enough to keep you entertained for whole day. Bear in mind that parking on site is quite pricey, but if you go up the hill about 200m there are three $15/all day car parks. Monterey Aquarium
Unhelpful: Read my blog here!!!
Helpful: My favourite part of driving down the PCH was the wayside parks. I wrote a blog post about some of the best places to stop, including Battle Rock, Newport and the Tillamook Valley Cheese Factory (try the fudge and ice cream!).
Unhelpful: Eat all the curry! [picture of a curry].
Helpful: The best food we tried in Myanmar was at the Karawek Cafe in Mandalay, a street-side restaurant outside the City Hotel. The surprisingly young kids that run the place stew the pork curry[curry pic] for 8 hours before serving [menu pic]. They'll also do your laundry in 3 hours, and much cheaper than the hotel.
Undescriptive I went to Mandalay. Here's my photos/video.
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4
u/pharohsandpyramids United States Jun 20 '19
Perfect timing! I'm currently planning my return trip to NZ after studying abroad in Chch 8 years ago, with my best friend who will be making her first visit. We will be visiting in November/December. I have a few South-Island specific questions:
I fly into Wellington and have a few days there, before making my way to Chch. I planned to take the ferry to Picton, get my rental car, spend the night/next day in Kaikoura, then drive to Chch. But I feel like it's too fast to be even worth doing - should I just fly Welly>Chch instead? I didn’t get to see Kaikoura on my first trip.
After spending a few nights in Akaroa, I set aside ~3 days to drive toward QT, by way of the southeastern Canterbury/Otago/Southland regions. I wanted to do Akaroa > night in Dunedin > night in either Otago or Southland > QT, but the drive to Dunedin is 5 HOURS......something I want to avoid. Thoughts on this? Should I skip Otago and spend two nights in Dunedin (which is cool imo but not worth more than 1+ day)? Or should I spend two nights somewhere in Otago and just bypass Dunedin? Open to ideas!
I planned to hike the northern portion of the Routeburn track - hiking to Routeburn Falls hut (for which I already have a reservation) and spending the night, maybe hiking to Harris saddle depending on conditions and then hiking back to our car at the carpark the next day. I chose this because I think it while allow us to see the most scenic parts of the track while saving on transportation expenses and also cuz…we’re not the most experienced hikers. Is this a decent plan?
After returning from Routeburn, I definitely want to see Milford Sound and Road, but NOT keen on spending 8+ hours in the car on a day trip from QT OR wasting 2 nights in Te Anau for a day trip OR staying the night in Milford. I know a splurge option would be to do a scenic flight from QT, but my friend is terrified of small planes. Please someone advise me on the most convenient way to see Milford Sound if basing yourself from QT.
On that note, I see a lot of advice to spend time in Wanaka instead of QT. What is there specifically to do in Wanaka (other than seeing the tree or hiking Roy's Peak)? I'm open to basing in Wanaka instead of QT, but would have liked to spend a day in QT to hit Fergburger and the luge.
I set aside 1.5 days to drive from Southern Alps region to return to Chch via SH8, so we can hike the Hooker Valley track, see Pukaki/Tekapo, and maybe spend the night in the area to do some stargazing. However the drive to Mt. Cook Village could be anywhere from 3-5 hours....not ideal. Is this too much crammed into 1.5 days?
2
u/amcartney Jun 20 '19
How are you planning on getting around? Renting or even buying a cheap car or van will add a lot of flexibility to your itinerary, because unfortunately there are no ‘convenient’ ways to get to a lot of these places. You will either have to stay in te Anau or Queenstown and take a fairly lengthy bus trip to see Milford sound. It is an awesome day trip though. You won’t be thinking of how long the bus ride was once you are there.
I would skip Dunedin if you have already been there and spend some time in the smaller towns especially if you plan on driving from Christchurch - Queenstown there are plenty of beautiful towns between those two that are worth a stop for takeout or a beer at the local and you will have no shortage of breathtaking scenery where ever you go. I would try to slow your itinerary down a bit as you plan on driving long distances and it is worth spending ~2 days in each place you are planning to visit. Like I said renting a car will allow you way more flexibility if you want to adjust your time anywhere.
Queenstown is more busy and touristy but I wouldn’t discourage you from going for the luge etc is it crazy fun. And plenty of adventure activities like paragliding etc to do if that’s your thing. Wanaka is a bit more laid back. Both are beautiful.
Enjoy 😊
1
u/pharohsandpyramids United States Jun 20 '19
Thank you for your input! Yes, definitely renting, and with my favorite cheap rental company, NZ RentaCar. Picking up in Picton and dropping off at Chch is no extra charge, but leaving it in QT incurs a $250 fee. But otherwise I think this will be the best option for us. However for visiting Milford, I would prefer to take a tour instead of driving on our own.
Last time I visited Milford, we took a kayak tour that picked up/dropped off in Te Anau. This was an AWESOME day and I would 100% do it again, but yeah spending 2 nights in Te Anau is kind of a setback! And I don't think I would mind the alternate option of a day trip from QT, and I know the drive is spectacular, but I don't think my friend wouldn't like spending so much time on a bus. Hmmmm...gonna have to make some comprimises here.
I think I'll take your advice and skip Dunedin - my only real reason for wanting to return was see some great wildlife, but I think I'll chill out in Otago somewhere instead.
Thanks again!! :)
2
u/Velocity_2 Jun 20 '19
Hi! Thought I’d reply as I just got back to London from visiting a friend in NZ. On your list we managed to do Kaikoura and Dunedin so I thought I’d share my input for those two :)
Kaikoura: We spent 3 nights in Kaikoura as we did the whale watch one day and then swam with dolphins the next. If you get time anytime in Kaikoura on your stop, 100% try to do both.. The dolphin swim was an insane experience! Hike down to one of the seal colonies also, amazing scenery and wildlife. We stayed at the “pier hotel” about a 15-20 min walk from the main part of the town at the seafront, but the food at the pier hotel is AMAZING. It gets so busy you have to make a reservation if you’re not staying there. If you get the chance try the Lamb shank / Steak they have, they were awesome. Kaikoura really was a big highlight of our trip so I hope you get to explore enough of it on your stop.
Dunedin: After Christchurch and Franz Josef we made our way to Dunedin for a couple of days and checked out Larnach Castle (which was ok if you’re into that stuff). Dunedin as mentioned is full of students and shops but has some awesome things to look at inside the Otago Museum if you decide to go there (it’s free). Steer clear of a pub/BnB called “Law Court Hotel” the food and staff are disgusting lol. Dunedin can definitely be done in a single day imo.
My friend also speaks highly of Wanaka, I haven’t been but by what he’s said, it’s amazing.
Hope you have a great trip :)
4
u/coxsimo1 Jun 22 '19
This is the most vague recommendation, but somewhere in the Caitlins (South Eastern point) there is a wacky little caravan/garden on the side of the road that someone has converted into a kind of interactive art gallery with all sorts of quirky contraptions that are hand cranked. Very cool.
Most people are in the area for the scenery, specifically nugget point, but if you past buy this place that I have poorly described, it is definitely worth a stop.
5
u/ExternalUserError United States Jun 25 '19
A couple things I wish I knew before I rented an RV in New Zealand:
Traffic is slower than Google Maps thinks. Just because it's 100km away doesn't mean you can make it there in an hour at the speed limit.
Research renting an RV on the south island and taking it to the north island as a one-way trip, rather than renting a round trip from Auckland. You get to drive less and I learned it's usually way, way cheaper because people usually rent in Auckland and leave them in the south island.
3
u/terminal_e Jun 20 '19
It has been around 15 years since I spent a few weeks in NZ, but I recommend recognition of the weather:
The SW corner of the South Island measures rain by the meter, not centimeter. Trying to plan meticulously might get you washed out - I spent 2 nights near Franz Josef in vain aspiring to do a helicopter hike. This leads me to...
Recommending you think about doing boat tours of BOTH Milford and Doubtful Sound. If I had only gone to Milford, I would have seen it absolutely pissing rain for hours... which is impressive in its own way, but it is something else entirely when it is perfectly quiet out on Doubtful... or when I had a pod of dolphins swimming along the boat.
Basically, the SW of the South Island is not exactly Paris, where you can rigorously plan the Louvre on Weds, the Musee d'Orsay on Thursday... you might want or need flexibility due to the weather
2
u/katie_papa Jun 24 '19
Definitely check out Lake Marian in Fiordland National Park! It's a rigorous two-hour hike (and easy to get lost - make sure you keep on the path by the orange arrows on the trees) but totally worth it for the magical view at the end. I went in autumn - it was perfect, though chilly, but the mountains in the back were topped with snow. I second many of these posts in saying New Zealand generally rains A LOT, so have multiple plans for the same day (including going back to a nice café which may be few and far between).
1
u/onelittleworld Chicagoland, USA Jun 20 '19
We went there as first-timers a couple years ago, and were completely blown away. Spectacular scenery, friendly people, so much to see and do. Unfortunately, our time there was very limited... and a good chunk of it was spent hiking the incredible Milford Track. It's not cheap nor easy to get there from North America or Europe, but I believe it's well worth it.
We wore our shooting fingers to the bone on this trip. Here's a sampling of some of our better shots, and they'll probably tell you more than my blah blah blah ever can.
https://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/newzealand
Bonus: gallery #9 includes a little video from my one and only helicopter ride, near Fox Glacier.
Ever since this trip, I've become an evangelist for the wines of Central Otago region, especially their pinot noir. We took a winery tour around Queenstown, and I would recommend that to anyone interested.
1
u/daKav91 Jun 22 '19
I am hiking Milford this year. Like you, my time is limited. But, some days better are than no days, I guess.
1
u/trphilli Jun 21 '19
It's been 10+ years since my visit, which was awesome but I will speak in some generalities.
The highlight of my trip was a group tour to Mt. Sunday. Day trip out of Christchurch. Nominally a Lord of the Rings tour, but you'll see tons of other scenery. Pristine mountains and alpine lakes. Well worth it.
There was also a jet boat ride on one of the local rivers. Won't embarrass myself trying to type out Maori name.
Hanmer springs was a little kitschy, but very relaxing after the long travels. So it might be your thing for family / relaxation. I am not a wine person, but the others on our tour enjoyed the local winery we visited on the drive back.
2
u/KiwiKibbles New Zealand - 9 Countries Visited Jun 23 '19
There was also a jet boat ride on one of the local rivers. Won't embarrass myself trying to type out Maori name.
I'm guessing either Rakaia River or Waimakariri River
2
1
u/mikemn11 Jun 21 '19
Just in time! I'm heading to NZ by October and I'll be 10 days in the southern island and 10 in the northern. Have some rough thoughts on what I'll do but I'm thinking in some local recommendations pls :)
1
u/travelerfromsj Jun 22 '19
I think the highlight of our trip here was hiking in Abel Tasman National Park. Beautiful blue water, gorgeous coastline, and not difficult at all. There are a bunch of boat companies that will drop you off along the coast in the morning and then pick you up in the afternoon at a predetermined beach spot, after you've finished your hike. Some visitors do the Abel Tasman Coast Track, 60 km over several days, but we unfortunately didn't have time.
-1
u/wholesomehomerhair Jun 26 '19
Are you dense? A series like this while there's already over tourism and places right now being turned to marshfields because of all the people flocking there for Instagram? Why? So you get endorphins for doing something? Stupid.
22
u/amcartney Jun 20 '19
I’m from New Zealand and have travelled the South Island pretty extensively.
I would recommend considering Wanaka over Queenstown for skiing and snow. It’s cheaper, less overrun by tourists and equally beautiful. It’s not a far bus ride from Queenstown (or Christchurch if you’re flying into there). They do scenic flights to Milford sound as well.
Speaking of Milford sound, I can’t recommend the steamboat tour of that place enough. And take the time to walk around the fiordland national park, it’s stunning.
Also recommend doing part of the central Otago rail trial, a bicycle ride along what used to be a railway line. It winds through some very beautiful and out of the way small towns and past amazing scenery. It doesn’t really matter where you go in the South Island, there is always gonna be amazing scenery.
For wine the Marlborough region and central Otago both produce some of the best in the country. There are plenty of tours and tastings near Nelson and Queenstown.
As for the two major cities, there isn’t much to do in Dunedin as it’s mostly a student town, although is does have beautiful architecture (railway station, uni clock tower, the castle) There are decent museums in both Dunedin and Christchurch, and Christchurch is worth visiting to see how it’s recovered post-earthquake, especially the hospitality scene. You can also see the ruined cathedral if that’s your thing.