New Zealand

[jojonac]

My wife and I are heading to New Zealand next week! We rented a RV and we are gonna spend 19 days driving around the south Island... Any must see spots that I might not have heard of? I already have a day and a half set aside for Milford.

Thanks,
Jojo

[AnonymousKiwi1]

Not knowing what you have heard of, it's a bit hard to say.
Have you heard about the large earthquake that hit Canterbury? The region is still in a state of emergency. I'm not saying you shouldn't go, infact the locals would like business to get back to normal. Just be aware that there's a lot of broken buildings down that way at the moment.

Here's a good 'must see' list from the NZ Tourism site.

Arrowtown – A former gold mining town, its stunning red and gold autumn colours are celebrated in an annual autumn festival. The town is known for its historic mining site, boutique shops, restaurants and cinema, golf, fishing and close proximity to ski fields.
Farewell Spit & Golden Bay – Forming the northern side of Golden Bay, Farewell Spit is the longest and possibly the most beautiful sand spit in New Zealand. Access is restricted, although nearby bays allow visitors to see dramatic cliffs, blowholes, seals and birdlife.
Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers – Nowhere else do glaciers come this close to sea-level. Visit the Westland National Park to view these still-advancing glaciers up close. Heli-hike tours and ice-hiking tours are available from local operators.
Hanmer Springs – A popular weekend away, Hanmer Springs had relaxing thermal pools and host of activities including golf, hiking, horse-riding, quad-and mountain biking.
Kaikoura – Where 'the mountains meet the sea', you can enjoy whale-watching, swimming with dolphins and walking tracks, both free and guided.
Lake Tekapo – In the heart of the Mackenzie country, the small township of Tekapo lies near a beautiful turquoise lake and offers the usual water-based activities, plus hot pools and an ice-rink.
Marlborough Wine Region – The largest wine producing region in the country, Marlborough is home to world-renowned Sauvignon Blanc and has New Zealand's sunniest and driest climate. Fine dining and wine-tasting throughout the region.
Mount Aspiring National Park – A paradise for walkers, (experienced) climbers and anglers. Short walks and longer hikes for freedom walkers or walking tours. Campsites and huts available. Jet boating trips also provide unique sightseeing opportunities.
Otago Peninsula – This renowned eco-tourism destination is home to an albatross colony, penguins, seals, sea and wading birds. Offering wonderful views, a round driving trip encompasses 64km.
Queen Charlotte Track – From the historic Ship Cove to Anakiwa, the track is 71km and undulates through lush coastal forest, historic bays and ridges. Available to freedom walkers and walking groups, accommodation, transport and pack transfers are available.

19 days - I'd recommend picking one end of the island or the other. Unless you want to spend your whole time driving.

RV - do you mean a mobile home/camper van? Or a four wheel drive vehicle?

[AnonymousKiwi1]

Also - there's been a large landslide that has blocked the road north of Kaikoura.
(Man, it's starting to sound like a bad place to visit!) Just be aware that if they don't have that cleared you are going to have to take detour if you're driving up the coast.
Are you flying in to Christchurch?

[candleman]

i absoloutley love the Abel Tasman National Park, and town of Nelson.

[jojonac]

Thanks for the advice.

I did hear about the unfortunate Earthquake that hit Christchurch and the surrounding area. I am flying into Christchurch and I have been in contact with the "RV/ Camper Van/ Mobile home people. Lucky for us and them they were not to badly affected by the earthquake and we are still on schedule to pick up the RV from them. I have a cousin in Dunedin and we plan to make our way down the coast to them then cut across to Milford, then go up the coast through the Franz Glacier and up to wine country then back down to Christchurch. Now with the Earthquake we might have to make adjustments on the fly. Either way my wife and are just happy to be getting out of the States and going to a place that is so renowned for its natural beauty.

[AnonymousKiwi1]

You'll have a great time. Fabulous to have a camper van - drive and stop where you like. Bring warm clothes - it is still fairly cool down there, especially at night. I hope that camera arrives for you before you leave.

Aoraki Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo, the Macenzie country in the centre of the island are beautiful. My husbands family is from down that way, I've spent many happy holidays there. It all depends on how much zig-zagging across the island you want to do I guess.

[jamesev]

Do the Transalpine Rail - spectacular views over the tops.

[gturner]

and get a rugby game!

[toasted75]

My wife and I drove around NZ on our honeymoon (about 8 years ago), we were there for 21 days and did both islands, had to miss out a few areas obviously but had a fantastic time and certainly plenty to see.

There is plenty to do around the Queenstown area, I'm sure you've got plenty of info on that (and if you're a Lord of the Rings fan, they filmed plenty of scenes from those movies down that way - Arrowtown was one of the locations that springs to mind).

We spent plenty of time around the Canterbury area, not sure how the earthquake will affect you there, but I had some relatives who lived near Ashburton when I was over there (they've since moved right to the tip of the south island), plenty of nice country in that area.

Kaikoura is well worth a visit and you shouldn't miss Dunedin either.

Something to keep an eye out for that we found kind of 'quaint' when driving around... practically every town, no matter how small (maybe it was just a coincidence, lol) seems to have a mini golf course and a 'museum' of some sort, so keep your eye out for those

[NgaiHill]

Fiordland is my absolute favourite place to visit in the South Island, but I'm born & bred Otago so I could be biased
A couple of things you won't find in the tourist books but you really should try to do them...
ask your cousin in Dunedin to take you to the centennial lookout on Signal Hill at night - an amazing view over the harbour and city - if you're taking your camera, take your tripod.
And when you go down the Milford Road DO NOT miss the turn off for the Hollyford Valley, stop in at Gunn's Motor Camp a few km's down the Hollyford Rd, have a chat with Murray and his wife, lovely people and a great place to stop for a picnic. And if you have the time a couple more kms further on is the walk up to Lake Marion. Allow one to one & a half hours each way, its a very well maintained bush walk up to the most stunning mountain lake you will ever see, DO NOT forget your camera!!! I would rather take the time to do this walk than spend the time in Milford Sound itself. The Milford Road is only 120 kms from Te Anau to the Sound - allow at least 3-4 hours each way, there is so much to see & do along the way. Stop at the National Park Visitor Centre at the south end of the Lakefront Drive in Te Anau and pick up a few guide pamphlets so you don't miss anything.
If you're heading over the Haast Pass from Wanaka allow plenty of time for that too, be sure to stop at the top of the pass and take the short walk up to the lookout, you can almost see both coasts from there. Stop in at Fantail Falls, 2 mins off the main road, great photo ops there, and definitely stop at the Gates of Haast.
They get lots of earthquakes in Fiordland too but they don't do nearly as much damage
If you have the time then Central Otago is lovely this time of year, the orchards will be full of blossoms and there is so much to see with its rich gold mining history.
And if you'd like a local guide on the east coast north of Dunedin feel free to contact me, i'd be more than happy to point out some of our local beauty spots
Have a great trip.