NZ is quiet, beautiful and a bit like traveling back in time to the 1950s

Anonymous wrote:If you rent a car be sure you know how to drive a stick shift and be comfortable driving on the left side of the road.

I haven't had problems getting an automatic.

I rode around the South Island on a motorcycle. It's a very long flight and I flew Business Class; I wouldn't fly that distance in coach. It's not easy acclimating to driving on the other side of the road, gas stations often close after dark, and I saw way more sheep than people. The scenery was spectacular, on par with Switzerland, and is the primary attraction. I'm glad I went, but it is a very long distance to travel.

Anonymous wrote:Also I recently priced NZ for next December and it was like $10,000 in airfare alone to get a family of three there. Hard to use miles too.

Christmas is peak travel time. Summer holidays are from mid December until the end of January. Although weather is unpredictable, I prefer February which is equivalent to the US August.

Also I recently priced NZ for next December and it was like $10,000 in airfare alone to get a family of three there. Hard to use miles too.

If you rent a car be sure you know how to drive a stick shift and be comfortable driving on the left side of the road.

Anonymous wrote:My family (college/young adult children) is thinking about going to New Zealand next summer. Please tell me everything you can about NZ and planning a trip there. Since it would be their winter, is it still worth going? Any secrets to reasonable airfare and lodging? Which cities are best to visit/fly into? Any and all info would be appreciated. I’ve never planned a family trip outside of the US. It is overwhelming!

Lots of NZ posts in the forum so search.

The North Island will be temperate for winter for the most part — Auckland will be a lot like this area in a balmy winter here. It will be overcast and gray but not real cold. You can push north to the Bay of Islands/Russell in hopes of better weather.

South Island is where there be true winter including extreme skiing near Queenstown.

Best cities to visit are: Auckland, Rotorua, Whitianga for the Hot water Beach, Dunedin and Christchurch on the South Island (assuming Christchurch is rebuilt fully since the earthquake).

Anonymous wrote:PP Here - looking at our photo album.
We stayed in Christchurch for a day the drove to lake tekapo (stopped at a tractor museum in Geraldine), did hot springs & star gazing in lake tekapo, then drove to twizel for Lord of the rings battle of pelennor fields tour (husband loves LOTR), then drove to Dunedin stopping at Morekai boulders and the penguin place on the otago peninsula, then on to Milford sound (stopping at moonshine museum in Gore), glow worm tour in Te Anau (highly highly recommend), drove to Milford sound - boat tour and small hikes, drove to queenstown, LOTR tour & had dinner in arrowtown (lovely quiet town) jet ski boating, then to franz Josef where did hot springs bc all glacier tours stopped due to awful weather, then on to Punakaki (pancake rocks) stopping at the slightly unhinged bushman’s centre (wow do they hate possums!), then to greymouth where we did a brewery tour and back to Christchurch via the tranzalpine RR. Then to the Cook Islands.

Almost got divorced on the otago peninsula bc I was terrified on the drive and I thought my husband wasn’t driving carefully enough (no guard rails! On a cliff next to the ocean!) but we are still married.

This is very helpful. How long was your trip?

Anonymous wrote:My family (college/young adult children) is thinking about going to New Zealand next summer. Please tell me everything you can about NZ and planning a trip there. Since it would be their winter, is it still worth going? Any secrets to reasonable airfare and lodging? Which cities are best to visit/fly into? Any and all info would be appreciated. I’ve never planned a family trip outside of the US. It is overwhelming!

So if you have time many flights refuel in Tahiti. Many of the airlines(Air New Zealand) will let get off in Tahiti as part of the ticket. So you can add 2-3 days or week or two in Tahiti and catch the last leg back to the states or New Zealand/Australia. There are all kind of specials on resorts around the island or to the outer islands. Think the Cooks are the same way.

PP Here - looking at our photo album.
We stayed in Christchurch for a day the drove to lake tekapo (stopped at a tractor museum in Geraldine), did hot springs & star gazing in lake tekapo, then drove to twizel for Lord of the rings battle of pelennor fields tour (husband loves LOTR), then drove to Dunedin stopping at Morekai boulders and the penguin place on the otago peninsula, then on to Milford sound (stopping at moonshine museum in Gore), glow worm tour in Te Anau (highly highly recommend), drove to Milford sound - boat tour and small hikes, drove to queenstown, LOTR tour & had dinner in arrowtown (lovely quiet town) jet ski boating, then to franz Josef where did hot springs bc all glacier tours stopped due to awful weather, then on to Punakaki (pancake rocks) stopping at the slightly unhinged bushman’s centre (wow do they hate possums!), then to greymouth where we did a brewery tour and back to Christchurch via the tranzalpine RR. Then to the Cook Islands.

Almost got divorced on the otago peninsula bc I was terrified on the drive and I thought my husband wasn’t driving carefully enough (no guard rails! On a cliff next to the ocean!) but we are still married.

We flew Air New Zealand maybe 15 years ago - got a very good deal if we stopped over at the Cook Islands so that way you can have a few days of tropical vacation (protectorate of NZ - uses NZ currency etc). We did BWI-LAX-Auckland-Christchurch-Auckland-Raratonga-LAX-BWI.
3 days in Rarotonga was very nice & it was easier than it sounds! No customs going in & You go through customs etc for the US in Rarotonga.
We were on the South Island in the summer (December) and I was wearing a winter jacket at night - it sort of reminded me of Maine in the summer. The weather would be lovely then rainy then cold and lovely again. In one day. The west coast of the South Island was very rainy (it’s a rain forest, so that tracks…)

I'm watching Down For Love on Netflix, a new show that takes place in NZ about young adults with Down syndrome who are dating. The scenery and detail of New Zealand is amazing, all I want to do is go there! It's a good show too!

This is so incredibly helpful! Thank you so much!

You'll probably fly into Auckland. If you want to start your trip in another city, you'll transfer to a domestic flight there.

I'm from the South Island so am biased towards its scenery. There will be snow on the Southern Alps and skiing. Queenstown and Wanaka might be very busy with NZ and Australian skiers.

Tourists in the North island often go to see the thermal activity and Maori culture around Rotorua. Wellington is windy but the Te Papa museum is great. North of Auckland you can visit the Bay of Islands. You don't need to spend long in Auckland.

Because it will be winter, sunset will be around 5-5.30pm.

Re airfares, subscribe to emails for Air NZ, Qantas, Air Tahitinui and others who fly there so you can get an idea of sales. Also google the dates of NZ school holidays, because that will affect prices as NZers travel overseas.

There aren't many roads like the interstates. Driving is scenic but possibly more bends and curves than you're used to. Some roads/passes might close for a couple of days due to snow, but that is unusual.

They drive on the other side of the road. Prices for major rental car companies are expensive so look at local companies too. I like Go Rentals. A friend likes Apex. Their cars might be a bit older but are lower priced. Also check whether your credit card offers car rental insurance in NZ. Many cards do not for NZ (and Ireland, Israel, Australia, Jamaica). Your rental price generally includes insurance, but the deductible is high eg $NZ 2.5-3.5 K.

A lot of motels in NZ have a full kitchen, so you can save on meals by cooking some yourself. Groceries are comparatively expensive.

Weather is hard to predict because of oceans on all sides. Four seasons in one day as they say!

My family (college/young adult children) is thinking about going to New Zealand next summer. Please tell me everything you can about NZ and planning a trip there. Since it would be their winter, is it still worth going? Any secrets to reasonable airfare and lodging? Which cities are best to visit/fly into? Any and all info would be appreciated. I’ve never planned a family trip outside of the US. It is overwhelming!