# New Zealand Advice



## suesam (Jun 25, 2012)

So....after a year of contemplating we are pretty sure we are going to NZ for our 25th wedding anniversary. The trip will be about 2.5 weeks. We were thinking about just going through a tour company and moving around every couple of days...then decided that did not sound like much relaxation...so now we are considering staying in a timeshare for one week of the trip.We have two weeks banked so may as well take advantage.  Considering The Village Resort in Taupo, or the Turangi Leisure Lodge in Turangi. They both have availability in February,which is our travel period and their summer. Has anyone stayed in either of these resorts? Does this sound like an ok idea? We are thinking we would fly into Auckland...mess around there a day or so, drive to Taupo area and then (possibly) fly to south island. Stay there a week and fly back to Auckland...fly home. 
Is this a dumb idea? I am just sooooo confused. In fact I was so confused I was thinking we should just to go to Colorado for a week and then fly to Mexico for a week.....but... decided that was just being a chicken! Want to get out of my comfort zone! 

Sue


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## optimist (Jun 25, 2012)

We went to New Zealand some years ago and I cannot think of enough superlatives to describe it.
If you stay in a timeshare, you will miss so much of the beauty and variety of the islands. 
This is what we did, in two weeks.  (which was a little short, I wish we had had three weeks)

Arrived in Auckland. Stayed two nights and did a little sightseeing and got over the jet lag.
Drove to Rotorua and spent two nights- a must see area of geysers and hot springs and home of Waio Tapu - an extraordinary geothermal wonderland.  Also has a ton of Maori cultural experiences.
Flew to Wellington- Visited there for two days and took the ferry to the South Island. 
Visited Bleinheim ,  the wine growing region spent a night and visited some wineries.
Drove  to Christchurch where we spent two nights. A beautiful city, with tremendous charm. 
Flew to Queenstown where we spent three nights. Took a tour to visit the fjord in Milford sound,  visited a sheep shearing station amongst a ton of other activities.

This is just one sample of an itinerary. You could come up with so many more, depending on your interests.  We flew with Air New Zealand and at the time, they were offering a package deal which included three internal flights so that is how we used them. Most likely if you decide to not stay put, you will have to take some internal flights to make the most of your time. 

No matter what, you will fall in love with New Zealand. The nicest people, the most lovely scenery, great food, no crowds anywhere (if you don't count the sheep!), tons of activities, culture, mountains, lakes, oceans....  Everything you would ever want in a vacation can be found there.


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## chubby (Jun 26, 2012)

Hi Sue

I am an Aussie that loves New Zealand there is so much to see and all ways time runs out Otimist has given you good advice move around and see as much as you can
The last time we was over the we stayed at Bishop Selwyn 3966 it was very good it is at top part of the North Island at the Bay of Islands we spent the week there and found plenty to do there and if you do go there take the boat trip around the Islands called The Milk Run it is very good
My advice is to only take one week of timeshare and be on the move for the rest of the time New Zealand is very hilly and lots of places to see.
The ferry in between the two islands can be rough seas but  is werth it to see the isands as you come to the south Island
The South Island is differant to the north island lot colder my advise is go you will want to go back the 2 timeshare places I do not a thing about as we motel when in that area
If I can help with any other questions just ask
chubby


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## Armada (Jul 7, 2012)

I have a bit advice that is contrary to what you are thinking.

If your intent is to see as much of the country as possible, then I would only consider doing a entire week in the Auckland area.  There is enough within a day's drive to fill up a week. Outside of Auckland, I would stay in a locale for 2-3 nights to see the sights in that area. Then I would suggest moving to another area. That is the method my wife and I used when we visited there for 6-7 weeks over two years. 

New Zealand is bigger than you think and can be a lot of driving.  Additionally, if you want to move between the North and South Islands you will need to take a ferry or fly.  As much as we enjoyed Christchurch, you might want to be cautious about visiting there in the near future. The city was devastated by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011.  You might want to do some extra checking before traveling to there.  

Lastly, try to find a copy of John Cobb's "Explore New Zealand".  It is a book 60 different drives around New Zealand with suggested itineraries.  We used it and it was a great help.


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## MaryH (Jul 9, 2012)

I was working in NZ for 6 months.  You need at least 3-4 days in Auckland.  For a short 2-3 week trips, I would not use a timeshare since they are full weeks and even that is a little too long given your total time available.  

I would recommend Roturua, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Milford Sound.  If you like wine, there is a little island Waiheke Island near auckland harbour (30-45 mins by ferry) and Napier / Hawkes Bay area.


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## EZ-ED (Jul 10, 2012)

There is much to do in Auckland and the surrounding area. We recently spent 5 days there and stayed at the Waldorf Stadium apartments located close to the waterfront/downtown and with all the timeshare amenities at very reasonable costs. A day at the Auckland Domain park and war memorial museum/Maori museum. A day trip/wine tour out to Waiheke Island. Explore the water front and downtown Auckland, jump off the Auckland Sky Tower or watch other do it. As other mentioned the geyser areas (we skipped it though as we don't live all that far from Yellowstone), Turanga, Akora, Dunedin, Fjord Lands. You could easily spend a month on the two islands. The Maori culture seems to much more intact than what has been left of the Hawaiian culture. 

The only downside... 13 1/2 hours from LAX and another 13 1/2 hours back.


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## LAX Mom (Jul 16, 2012)

We've also been wanting to visit New Zealand. What is the best time of year for decent weather and fewer crowds?


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## colamedia (Jul 23, 2012)

You want to avoid the Summer school holidays - mid Dec to late Jan. If you want warm weather, Nov or Feb.  Avoid Easter, another school holiday time.  Winter is the middle of the year, if skiing is of interest, great time for the South Island, pretty wet and windy time for the rest of the country, cold is always relative to where you are coming from, if from Canada it's pretty mild, from Florida it's bitterly cold!!  mid July is another school holiday time.

The main thing is avoid the school holidays, they make everything more crowded and expensive, then you have decide how how warm or cold you are interested in. The NZ  school holidays are pretty much the same as the Australian holidays, but also worth checking the Aust school holidays, NZ is a popular Australian holiday destination.


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## LAX Mom (Jul 23, 2012)

Thanks for the info on school holidays and weather. We aren't looking for skiing weather, more interested in sight-seeing and possibly fishing. Sounds like Nov. or Feb. would be a good option. 
I appreciate your response! Thanks.


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