# Timeshare in New Zealand for one out of 2 weeks there?



## Tucsonadventurer (Apr 12, 2017)

We have 2 weeks in New Zealand mid-October. We are from AZ so warmer weather is a plus and we have heard that the North Island is warmer. We were considering 1 week exploring south island and 1 week in a timeshare, north island.. We have 3 options of timeshares that are available : The Village Resort, Taupo; Club Paihia near Bay of Islands, and Turangi Leisure Lodge . We love day hikes, and of course gorgeous scenery, would love to see dolphins and penguins, do a boat trip or 2, and avoid too much driving.
Questions"
1. Does it make sense to stay in a timeshare if we only have 2 weeks?
2. Has anyone heard of any of these resorts? 
3. Which area is best to stay a week in Oct. Taupo, Turangi or Paihia?
4. How much warmer would it be in Oct (6-21) north island vs south.
We have hotel points we could use in Queenstown, Christtown and Auckland as well.
Thanks in advance from this 1st time visitor


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## Jimster (Apr 12, 2017)

First of all, I would pull up Daelive.com and look at what they have to offer in NZ.  DAE not RCI is the best timeshare company for NZ.  They are free and you can reserve first and deposit later.  RCI is not even competive for the NZ market.
I was going to stay at Turangi and had my rez there but due to an auto accident going to Milford Sound (about 50 miles from Queenstown) I had to cancel.  Incidently, I would not go to NZ without going to Milford Sound.  It is in Fjiordland National Park and is fabulous.  Check it out on the web.  Interestingly enough it is better if you go on a rainy day since it just means bigger waterfallls.  It is just far enough away from Queensland that you should plan to stay at TeAnu for one night.  I could have gotten to Turangi but i redid my itinerary after the accident to make sure i got to Milford Sound.  It was worth it.  BTW I flew Jet Star airlines (low cost carrier for Quantas) between Auckland and Queenstown.  It was about 1/4th the price of every other airline.
Both islands are worth going to.  They are very diverse.  Queenstown has every kind of recreation you can think of including bungee jumping and some things you have never heard of.  Also take the boat trip on the lake- it is gorgeous. BTW it is difficult to see NZ without doing a good bit of driving. i am editing now having read the post of Geistt1223.  He is talking about the North Island, but it reinforces what i said above- it is hard to see NZ without a good deal of driving.  So staying in a TS is not a bad option.  If you just want to visit the major cities like Auckland all you can do is hire a tour.  As i recall there are only 3 million people total for both islands.  Things are far away and the things you want to see are far apart without a lot of big cities to stay in.  So its not like you can find a nice hotel everywhere you go.  For hotels, when points are not an option, you might look at Assure Accomodations- it is a chain but a local one.  They have nice facilities.

PS. DId you mean Christchurch?  Remember it is still recovering from a severe earthquake.


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## geist1223 (Apr 12, 2017)

We have visited New Zealand twice. Both in the February time frame. We have stayed twice at Ramada Resort Rotorua Manama (through Worldmark South Pacific) and once at Club Paihia (through RCI). The first trip was 10 days in Fiji and 11 days at Rotorua. The second trip was one week at Rotorua and one week at Paihia. We enjoyed both places. Very different experiences. Rotorua is a very geothermal active area. Mud Baths, Geothermal Park, Fairy Springs (Kiwi), driving distance of Glow Worm Caves as is Taupo, Hobbiton, etc.

Paihia (Bay of Islands) is more Ocean oriented. Though we did visit a number of Wineries. We also hiked to the Kayak Rental place where the Waitangi River enters the ocean, arranged for the Guy to meet us by the Waterfall, hiked the trail through the woods and Mangroves to the Waterfall, then kayaked back to the Ocean, and then hiked back to Club Paihia. About 9 miles hiking and several miles of kayaking. Also near Club Paihia is the Servicemen's Club. Good place for a fair priced dinner and drink. One of the Members will sign you in as a Guest. We drove about 1.5 hours to go on a boat/snorkle trip in an Ocean Preserve.


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## Jimster (Apr 12, 2017)

Incidently, I would use sky scanner.com for short hop air travel but note the fine print especially for luggage limits.  For hotels, like i said i would look at Assure Hotels at asurestay.com but also use agoda.com- it is the expedia of that area.


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## sue1947 (Apr 12, 2017)

Jimster said:


> Incidently, I would not go to NZ without going to Wilford Sound.
> PS. DId you mean Christchurch?  Remember it is still recovering from a severe earthquake.



I think you meant Milford Sound??

I would pick either the North or South Island.  There's a lot of variety on each island and 2 weeks will only scratch the surface.  I was there for a month and left quite a bit on the table for a return trip.  
October is like April here so spring weather.  The north will be warmer, but also more muggy.   

Sue


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## Tucsonadventurer (Apr 12, 2017)

Thanks so much for all the helpful.info.We aren t really city people but Queenstown sounds fun, may just do 1 night Auckland when we 1st get in. Sounds like enough to do in Bay of Islands.I will check out DAE . We trade through interval, is that still an option? So appreciate all the great suggestions Jimster and Geist1223.


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## Tucsonadventurer (Apr 12, 2017)

Thanks Sue. A lot of folks have advised us to spend our 2 weeks on South Island . We know we will need to return in the future whatever we decide.


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## Jimster (Apr 13, 2017)

DUh!  Yeah i meant Milford Sound.  Sorry for my stupidity. LOL. As for Dae they take all TS so you can trade through both II and DAE.


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## Tucsonadventurer (Apr 13, 2017)

Decided to concentrate on South Island for the 2 weeks and do timeshares for our return trip down the road. We wamt to include Golden Bay Marlborough area, Queenstown, Te Ana and Milford Sound so will try to create a trip around that. We want at leat 4 days bdtween Queenstown, DeAna and r days netween Marlborough Abel Tasman . Any advice on routes stopovers and places to stay appreciated. We have 2 free  nights with Intercontinental  in Queenstown covered but thats it so fat


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## Rene McDaniel (Apr 13, 2017)

We just came back from New Zealand 2 weeks ago, and it is a pretty spectacular place.  We were only there a week, and spent most of our time on South Island.  The flight from Auckland to Queenstown has amazing views.  We rented a car at the airport and were 2 nights in Queenstown, then 2 nights in Milford Sound (book a room in the Milford Sound Lodge--only place in town), and the last 2 nights in Te Anau. If we would have had more time I would have added more time in Queenstown which has a lot to see, hike, and lots of great possible daytrips.  We had ongoing searches for Queenstown with 3 exchange companies - RCI, Interval, and DAE -- and none of them came through, even though we were requesting off season (March would be their Fall/Sept-equivalent).  Luckily, I had booked rooms with kitchen access through Booking.com that were cancellable.  So we were fine whether the timeshare searches came through, or not. 

Actually, it was a better trip because we did not have timeshares and were able to move around and see more of South Island than if we had just stayed in Queenstown.  It took us almost a full day to drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound making lots of stops for photos. The South Island of New Zealand is definitely worth even more time than a week, but our going there at all was a fluke.  Air Tahiti Nui offers a 3 country "Explorers pass" that allows you to fly from Los Angeles to Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and back to LAX for $1,270.  That's only $200 more than flying roundtrip to just one of those countries -- so we took the bait.  We spent 3 weeks in Australia, 1 week in New Zealand, and 1 week in Tahiti (staying at the Club Bali Hai timeshare on Moorea).  It was an amazing 5 weeks!!


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## Jimster (Apr 13, 2017)

Where are you flying into?  Are you using airline miles for flight?


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## Jimster (Apr 13, 2017)

"Air Tahiti Nui offers a 3 country "Explorers pass" that allows you to fly from Los Angeles to Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and back to LAX for $1,270. That's only $200 more than flying roundtrip to just one of those countries -- so we took the bait. We spent 3 weeks in Australia, 1 week in New Zealand, and 1 week in Tahiti (staying at the Club Bali Hai timeshare on Moorea). It was an amazing 5 weeks!!"

Sounds like a good deal and I am glad you enjoyed your trip but it also sounds like you flew economy class- is that right?  Is the explorer pass also available in business or first?   That's a long way in economy and Air Tahiti Nui is generally not as plush as some other airlines.  I have flown transpac 7 times- 1 in economy.  I don't know I'd do that again.  Incidently, my nephew lives in Tahiti.  How was the Club Bali Hai- i have heard mixed reviews.


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## Tucsonadventurer (Apr 13, 2017)

Wow Renee. That is quite the trip! We are flyi ng free with American, using Alaska Airline pts. They are partners,., part of a delayed stopover from a Maui May trip,We are flying into Auckland. We are flying coach but 2 free trips well worth it


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## Rene McDaniel (Apr 13, 2017)

Jimster said:


> "Sounds like a good deal and I am glad you enjoyed your trip but it also sounds like you flew economy class- is that right?  Is the explorer pass also available in business or first?   That's a long way in economy and Air Tahiti Nui is generally not as plush as some other airlines.  I have flown transpac 7 times- 1 in economy.  I don't know I'd do that again.  Incidently, my nephew lives in Tahiti.  How was the Club Bali Hai- i have heard mixed reviews."



We ticketed thru Air Tahiti Nui but we were on several different airlines.  LAX to Sydney was on American.  We paid an extra $150 each to upgrade to Economy Plus seating with additional leg room and seat pitch. I was really worried about doing a 15-hour flight, but it was a piece of cake.  You leave LAX at 11pm, they fed everyone immediately, then left the lights off all the way until we were 1.5 hours from Sydney. I couldn't believe I slept 12 hours. It was great that they left the lights off for almost the entire flight -- it makes a big difference.  The Sydney to Auckland portion was Qantas.  The Auckland to Tahiti & Tahiti to LAX were both on Air Tahiti Nui.  Air Tahiti Nui is definitely not as nice an airline as it used to be.  But at least the 8 hour flight between Papeete and LAX was at night, so I took a Unisom sleep aid, and slept through it.  As a retired elementary school teacher, business class is just not an option we could ever consider based on the costs.

We went to Club Bali Hai knowing that some people loved it, and some people hated it.  But we immediately fell into the "we really love it" category.  The rooms in the main building are nothing special, but the ambiance of the place & the beauty of the surroundings are what make it special.  We spent 3 nights in the main building, then the last 3 nights in an overwater bungalow.  The overwater bungalows are an expensive upgrade, but they are really wonderful and special. In our unit you went to sleep with the sound of the waves lapping right below you -- almost like you were sleeping on the beach.  Of all the places we went to - Sydney, Melbourne, Port Douglas, Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand --- it's Moorea and Club Bali Hai that I would like to return to again.  Probably staying 2 weeks the next time.  There is just something very special about it.  The fancier hotels (Maeva, Sofitel, and the Intercontinental) are very beautiful and had great Tahitian Dancing shows, but they lack warmth -- and I can't imagine ever making friends there.  We made lots of new friends at Club Bali Hai. Not to mention that the Tahitian people are so warm and welcoming.  What a magical place.


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## Tucsonadventurer (Apr 14, 2017)

OK Club Bali Hai is now on my bucket list. Is it in interval?


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## Rene McDaniel (Apr 14, 2017)

It's RCI and all they ever seem to have are the studios with kitchenettes. We purchased a RCI Getaway week for $149, as it was actually cheaper than paying an exchange fee + 7 tpu. RCI always seems to have Getaway weeks available for Club Bali Hai.

One of the things people hate about Club Bali Hai is the $400 mandatory resort fee, but they waive the resort fee if you upgrade to an overwater bungalow for at least 3 nights.  The upgrade fee is roughly $200 per night.  So, by paying $600 (rather than $400), you get 3 nights in an overwater bungalow.  Definitely a bargain since the Manava hotel down the road charges $800 per night for overwater bungalows.


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## Tucsonadventurer (Apr 14, 2017)

That sounds lovely and a great deal! Very surprising to get an over water bungalow for that price! I will have to have my RCI friends get us a Getaway as Hyatt is affiliated with Interval. This will be a good project for next year's trip planning. We have trips books through December 
for this year.


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