Trading for New Zealand timeshares

[Jwerking]

Want to go for a month to six weeks in early Dec 2012 to Jan 2013.

Has anyone had much success with RCI? If not, which company has the most availability for NZ timeshare units?

Will likely be flying into Auckland on the North Island? Should we also try to visit the South Island given the length of our stay or is there plenty to do on the North Island? BTW - how big is each of the islands?

 

[Carolinian]

Try DAE. You can access their current inventory online at www.daelive.com

 

[gaylebat]

Having been to New Zealand both South and North Islands. The best scenery is on the South Island. There is no comparison between them. I am Australian.

 

[fizzysoup]

Having been to New Zealand both South and North Islands. The best scenery is on the South Island. There is no comparison between them. I am Australian.

I have to agree with the above comment, (although I am not Australian!). However I think the exchange possibilities are as rare as hens teeth!

Good luck

 

[jdunn1]

Worldmark/Wyndham has a timeshare in both the north (Roturua) and south (Wanaka) parts of New Zealand. Both timeshares look very nice, especially the one in the north, which appear to be townhouses with their own private waterfront decks. The number of Worldmark Points required to book this resort are in par with other Worldmark resorts.

With that said, the number of points needed for the Wanaka Worldmark timeshare is astronomical so it must be very special. Normally, a Worldmark 2 – 3 bedroom requires anywhere from 10-14k points in prime season. The Wanaka resort requires from 23k -27k points for those accommodations.

If the point requirements for Worldmark owners is this high, I would imagine there are very few, if any deposits made into RCI, but I know nothing about traveling overseas, let alone to New Zealand. The Worldmark/Wyndham properties look very nice, though.

You might want to research the Wyndham/Worldmark resorts in New Zealand and then maybe work out some kind of rental with an owner. Wyndham might be the best route as I think Wyndham owners have preference into those resorts over Worldmark owners.

The most realistic way to get into New Zealand, especially for a month and a half like you have planned would be through VRBO.com, though. To pull this trip off using your timeshare weeks, you will likely have to rent your weeks and use the proceeds to rent something from a private owner via VRBO.com or maybe rent something through a mega Wyndham or Worldmark point’s owner.

 

[colamedia]

Any newish WMSP property has ridiculous credit values in peak time, avoid school holidays and it becomes a bit more reasonable. Wanaka is newish, Rotarua has been in the system for much longer, when credit values were fairly even.

Dec-Jan is school holidays, including the absolute peak Christmas/New Year break, you're not going to get much of anything appearing in any exchange company, maybe the first week or so of Dec, but after that it would be incredibly lucky. (Christmas/New Year is like mid summer 4th July rolled up with Thanksgiving in one holiday)

There still is quite a bit of availability in WM, so I would say rent directly from an owner ASAP (WMSP owners can book at 13months, I think US owners it's only 9months(?) but you'll also find WMSP owners will be more expensive, just the housekeeping alone that an WMSP owner pays is from $70 per stay.

The Accor Vacation Club properties are a bit closer to Marriott quality resorts, but they exchange through II and are unlikely to appear for Dec/Jan anyway. WMSP are usually a bit more primative than the US WM properties, once you get out of those 2 big brands you start to get into the cheap and cheerful style properties where you probably won't want to stay a whole week. Be very cautious if you find anything available in Dec/Jan, someone on here got an exchange into Queenstown which turned out to be much too close to the airport for comfort (looked like it was right under the flight path) and it was very shabby, NO facilities beyond a tv. Timeshares just aren't as common in NZ and Australia.


NZ is about 1000miles north to south, area wise, it's about the size of California, but a bit narrower and longer. Hiring an RV and driving around is a very common way to see the country.

 

[Jwerking]

Thank you, Colamedia and all for your comments. Colamedia, you helped me about 5 yrs ago with our trip to Oz - really appreciated your help - your were great.

I have been looking at both II, RCI, and DAE rental weeks for NZ and thinking about renting instead of exchanging because a rental is about $600 to $800 per week. With II and RCI exchange fees close to $200 - it would cost me more or about the same than the $600-800 to exchange after maint fees for my deposited week. I have found that rental weeks are available right now for XMAS week in some locations and some in January - but probably the lesser desired areas. Colamedia, you are correct about the school holidays in January - II demand charts show this a maximum demand for the whole month of January in many of the NZ areas.

However, while some of the rentals look okay - some do look really really cheap and sleazy - like old converted strip hotels. Honestly, I do love luxury resorts TS like the Marriotts, etc. - but I am willing to settle for less. We are planning to be in Thailand for a month prior to the six weeks in NZ - so I cannot afford to pay top $$ to stay in luxury resorts for the entire 3 month period. As long as the accomodations are basic and clean - I will be okay with it.

LOL about the recreational vehicles - this is an excellent idea - but don't know that we Yanks could handle driving on the left hand side on narrow and curvy roads in an RV. Already read how many of the roads in South Island are narrow and curvy - I am certain that they are talking about many of the mountain roads. I am already stressing about even driving a car on these roads. Even in Oz, we found driving on the left with a right-side steering wheel to be nerve racking, but most of the roads in Oz were plenty wide - even the Great Ocean drive.

Just planning for this trip is stressing me out - ugh! I took the first step and did confirm a Nov 2012 week in the new Marriott TS in Bangkok and put in an II request for two weeks at the Phuket Beach Club. Same thing with II rentals there - I may just rent one of weeks at the new Marriott Phuket TS for $900 - instead of exchanging - as it would be cheaper than exchanging since the maint fees of the Marriott TS I have deposited are about $1K each.

Joyce

 

[sue1947]

Some thoughts from an American:
Yes, driving on the left is a challenge, but you get the hang of it. You will keep hitting the window washer knob instead of the turn signal; and make sure you get an automatic. There are some one way roads where you yield to ongoing traffic, but there's not enough traffic for it to be a bother. The only exception was the road to Milford Sound which has tons of tour buses (and they don't yield to anybody) and a tunnel that is too small for RV, but they go in anyway and one got stuck. My best strategy there was to let a bus get in front of me and run interference. Once they get down there, they all get off the buses and onto boats so you have the place to yourself. I kept driving in cities to a minimum; flew into Christchurch and picked up the car at the end of that stay and parked it in the other cities and used public transportation.
I spent a month in March and it was perfect. School is back in session and the weather is still good; it's like September in the N hemisphere. If you can postpone to later so you aren't competing with their school holidays, you will be better off.
I spent most of the month in the South Island and only a few days on the North. With 6 weeks, I would have split it 1 month south and 2 weeks north. On the South Island; Mt Cook and the Southern Alps are a must and I also really loved the Abel Tasman Track (you can hike it or get a boat ride into a spendy lodge in the middle; gorgeous area). The Catlins in the SE are remote and out of the way but gorgeous as is the far north at Farewell spit. The tour buses can't make it around the hairpin turns so it's less crowded. On the North, the museum in Wellington is a must. The further north you go, the more tropical and hot and humid. Auckland was too humid to sleep in late March; make sure you stay someplace with air conditioning.
We didn't do timeshares, but found lots of nice and inexpensive motels with a small kitchen; cooktop, refrig and micro; essentially a studio. Check out the NZ AAA. This will give much more flexibility and make it easier to see more of the country.

Sue

 

[slip]

They do have some weeks in Platinum Interchange most of the time. You may
be able to get something with a request. If you deposit early enough you can
get 2 to 3 weeks for your one deposit. Right now they have one week in each
month of February, March and April but there's time to put in a request. If you
call them they would be able to tell you your chances. I find them great to work
with.

 

[colamedia]

Thank you, Colamedia and all for your comments. Colamedia, you helped me about 5 yrs ago with our trip to Oz - really appreciated your help - your were great.

Thank you Glad it was of use
The North Island is lots of rolling hills and wider roads, do the North Island first and you should be fine by the time you get to the more winding roads and big mountains of the South Island. This applies to whatever size vehicle you get.

 

[colamedia]

....put in an II request for two weeks at the Phuket Beach Club. Same thing with II rentals there - I may just rent one of weeks at the new Marriott Phuket TS for $900 - instead of exchanging - as it would be cheaper than exchanging since the maint fees of the Marriott TS I have deposited are about $1K each.

Marriott Phuket Beach Club and Mai Khao Beach (next door to each other) are fairly remote from anything else, you might find a week is plenty of relaxation time, or you might want to hire a car.

 

[chellej]

I have been looking for offseason (sept timeframe) and see good availability in II for club pacific Queenstown which looks like a good base for exploring the fijorland national park (glaciers). If you put in an ongoing search perhaps something in prime season will come up.


DD spent last summer at French Pass and I can recommend the place they stayed

http://www.seasafaris.co.nz/

It costs more than a timeshare would but is a very lovely area on the north end of the south island and the owners are very very nice.

DD also went to Abel Tasman Park while she was there and really enjoyed it. She took a horseback ride along the beach and the horse had been in the Lord of the rings movie.

We hope to spend a couple of weeks there with her at the end of this summer when she finishes her research.

 

[Jwerking]

Marriott Phuket Beach Club and Mai Khao Beach (next door to each other) are fairly remote from anything else, you might find a week is plenty of relaxation time, or you might want to hire a car.

LOL - its vacation and I will be RETIRED by then - I will have the rest of my life to relax. My favorite thing to do is to just sit on the beach under a palapa and read a book. If I fly all the way from the States - may as well take the extra week and relax - no more time limitations because I am using my all vacation time and need to get back to work. I am the type that gets stressed by the demands of sightseeing everyday - planning where to go daily, how to get there, etc. Unfortunately, I am stuck doing this daily as the hubby does nothing. He is truly on vacation and relaxing and I am driving myself nuts - staying up nightly planning the next day. So I am happy when I am at the beach and my biggest decision is where to sit on the beach or what time to do down.

 

[colamedia]

I have been looking for offseason (sept timeframe) and see good availability in II for club pacific Queenstown

That's the one very close to the airport with minimal facilities. It's basically a small motel row in the carpark of a hotel.

In Australia and NZ I'd be very cautious with anything that isn't II Premier or Select (gold or silver) ranking that is available as an exchange - I've tried a few and wouldn't recommend any of them for anything more than a base for seeing the local area.
An unranked resort only available as a Getaway doesn't seem to be ranked, only properties available as an II Exchange are ranked.

 

[chellej]

That's the one very close to the airport with minimal facilities. It's basically a small motel row in the carpark of a hotel.

In Australia and NZ I'd be very cautious with anything that isn't II Premier or Select (gold or silver) ranking that is available as an exchange - I've tried a few and wouldn't recommend any of them for anything more than a base for seeing the local area.
An unranked resort only available as a Getaway doesn't seem to be ranked, only properties available as an II Exchange are ranked.

Thanks...good to know

 

[Judy]

14 weeks at Wyndham aka Worldmark Wanaka appeared on RCI today. I'll post them on the sightings board.

II has weeks available at one resort in Wanaka and one in Queenstown.