Travelling NZ

Travelling NZ

Hey lads and topless lasses,

Firstly hi to all, and hopefully you guys will have a cracking world cup and follow that up with an even more impressive A-league showing than last season.

I'm a Sydney FC fan that has yet to travel to NZ for football or otherwise. I am heading over to the south island on the 20th of June with my gf to spend 2 weeks there before she heads back to Canada.

Was just wondering if you guys had any recommendations for places to see/experience that aren't necessarily along the lonely planet trail. I will be flying into and out of Christchurch and definitely spending a week in Queenstown(we will have a car) and a day at the Franz Joseph glacier but other than that I haven't got anything on the list.

Anyways, good luck at the cup, and hopefully I can make it over to see a nix match next season.

Cheers

Try Punakaiki (Pankake Rocks) and Te Anua.

Akaroa is a bit of an interesting historical oddity. What would have happened to our football if the French had taken over? 

Sorry North Islander but. SPE is always godd for World Cup games if you're in Auckland!

Good to hear that you are spending a heap of time in Queenstown, it's a wonderful town. Possibly also worth heading to Wanaka for a day from Queenstown, it's a little quieter, gorgeous scenery there as well. Definitely bungee in Queenstwon as well- get dipped in the middle of winter, it's the way to go.

Also, it won't say this in the Lonely Planet, but it's suggested that you don't support Sydney FC, and support the Nix (kinda implicit really).

Oh and I read in an Air New Zealand magazine a while ago abour Glenorchy/Kinloch (around the lake from Queenstown). Not much there- but that's kinda the point of the place, away from the hustle of Queenstown to somewhere where it is just you and the mountains and the lake. I think they might have a couple of quaint places for a meal, but I'm no expert on the area. Worth a google.

I went to Kinloch in 2002, it has a hotel and a doc camping ground. Nothing else.

Great Place.

Thanks guys, some good inspiration there, except for the not supporting Sydney part ;)

Abel Tasman National Park if you're anywhere near Nelson. It's absolutely stunning!

Arrow Brewing Company in Arrowtown (v. close to Queenstown). I love micro-breweries and this one is amazing, the beer is great, the venison pie perhaps the best pie I've ever had, the atmosphere is perfect, the hospitality is excellent. Brilliant place, I thoroughly recommend it.

The Whanganui inlet. Up by Farewel lSpit. Not much except scenery up there. Takaka, Collingwood the end of the line.Abel Tasman park is good.

Spend as little time in Christchurch as possible, they don't take well to foreigners there.

Christchurch, yesterday.

Best advice i have ever heard.

Rapahoe and Runanga on the West Coast. Nothing to see there, but it is pretty awesome driving through there shouting at the top of your lungs 'Ruuuuuunaaaaannnngaaa' and 'Rapeaho'.

I have spent a fair bit of time at 9 Mile, the beach just north of Runanga/Rapahoe- it is so beautiful it is often the 'tourist' image of the west coast- then its just a short trip to Punakaiki and Paparoa national park (get in before they turn it into an open cast mine) make sure you stop at the Barrytown Pub on the way

this is the best part of NZ, and in Winter it is the driest part of the country
Salmon072010-06-01 12:28:11

The Catlins area is pretty cool to explore also if you have the time.

dont go to the south island at all and just spend the whole time in rotorua, new zealands most beautiful city 

How about Foxton: "The Fox Town of New Zealand."

Great promotional stuff! (And the used to have a Big Tex restaurant there)

Almost lost my kids to a Bull sea Lion there....the memories!

The great thing about S I sland is that it is narrow enough to follow the weather. Wet west coast ofte nmeans dry east coast and vice versa.

I'd recommend the seafood at Fleur's Place near Moeraki - picture postcard views as well (if it is dry)

Awesome stuff people, given me some great fodder to plan with. The good news is if you recommended a place that turns out to be amazing I will make it my job to buy you a beer at the Backbencher this season. The bad news is if it turns out to be sh*t or some kind of kiwi trap where I get robbed then I'll make it my job to say unkind things about you at a later date. ;)

Best avoid Foxton then.

Foxton Fizz is no longer produced in Foxton either. Production was moved somewhere else earlier this year IIRC.

Just wanted to say thanks for the tips lads, f**king brilliant country you have there. Breathtaking, can't wait to go back and see the north island.

Next time you're in the country (and if it's Summer) then it's well worth your time to go to Kaiteriteri.  As close to tropical as you'll get in the SI and absolutely beautiful.

GORE ftw!

Highlights were a scenic flight to milford sound from queenstown, a jetboat up the dart river (both part of a combo) the luging above queenstown was pretty awesome aswell with the view and overtaking 5yr olds with a crazy cackle. Walking on Franz Joseph glacier, walking over the bridge out back of a hokitika(sp). Didn't make it to Invercargil or Stewart Is, but really enjoyed seeing Laake Tekapo and mount cook from afar. Just seemed wherever we went there was some amazing scenery to absorb, even 2 nights out on the piss in Dunedin was a great laugh.
Gore was a little boring tbh ;)
It's hard to decide when is the best time to see NZ, at the height of summer or the height of winter, or inbetween.