My upcoming New Zealand expedition

[warpus]

Hey guys,

As some of you know I have been thinking about an Australia/New Zealand trip for quite some time now. There was a thread with lots of great tips - mainly about Australia, while I did more research and figured out exactly what I wanted to do. Turns out I really want to see a lot of stuff in New Zealand! So forget Australia, on November 22nd I am flying into Auckland I still want to see Australia, but it will have to wait for another time, and another trip.

What I'm hoping to get out of this thread is to get some tips, advice, and just kinda open up my ideas for everyone to see what sort of feedback I get, and how I could modify my trip to make it better. My flight back is on December 22nd, so that's basically 4 weeks of stuff to do, if you take out the flights. I have already booked some things and have a general itinerary planned, with the first week and a half or so of the trip set in stone, the rest of it being up in the air. Here's the itinerary. (Things I've already booked will be marked):

For those of you wanting to follow this with the help of a map, I have a rough version of the itinerary created here. Some things are out of date, but most things should be fairly up to date.

Nov 22 - Flight from Detroit to Auckland (booked)

Nov 24 - Land in Auckland, 6 hours later fly to Queenstown (booked). Find a nice hostel or possibly even hotel - and sleep & rest from all the flights.

Nov 25 - Explore Queenstown - take gondola/skyline up, then maybe walk around, take some pictures, take in the scenery, etc. Not sure what else to do in Queenstown yet.

Nov 26 - Bus to Te Anau, explore Te Anau, do stuff there, not sure what yet. Sleep in my tent, or hostel?
Nov 27 - Bus to Te Anau Downs (booked), boat to beginning of Milford Track (booked), Milford Track hike day 1

Nov 27 - 30 - Milford Track hike - takes 4 days. Upon arrival to the end of the track I am taking a boat to Milford Sound (booked). The only side-trip on the hike I am planning currently are the Sutherland falls on day 3 - highest waterfall in NZ.

Dec 1 - 1 day rest in Milford Sound. Sightseeing boat tour (booked). Other than that, take in scenery and rest. This is a tiny resort town - will hostels/hotels be expensive? I will want to rest up for the next leg of my journey, but sleeping in my tent would save me money.

Dec 2 - Take bus to The Divide - day 1 of Routeburn Track hike. I haven't booked the bus to this location, but have been in contact with park rangers who have given me information on how to book this.

Dec 2 - 4 - Routeburn Track hike - takes 3 days. I haven't booked this yet, but unlike the Milford Track this trail is not nearly as popular so there are still tons of spots left. I am not sure if I should stay in the huts ($50 a night) or camp ($11 a night, I think). I will be bringing my tent with me, as well as sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and portable stove, so camping is an option. I just wonder if that is wise keeping in mind how much it's supposed to rain there. I need to decide whether I will be camping or staying in the huts soon. I have looked into some sidetrips on this trail, but haven't def. picked any yet.

Dec 4 - bus back to Queenstown - this is supposed to be a spectacular ride down

Alright, so all the stuff above is kinda set in stone. I mean, the Routeburn track isn't booked yet, but I will likely be booking it for those dates, soon. The only thing that could change my mind would be staying in Milford Sound for 1 more day, for some reason, but as beautiful as it's supposed to be, I will probably want to move on.

From there the dates aren't set, but the travelling route mostly is, up until I reach the North Island

Back in Queenstown on Dec 4 - how long should I stay here? What should I see /do? So far my plan calls me for coming into town dec 4 and leaving dec 6, but that could change depending on what I find to do there. (other than the gondola, which I would have done earlier)

Bus to Wanaka - stay here at least a day.. but I am not to sure what to do/see there yet. From the pictures it looks like a very cool little town.

Sightseeing tour of Haast Pass - I haven't been able to find any information about this online, so I might have to start calling around. Basically I have to go through the Haast Pass anyway to get to the next leg of my journey (base of Franz Jozef glacier), but I want to book a bus that will stop every once a while, allow us to get out, and take pictures. Afterwards I would prefer to get off the bus somewhere beyond the Haast Pass (there are some settlements near the end), but will go back to Wanaka if I have to.

Scenic flyover of Mount Cook - NZ's tallest mountain, surrounding mountains & glaciers - Initially I was going to do a helicopter flyover of the Fox Glacier, but then I found this. It seems amazing, cheap ($290NZ) and I really want to do it

Bus to Murchinson - whitewater rafting capital of NZ - I've never whitewater rafted, and my trip is taking me right through this town, so I figured I would give it a try.

Bus to Nelson/Picton/ Ferry to Wellington - I would take the bus directly to Picton if I could, and take the ferry across to Wellington. It's supposed to be a scenic ride across. There isn't supposed to be much in Wellington to see, so I will probably spend 1 day max there.

And now I'm on the North Island, and if everything went well, my flight home from Auckland is 7 days away or so. The plan here is a little bit more vague. I will basically make my way north to Auckland via bus and stop to check out places along the way. I won't have time to see much, but here's what piqued my interest so far:

Tongariro Alpine Crossing - hiking right by Mount Doom from LOTR. What more is there to say? It is a day hike and I am doing this for sure.

If I have more time, the following might also be on my list. not sure which to do: Glow caves, The Shire (inhabited by goats right now? would be neat to see it, but....), lake Taupo. As you can see my north island stay isn't very well planned out, but that's mainly cause most of the stuff I'm doing is on the south.

I have also purchased some equipment for this journey. My main pieces of equipment are: Gregory Baltoro 70 Expedition Pack, thermarest basecamp 3 sleeping pad, MSR Hubba 1 person tent. I also have a very compactable sleeping bag (name escapes me), and a bunch of odds and ends (first aid kit, sewing/repair kit, portable stove, cookset & cutlery, compass, swiss army knife, flashlight, etc. Still need to buy new hiking shoes (any tips?), a new jacket, and a bunch of odds and ends. I will also need to buy a cellphone (here in Canada) so that I can buy a SIM card in NZ and call ahead to book stuff.. or just for emergencies. I haven't finished my research there, so I'm not sure what to get..

Anyway, thanks for reading this long thread and giving me advice, if any. And thanks to Gangor , who has been helping me plan some of this! As you can likely tell, I can't wait to go..

 

[cav scout]

You could check out the hot springs and Maori cultural stuff around Rotorua.

 

[warpus]

You could check out the hot springs and Maori cultural stuff around Rotorua.

Rotorua came up a couple times, and was brought up by a couple people.. The Pohutu Geyser looks kinda cool. What sort of Maori cultural stuff are you talking about? I have noticed that Maori culture/language/cuisine/etc. seems to be a big part of NZ identity - so checking out that aspect of it would be interesting.. but I have no idea what kinda thing I'd want to see.

Also.. if there's any obvious lord of the rings stuff I'm missing (e.g. This and this battle was filmed here), let me know

 

[Heretic_Cata]

FWIW you can have my sword.

 

[Orange Seeds]

The first thing I was going to do was insist on some hiking. Looks like you've got that covered! I'm envious of such treks. I would just stay in the tent the whole time, in fact I'd just use a tarp, but that's me and I'm always looking for ways to save my dollars. A $40 MEC Scout Tarp has served me better than any $300 expedition tent.

 

[otago]

OK, it is a pity you have limited time as it seems to be very rushed in my eyes.
Be WARNED, NZ can be dangerous, the danger comes in people striking off the main tracks and getting lost or getting hypothermia, NZ weather can change in a flash, it is no worse than else where but it can change in a real hurry.
If you do like to strike off make sure you hire a locator beacon as mobile phone coverage is limited.

With the rushed schedule you have by the time you have bunjy jumped a couple of times I would suggest a cruisey time in the North Island.
If you had more time I would suggest going around the East Cape and going up North to the Hokianga.

Remember one thing, you are in NZ, slow down

 

[PiMan]

Certainly one should always be weary of hypothermia when trekking on and around mountains, but the danger is marginally reduced because he is going to be there at the start of summer instead of some time silly, like now.
Also, I would also highly recommend a locator beacon, if not a satellite phone too.

EDIT: I've never been to New Zealand though, so I can't give advice on specific aspects of your trip.

 

[Abaddon]

I am just back from spending 8 month in NZ, 2 months of that was travel. You're in for a lot of fun!!! I'll look more at your itinerary shortly.

 

[warpus]

The first thing I was going to do was insist on some hiking. Looks like you've got that covered! I'm envious of such treks. I would just stay in the tent the whole time, in fact I'd just use a tarp, but that's me and I'm always looking for ways to save my dollars. A $40 MEC Scout Tarp has served me better than any $300 expedition tent.

Just a tarp, really? That sounds pretty.. minimalistic! From what I've read it's supposed to rain a LOT where I'm going so I'll stick with the tent Mind you the first hike I'm doing doesn't even ALLOW tents, you have to sleep in huts (and pay $50 a night for, too). It's a pretty tiny tent, though, and barely weighs anything - I won't even notice I have it in my backpack - and it doesn't take up much room when assembled, either.

I'm not really much of a hiker myself, but 2 years ago I did a 5 day hike in southern Patagonia, and LOVED it. Have been looking for something similar to do since ... and then I found the Milford Track.

OK, it is a pity you have limited time as it seems to be very rushed in my eyes.

I wish I had more time & money for this trip, but as it stands I used to only get 3 weeks paid vacation a year (it's 4 weeks now, but only starting this year)... so a 5 week long vacation is kinda stretching it.. mind you, my boss has been cool about it, even though when i get back I get a week and a half off (paid) due to xmas. I was thinking of staying past xmas, but then wouldn't want to face my mother's wrath when I returned

If you were me, which cities that are on my list would you stay longer in? Cause I do have a couple days in there I could dedicate for a longer stay somewhere. I just haven't scheduled anything cause 1. I'm not sure what to schedule them for 2. it's nice to have a couple "uh oh something unexpected happened" days on a trip like this

By the way, I just noticed that your username is a tribute to a certain region of new zealand

Be WARNED, NZ can be dangerous, the danger comes in people striking off the main tracks and getting lost or getting hypothermia, NZ weather can change in a flash, it is no worse than else where but it can change in a real hurry.

I am used to weather changing quickly on me - we had to put up with that in torres del paine nat. park on the w-circuit. For that hike I had to bring clothes for all 4 seasons - and all sorts of emergency supplies. From what I've read the weather in fiordland national park is not nearly as insane, but I'm still going to come prepared.. And no, I do not plan to stray off the trails. I'm pretty good with a map & compass, so I should be fine. I looked up some GPS locator beacons, and those are expeeensive.

With the rushed schedule you have by the time you have bunjy jumped a couple of times I would suggest a cruisey time in the North Island.
If you had more time I would suggest going around the East Cape and going up North to the Hokianga.

Bunjee jumping? I've never done that either. Is there a NZ bunjee jumping capital? I would try it.

I looked up Hokianga - what's good to see there? Seems close to Auckland.

Certainly one should always be weary of hypothermia when trekking on and around mountains, but the danger is marginally reduced because he is going to be there at the start of summer instead of some time silly, like now.
Also, I would also highly recommend a locator beacon, if not a satellite phone too.

I will have an emergency blanket with me for emergencies like hypothermia.. but yeah, they only maintain the milford track late oct - march (or something like that), which is why I'm going in late November. I figured that if I don't go in that window, I wouldn't b e able to go until a year after, and who knows what's going to happen then..

Locator beacon.. hmm.. should I really get one? I seem to remember looking some up, but they might have been GPS device thingies.. What sorta thing do you have in mind?

I am just back from spending 8 month in NZ, 2 months of that was travel. You're in for a lot of fun!!! I'll look more at your itinerary shortly.

Abaddon! From you I would really like to find out what clubs/bars/pubs to hit up in Auckland I want to experience the nightlife there.

Other things I want to find stuff out about:

- What national dishes should I eat?
- What drinks should I try?
- What distinct NZ things should I do?
- What's the best way to experience Maori culture?
- How could I go about seeing a RUGBY match? Is there a league that is in session during the summer?

 

[Abaddon]

Hey guys,

As some of you know I have been thinking about an Australia/New Zealand trip for quite some time now. There was a thread with lots of great tips - mainly about Australia, while I did more research and figured out exactly what I wanted to do. Turns out I really want to see a lot of stuff in New Zealand! So forget Australia, on November 22nd I am flying into Auckland I still want to see Australia, but it will have to wait for another time, and another trip.

What I'm hoping to get out of this thread is to get some tips, advice, and just kinda open up my ideas for everyone to see what sort of feedback I get, and how I could modify my trip to make it better. My flight back is on December 22nd, so that's basically 4 weeks of stuff to do, if you take out the flights. I have already booked some things and have a general itinerary planned, with the first week and a half or so of the trip set in stone, the rest of it being up in the air. Here's the itinerary. (Things I've already booked will be marked):

For those of you wanting to follow this with the help of a map, I have a rough version of the itinerary created here. Some things are out of date, but most things should be fairly up to date.

Nov 22 - Flight from Detroit to Auckland (booked)

Nov 24 - Land in Auckland, 6 hours later fly to Queenstown (booked). Find a nice hostel or possibly even hotel - and sleep & rest from all the flights.

Nov 25 - Explore Queenstown - take gondola/skyline up, then maybe walk around, take some pictures, take in the scenery, etc. Not sure what else to do in Queenstown yet.

I spent 12 days doing nothing but get pissed and eat Ferg Burgers (Well worth it, often a large Que!)

You can do all of the activies you can imagine at QT, but they all cost. TBH i found bungeing dissapointing.. and i did a backflip into a slingshot! Jump in the lake! Its a student, party town

Nov 26 - Bus to Te Anau, explore Te Anau, do stuff there, not sure what yet. Sleep in my tent, or hostel?
Nov 27 - Bus to Te Anau Downs (booked), boat to beginning of Milford Track (booked), Milford Track hike day 1

Nothing to do in Te Anau, its just good to stop off because otherwise your journey between QT and MS is huge. It is BEAUTIFUL, so a walk along the lake is nice

Nov 27 - 30 - Milford Track hike - takes 4 days. Upon arrival to the end of the track I am taking a boat to Milford Sound (booked). The only side-trip on the hike I am planning currently are the Sutherland falls on day 3 - highest waterfall in NZ.

Dec 1 - 1 day rest in Milford Sound. Sightseeing boat tour (booked). Other than that, take in scenery and rest. This is a tiny resort town - will hostels/hotels be expensive? I will want to rest up for the next leg of my journey, but sleeping in my tent would save me money.

There is nothing here but the boat trips, so I imagine very expencive. I drove in, did the boat trip and drove out. Oh, and it was an amazing, breathtaking, lifechanging day

Dec 2 - Take bus to The Divide - day 1 of Routeburn Track hike. I haven't booked the bus to this location, but have been in contact with park rangers who have given me information on how to book this.

Dec 2 - 4 - Routeburn Track hike - takes 3 days. I haven't booked this yet, but unlike the Milford Track this trail is not nearly as popular so there are still tons of spots left. I am not sure if I should stay in the huts ($50 a night) or camp ($11 a night, I think). I will be bringing my tent with me, as well as sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and portable stove, so camping is an option. I just wonder if that is wise keeping in mind how much it's supposed to rain there. I need to decide whether I will be camping or staying in the huts soon. I have looked into some sidetrips on this trail, but haven't def. picked any yet.

Dec 4 - bus back to Queenstown - this is supposed to be a spectacular ride down

Alright, so all the stuff above is kinda set in stone. I mean, the Routeburn track isn't booked yet, but I will likely be booking it for those dates, soon. The only thing that could change my mind would be staying in Milford Sound for 1 more day, for some reason, but as beautiful as it's supposed to be, I will probably want to move on.

From there the dates aren't set, but the travelling route mostly is, up until I reach the North Island

Back in Queenstown on Dec 4 - how long should I stay here? What should I see /do? So far my plan calls me for coming into town dec 4 and leaving dec 6, but that could change depending on what I find to do there. (other than the gondola, which I would have done earlier)

Bus to Wanaka - stay here at least a day.. but I am not to sure what to do/see there yet. From the pictures it looks like a very cool little town.

Its just another lake, nothing special, but nice enough to break up a journey. New Years is a huge party!

Sightseeing tour of Haast Pass - I haven't been able to find any information about this online, so I might have to start calling around. Basically I have to go through the Haast Pass anyway to get to the next leg of my journey (base of Franz Jozef glacier), but I want to book a bus that will stop every once a while, allow us to get out, and take pictures. Afterwards I would prefer to get off the bus somewhere beyond the Haast Pass (there are some settlements near the end), but will go back to Wanaka if I have to.

Scenic flyover of Mount Cook - NZ's tallest mountain, surrounding mountains & glaciers - Initially I was going to do a helicopter flyover of the Fox Glacier, but then I found this. It seems amazing, cheap ($290NZ) and I really want to do it

Bus to Murchinson - whitewater rafting capital of NZ - I've never whitewater rafted, and my trip is taking me right through this town, so I figured I would give it a try.

Hmmm. The farm I worked on had WWR and it was great fun! Apprently mine was the greatest as it was the only one with grade 3,4,5 rapids (6 is too dangerous!) so that was pretty cool.. bit out of the way though unless you get to ChristChurch (they run daily coaches on for it)

Bus to Nelson/Picton/ Ferry to Wellington - I would take the bus directly to Picton if I could, and take the ferry across to Wellington. It's supposed to be a scenic ride across. There isn't supposed to be much in Wellington to see, so I will probably spend 1 day max there.

DUDE! Nelson, the nearby beaches etc are the best bit! Chill out here for days at least before going North!

And now I'm on the North Island, and if everything went well, my flight home from Auckland is 7 days away or so. The plan here is a little bit more vague. I will basically make my way north to Auckland via bus and stop to check out places along the way. I won't have time to see much, but here's what piqued my interest so far:

Tongariro Alpine Crossing - hiking right by Mount Doom from LOTR. What more is there to say? It is a day hike and I am doing this for sure.

If I have more time, the following might also be on my list. not sure which to do: Glow caves, The Shire (inhabited by goats right now? would be neat to see it, but....), lake Taupo. As you can see my north island stay isn't very well planned out, but that's mainly cause most of the stuff I'm doing is on the south.


DOOO THE GLOW CAVES! MAN it was AWESOME! I forget the company, but its catchphrase was rap,raft,rock.. or something. There are several companys going, but this was a nice price, an awesome guide, and a fantastic day. After Milford, this was my best day in NZ

I have also purchased some equipment for this journey. My main pieces of equipment are: Gregory Baltoro 70 Expedition Pack, thermarest basecamp 3 sleeping pad, MSR Hubba 1 person tent. I also have a very compactable sleeping bag (name escapes me), and a bunch of odds and ends (first aid kit, sewing/repair kit, portable stove, cookset & cutlery, compass, swiss army knife, flashlight, etc. Still need to buy new hiking shoes (any tips?), a new jacket, and a bunch of odds and ends. I will also need to buy a cellphone (here in Canada) so that I can buy a SIM card in NZ and call ahead to book stuff.. or just for emergencies. I haven't finished my research there, so I'm not sure what to get..

Anyway, thanks for reading this long thread and giving me advice, if any. And thanks to Gangor , who has been helping me plan some of this! As you can likely tell, I can't wait to go..

BUY a lonely Planet, it leads you to the BEST hostels.. We found the most enjoyable were the small, under 100 guest hostels the nicest. Its very cheap, ~20NZD a night.


OMG, its all coming back to me now,

YOU MUST go to kaikora - swim with dolfins! I swam amongst 400+ pod,
Hamner Springs - bubble in mud!
Rotorur - hot pools!

I'd say something coherant but I was amazed by it, and have so much to say!

 

[Abaddon]

My two threads on my travells:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=319543

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=330056

 

[warpus]

Thanks Abaddon! I will go through your stuff a bit later today when I have some more time (I'm at work)

 

[PiMan]

Locator beacon.. hmm.. should I really get one? I seem to remember looking some up, but they might have been GPS device thingies.. What sorta thing do you have in mind?

Yes, it is a GPS so that other people can find you should you get lost or trapped for whatever reason. I think they can be rented.

 

[Shekwan]

Sounds like an awesome trip from a quick skim through.

I know someone going there next month. He's into adventure type stuff too and has a whole list of activities hes going to do there - bungeeing, skydiving, gorge walking, rafting etc. But what really caught my attention was that they're going to put him into a plastic ball and roll him down a really big hill! I'm too much of a coward to do the high altitude stuff but the ball thing sounds more awesome than terrifying.

I don't know why thats relevant. But yeah, have fun!

 

[ThERat]

Man, reminds me of my trip in '92. Tongariro is a great park, the whole day walk really worth it. Don't miss climbing Ngauruhoe.
The glowworm caves where great, we took a tour that took us into a small cave with a stream that we use to float on while admiring the glowworms, simply awesome.

If you got a little more time, try going Coromandel, it has great lonely beaches. I found the Art Deco town of Napier on the east coast very nice. At my time, there was the tour to a gannet colony, one of the most spectacular days I spent in NZ.

I so envy you to go there...I have to go again as well soon.

 

[Abaddon]

Bunjee jumping? I've never done that either. Is there a NZ bunjee jumping capital? I would try it.

Queenstown is the capital of all extreme stuff. Zorbing, jetboating, rafting,lugeing, bunje jumping. All exhilaration, all super high costs!!!!

Abaddon! From you I would really like to find out what clubs/bars/pubs to hit up in Auckland I want to experience the nightlife there.

Find the x base hostel. Underground beneth it is a decent club. Any city you go, find the x base and there will be a club nearby. All the gap students go to base an subsequently studently stuff is around there. Beware this is a lot of rich "daddys money" rahs an you might feel the urge to bottle a few, I know I did...

Other things I want to find stuff out about:

- What national dishes should I eat
the food is essentially the same, but I reccomebd the petrol station pies! They do warm pies over there really well, an really cheap. I lived on them almost?!?
- What drinks should I try?
Again drinking is pretty international stuff. Their beer is good tho, I'll try an remeber brands, all I remeber is the dirt cheap one I used to drink with the shepards, thry called it a pregnant Maori, you'll find it as double brown...
- What distinct NZ things should I do?
Finish every sentence with bro.
- What's the best way to experience Maori culture?
Pay lots of money for a hangi meal, you'll get a dance and a Haka etc. Do that at rotorur.
- How could I go about seeing a RUGBY match? Is there a league that is in session during the summer?

do this at Christchurch, tho wierdly the crowd is very quiet an it's all a bit lame unless you go when all the uni students go... Can't remember if that's the start or the end of the season...

 

[warpus]

You can do all of the activies you can imagine at QT, but they all cost. TBH i found bungeing dissapointing.. and i did a backflip into a slingshot! Jump in the lake! Its a student, party town

Queenstown seems like a place that's known for bungee jumping, but is that only because it's kinda known for all sorts of "extreme" and/or outdorsy activities? Seems to me like bungy jumping would be cheaper elsewhere, and I should be able to find other places that offer it - right? And I mean, I'm a bit afraid of heights, but that would just make it so much more exciting and interesting for me, so I might give it a go.. unless it's horribly overpriced, I guess.

DUDE! Nelson, the nearby beaches etc are the best bit! Chill out here for days at least before going North!

Yeah? I might have to do that anyway, which beaches do you recommend? One of the nearby parks (abel tasman i think) was recommended to me, but I don't think I'd have time to go there..

DOOO THE GLOW CAVES! MAN it was AWESOME! I forget the company, but its catchphrase was rap,raft,rock.. or something. There are several companys going, but this was a nice price, an awesome guide, and a fantastic day. After Milford, this was my best day in NZ

Everyone's saying great things about the glow caves, so I will try to do it.. Which ones did you go see? I heard that the ones on the north island are a bit overpriced, and that you can go see the same thing cheaper on the south island.

BUY a lonely Planet, it leads you to the BEST hostels.. We found the most enjoyable were the small, under 100 guest hostels the nicest. Its very cheap, ~20NZD a night.

LONELY PLANET! YES! I totally forgot that that's what I had down in Chile & Argentina, and it helped tons.. thanks for the reminder.

btw, for 20 nzd a night, is that for a single room, or bunk beds/shared room?

YOU MUST go to kaikora - swim with dolfins! I swam amongst 400+ pod,!

Swimming with dolphins sounds pretty f'n amazing, how much was that?? Looking at a map, kaikora is a bit out of the way.. I bet the same sort of thing is offered elsewhere.. Will have to do some research.

Yes, it is a GPS so that other people can find you should you get lost or trapped for whatever reason. I think they can be rented.

Hmm, I'll look into this in queenstown. If it's not too pricy I'll do it.. I mean, you can't be too careful, right?

But what really caught my attention was that they're going to put him into a plastic ball and roll him down a really big hill!

I think I'll pass on that but tell people I did it anyway

Don't miss climbing Ngauruhoe

Is that a sidetrip? Where do you leave your stuff, btw? I will have a heavy (~20kg) backpack with me. I am assuming there is a way to leave your stuff at the start of the trip somewhere, do the walk, then a bus will take you back to the start? Or how does it work?

Find the x base hostel. Underground beneth it is a decent club. Any city you go, find the x base and there will be a club nearby. All the gap students go to base an subsequently studently stuff is around there. Beware this is a lot of rich "daddys money" rahs an you might feel the urge to bottle a few, I know I did...

Heh.. well, what age students are we talking about here?

do this at Christchurch, tho wierdly the crowd is very quiet an it's all a bit lame unless you go when all the uni students go... Can't remember if that's the start or the end of the season...

Christchurch wouldn't work for me.. but I wil be in Wellington and Auckland, so maybe there'll be a game there? I tried looking up the nz rugby league, but it was a bit confusing cause of the whole rugby union vs rugby league thing. I just want a page with the main nz rugby league so I can look up the schedule! Maybe I just wasn't searching hard enough

 

[warpus]

As per lonely island, I almost ordered the new edition of their NZ guide just now, but then noticed that they have separate guides for the north & south islands. What to get? The 1 guide for the whole country would be more compact, but the 2 guides probably have more information.. hmmm

I also have decided I want to visit the abel tasman national park and just lie on a beach and relax. I'm going to be in Nelson, the "gateway" to the park, so I figure, why not.. I just need someone to direct me to nice beaches there.

 

[Abaddon]

My parents stayed there for 2 weeks and adored it, I'll ask them where thry went specifically.

 

[warpus]

My parents stayed there for 2 weeks and adored it, I'll ask them where thry went specifically.

Sweet, thanks. I wonder if it's Kaiteriteri; it looks amazing.