Planning trip is the most difficult part, especially you have never been to the country, you've zero idea on every single things.
Yea of course you could search from the internet, but most of the time you gonna read alot just to get a rough picture of the place.
I understand this very well, as what i'm going through to do my Jeju & Korea plan.
Of course you can get lot of info on must-go / must-eat, but you have no idea where the hell is those place, how to get there, is that far from where you stay, how much its cost, what is the other attraction around.
And when you done figure out the attractions you want to go, but you have no idea how to fit in your schedule, so you won't waste your time and transportation fees.
What i mean is, route is important, especially when you travelling in few days. You won't want to spend extra transport money. Money might not the matter, but time is.
Alright back to this friend, lets call him Alex.
So Alex is travelling the south of NZ in this coming March, he will stay for 6 days and he done some research, he knows rent a car is the best way to travel NZ, especially South.
Frankly, 6 days is never enough for the whole south, know that i spend 4 months living in south, and one whole month full time travelling in South, still i missed out some place like Stewert Island.
But if you have only 6 days, you just have to give up some attractions.
His flight reach in late noon, and back in night like 9pm.
This is pretty much like what i planned for John when he travelled to South in last August.
I talk to Alex for a while, he will give up top south, which is Picton, Nelson, National Park and so, and he don't feel like spending whole day in Franz Josef, so he keen on down south.
Which is what i plan for John. So without saying much, i find out the plan and i send over.
Christchurch
Date :
18 August
Time : 5pm
– 830pm
Distance :
223km
Stay : Lake Front
Activity : Kohan
for dinner (close by 9pm)
Night Stargazing
Date :
19 August
Time : 9am
- 1030
Distance :
About 80km (one way to Mt.
Cook
Stay : Lake Front
Activity : Salmon for lunch
Mt Cook glazier track (half hour / 3 hours / 2 days).
Mt Cook glazier track (half hour / 3 hours / 2 days).
Milky blue Lake
Pukaki
Kayak
Date :
19 August
Time : 10am
– 1pm
Distance :
256km
Stay : Aspen Lodge (Free wifi & muffin)
Activity : Twizel Salmon Fish farm for
breakfast!
Stop by Cromwell for cherry
Queenstown Ferg burger for lunch!
Leisure and shopping
Gondola
for view and buffet for dinner.
Day 4
Queenstown -> Coronet Peak
Date :
21 August
Time : 10am
– 4pm
Distance :
15km / 23 km (one way)
Stay : Aspen Lodge (Free wifi & muffin)
Activity :
Ski and fall.
Day 5
Queenstown -> Moeraki -> Oamaru
Date :
22 August
Time : 8am
– 12pm
Distance : 300km
(HW 85)
Stay : Chill
A While http://www.chillawhile.co.nz/index.php
or Swagger http://www.swaggersbackpackers.co.nz/
Activity : Boulder
Town in Oamaru
Penguin Crossing / Penguin Viewing
Day 6
Oamaru -> Timaru -> Ashburton -> Christchurch / Akaroa -> Christchurch
Date :
23 August
Time : 9pm
- 12pm
Distance :
247km
Stay : Pinky House (I couldn’t find the contact!) /
Base http://www.stayatbase.com/base-backpackers-christchurch-
hostel/
/ Jail! http://www.jail.co.nz/ / Or if you
want to have own space to pack your stuff, go for motel (100-120 / night).
Activity : Timaru stop for lunch, fuel and restock (big
town)
Ashburton for souvenir and Alpaca
Akaroa for French Village
That is the plan i send to John, but John ended up give up skiiing and join local tour to Milford Sound, he thinks its worth the money and that is half day tour. So another half day he tool Queenstown gondola to see the Queenstown view.
Ski is optional, actually there are lot of local tour, if you want bungy, you can go from Queenstown, like 1 hours driving distance.
But March is Autumn, so i guess Alex won't want to stay Queenstown for extra one day just for ski on the ground and he don't keen on go to Milford Sound and bungy, he want just stop by and see queenstown, save more time to other place.
So i suggest he can either take Day 4 plan away and continue to Day 5 plan, which is to Moeraki to Oamaru, and continue to Chrischurch.
The extra one day i would recommend to Kaikuora, somewhere near beach, famous with lobster and black abalone. Click Kaikuora to link the old post.
Kaikuora is 2 - 3 hours driving distance from Christchurch, after Ashburton is Christchurch, after Christchurch is Kaikuora, spend a night in Kaikuora, and back to Christchurch next morning, he can either choose to hang around in the town or drive another 2 hours to Akaroa, (click to old post) back in the evening to catch the flight.
Kaikuora is 2 - 3 hours driving distance from Christchurch, after Ashburton is Christchurch, after Christchurch is Kaikuora, spend a night in Kaikuora, and back to Christchurch next morning, he can either choose to hang around in the town or drive another 2 hours to Akaroa, (click to old post) back in the evening to catch the flight.
Which mean, day 4 is
Queenstown -> Moeraki -> Oamaru
Queenstown -> Moeraki -> Oamaru
So, day 5 could be:
Oamaru -> Timaru -> Ashburton - -> Christchurch -> Kaikuora.
Oamaru -> Timaru -> Ashburton - -> Christchurch -> Kaikuora.
while day 6 is
Kaikuora -> Akaroa / Christchurch.
Kaikuora -> Akaroa / Christchurch.
About is the route map, red line is the places that my plan will goes through.
Ok, when you done your route map, the next time is find out what do you want to see in those stop point, accommodation, must-eat. and plan your budget.
Well i hope this is help, if you have question, drop me comment and i shall see if i could help.
Oh yea, some readers sometime ask me to email them my answer, i never do, not because of i'm cocky but i think its nice to share, this is what internet mean right?
So if you happen to ask me question through comment, please come back and check (and click my ads so i can earn my travel money!!!)
nice plan, i like your itineraries
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