New Zealand Wine Country

We are considering a cruise to Australia/New Zealand and I would love to see the wine country that produces the fabulous Sauvigon Blanc, my personal favorites include Cloudy Bay & Kim Crawford.

Does anyone have information re: wine tours/tastings especially in the Marlborough region?

Does the Solstice offer any excursions to this area?

Does Celebrity allow wine to be brought back onboard for consumption?

We are considering a cruise to Australia/New Zealand and I would love to see the wine country that produces the fabulous Sauvigon Blanc, my personal favorites include Cloudy Bay & Kim Crawford.

 

Does anyone have information re: wine tours/tastings especially in the Marlborough region?

If you're doing a cruise that starts or ends in Auckland, that would make touring this area much easier. Fly from Auckland to Blenheim and spend three or four days in the area - well worthwhile. You can also very easily get there from Sydney via Wellington.

From which port were you thinking of doing this? A very quick and dirty search suggests that the closest that Celebrity Solstice gets is making calls at Christchurch / Akaroa and Wellington, neither of which is really a practicable starting point for a one-day tour of the Marlborough region unless you charter an aircraft for a day. It might just be possible from Wellington if you're there on a day with particularly frequent flights to Blenheim.

 

If you're doing a cruise that starts or ends in Auckland, that would make touring this area much easier. Fly from Auckland to Blenheim and spend three or four days in the area - well worthwhile. You can also very easily get there from Sydney via Wellington.

Well, I was hoping Wellington....really not thinking about adding a flight, tho.:( Hmmmm, that would be very disappointing to be there and not see it. Maybe, I can buy a lot of it, :D to drink while headed down the sound :p

We just returned (yesterday) from a few weeks driving in NZ plus a long cruise (38 days) that got us to that part of the world. As certified Oenophiles, we never missed an opportunity to go to various wine districts in Australia and throughout NZ. Probably the best port to access the Marlborough region is Picton, and fortunately our cruise did spend a day at that somewhat remote port. Although HAL did have a wine tour, like many cruise ship tours it was somewhat overpriced and only offered visits to 2 (maybe 3) wineries. It was also possible to simply book a tour in the small welcome center adjacent to the pier. But we simply opted to rent a car (our favorite way to see most places) and drive ourselves. We managed to visit 6 wineries (mostly in the Blenheim area) and also had enough time to visit a scenic area to the West of Picton.

When it comes to NZ my advice is to plan time before or after your cruise to enjoy that fabulous country. It is a very rural country (with the exception of Auckland and Wellington) and is perfect for those of us who love driving trips (we just spent 2 weeks driving around South Island). While a cruise does afford you an opportunity to get a glimpse of the country, the port days are just not enough time (or always in the right locations) to gain a full appreciation of NZ and its various wine districts.

And by the way, like the OP we really enjoy Sauvignon Blanc and certainly sampled our share. But the real shocker were the amazing Pinot Noir's we discovered on South Island. NZ is doing a lot of experimentation with Pinot Noir and in the west of South Island many wineries have developed a more full bodied style then one normally gets from the US or Europe. Absolutely delicious.

Hank

Well, I was hoping Wellington....really not thinking about adding a flight, tho.

We just returned (yesterday) from a few weeks driving in NZ plus a long cruise (38 days) that got us to that part of the world. As certified Oenophiles, we never missed an opportunity to go to various wine districts in Australia and throughout NZ. Probably the best port to access the Marlborough region is Picton, and fortunately our cruise did spend a day at that somewhat remote port. Although HAL did have a wine tour, like many cruise ship tours it was somewhat overpriced and only offered visits to 2 (maybe 3) wineries. It was also possible to simply book a tour in the small welcome center adjacent to the pier. But we simply opted to rent a car (our favorite way to see most places) and drive ourselves. We managed to visit 6 wineries (mostly in the Blenheim area) and also had enough time to visit a scenic area to the West of Picton.

 

When it comes to NZ my advice is to plan time before or after your cruise to enjoy that fabulous country. It is a very rural country (with the exception of Auckland and Wellington) and is perfect for those of us who love driving trips (we just spent 2 weeks driving around South Island). While a cruise does afford you an opportunity to get a glimpse of the country, the port days are just not enough time (or always in the right locations) to gain a full appreciation of NZ and its various wine districts.

 

And by the way, like the OP we really enjoy Sauvignon Blanc and certainly sampled our share. But the real shocker were the amazing Pinot Noir's we discovered on South Island. NZ is doing a lot of experimentation with Pinot Noir and in the west of South Island many wineries have developed a more full bodied style then one normally gets from the US or Europe. Absolutely delicious.

 

Hank

Thanks, Hank, sounds like you had a fabulous trip, and I can only say, " I am jealous!" :) So Picton would be the cruise ship stop to explore the wine country, but alas, we are looking at the Celebrity trip & it doesn't include Picton. :(

I must ask how you liked HAL? I thoroughly enjoyed sailing on the Maasdam, but the dates for the HAL Aussie/NZ trip don't mesh with our vacation days.

I hope you did enjoy a sip of that fabulous Cloudy Bay and I will agree a nice pinot noir is lovely, and I enjoy Kim Crawford Pinot Noir as well.

My DH & I do prefer independent travel and a car is the way to go to enjoy the countryside, although we may be a bit more suited to the wine bus! LOL, ;) Thanks for your comments.

My favourite topic! There are a number of ports where you will be able to enjoy New Zealand's top drop. Marlborough is by far New Zealand's most famous and largest wine producing area where Sauvignon Blanc comes from. Picton is the nearest port and you'll only be 20 minutes from your ship before you start seeing vineyards - there's usually lots of options for shore tours and private tours if you berth here.

If your itinerary includes Wellington, you could include one of New Zealand's boutique and premium wine regions - Wairarapa, which is a 75 minute drive from CentrePort. Pinot Noir (Burgundy) production is centred around the village of Martinborough - this is all about personal contact with wine makers, the vineyard dog curled up in the corner and trying wines you will probably never be able to drink once you return home. Flat Earth Tours and Capital Personalised Tours should be able to get you there and back again comfortably in a day.

And if you berth at Napier, you're in another premium New Zealand wine region of Hawkes' Bay. This region is known for Bordeaux-style blended reds - Cabernet, Merlot, Franc and Sauvignon. And some of it is very very good indeed. Look for anything off the Gimbletts Gravels area. Mission, Craggy Range, Elephant Hill and Sileni are some of my favourites and again, there's a wealth of tour operators at all levels of budget and interest who can get you around.

If you do get the chance to pre or post tour New Zealand, it sounds like the Classic NZ Wine Trail route would be ideal for you - it covers all three wine regions, is signposted so you can't get lost and covers those three distinct wine regions.

http://www.wellingtonnz.com/classic-new-zealand-wine-trail

Failing that, enjoy as much of it as you can while you're here!

Thanks, Hank, sounds like you had a fabulous trip, and I can only say, " I am jealous!" :) So Picton would be the cruise ship stop to explore the wine country, but alas, we are looking at the Celebrity trip & it doesn't include Picton. :(

 

I must ask how you liked HAL? I thoroughly enjoyed sailing on the Maasdam, but the dates for the HAL Aussie/NZ trip don't mesh with our vacation days.

 

I hope you did enjoy a sip of that fabulous Cloudy Bay and I will agree a nice pinot noir is lovely, and I enjoy Kim Crawford Pinot Noir as well.

 

My DH & I do prefer independent travel and a car is the way to go to enjoy the countryside, although we may be a bit more suited to the wine bus! LOL, ;) Thanks for your comments.

DW (and I) cannot stop raving about how much we loved those 2 weeks driving on South Island. As to HAL, like most cruise lines it does have its pros and cons. This particular cruise on the Oosterdam was actually quite nice and we had very few complaints. Doing wine tours in our own car does create a bit of a dilemma in that I (the designated driver) must really exercise lots of self-discipline. There is a lot to say for taking a bus (or van) tour in wine country. On the other hand, by being forced to truly taste (not guzzle) I find that I enjoy the last winery as much as the first. Having no restraints might mean I would not even remember the last winery :).

While Picton would be the desired port of call to visit the Marlborough region, there are plenty of other parts of NZ that have excellent wine. Besides excellent Pinot Noirs, we also tasted some world-class sparkling wines which we understand are seldom exported (too much competition to make it worthwhile). We also noticed that while the restaurants do mark-up wine (and all booze) in a big way, the mark-ups are quite reasonable on the more expensive wines. So, for example, we could enjoy a good Pinot Noir in a restaurant for about $60 that might be priced at $42 at the nearby winery. But the $15 dollar wine might also sell for $60 in a restaurant so one did need to read the wine list looking for the bargains.

Perhaps the booze warning should go out to fellow beer drinkers. NZ beer prices (in bars and restaurants) is a bit steep. It is quite common to pay $14 - $16 for a pint in many bars. On the other hand, when you buy something in a bar or restaurant for $16 you will pay only the $16. Tips are generally not expected and there are not further add-on taxes (everything already includes the 15% GST).

Hank

If your visit to NZ wine country is limited to a one day cruise ship call you would need to call at either Picton, for Marlborough region or Napier for the Hawkes Bay region.

Napier would be my choice .

My favourite topic! There are a number of ports where you will be able to enjoy New Zealand's top drop. Marlborough is by far New Zealand's most famous and largest wine producing area where Sauvignon Blanc comes from. Picton is the nearest port and you'll only be 20 minutes from your ship before you start seeing vineyards - there's usually lots of options for shore tours and private tours if you berth here.

 

If your itinerary includes Wellington, you could include one of New Zealand's boutique and premium wine regions - Wairarapa, which is a 75 minute drive from CentrePort. Pinot Noir (Burgundy) production is centred around the village of Martinborough - this is all about personal contact with wine makers, the vineyard dog curled up in the corner and trying wines you will probably never be able to drink once you return home. Flat Earth Tours and Capital Personalised Tours should be able to get you there and back again comfortably in a day.

 

And if you berth at Napier, you're in another premium New Zealand wine region of Hawkes' Bay. This region is known for Bordeaux-style blended reds - Cabernet, Merlot, Franc and Sauvignon. And some of it is very very good indeed. Look for anything off the Gimbletts Gravels area. Mission, Craggy Range, Elephant Hill and Sileni are some of my favourites and again, there's a wealth of tour operators at all levels of budget and interest who can get you around.

 

If you do get the chance to pre or post tour New Zealand, it sounds like the Classic NZ Wine Trail route would be ideal for you - it covers all three wine regions, is signposted so you can't get lost and covers those three distinct wine regions.

http://www.wellingtonnz.com/classic-new-zealand-wine-trail

 

Failing that, enjoy as much of it as you can while you're here!

Thanks so much for the info. Amazing that NZ enjoys such variety! We will continue to expand our "to-do" list for this trip.

We have done both land and cruise ship tours of New Zealand and we easily did Hawke's Bay out of Napier using a hire car. The rest of the wine regions we did in our land tour.

But to answer the OP's other question, can you bring wine back on board - this is where cruise lines vary and depends on whether you want to drink it on board. With Celebrity they only allow 2 bottles per cabin for personal consumption and I am not sure if you can bring that on board mid cruise, you would have to check on the Celebrity board for that. You can bring further wine on board but it is put to one side until the end of your cruise for you to take home and if you are flying you are limited in how much you can take with you. Some of the wineries in New Zealand do offer a service where they can send it back to your country of origin but places like the US are terribly difficult to organise for this.

HAL on the other hand lets you take back on board as much as you like to drink where ever you want. The proviso is that your first two bottles, which can be consumed in your stateroom, do not attract a corkage charge but any bottles over and above that you pay $18 per bottle. This does enable you though to drink it in any bar or restaurant on the ship. We did this on our NZ cruise and my DH picked up wines in every Port to take back on board, there were plenty of Bottle Shops in the Ports for him to do this and their Supermarkets sell good selections of top drops as well.

Shame that you aren't going to Picton. We had an awesome day recently with Na Clachlan Tours in Picton. They collected us at the pier and took us out to some fantastic boutique wineries, tasted some awesome Sav Blanc's amongst other things. Stopped at the chocolate factory on the way back to the ship.

If you do manage to get to Picton (and if your cruise stops at Wellington, it won't be possible without actually flying to Picton), then do a google search for Na Clachlan. Helen and Chris are fantastic.

Shame that you aren't going to Picton. We had an awesome day recently with Na Clachlan Tours in Picton. They collected us at the pier and took us out to some fantastic boutique wineries, tasted some awesome Sav Blanc's amongst other things. Stopped at the chocolate factory on the way back to the ship.

 

If you do manage to get to Picton (and if your cruise stops at Wellington, it won't be possible without actually flying to Picton), then do a google search for Na Clachlan. Helen and Chris are fantastic.

Oh my! You had to mention that chocolate factory (think it was Makana)! We happened to be driving down the road when we saw the sign and stopped in the place. DW thought she was in heaven after tasting one of their candies (I think it was a chocolate almond butter crunch). The best part was that we had the entire store to ourselves and got an awful lot of attention :)

Ah! New Zealand wines! A favorite topic of mine.

A label that I enjoy for a Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region is Framingham. Have yet to find one that I did not enjoy, but some, i.e. Villa Maria and Cloudy Bay are very good as well. I have a difficult time at the wine store deciding what to buy if the label I want is out of stock or not available. I agree with Hlitner that the South Island's Pinot Noir is becoming notable. Villa Maria makes an extremely drinkable one, I think.

If you have time in Auckland, do not overlook the wineries that are near that lovely city. Friends and I took a half-day wine tour that took us to the West Coast, visited at least 3 wineries, maybe 4, had an included nice lunch with (of course) wine included and he provided cheese/crackers at all of the locations that did not along with printed tasting notes. Great experience!

Hi rkacruiser,

What tour company did you use for the Auckland wine trip? Any other ideas for the north island are appreciated too.

We leave on Celebrity Solstice 8 Feb 2015 and will spend 4 days in Auckland pre-cruise.

Ah! New Zealand wines! A favorite topic of mine.

 

A label that I enjoy for a Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region is Framingham. Have yet to find one that I did not enjoy, but some, i.e. Villa Maria and Cloudy Bay are very good as well. I have a difficult time at the wine store deciding what to buy if the label I want is out of stock or not available. I agree with Hlitner that the South Island's Pinot Noir is becoming notable. Villa Maria makes an extremely drinkable one, I think.

 

If you have time in Auckland, do not overlook the wineries that are near that lovely city. Friends and I took a half-day wine tour that took us to the West Coast, visited at least 3 wineries, maybe 4, had an included nice lunch with (of course) wine included and he provided cheese/crackers at all of the locations that did not along with printed tasting notes. Great experience!

Check out Waiheke Island tours if you are based in Auckland. It's a short ferry ride from the CBD and there are some lovely boutique wineries on the island. We visited an olive company that had won awards in Italy for their product - and it was amazing!

If your visit to NZ wine country is limited to a one day cruise ship call you would need to call at either Picton, for Marlborough region or Napier for the Hawkes Bay region. Napier would be my choice.

Katgoesonholiday: Check out Waiheke Island tours if you are based in Auckland. It's a short ferry ride from the CBD and there are some lovely boutique wineries on the island. We visited an olive company that had won awards in Italy for their product - and it was amazing!

Napier is a super nice area. We drove past a number of classy wine places there in going to the do/see the gannets' date=' Cape Kidnappers, etc., there in this charming part of NZ.

YES, [b']Waiheke Island can be wonderful, too[/b]. See more below with my photo "evidence", plus much more on the live/blog. Waiheke Island is 11.0 miles from Auckland with trips taking about 35 minutes. There are nearly 9,000 permanent residents plus an estimated 3,400 who have second or holiday homes on the island. Most live in the western area closer to Auckland and its connections. It is New Zealand's most densely populated island and is the most accessible offshore island. There is regular passenger and car ferry services. Waiheke translates as "the descending waters" or "ebbing water", tied to when a Maori explorer landed on the island. The island is 12.0 miles long from west to east with varied widths from a half to 6 miles. Its surface area of 36 square miles. The coastline is 83.0 miles with 25 miles of beaches. The port of Matiatia at the western end of the island. Waiheke is very hilly with few flat areas, the highest point being Maunganui at 758 feet. The climate is slightly warmer than Auckland, with less humidity and rain and more sunshine hours.

Waiheke Island has become known as New Zealand's "island of wine", home to winegrowers who have matched the maritime climate and ancient soil structures for classical grape varieties to produce red and white wines with distinctive varietal character. Waiheke's climate are well suited to growing Bordeaux wine-type grapes, with also some Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc varieties considered to be good. Waiheke winegrowers regularly win awards for Syrah.

We also did an overnight, two-day Queenstown ship excursion that included a winery stop, plus lots of other interesting sights, experiences, fun, etc. Lots to do and enjoy in New Zealand.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 91,810 views for this posting.

Here one of the many great views on Waiheke Island. Lots of varied hills and great water views, including this picture showing the twisting and turning roads on this island. Some paved. Many not. This shows one of those "unsealed" roads that requires slow speeds, much care, etc.. Unsealed is clever term to describe just a basic dirt road. Plus, the fun of driving on the "wrong side".:

At the Man O' War Winery on Waiheke Island near Auckland, their main building was overlooking the beach as a part of its scenic location. This picture shows friends Ed and Karen from Central Ohio enjoying a tasting plate with a variety of good food items, plus, of course, their wine that is produced on this scenic island. Great way to do a "lunch break" and soak up the style, character and beauty for this artsy island. Their website: http://www.manowarvineyards.co.nz.:

From our stop at the Gibbston Valley Winery, the southernmost winery in the world with unique caves (the largest in New Zealand) for the underground storage environment for the wine products. (See more at http://www.gibbstonvalleynz.com). Here are some visuals, including our tour guide with our group in the vineyards and inside this large cave for aging the wine.:

Napier is a super nice area. We drove past a number of classy wine places there in going to the do/see the gannets, Cape Kidnappers, etc., there in this charming part of NZ.

 

 

 

YES, Waiheke Island can be wonderful, too. See more below with my photo "evidence", plus much more on the live/blog. Waiheke Island is 11.0 miles from Auckland with trips taking about 35 minutes.

 

 

 

We also did an overnight, two-day Queenstown ship excursion that included a winery stop, plus lots of other interesting sights, experiences, fun, etc. Lots to do and enjoy in New Zealand.

 

 

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the good info and lovely pictures. You've given me lots to choose from. Think we'll definitely do Waiheke Island and Devonport. Also Bay of Islands but unsure how to do that from Auckland.

 

 

Colorwheel

Sugar Land, TX

Thank you for the good info and lovely pictures. You've given me lots to choose from. Think we'll definitely do Waiheke Island and Devonport. Also Bay of Islands but unsure how to do that from Auckland. Color wheel Sugar Land, TX

Hi to Carmen & Rich from Texas. Appreciate your follow-up and nice comments. Yes, Bay of Island can be wonderful. Our cruise stopped in this scenic area before completing our sailing/docking in Auckland. Not sure that I would try to see this area from Auckland. Various timing trade-offs, pro/con factors to consider. Don't forget that there are some wonderful things to see and do in and around Auckland. Wonderful city.

New Zealand has so many great potentials. Hard to do it "ALL" or even half during one cruise of visit there. It is very important to pick the right cruise, have enough pre- and post-cruise timing, etc.

Below are a few of my visual samples from our fun around the Bay of Island. Much more on the full live/blog.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 91,904 views for this posting.

From our group's Bay of Islands water fun in New Zealand, we got to do real sailing, including going out into the nearby Pacific Ocean! See the proof and success below. It was both a perfect weather day and such fun sampling this great region of northern NZ. One of the options for those in our Central Ohio group on this custom, private sailing was to help to do as much (or as little as desired) in helping make this sail experience happen. In the first picture, you can see John helping Captain Sharon in raising the front, jib sail. In the foreground of this picture, you can see Sharon from our group doing the cranking to raise and adjust the main sail. The second picture shows Captain Murray guiding the ship from this great vantage point on the back of the Zindabar. Was this exciting and scenic?:

They said we might get lucky and be able to see some dolphins. Did we? Seeing is believing!! Murray (and his daughter, Sharon, also a Captain) knew these waters and how to draw these dolphins closer to our boat. We loved the results (and good luck), especially seeing multiple dolphins jumping and flipping. Plus, these cute creatures coming so close to our sailing craft. Great fun!! On Captain Sharon, she was a sailor for New Zealand at both the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (where she sailed off of Savannah) and the 2004 Athens Olympics. Both were excellent and very experienced for this waters, sharing its background, history, insights, etc.:

How does shore time on an outlying island in the Bay of Islands sound? Seems like fun!! First, here is our group's Sharon, who was fearless, going out on the kayak to explore these waters and this island, doing snorkeling, etc. And who goes out in the dinghy? It's John, Mike and me who are preparing to go ashore to explore and climb to the top of the "mountain" that is there on this island!:

As the three of us brave leaders got ashore in the dinghy, we walked past this scenic cove with a mother and daughter enjoying this great setting. Then, we had to climb up the Motuarohia Trail to the TOP!! How tall was this challenge? Officially, it is 450 meters or 1476 feet. BUT, by the time we got back on the boat, with bragging skills learned in Australia, that "mountain" we conquered had grown greatly up to 2414' in height. Inflation? Sure! Just makes the stories better to those who stayed on the sailing craft. And the views from up, UP there? See a couple of examples below to prove the great achievement.:

Hi TLCOhio,

OMG I'm so delighted with your photos and stories. Feel like I just found some hidden treasure in the vast CC Library! We have also traveled to the Baltic, Eastern and Western Med. Will look at those pics later. Next year we'll be sailing on Infinity around South America and through Panama Canal B2B. Look forward to reading about the Amazon as we are considering a pre-cruise river tour.

Carmen & Rich

Colorwheel

#7246 Elite

Select Dining

Hi TLCOhio, OMG I'm so delighted with your photos and stories. Feel like I just found some hidden treasure in the vast CC Library! We have also traveled to the Baltic, Eastern and Western Med. Will look at those pics later. Next year we'll be sailing on Infinity around South America and through Panama Canal B2B. Look forward to reading about the Amazon as we are considering a pre-cruise river tour. Carmen & Rich

Good luck to Carmen & Rich with your future travel planning and adventures. For the future, we would love to do the around South America and through Panama Canal trip. So little time and money!!

Let me know any added questions. Hope you can check out our Amazon/Caribbean live/blog. Don't be shy. Feel free to ask any questions, make comments, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 192,233 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

We just returned (yesterday) from a few weeks driving in NZ plus a long cruise (38 days) that got us to that part of the world. As certified Oenophiles, we never missed an opportunity to go to various wine districts in Australia and throughout NZ. Probably the best port to access the Marlborough region is Picton, and fortunately our cruise did spend a day at that somewhat remote port. Although HAL did have a wine tour, like many cruise ship tours it was somewhat overpriced and only offered visits to 2 (maybe 3) wineries. It was also possible to simply book a tour in the small welcome center adjacent to the pier. But we simply opted to rent a car (our favorite way to see most places) and drive ourselves. We managed to visit 6 wineries (mostly in the Blenheim area) and also had enough time to visit a scenic area to the West of Picton.

 

 

 

When it comes to NZ my advice is to plan time before or after your cruise to enjoy that fabulous country. It is a very rural country (with the exception of Auckland and Wellington) and is perfect for those of us who love driving trips (we just spent 2 weeks driving around South Island). While a cruise does afford you an opportunity to get a glimpse of the country, the port days are just not enough time (or always in the right locations) to gain a full appreciation of NZ and its various wine districts.

 

 

 

And by the way, like the OP we really enjoy Sauvignon Blanc and certainly sampled our share. But the real shocker were the amazing Pinot Noir's we discovered on South Island. NZ is doing a lot of experimentation with Pinot Noir and in the west of South Island many wineries have developed a more full bodied style then one normally gets from the US or Europe. Absolutely delicious.

 

 

 

Hank

I hope you are still reading this thread. I would love to get an idea of your driving itinerary in NZ. My husband and I leave in 2 days for a week in Australia, a 12 nt celebrity cruise, followed by 16 nts driving tour of NZ.

We have our rental car and our North Island schedule finalized and booked. We have our ferry and 3 nts on South Island settled. I am still trying to finalize the rest. There is just so much to see. If you would be willing to share more info, it would be a great help. Thanks!

Anne

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

We have our rental car and our North Island schedule finalized and booked. We have our ferry and 3 nts on South Island settled. I am still trying to finalize the rest. There is just so much to see. If you would be willing to share more info, it would be a great help. Thanks! Anne

Hi, Anne!! While I am not Hank, I wanted to strongly encourage and express my hopes that you will get to see in and around Queenstown on the spectacular NZ South Island. Such a wonderful city, world-class setting, nearby charming areas, etc. We did this excursion via a ship two-day, overnight stay in Queenstown. Or, maybe you have plans to see Queenstown during your three nights on the South Island. Good luck with your exciting adventure. Let us know any added questions.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 93,138 views for this posting.

Just spotted the question but not sure our itinerary would be much help as we spent nearly 2 weeks on South Island (we had driven much of North Island on a previous trip). To put it mildly, South Island just blew us away with all its natural beauty (and very few people). Our itinerary was pretty much clockwise from Christchurch where we flew after leaving our cruise in Auckland. From Christchurch we took the Tranzalpine Rail route over to Greymouth where we picked up our rental car. We then worked our way south and managed to hike to a couple of glaciers, drive over to Milford Sound (and take a small boat cruise which was totally different then visiting the area on a large cruise ship)...spent a few days in a wonderful apartment (with fantastic view) in Queenstown, etc.

When DW and I first visited NZ over 10 years ago, we were totally charmed by the country and the very friendly/helpful Kiwis. Our 2 weeks on South Island just reinforced all these positive feelings and we also discovered the "Southerners" were even more loyal and fanatical about their island then the Kiwis up north.

Hank