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ssawjo
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Hello All,

 

My DW and I are cruising on the Sun Princess boarding in Sydney on April 5, 2017 and returning to Sydney on April 25. This is what we would like to do and hence the questions:

 

We would like to fly to Christchurch as soon as we leave the ship which is scheduled to dock at 7 AM. I noticed that the direct flights from SYD to CHC are early morning, the latest being around 9:45 AM on Air New Zealand and then at 5:30 PM. Question: If we walk off as earliest as possible, can we be at the airport in time? Would the train or a private service be best? Not sure if the ship docks at the OPT or White Bay.

 

Next, what to do in Christchurch. We will have only two days before leaving for three days in Auckland. The Transalpinze (?) train looks like fun. Also, any hotel recommendations. Any suggestions would be helpful. It looks like a beautiful part of the country.

 

Thank you,

 

Bill and Kathi

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Hello All, My DW and I are cruising on the Sun Princess boarding in Sydney on April 5, 2017 and returning to Sydney on April 25. This is what we would like to do and hence the questions:

We would like to fly to Christchurch as soon as we leave the ship which is scheduled to dock at 7 AM. I noticed that the direct flights from SYD to CHC are early morning, the latest being around 9:45 AM on Air New Zealand and then at 5:30 PM. Question: If we walk off as earliest as possible, can we be at the airport in time? Would the train or a private service be best? Not sure if the ship docks at the OPT or White Bay.

Next, what to do in Christchurch. We will have only two days before leaving for three days in Auckland. The Transalpinze (?) train looks like fun. Also, any hotel recommendations. Any suggestions would be helpful. It looks like a beautiful part of the country. Thank you, Bill and Kathi

 

Hi, to Kathi and Bill in super hot, hot Phoenix, AZ!! Good questions!! It appears that your cruise will depart from Sydney and do Brisbane, around Willis Island, stopping at Port Douglas, Yorkers Knob and Airlie Beach before returning back to Sydney. Depending on the day of the week, traffic and construction, things could be very challenging for timing in trying to get a early or mid-morning flight out to Christchurch. If they want you at the airport two hours ahead, you might not be able to have enough time for those logistics to work safely. Also, will you be allowing enough time for Sydney prior to your cruise?

 

Why did you decide to fly to Christchurch? Versus going to Queenstown? Or, to another NZ South Island option? Christchurch itself is still a long ways from recovering and being re-built from their earlier tragic earthquake damages. As you can see from my live/blog and the visuals below, we did the TranzAlpine rail trip to Arthur's Pass. Worked very well. AND, the nearby JetBoat "adventure" worked in an amazing manner. On the live/blog there is much features about ALL that we did the Daintree Rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef, etc., etc. Plus, details and lots of pictures for the many options in and around Queenstown and Auckland!!!

 

What other questions do you have? Other info to help?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, 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 many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 145,877 views for this posting.

 

 

Here is one of my visuals that gives a little sampling for the spectacular Waimakariri River gorge seen from the TranzAlpine Rail trip. Great "drama" in this aspect of the trip, especially with the blue waters that we would later travel "up-close-and-personal" via a JetBoat trip.:

 

TranzAlpineA5_zps73e6fb17.jpg

 

 

This second picture gives an idea for the view from the outdoor viewing platform near the front of this train. It had a covered roof but open sides to create an ideal location to take photos from the train. No photo glare from trying to shoot through a window. I spent most the time through the mountains in this location.:

 

TranzAlpineA6_zpsc065166b.jpg

 

 

Here is a picture from our New Zealand South Island JetBoat ride that my wife loved so much. From Akaroa, we did a combination ship excursion that included both the rail trip to the mountains/National Park, plus JetBoat. Notice her hands and those of others in our row super tightly gripping the safety bar? That says so much about the speed and thrills while roaring up and down this amazing stretch of scenic river. We've had lots of great moments on this trip, but one was a unique and special ride in a location that is spectacularly world-class near the NZ Southern Alps. And, perfect weather with good friends adds to the great joy!!:

 

JetBoatOne1_zpscafe58a3.jpg

 

 

The Kuranda Scenic Rail trip took us back to Cairns along a dramatic routing, plus interesting sights, dramatic waterfalls, major engineering work, many train tunnels, big bridges, etc. The rail line dates back to 1891. For our group of six, we did the upgrade to the "gold" rail seating with plenty of wine, nice food/snacks, etc., in a wonderful, old-style rail car with great service and attention by the staff The great company and nice sights (plus the flowing wine), made it very much fun on a day with on and off patches of rain.:

 

RailRainforestTrip5_zpsb5f3a226.jpg

 

 

From the Daintree Rainforest and National Park near Cairns, Australia, here is only one sample of our exploring there. It was a somewhat challenging 1.43 miles circular hike in the deep, deep of this dramatic rainforest. Lots of rocks, up and down paths, twists and turns, hard work, etc. But we survived!! Even at our ages. Also in the Mossman Gorge, there was a long swinging bridge. Not Indiana Jones, but for us it was super spectacular. Here is just one of my favorites as it shows a member of our group looking at one of these huge trees in the middle of this rainforest and contemplating its majesty, size and history. And I told John the next morning, that the picture shows his more photogenic side!:

 

PixRainFampPDouglas5_zps27db0023.jpg

 

 

For the Great Barrier Reef, we chartered a plane and flew out from Cairns to Lizard Island, one of the most isolated locations in Australia. Chief Pilot Greg has done about 2200 trips to this location and really knows it well. Here we are on the beach getting his briefing for snorkeling in these reef areas right off of this location/beach. Yes, we saw real lizards here when we walked from the landing strip to our beach location. Captain Cook named this island because when he landed, he saw so many lizards!! Had a wonderful lunch on the beach. On the way to Lizard Island, we flew our over the edge of the reef to better understand this amazing 1500-mile long natural wonder, how it works, etc.:

 

GBRLizIsland23_zps64a7a569.jpg

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Terry,

 

For some reason, the DW wants to visit Christchurch, so there you have it.

 

Actually, we will be visiting PNG and Vanatu, not the stops you mentioned. It does stop in Brisbane and we are thinking of doing the Lone Pine Koala Santuary. So it is a round trip from Sydney.

 

The logistics to leaving the ship for CHC do not look favorable.

 

We are arriving several days ahead of time in Sydney to see the sights. That is taken care of.

 

I enjoyed your pictures and commentary prior and thank you for responding.

 

If I have any other questions, I will ask.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

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Impossible, in my opinion. You should be at the airport at 7 30 at the latest.

You are arriving on a public holiday, Anzac Day, where there will be major road closures starting very early.

Why not experience Anzac Day and get the evening flight. At the worst, you could get the train to the airport, store or check in your luggage if that is possible and get the train back into the city.

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Terry, For some reason, the DW wants to visit Christchurch, so there you have it. Actually, we will be visiting PNG and Vanatu, not the stops you mentioned. It does stop in Brisbane and we are thinking of doing the Lone Pine Koala Santuary. So it is a round trip from Sydney. The logistics to leaving the ship for CHC do not look favorable. We are arriving several days ahead of time in Sydney to see the sights. That is taken care of. I enjoyed your pictures and commentary prior and thank you for responding. If I have any other questions, I will ask. Thanks, Bill

 

Appreciate, Bill, your follow-up and the added background information. Very helpful. For your DW, who like my wife is I am sure very smart, I would encourage some added thoughts and research about Christchurch versus Queenstown, etc., etc. As I have noted the South Island of NZ is super amazing!!!

 

Glad you have the added time in Sydney. Auckland worked well for us and we are glad that we had the added time to see and explore there. Keep up the good planning. Let us know any added questions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 199,540 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

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  • 2 weeks later...
Impossible, in my opinion. You should be at the airport at 7 30 at the latest.

You are arriving on a public holiday, Anzac Day, where there will be major road closures starting very early.

Why not experience Anzac Day and get the evening flight. At the worst, you could get the train to the airport, store or check in your luggage if that is possible and get the train back into the city.

 

That is exactly what we decided to do. I'll use the Princess transfer to the airport, check in at a hotel (any suggestions for one night?, nothing fancy required), take the train back into town, enjoy the festivities, dinner, train back to airport, and fly out to Queenstown the next morning.

 

Thanks for the heads up re: ANZAC Day.

 

Bill and Kathi

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Appreciate, Bill, your follow-up and the added background information. Very helpful. For your DW, who like my wife is I am sure very smart, I would encourage some added thoughts and research about Christchurch versus Queenstown, etc., etc. As I have noted the South Island of NZ is super amazing!!!

 

Glad you have the added time in Sydney. Auckland worked well for us and we are glad that we had the added time to see and explore there. Keep up the good planning. Let us know any added questions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Terry,

 

After some discussion, we decided to visit Queenstown instead of Christchurch. Found a very nice B&B, highly rated on trip advisor. Now looking at things to do and there is a lot. We will be there two days and then fly to Auckland to finish our visit to NZ. Thank you for your advice and recommendations.

 

Bill and Kathi

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Terry, After some discussion, we decided to visit Queenstown instead of Christchurch. Found a very nice B&B, highly rated on trip advisor. Now looking at things to do and there is a lot. We will be there two days and then fly to Auckland to finish our visit to NZ. Thank you for your advice and recommendations. Bill and Kathi

 

Hi, Kathi and Bill!! Glad to hear that you are considering your options for Queenstown and this amazing region. Below are a few of my visuals samples/examples to provide more options to consider.

 

Much for Queenstown depends on your personal interests, travel style, etc. Keep doing your good research and planning. There are many "crazy sport" options in this area. Consider a helicopter ride around in this scenic region. Happy to share more background as needed.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 40,305 views for these postings.

 

 

Here is a view of the main street in nearby Arrowtown with lots of character and charm. Plus, many shops! High-quality ones!! Just the kind that my wife and others love. There were historic places for beers, cheese, etc., too! Not just clothing and jade/jewelry.:

 

QueentownExcurA43_zps2d91792c.jpg

 

 

Here is one my pictures from the Kawarau Suspension Bridge and its dramatic gorge nearby to Queenstown. It's a classy bridge design in a setting that is world-class. This bridge is narrow, being built way before cars and trucks had been invented and built.:

 

QueentownExcurA17_zpsa21bfc30.jpg

 

 

Here are a couple of views from Queenstown, including this sampling of shopping options with Penny and Susan shown in the one of the nice woolen shops there. Plus, here is an added view of buildings in their main downtown area. Much of Queenstown had a “feel” for a resort ski town such as Aspen. There was a McDonald's along their main street. But, we didn't go there. Not in NZ!! Too many better options.:

 

QueentownExcurA30_zps30fd0192.jpg

 

 

QueentownExcurA33_zps6f3352fb.jpg

 

 

Early the next morning, before departing to go with our group to the bungee jumping bridge, this was the view out of the window from our hotel room at the very nice Heritage Hotel. Great view? Wonderful, scenic location?:

 

QueenstownMtsViewA_zpsfabc7de9.jpg

 

 

From our near Queenstown stop at the Gibbston Valley Winery, here is one visual, including our tour guide with our group in the large cave for aging the wine. Yes, we got to taste and sample three different wines here. Good!!:

 

QueentownExcurA8_zps2559bfb5.jpg

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If the ships docks at the OPT and if you get off of the ship fairly quickly then it's entirely possible to get to the Airport on time by taking the train from Circular Quay (this is very close to the OPT). The train takes under 30 minutes with say an average wait time to get the train of 15 minutes.

 

If you fly an airline with self-service checkin such as Air New Zealand you can self process very quickly. Security is much more sensible than in the US (there's much less theatre to experience) and you can usually zoom through this.

 

I fairly often fly to Auckland from Sydney on a 6.30pm flight and I have never once come even slightly close to missing the plane by leaving the Sydney CBD at 4pm.

 

Granted though that if something does go wrong then you will miss your flight.

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  • 2 weeks later...

All,

 

This is our plan as of today. We will get off the ship at ? (haven't decided that yet), take the Princess transfer to the Sydney airport, check into the Mercure Sydney International Airport Hotel, drop the bags and take the train back into downtown. Return, stay the night, and take a morning flight to Queenstown, NZ. That seemed to be the best way for us. Considering April 25, the day the Sun Princess returns, is ANZAC Day. I would like to see the festivities.

 

Thank you all for all of your advice.

 

Bill and Kathi

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All,

 

This is our plan as of today. We will get off the ship at ? (haven't decided that yet), take the Princess transfer to the Sydney airport, check into the Mercure Sydney International Airport Hotel, drop the bags and take the train back into downtown. Return, stay the night, and take a morning flight to Queenstown, NZ. That seemed to be the best way for us. Considering April 25, the day the Sun Princess returns, is ANZAC Day. I would like to see the festivities.

 

Thank you all for all of your advice.

 

Bill and Kathi

 

Good luck, I hope it works out well for you.

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All,

 

This is our plan as of today. We will get off the ship at ? (haven't decided that yet), take the Princess transfer to the Sydney airport, check into the Mercure Sydney International Airport Hotel, drop the bags and take the train back into downtown. Return, stay the night, and take a morning flight to Queenstown, NZ. That seemed to be the best way for us. Considering April 25, the day the Sun Princess returns, is ANZAC Day. I would like to see the festivities.

 

Thank you all for all of your advice.

 

Bill and Kathi

 

Sounds a good plan, will you still visit Christchurch?

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All,

 

This is our plan as of today. We will get off the ship at ? (haven't decided that yet), take the Princess transfer to the Sydney airport, check into the Mercure Sydney International Airport Hotel, drop the bags and take the train back into downtown. Return, stay the night, and take a morning flight to Queenstown, NZ. That seemed to be the best way for us. Considering April 25, the day the Sun Princess returns, is ANZAC Day. I would like to see the festivities.

 

Thank you all for all of your advice.

 

Bill and Kathi

 

I'm sure you will enjoy Queenstown, it's very beautiful.

 

Be aware that ANZAC day is not a festive day, it is in memory of Australian and New Zealand soldiers that fell at Gallipoli in the First World War, and also commemorates those who fell in later wars. The memorial services are often at dawn, but the parade is usually a bit later. You can read about it here http://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/public-holidays/anzac-day.

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