Advice on Land Portion for NZ

For anyone doing a driving tour of NZ we strongly recommend you get a NZ Kruse Travel Guide.

http://www.krusenz.com/

We did a few years ago and it was fantastic - just like having your own personal travel guide in the car with you.

For anyone doing a driving tour of NZ we strongly recommend you get a NZ Kruse Travel Guide.

http://www.krusenz.com/

We did a few years ago and it was fantastic - just like having your own personal travel guide in the car with you.

Good advice - we have now requested to add this to our quote. We used something similar (Gypsy Guide?) in Canadian Rockies and it was great.

Also, for my very helpful advisors here on cc, we have just re-jigged our plan to spend an extra night in Queenstown, and skip staying in Wellington to give us an extra night in Ruapehu.

Oh, and we booked our flight today - Syd to ChCh on Emirates for A$320ea

UPDATE.

Sadly we have been advised that the Coastal Pacific Railway will not be operational for our planned trip in Jan 2019.

So we have re-jigged the trip now. Will now not travel on Tranz-Alpine train from Greymouth to ChCh to take the Coastal Pacific train, but will continue driving up the West Coast on SH6 from Greymouth to Picton via Nelson, staying overnight at Westport.

I'm sure we will see some great sights and it gives us an excuse to come back again to do the Pacific Coastal when it's open.

For the wonderful experts on here that assisted in original planning, please let me know of any must sees/dos from Franz Josef to Picton.

Shantytown, just south of Greymouth, is worth visiting. https://www.shantytown.co.nz/

Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki and you'll probably see a few seals there. https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/west-coast/places/paparoa-national-park/punakaiki-pancake-rocks-and-blowholes/

This was a fun place. http://www.bullergorge.co.nz/

Unfortunately the Abel Tasman National Park is probably a bit out of the way if you're going through to Picton. It has stunning coastal scenery, worth a day there with a boat trip up the coast. Perhaps another time.

Just a thought - if you really want to do the TranzAlpine, why not look at taking a bus up to Picton. Just as scenic as the train trip as the main highway and the train line run alongside each other along most of the coastal sections of that route.

Shantytown, just south of Greymouth, is worth visiting. https://www.shantytown.co.nz/

 

Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki and you'll probably see a few seals there. https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/west-coast/places/paparoa-national-park/punakaiki-pancake-rocks-and-blowholes/

 

This was a fun place. http://www.bullergorge.co.nz/

 

Unfortunately the Abel Tasman National Park is probably a bit out of the way if you're going through to Picton. It has stunning coastal scenery, worth a day there with a boat trip up the coast. Perhaps another time.

Thanks for the suggestions - we will certainly look into them. And you are correct, the upper north part of the West Coast was not even thought of originally, but the more we find out, the more there is too see! But we had to limit our land portion to 12 days, as work gets in the way - so much to see & so little time :) We need to be in Picton to get the ferry to Wellington to do the 2nd part of the trip.

Just a thought - if you really want to do the TranzAlpine, why not look at taking a bus up to Picton. Just as scenic as the train trip as the main highway and the train line run alongside each other along most of the coastal sections of that route.

Yes, we looked at coach option, but we are not 'coach people' & we had our hearts set on the train, so we will go back for that in a few years - always need an excuse to travel to NZ :)

Thanks so much for your input, now and in the initial stages of our planning - much appreciated. Your initial 'insistence' we go to Mt Cook is looking to perhaps provide the highlight of so many highlights we anticipate on this trip.

You're most welcome! :)

Just checking back in as we returned from this trip on Sunday [Feb 3rd].

Firstly, I want to thank all of you for your input, in particular OzKiwiJJ. We had a wonderful trip (land-tour & Radiance cruise) & all your advice certainly assisted us to see & do as much as was possible - Thankyou.

We finished with the following itinerary:

12th fly into ChCh - 1 night

13th drive to Mt Cook - 1 night

14th drive to Queenstown - 3 nights

17th drive to Franz Josef - 1 night

18th drive to Westport - 1 night

19th drive to Picton - 1 night

20th Interislander to Wellington & drive to Ruapehu - 2 nights

22nd drive to Waitomo - 1 night 

23rd drive to Auckland - 1 night

24th embark Radiance

We loved the whole trip, and have already made 'a plan' to return. Weather was mostly good, and we saw so much & enjoyed so much!!! Maybe a bit too much driving, but we wanted to "see it all" 🙂 Well we mostly did between the land-tour and the cruise (Auckland/BOI/Tauranga/Napier/Wellington/Akaroa/Dunedin/Sounds).

We loved Queenstown and surrounds, and the West Coast was spectacular. Unfortunately the weather was against us at Mt Cook (rain & cloud), but overall what a trip! We did get to see Ruapehu, so that's a plus.

The locals were wonderful, the sights were spectacular & we enjoyed the food & beer! Our accommodations were varied, from a lovely lake view hotel in Queenstown to a converted train carriage in Waitomo, but we enjoyed them all. We made good use of the Kruse GPS tour guide & it enhanced our experience. Rental cars were good (fuel is expensive!!!) & the Interislander was a highlight cruising thru the Queen Charlotte sound & then on into Wellington.

If you get the chance for something similar - Just Do It.

Cheers,

Neil & Tracey 

So glad to hear you enjoyed your trip and cruise. It's a shame Mt Cook wasn't clearly visible for your visit. 

It is a great country.  Coincidently we were in the Captains Unit in the ship while you were in the train carriage judging by the itinerary!

49 minutes ago, Swissmiss6253 said:

Coincidently we were in the Captains Unit in the ship while you were in the train carriage judging by the itinerary!

Small world 🙂 If we had known that, we would have invited you over for a drink.