Way OT - New Zealand

[Michael Bell]

I did a 10 day trip around the south island just before a long OS stint for work, and you are in for an awesome time! Some places I went FYI:

Nelson - beautiful little town. Walked 4 hours on the Abel Tasman national palk walk, and the path was gorgeous. Seal colony is worth seeing, as some of the other temperate rainforest around that area. Lots of cottage industries around here as well.

Franz Josef Glacier - one of two places in the world where a glacier runs through a rainforest, as I understand it. Pretty spectactular! There is some great lake kayaking around there as well. The coastline from Greymouth down to there is beautiful.

Wanaka/Queenstown - great skiing towns and nightlife is pretty lively.

Plus lots of great little towns on the way. Stay in hostels rather than hotels, they are much more pleasant and you meet more people.

I didn't get to Milford sound, but everyone I met raved about it... definitely go there if you plan on staying around the south of the south island rather than the north.

Have fun!

I can agree with everything said. The south island west coast drive is amazing. Queenstown is a fantasic place to visit. The Milford and Doubtful Sound are both out of this world. If you go to the Doubtful Sound you get to look around the Hydro Electric powerstation.
Rotorua with its geothermal activity is smelly but worth a visit.
Kaikoura for whale watching by air or boat.
The list is endless.
It's a great place to take kids to. We took ours 3 years ago and they both want to go back, they loved it.
Driving is a real pleasure (not like the UK) the roads are deserted even in summer.
I was married in NZ in '96 - didn't fancy the usual stuff at home so we went over there to do it. In a hot air balloon!
You will have a great time and will want to go back

 

[Mickey]

Anybody been to New Zealand recently? I'll be there on vacation for 10 days in April (YES!!!!). My plan is to rent a car and drive many of the themed scenic highways. Any "must see's" while I'm there? I here bungee jumping is big! Can you tell I'm excited :nodi:!?!?

Some pictures and comments.Not me, but a forum I like to visit.

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13055

 

[surferb]

OMG! Doubt my pics will turn out anything like those. Amazing!

Some pictures and comments.Not me, but a forum I like to visit.

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13055

 

[Jiri Toman]

1 US Gallon = 3.8 Litres

If 1 Litre = .80 USD then 1 Gallon is 3.04 USD not 5.540 USD !

Very reasonable pricing !

 

[Paulus]

Petrol prices are about $1.80 a litre, with the NZ $ running around 80 cents US

Jeepers,
In the UK it's £1.05 per litre (about $2.6 NZ).

Any chance of sending us a couple of bucketfuls over???

 

[Jiri Toman]

Don't hold your breath, I forgot to multiply it by 1.8.
It's 5.47 USD. DUH, I thought it was kind of low.
I gues I won't be moving to NZ after all, unless of course the USD takes further beating which could happen, but I think it's going to bottom out right here, hey S&P 500 did a Fibonacci retracement to -38.2 percent and so the majority of this pullback is behind us.

 

[Gil47]

Jeepers,
In the UK it's £1.05 per litre (about $2.6 NZ).

Any chance of sending us a couple of bucketfuls over???

NO

 

[surferb]

Back home in Korea from the trip. Got too many good pics to post. New Zealand was incredible. I have highlights in my personnal blog:

http://nathangoestokorea.blogspot.com

Would highly recommend others check it out if planning a vaction of that scale.

 

[sapoleon]

If everything is fine, I will be having a trip to NZ in october, for 4 weeks... I think it's going to be more like 3 in NZ because I have 3 days in Hong Kong... and like 2 days flying....

Great pictures btw.

I won't be renting a car, I think I may be taking the kiwi experience bus...

 

[surferb]

Thanks. Nothing wrong with the Kiwi Bus. I'd recommend contacting Gil if you're going around Queenstown. The South Island was beautiful!

If everything is fine, I will be having a trip to NZ in october, for 4 weeks... I think it's going to be more like 3 in NZ because I have 3 days in Hong Kong... and like 2 days flying....

Great pictures btw.

I won't be renting a car, I think I may be taking the kiwi experience bus...