New Zealand

I'm in the process of planning my travel for next year and am considering New Zealand. I haven't done my full research yet but am thinking of April into May, or Sept into October (2008). I would stay about 6 weeks, I figure 3 weeks north island, 3 weeks south Island. This ratio may change if I discover that one might be more photogenic, in my style, than the other. I figure to fly into Auckland, drive around North island, take a car ferry to the south Island and then back up again to Auckland unless I can fly internationally back via Christchurch or Wellington. Is one Island more beautiful or photogenic than the other?

I'm also considering renting a small RV because it seems to be the same price as renting an SUV for the same period. Good idea or will I need an SUV to get to more remote locations? I would still stay at hotels/motels although would prefer not to book any in advance so as not to limit my mobility. Is it risky to not pre book accommodations in advance for that time of year?

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

The South Island is heaven if the rain isn't too bad. The North Island is quite good as well.

Regarding hiring vehicles, a small campervan, which I assume is what you mean by an RV vehicle, is great as when it rains, you can stay inside in relative comfort and wait until it stops.

I have found that the rental agencies have quite strict rules as to where you can take a normal vehicle. There is generally no dirt road travelling on the south Island except for one tourist road, last time we were there.

If you hire a small 4WD (SUV) then you can go on any road or track, whether you get bogged or not, is your business

We fly in and out of the south island, it has an international airport and is the closest to Melbourne.

Mick.

Mick, would I need to do extensive dirt road driving, hence the camper van might not work for me?

I'm not really qualified to answer totally, suffice to say the rental company we last hired from was extremely strict as to which dirt road(s) you were allowed to drive on.

The south island has some terrific places to go and see. The problem is that many of them are at the end of normal dirt roads, which technically we weren't allowed to traverse, but we did.

If we had struck a problem, then we had no redress as were would have been technically in breach of contract.

I would suggest the Kiwi's on the board, will be able to answer far better than I can, but a question or three to the rental companies will be the bottom line.

It really is a great place to go to, so much in such a compact place. The south island is about the same latitude as Seattle I believe, give or take.

It's midnight here, the Kiwi's are asleep, or should be, wait until the morning.

Mick.

I spent two months driving around, didn't pre-book any accommodations, and didn't have any problems at all, except in a few tourist destinations like Rotorua.

The roads in NZ are much different than they are in the US, parts of Highway 1 are dirt, and parts of it are insanely steep, narrow, and windy. I thought I'd scored when I found a dinky little car to hire for NDZ 20/day, but it turned out to be vastly underpowered for the terrain. I would suggest putting in the extra effort to find something that's got a good balance of power and gas-guzzling, but would recommend that you NOT get an RV, as it simply wouldn't make it on a lot of the roads I was on. This is a particular problem in the Northland on the North Island (which is gorgeous) and the central part of the South Island, where alternate routes may be VERY far away and possibly no more passable than the road you're trying to avoid. Similarly, don't get a tiny, under-powered vehicle like I did.

Generally speaking, the North Island is more gentle, ethereal, and rolling while the South Island has most (but not all) of the giant, dramatic stuff, like Milford Sound and several glaciers. They're both unspeakably beautiful, just in different ways. The North Island seems to have more Maori cultural stuff going on, at least as far as what's easily accessible to non-Maori (there seemed to be a good number of marae in the norther part of the South Island, but you can't just pop in; you would need to make arrangements beforehand, and would probably need to do a lot of study on marae kawa (protocol)). As you said, which suits your style best is obviously your call.

If you want to get a feel for the differences, you might want to have a quick look at the Dead Link Removed from my trip. Be warned, though: they're from before I got into photography, and are aesthetically atrocious!

Brian, I've visited there a few times.

You can fly internationaly to Christchurch from the US. I don't know how many filghts are are however. The RV rental is a good way to get around the South Island, and RV parks are plentiful. Hotels/motels are just as easy to find, and not too expensive. However, some hotels like the ones at Mt Cook and Milford Sound can be terribly expensive. I've done both, but love the RV thing the most. For example, you can camp out in an RV at Aoraki/Mt Cook for a few dollars compared to the local hotel - which runs at over $300 per night. Keep in mind, there are no plug-ins, and it can get very cold at night - my understanding is that most of the RV rentals require electricity to power the heater, although some of the bigger ones may have LP heaters as well.

Your timing isn't good for the South Island. May is way too late in the year, unless you like rain, snow and general bad weather - it will be getting into winter there. Very cold. September is great, however still cold and rainy, and too early for either wildflowers or any of the fields to be planted - especially for the vineyards. You would probably get a bit of fog at that time.

I have to got to work in a few minutes, but will pop-in later with more thoughts. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

It has been awhile but I spent 6 months working on the South Island in Invercargill. I had monthly clinics in Queenstown and I was able to spend several weekends in Te Anua, Milford, Dunedin, etc. When we finished work, we had 2 months for additional travel. We had a very flexible itinerary and could do whatever we wanted. In the end, we spent all of the time on the South Island. There is so much to do and see. Photography is easy in their summer with long days, oblique light, blue skies. Of course, the light is more gray with some rain on the west coast, especially in the south. In the far south, wind can be an issue in photography also. Unfortunately, I was not into large format photography at the time but 6x7 Velvia is well applied to New Zealand also.

I recommend renting a car and staying in small hotels, hostels, B&B's, etc. It is easy to find a place to stay. Take a small tent or bivy sack/light sleeping bag if you want to go really cheap. In most towns, you could spend your day with activities and then crash in the bivy next to your car at a campsight especially if you want to stay out late or get up early for photography. Crime on the South Island is minimal and the people are very nice. Film prices are high and the photography is wonderful so take twice as much film as you think you will use. Roads on the South Island, which is much more remote and less populated, are excellent. Some are gravel but well maintained. Traffic is light. I don't think we ever needed to go off road.

Another thing to consider is packing into the first hut on tracks such as the Routeburn or Keppler. You could take a sleeping bag with minimal food in your camera backpack and hike up to the first hut. This gets you up to some beautiful scenery. The huts have bunks with mattresses, gas rings for cooking, potable water, toilets (but no showers). I would hike up and stay for a couple of days doing day hikes rather than hiking the entire trail. Beware that what the average New Zealander would consider a routine hike I would describe as abject misery.

In some areas (Milford), the sandflies (biting gnats) are thick as oatmeal. So beware of them getting into the bellows and making mischief. I had to be very careful when changing lenses on 6x7.

Some non-photography suggestions:

• Don't wait to the end to order lamb. It is great down there.
• Take up fly-fishing. Trout fishing in New Zealand is world famous.
• Drink wine. New Zealand beer is pretty good but their wine is better.

Buy the Lonely Planet series guide for New Zealand if you haven't yet.

Hello Early Riser,
I spent 9 weeks in NZ in 2005, and could have spent much longer. 6 weeks to see both Islands is pushing it unless you rush round. My advice would be to stick to just one island and take your time, especially if you want to stay several days in one spot (which I guarantee you will, frequently). Looking at your style, I would also recommend that one island is the South, more scenery than you can shake a stick at. (Although if you're after Maori culture then the only place to go is the North Island, particulary the 'Northland', north of Auckland.
I'll second that April/May is getting late in the season, especially for the South.
I do not know what your 'comfort levels' are, camper vans seem to constitute about 50% of the traffic (what there is of it) on the South Island and will get you to most places. As has been said the gravel rounds are generally very well maintained, but check the terms of the hire company. A small 4x4 (I hired a Toyota RAV4) will be much easier to drive on the very twisty, steep roads. I took a very small tent, commercial 'holiday parks' are extremely well appointed (some 'toilet blocks' were better than many a hotel bathroom I've seen), but the DOC (Department of Conservation) camp sites are everywhere and mostly in fantastic and/or remote settings. Facilities in them vary from none (no camping fees) through pit toilets and cold water (most) to flushing loos and hot showers, although even then they're dirt cheap.
Also consider the 'BBH' hostels http://www.backpack.co.nz/. The word hostel is a bit of a misnomer as many are little more than being a house guest on a farm and many have single/double rooms in addition to the 'shared' room, which generally have no more than half a dozen beds in anyway.
There are DOC information centres everywhere. Always make it your first port of call as the information available is excellent and always ask, and heed, the rangers' advice if you're planning hiking into the hills/mountains.

In my opinion Fox Glacier is much nicer and less 'touristy' than Franz Joseph.

The Catlins area at the very bottom of the South Island is in my opinion one of the most beautiful parts of the whole country (but don't tell anyone or it'll be overrun).

Ah yes, the sand flies. Take some 100% DEET, although I'm not even sure that will be enough.

Crispin

You could easily spend:

1 week in Milford/Te Anau region
1 week in Queenstown area
1 week in Wanaka area
1 week going up the West Coast
1 week in the north
1 week in the Christchurch/Dunedin area

With some variation based on preference. My geography is fading a little but you get the idea. I would start in the south though because it is the most spectacular and if you want to spend some extra time you won't regret shorting the other areas.

You would then miss the Catlins which are very nice but a bit off the beaten track and not as spectacular. The landscapes are not quite as varied there but excellent. The South Island is all good. To a certain degree an itinerary is missing the point (although I obsessed about such things).

Nothing works for sandflies except for barriers but even then they land on you and crawl.

Nobody has mentioned Stewart Island which is nice but over-rated and too time consuming for your trip.

For the flight, think about getting a stopover in the Cook Islands or Fiji for a few days of relaxation on the way back.

jeroldharter said:

For the flight, think about getting a stopover in the Cook Islands or Fiji for a few days of relaxation on the way back.

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Fiji is a bit out of the way, but I don't think there are any more US-Cook Island flights anymore. Air New Zealand used to stop there on the way to Honolulu. You can fly Auckland to Nadi (Fiji) then to Honolulu if you want. However, you are adding a lot to the cost. Honolulu to Auckland generally runs about $1200.

I'll agree with everyone else, you could easily spend the entire 6 weeks on the South Island and still not get everywhere.

For water/lakes try Queenstown and Wanaka - Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy is a fantastic drive, and LOTR country. One the way to Queenstown from Dunedin you will go through NZ wine country (near Cromwell) - side trips from there to Ranfurly (on 85) will take you through some farm and sheep country. North of Wanaka over Lindis Pass takes you to Lake Pukaki and Mt. Cook. Just too much to see. I still haven't been to Invercargill or up north of Christchurch - I'm keen to visit Nelson.

I spent a few months working on the east coast of the north island. It's beautiful. Later I went back for a two week holiday around the north island. The north island is beautiful and varied. Photo opportunities everywhere (especially if you like sheep pictures ).
I'd be very careful driving on the back roads. A lot of them are not gravel, have 2000 foot ditches, and can get very slippery. The locals went to the extent of chaining up the front of the vehicle to help steer at times.
I agree with whoever said to make sure you get a vehicle with a bit of power. The rental agent told me they have low-powered vehicles for renting to people who come from countries where driving is not the norm, but they do have peppier ones they'll rent if they think you're an experienced driver. The RV's all appeared to be underpowered.
A lot of the intersections are roundabouts (or runarounds as I called them). I found them confusing at first, since you're on the "wrong" side of the road to begin with.
I found the motels/hotels very reasonable, and personally wouldn't get an RV (or caravan as they call them there).
But in short, there's no place on the north island, at least, that you won't enjoy being.

Both islands have their highlights and I'm not as well traveled around NZ as I'd like to be. From my perspective the North has many "wow, that is AWESOME!" locations and the South has many "this... this... this just can't be real, it just can NOT BE REAL!" locations. You would not be disappointed with either Island and finding spectacular scenery is not something you have to seek out, it's just everywhere you turn!

I am about 45mins from Auckland so if you need any help or want to meet up let me know. Maybe John McCallum and I can take you to a few spots up north (John knows all these secret golden nuggets off the beaten path). I have a large darkroom you are welcome to use if you need to stop off and do some processing or anything. Do you have any experience driving on the opposite side of the road? Just watch out for the 1-lane bridges! hehe

P.S. I would also recommend either renting a vehicle with a GPS or bringing a portable GPS with you that has NZ maps on it. There are constant stories here of tourists lost in the forests..

Thanks, for all the help, It's going to take me a little time to digest all this info and to compare it to maps and tourguides. I'm sure I'll have many more questions.

From what I'm hearing my initial plan to arrive about april 1 and stay to about May 10 might be a little late in the season for the south island. Would early March , like the 10th and staying to mid april give me fall foliage? I could also start in the south and then go north to follow the better weather. I'm not too adverse to bad weather though, rain and storms add drama, but I'd prefer to have some color and leaves on the trees. I might stretch the trip to 7 weeks if I can.

Sean it would be great to meet up with you when I'm there.

Thanks all.

The early March timeframe should work quite well. You will be at the edge of the season, and may get some rain, but you will get color on the leaves. Particulary around Queenstown, Arrowtown and the stretch along the Clutha River from Cromwell to Balclutha. BTW, you will pass along gold rush country around Central Otago.

Check out the work of Andris Apse: http://www.nzlandscapes.co.nz/index.php and Glibert Van Reenen: http://www.cleangreen.co.nz/ for panoramic images of this area (particulary Gilbert - he lives in Wanaka).

It's always interesting to read comments from visitors. I'm pleased to read that so many people have enjoyed their time here.

Don't underrate the impact of the weather - as some have commented. Regard it as a feature to be used to advantage. The weather is very changeable, as some hikers have found to their cost. A fine morning doesn't mean leaving your raincoat in the car. On the other hand, the weather forecasts are generally pretty good. Learning a little about the weather patterns can be time well spent.

But something no one has mentioned is the wind! Some visitors obviously don't know what wind is until they come here. If you want to shoot natural history (forests, trees, etc), it can be a real problem. And if you are using something large, e.g. an 8 by 10, just holding it steady might be difficult in some places.

The best months are March and April, when the weather is often calmer, the sun is a bit lower, and the crowds and sandflies have thinned (a little). May is getting a bit late. October-November is often windy and too early for wild flowers, at least in the mountains.

Most local people would say aim to spend most of your time in the South Island.

The roads are not like they are in the US. For a start, we drive on the left.
The roads tend to be narrow and windy, so don't expect to cover huge distances in a day. For example, the 320 km from Wellington to Napier (North Island, east coast) takes four hours or a little more. You don't have to drive on unsealed roads. We have some, but you wouldn't be limiting yourself much if stayed on the seal.

I live in Wellington (called the windy city, although climate change seems to be having a beneficial effect). My favourite places are almost anywhere in the South Island, but especially the west coast.

Bien viaje!

I should mention you will almost undoubtedly see rain at Milford Sound, regardless of the season. That is just the way it is there.

One place that I feel is special, and you may wish to visit is Moeraki Boulders just outside the town of Oamaru along the coast, before you get to Palmerston. Here is a photo:



There is a public campground about 1km up the beach from this location that you can camp at (no hookups). There is a nearby village of Moeraki that has a great little restaurant called Fleur's Place.

Lots of good suggestions already. I'd like to expand on some and offer some more thoughts. I'm just a little tied up at present but will PM you in the next few days when I get a chance to sit and think about it.

But, briefly;
- do allow more time for the South Island than the North. Jerold's approach for a 6 week trip would be a very good basis from which to start.
With a caviat. Summer days can have fairly narrow windows of low, cross-lighting, very early and late in the day. The weaker and lower sun at the times you're thinking of would provide more and better hours of photography imo (and much more sleep, which will allow for a better trip).
- There are other advantages and of course some uncertainty in the weather that comes with the changing of the seasons that you're thinking of. (eg - NZ school holidays this year are 26 Sept thru to 13 Oct and there will be more people around in many areas then).
- There may be constraints that only allow for 6 weeks, but almost certainly you would use the time very happily if you could allow longer.
- RV vs SUV there are advantages and disadvantages of both. Can expand on this and accomodation later.

Will be in touch.

Cheers, John.

You would be much better off trying to get down in March. This is the start of Autumn, and the weather is generally pretty settled over most of the country. You could then start in the south and move north. However, given New Zealand's location, the weather is always going to be a little unpredictable!

Which island is best? Both, or should I say all of them. They are quite different, but where ever you go, you will find excellent photo opportunities.

Depending on airline and route, you can fly direct to Christchurch or Auckland, and if you go via Australia you can fly into Wellington (which is an experience in itself on a windy day!)

As for driving, if there is just the one of you, you could get a smaller camper van, which would get you to most places. For the more remote photo opportunities, you'd more than likely be looking at having to walk a little anyway due to the terrain. There are some places that rent 4WD camper vans, which could be a good compromise. Don't forget to ask beforehand if you want/need an automatic.

As has been mentioned, the driving distances may not be great by US standards, but there is little in the way of motorways/freeways outside of Auckland and Wellington. You won't want to cover large distances, as it can get pretty tiring. Long straight roads are the exception

If you like to walk / tramp, speak to some locals or DoC (Dept. of Conservation) first. Be prepared, the weather catches a lot of people out, and the facilities on all but a few tracks are pretty basic or non-existant. It is easy to get lost, even a relatively short distance from a road. There are no dangerous animals to worry about, apart from sandflies in the South Island

The North Island is warmer (generally) and more populated, but there is still plenty of space! Northland, the Coromandel and the East Cape areas are all nice, with beautiful coastlines and some historic towns. As you get to the middle of the North Island, you get the central volcanic plateau and the lakes. There are some fantastic areas here, and some great day walks. Have a look into some of the walks around the Tongariro National Park.

Over on the east coast, Napier is the Art Deco city. Flattened by an earthquake in the 1931, it was rebuilt in the Art Deco style, and has been well preserved ever since. Nice wines around this part!

The bottom of the North Island round Wellington is often overlooked, but there are some great photo ops, both natural and man made. The Wairarapa area is well known for its great wines, especially Pinot Noir. The south coast is pretty wild and rugged. Wellington has some great architecture, and the air is crystal clear.

There is plenty of info on the South Island here already, but one area many tourists miss is the north west part - Tasman Bay, Nelson, Nelson Lakes, and out to Farewell Spit. There are some stunning bush, mountain, lake and coastal scenes, some great wine and beer and very few people.

Another overlooked spot is Stewart Island, off the south coast of the South Island. If you decide to stick to the South Island, this may be worth a couple of days or so.

If you do come through Wellington, drop me a PM.

PC, you mentioned places that rent 4wd camper vans, can you give me a referral? thanks

On both of my photo trips to NZ (a 3 month and a 6 month), I had originally planned to spend 1/3 my time in the north and 2/3 in the south. On both trips I ended up spending my time 50/50.

On the North Island I particularily liked Lake Wiakaramoanoa and the vocanic area (National Park) just south of Lake Taupo.

On the South Island there are too many places to call favorites -- Able Tasman, Pancake Rocks, Stewart Island, Nelson Lakes, Shag Point, etc etc...not to forget Franz Joesf Glacier!

I never made it to Milford Sound, but did part of the Routeburn track while I was going to uni there for a year. Sand flies are to be dealt with on the west coast of the South Island in general.

Motor camps are great -- usually they have small cabins (centalized bathrooms and cooking facitilies) if one is car-camping. I stayed at youth hostels a lot, too.

Vaughn

Kiwis -- sorry for the bad spellings!

Here's one of the better known companies that offers them. I have seen various other company's 4WD campers on the road, so a telephone call or email could be worthwhile. Personally, I think the one in the link would be great.

P C Headland said:

Here's one of the better known companies that offers them.

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Britz is well known in both NZ and Australia.

One other thing, if you do plan on tramping on some of the larger, multi-day tracks that have huts, book as far in advance as you possibly can. Some of the more popular ones are booked a year or more in advance!

Thanks for all the advice!

Here's another question, If I go to NZ, mostly the South Island, through March and April 2008 do I need to book all my accommodations in advance or can I just "wing it" and drive around and pick places to stay at the spur of the moment? I know that in the western US I could safely travel almost anytime except the summer or major vacation times and find a wide selection of accommodations as I drive, I'm hoping that NZ would work like this as well.