Doing the deep south of NZ next month - any suggestions?

Delorian

My trip is looking like 31st March fly into Queenstown, Wanaka, leave for the Routeburn (3 day hike), Te Anau for a night or 2, Invercargle, Stewart Island for 2 nights, visit a friend in Dunedin for 2 nights, back on the 11th April.

Just wondering has anyone experience in this part of the world and are there any little hidden gems I might be unaware of. Also any advise for the Routeburn would be good as it's my first overnight hike and I'm doing it alone (but am sure I'll meet ppl on the way).

aphanra

Delorian wrote: »

My trip is looking like 31st March fly into Queenstown, Wanaka, leave for the Routeburn (3 day hike), Te Anau for a night or 2, Invercargle, Stewart Island for 2 nights, visit a friend in Dunedin for 2 nights, back on the 11th April.

Just wondering has anyone experience in this part of the world and are there any little hidden gems I might be unaware of. Also any advise for the Routeburn would be good as it's my first overnight hike and I'm doing it alone (but am sure I'll meet ppl on the way).

Renting a car is the best way to explore. And yes, flying to Queenstown is a smart move.

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paidi09

planning on doin the same trip myself later in the yr. would be interested to hear how you get on. presume your heading to milford sound?

preddy

paidi09 wrote: »

planning on doin the same trip myself later in the yr. would be interested to hear how you get on. presume your heading to milford sound?

Milford over rated, rained the day we were day and takes hours to get there and back.

Go whale watching in Kaikoura amazing trip and not a far drive from Christchurch. Check the time of year.

Oisintarrant

Sorry Preddi, Im gonna have to disagree about Milford Sound. Easily the best scenery in NZ imho. It may be cause we were lucky, but we say penguins, seals and dolpins and the weather was perfect the day we were there. It really is a must see for southlands. Go out to Wanaka from QT. Although I have heard the lake is disappearing! :P
There isnt much of anything down in Invers except if you go out to the island. Id spend most time in QT and Dunedin if I were going again.

Delorian

Cheers for all the responses guys. Leaving in two days, was out a the weekend buying some bits and pieces for the 3 day hike. Expecting at least one day of decent rain, but that doesn't bother me too much. Apparently in the rain is the best way to see some of the places, i.e. Doubtful.

Am not going to make Milford or Doubtful this time because of the Routeburn. Will be back though, am planning to be in NZ a while, so those 2 as well as the Kepler track are all on my todo list.

Oisintarrant, I'm inline with what you're saying. We're talking about 1 night in Wanaka, just passing through Inver to Bluff & Stewart and 2 nights in Dunedin where we'll be meeting a friend who should show us a good (wild!) time.

Will update you paidi09 in about 2 weeks.

IamtheWalrus

Cheers for the advice people. I'm heading there on Sunday!

robinph

Milford is worth the trip even if the weather is a bit rubbish, was pretty cloudy and a bit of rain the day I did it. What probably made it still worthwhile though was that I left the camper in Te Anau for the day and took a tour, the drive is then not an issue as someone else is doing it and you get stuff pointed out along the way that you'd other wise ignore.

Couldn't have been bothered with that drive if I was doing it myself, but the small tour I did was well worth it. A small bus, only about 10 of us, we were all picked up from wherever we were staying in Te Anau, food and a couple of stops along the way, the cruise around the sound, there was an option of a heli flight back half way along the route as well but nobody else was up for that the day I went, and then dropped back to Te Anau afterwards.

pclancy

I'm flying down tomorrow in a 4 seater Piper Archer to Queenstown and heading over to the airshow at Wanaka on Sunday. Going to be amazing views on the way, i'll post some photos in the Aviation and Aircraft forum when i'm back. If anyone wants to meet for a pint Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights in Queenstown PM me!

Claasman

pclancy wrote: »

I'm flying down tomorrow in a 4 seater Piper Archer to Queenstown and heading over to the airshow at Wanaka on Sunday. Going to be amazing views on the way, i'll post some photos in the Aviation and Aircraft forum when i'm back. If anyone wants to meet for a pint Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights in Queenstown PM me!

jealous!. Driving down myself. Im going to the show saturday, in queenstown tomorrow for bungee jumping, going to cromwell sat night for sprint car racing so might stay there. Might make it for pints at some stage though...