ITINERARY FOR NZ TRIP

DAY 1       28 MAY 2012

Take Jetstar 7.00pm plane to Auckland.

DAY 2       29 MAY 2012

Arrived at Auckland at 9.30AM. Take connecting plane to Christchurch at 1.20pm. Arrived Christchurch Airport at 2.20PM. Transfer to Bealey Avenue Motel by Intercity bus at outside arrival hall. Reach motel around 3.30pm. Take a short walk to motel. Leave luggage at hotel and bring one shared bag to Queenstown tomorrow.

DAY 3       30 MAY 2012

Leaving Christchurch in the morning we travel through diverse farmland to Lake Tekapo, where you can view the solitary Church of the Good Shepherd and take in the sights of the spectacular Southern Alps mountain range. We then continue to the location of New Zealand's tallest mountain Aoraki / Mount Cook at 3754 metres.

Enjoy an lunch at the famous Hermitage Hotel in Aoraki / Mt Cook Village,
set within a National Park.

Take advantage of your time here to enjoy the majestic scenery.
Following our lunch stop the tour continues south through the tawny tussock of the Mackenzie Country. En route enjoy afternoon tea in the quaint village of Omarama and a visit to the Jones Family Orchard (time permitting) near Cromwell. Our tour concludes this evening in world famous Queenstown.

DAY 4       31 MAY 2012

Take an unforgettable journey into the heart of Milford Sound to experience the world famous fiord - rich in dense rainforest, glacier carved valleys and beautiful waterfalls.

Journey across the Southern Alps and travel deep into the Homer Tunnel, a 1.2km tunnel drilled through solid rock. Uncover Eglinton Valley, a place of ancient alpine forest and gushing waterfalls, take photos of the stunning
Mirror Lakes, then walk across The Chasm.

At the deep waters of Milford Sound, board a 1 3/4 hour Southern Discoveries Scenic Cruise. See the wonders of Mitre Peak, glacier-scarred rock walls and see the famous Bowen waterfalls that tumble through valleys and crash into the sea far below. After cruise return to Queenstown.

DAY 5        1 JUNE 2012

Taking Newsman coach today we are going back to Christchurch, from Queenstown, Frankton, Lake Hayes, Cromwell, Tarras. Then at Omarama we stopped at Merino country craft again for a short stop, Lake Ohau Turn-off, Twizel, Tekapo for lunch stop, Fairlie, Geraldine, Ashburton, Rakaia, Hornby, Christchurch Airport, Rolleston Ave (opposite Christs College), Christchurch.

DAY 6        2 JUNE 2012

Visit to International Antartica Centre to look for Blue penguins and experience the snow and storm of Antartica. Also watch a 4D movie from the Artic.

DAY 7        3 JUNE 2012

Leaving Christchurch in the morning take Intercity bus to Picton , on the way pass by Kaikoura to check out the seals or whales lying on the rocks. Arrived at Picton to take the Interislander ferry to journey across Cook Strait, which separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand, and into the Marlborough Sounds with its sparkling clear waters and lush forests before arriving in Wellington. Take a shuttle bus to Wellington Railway station and walk across to Downstown Backpackers to stay the night.

DAY 8        4 JUNE 2012

From Wellington railway station hop on Intercity bus to take us to Rotorua. Arriving in the afternoon checkin to Ambasador Thermal motel to stay for two nights. Later went to Lake Rotorua for a walk and check out all the activities there. Take a short walk to the shops along Tutanekai road and walk back to motel by Fenton street.

DAY 9        5 JUNE 2012

Combo tour of  Wai-o-tapu Geothermal experience and Waimangu Volcanic Valley trekking. Arrive at Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland. Brilliant colour is a feature here - don't miss the Artists Palette and Champagne Pool. Be seated at 1015hrs to watch the Lady Knox Geyser erupt.
At 12.30 depart for Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Head back towards Rotorua. Turn right when you see the Waimangu sign. This area was the site of the famous Pink and White Terraces. The terraces were destroyed and the Valley was created in the 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera. See Steaming Cliffs and Inferno Crater. Bus arrived at 3.00pm to bring us back to Rotorua.

DAY 10      6 JUNE 2012

Leaving Rotorua travel to Waitomo for a tour to Waitomo Caves and stay overnight at Kiwipaka Lodge.

DAY 11      7 JUNE 2012

From Waitomo journey to Auckland and visit the Sky Tower and the Sky Tower city. Stay two nights at City Central Hotel.

DAY 12      8 JUNE 2012

Explore Auckland , Fisherman market, Newmarket shopping, Britomart Train station and Elliot street shopping.

DAY 13      9 JUNE 2012

Leaving Auckland for Singapore.

PLANNING A TOUR TO NZ WITH MY MOM

When i posted in my facebook that i am going to NZ my sisters starts bombarding me with questions and telling me i should not bring my mom go backpacking. I don't think it is really backpacking. Just travelling free and easy on our own. I do not want to pay the tour company just to bring us in coaches to where they want and not what i want. I have always wanted to go NZ since 1987 when my supervisor in my ex company said she went there with her husband on a caravan or what they call campervan.

Since then i have always love to go NZ one day. So excited that this day is near soon. I am planning all the details as i do not want to waste my time n money on some tour which do not go where i wanted.

Places i wants to go:-

AUCKLAND
CHRISTCHURCH
QUEENSTOWN
WELLINGTON
ROTORUA


As i only have 12 days n 11 nights it is a bit tight. In the beginning i am quite "kan cheong" so already booked few hotels. Then i changed one hotel because i found another one nearer the Intercity bus terminal. As my mom is old and i am not so energetic i decided to play safe and stay all around the main city area.

Some tours to consider is Great sights and Awesome tours and many other tours company but I decided to go ourselves and try to save some cash. There is one tour option that is similiar to what we have done :- I did not see this before.

We will also do some other sight seeing ourselves. Like the Sky tower in Auckland, geysers in Rotorua, shopping in wherever we can.