Back home.

It was a quick, but bumpy, ride from Auckland to San Francisco - only 11 hours. Then on to Seattle.

I wanted to put down a few thoughts for those of you that told me they had been considering a NZ trip.

We loved the country and the people. 

• It seemed everyone was friendly and not rushed.
• It was clean - no trash on the beaches or along the roads.  
• With the exchange rate lodging is not any more expensive than in the US and for food we regularly commented how it seemed to be 2/3 the cost of a similar meal in Seattle or Boston.
• It takes a long time to get anywhere. People are not in a hurry on the roads. They all seem to respect the speed limit (of 60 mph).  But even then it seemed we averaged only 40 or 45 mph on the curvy roads in the So Island.

We drove over 2000 miles.

Thoughts and things I might change?

• 3 nights and 2 days is enough in Queenstown. Take a cruise on the Lake. Climb Mt. Lohman. 
• A day trip (versus overnights) on Doubtful (or Milford) Sound is enough. Unless it is pristine weather you won't get in any walks or kayaking. Stay in Te Anau and it is a reasonable day trip.
• Unless you want to do the full Routeburn, a day walk (several hours) up to Key Peak or into Lake Howden will give you a pretty good idea of the terrain - which I found quite similar to the Cascades.
• We stayed a night in Wanaka, but aside from being a bustling smaller version of Queenstown, I'd stay there again only if it fit the day's driving.
• I loved Mt Cook - definitely worth a couple of nights in the village to do some of the walks. Definitely a bike ride to Twizel (if not further), and if it is clear, a helicopter ride over Mt Cook area would absolutely make it into our next visit.
• Our walk up Mt. Russell at St. Arnaud was well worth the effort.
• The stay in Golden Bay at the Golden Bay Hideaway was the best stay of the trip. http://goldenbayhideaway.co.nz/ 
• And our walk to and swim at Taupo Point gets the nod as the "best swim" of the trip.
• Next visit I would definitely do some miles on the Queen Charlotte Track near Picton. You can use local transport to move gear and there are many good accommodations on the walk. 
• Seeing Blenheim is worth the extra short drive.

On the North Island:

• You can skip Taupo, Rotorua, and Auckland (except to fly in and out).
• White Island Volcano is a must.
• Stay at the Chateau Tongiraro and feel comfortable doing the Tongiraro walk without a guide. Transportation to/from the walk is the only challenge (if you can walk 12 miles without excessive effort). 
• If you like kayaking, Then go north to Bay of Islands or Whangaroa. Our guide at Northlands Kayaking (https://northlandseakayaking.co.nz/) has been running his company for 30 years and we felt very comfortable with him and his advice. If you wanted to do a multiple day trip, he can give you some advice on the best outfitters - he no longer does them himself.

That's it. If you are thinking about going, then take the leap. It is well worth the pain of the long flight.


Trip pictures at : https://photos.app.goo.gl/hGMakUq9NAyztNVp6