[damianandtracy]

We are planning to all fly out to NZ next March/April for a holiday/recce. As there are 5 of us it is not going to be cheap (2 adults/3 kids). This is a critical trip for us as it will be the decider, should we stay or should we go. Personally I would only wish to do the 24 hour flight once.

Now onto the reason for this post. I have been looking at various airlines/flights and have been getting prices from between £4,800 incl Tax to £8,000.

Looking at the lower end do you think that this price is reasonable or should I shop around more.

TIA

Damian

[EmigratingNZ]

Hi there and welcome to the forum!

I have just done a very quick search on Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand for dates in March and SA comes out cheapest at just under £4600 for the 5 of you. ANZ was just over £5110. Obviously without knowing the exact dates it is difficult to give you an accurate price but I would say you should be able to get something towards the lower end of your scale (although I am assuming you will be looking to go in school holidays so that may add a bit on?). However £8000 sounds like an awful lot to me. The earlier you book, the cheaper the price too!

Best of luck!

[damianandtracy]

Thanks for the feedback - I just did an enquiry on SA and it comes out at just under £5k which is still pretty good and it is the Easter holidays.

I think I will book soon so at least that is done and we have a year to pay for it. The next issue is accomodation, I imagine a hotel for three weeks would be far to expensive. Are there many self catering in the South Island lets, maybe could get a ski chalet out of season cheap.

Damian

[EmigratingNZ]

A budget option is to get cabins at holiday parks, or even go self-catering at motels? Not the most luxurious or glamorous options but it might save you a dollar or two :)

[vixxann]

HI

we went out last march/april for a three week reccie - the two of us with three children - not cheap but so so so glad we did it. I can now show the kids OUR photos of NZ when I want to remind them why we are going etc!

we flew singapore air from Manchester approx £4200. Have just booked to go out this october with air new zealand for about £4800. so to me this is about the norm - I would book anything you can find under £5000 as prices seem to be going up and up.

accomodation - we had 10 days in motorhome touring through north island and into south then rented a holiday home in christchurch as a base and rented a car. Enjoyed both but very different kinds of holidays. the campervan was more relaxing and touristy the holiday home part felt more like we lived there (which is what we'd wanted to try and do) so overall good all round :)

Good luck

[benandclare]

We just hired a car, only 2 of us, in Nov / Dec 2006 and winged it.

Found most of the Motels we stayed very well appointed and most comfortable and excellent value for money given the exchange rate.

We stayed in one in Timaru which was basically an apartment, slept 6 for about £35 per night !!!! if my memory serves me right.

A friend of ours who was over last Dec also was amazed at the level of motel facilities and cost.

Good luck with your trip

[damianandtracy]

If only life could be like this every day. Lovely sunny day in Sussex, walked the 150 yds to the Beach with the family and canoe, climbed down the cliff and a beach all to ourselves. Had a BBQ, beer, swim and a good laugh.

Get home and then the thought, oh god another 5 hour commute to work and back tomorrow, then Tuesday and so on :0( So straight back on the internet looking for accomodation around Cantabury.

Damian

[nippa&pippa]

We found campervan is better than motel with three kids. Because our children has freedom to run around the fields wherever we pull over to have cup of tea and snack during breaks to stetch the legs etc. You don't need to worry about findindg toilet, water, cooker, food, cafe etc because all is in the campervan.
There is lots of picnic areas out of town that are very quiet and peaceful and children came back with lots of finds, hearing crickets and bird singing, ah bliss.
Then at the end of day, you just find motorparks (usually all of them got shower/toilet/washing factilities to wash clothes) to stay overnight, all clothes ready in the campervan, no need to repack, unpack, repack, unpack etc of clothes, foods etc.

We also did came out in March/April easter holiday too in 2006 for three weeks reccie, we flew with Emirates.