[elleann]

Hi there

(It's been ages and ages since I posted here - we've been in Welly 7 months already, hard to believe!! )

So, in the third week of September, I have arranged a four-day stretch off work and we want to take a small trip in order to see something more of NZ than just Wellington (gorgeous as it is!) I'm thinking of taking the ferry to Picton and the TranzCoastal to ChCh, followed by the TranzAlpine to Greymouth and back, then flying back to Welly ... the trains are all on winter special offers til early October, and our budget is tight!

Anyone done any short yet wonderful trips recently? Any other suggestions or recommendations? I'm totally open to other ideas, although I will need to book soon!

Oh, and any good recs for where to stay in ChCh for two nights?

Thanks!
Linda

[Georgebulldog]

For cheap accomodation I would say Top10 maybe, not stayed there as yet but it's booked & they seem to have a good range of places to stay
www.top10.co.nz

[RJLink]

Another possibility is:
Day one: to Picton or Blenheim
Day two: to Nelson
Day three: down the West Coast to Greymouth and the train to Christchurch
Day four: Christchurch

My personal opinion is that the TranzAlpine is not so great that you'd want to take it twice.

[mylesdw]

RJLink makes a good point; you may have a bit too much train in your plan. I'm not sure whether the proposed Nelson,Greymouth,Chch is doable though. It would certainly be a very long day.

What about sticking to your original plan but once you get to Greymouth go south to Hokitika and then fly back to Chch. That would give you a much better look at the fabulous west coast.

[elleann]

Myles, that sounds like a great idea - will look into it .. thanks! Too much train was very apparent but I wasn't aware of other ways to get back to Welly apart from hiring a car and driving up the west coast to Picton ... or finding a bus that went all the way at the right time ..

The hardest part is co-ordinating travel connections given the limited time / budget ... but working on it!

L

[Flutterby]

not been anywhere on the south island yet but i noticed earlier today that nakedbus is now running a wellington to picton ferry service which prices start from $39 they also have other services that you may be able to score for as little as $1 which may be useful on your tight budget.

[elleann]

Thanks for the tip, Flutterby!

Trip now planned is as follows:

Day 1: Ferry to Picton (3hrs), then Tranzscenic to ChCh (5hrs)
Day 2: Early flight to Queenstown (1hr), day in QT
Day 3: Nakedbus from QT to ChCh (9 hrs scenic drive)
Day 4: Afternoon flight back to Welly from ChCh (AM in ChCh for sightseeing)

And I'm still well within my proposed budget! :-)

[Keith C.]

Personally, I think you're trying to fit too much into your trip. Not that I'd ever do that.:uhoh One place I really enjoyed that is relatively close is Kaikoura, about halfway between Nelson and Christchurch. It's a beautiful setting. If you like wildlife, there is a seal colony, and it's a big site for whale-watching. There was even one spot outside of Kaikoura where there was a small waterfall emptying into a pool where many baby seals were frolicking. It was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen.

[Flutterby]

so pleased to have been helpful

[elleann]

Ah, Flutterby, you reminded me that I'd started this thread! :-)

It worked out really, really well! We had a very good trip and got a great overview of some of South Island (missed the west coast, unfortunately). The ferry ride was a wee bit rough, the train trip was great, and the flights smooth. So much of the coastal areas and ChCh reminded us of areas in the Western Cape (back home in SA) so as beautiful as it is, it was not all that 'different'.

But Queenstown! Oh, my - I just fell completely in love with Queenstown - we landed there and to me, it felt just like the moment when we first landed in NZ. Got off the plane and just breathed in the air, and gazed and gazed at the mountains and the snow and the wide openness of the whole place. You know how it is when a place says YES! to you? That was QT for me. I'm totally going to move there. Not immediately - but once both my kids are able to live independently. Maybe two years from now? Quite possibly! :-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elleann/3967644944/

[elleann]

The view from the Backpackers we stayed at:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/elle_ann/TriptoSouthIsland-September2009097.jpg

[Flutterby]

i just remembered because a relative is going to QT next week

[elleann]

Oh, lucky him or her!! I'd go back in a heartbeat! ;-) If they are touristing, tell them not to miss the Skyline Gondola and the Luge!! The view from up top is just stupendous!

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/elle_ann/TriptoSouthIsland-September2009110.jpg