Travelling to NZ from Feb '09 to Jan '10...I don't really have anything planned...
I will be travelling on a limited budget and my friend will be meeting me there around the same time I arrive. She wants to be able to work at a ski resort during winter - I might do the same. The last 3 or 4 months of my trip, I would like to island hop to Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tahiti.
Can anyone perhaps help me put together an itinerary? I'd like to be able to travel all of NZ as well...how long would that take? 1 month? 2 months? Accomodation recommendations? Help! I'm so frazzled!
Reply to this Travel all of New Zealand? Well, I've lived in NZ for 18 years total, visited on various other occasions, and there's still plenty of places I haven't been.
Seriously, 1 month gives you a two-week tour of each island. You'll be running from place to place, won't see everywhere, will have to cut short in some places etc. Two months is more minimal, especially if you're relying on buses to get around. On the plus side, you can go more or less anywhere (especially in the South Island) and won't be disappointed (unless its pouring with rain).
Where to go depends a lot on your interests. "Postcard" sites include Milford Sound (Fiordland), Fox/Franz Joseph Glaciers (Westland) and Mount Cook. But any of the national parks have scenic sights, excellent walks (from a few hours to a week) etc. Check out www.doc.govt.nz for a wealth of information. Do at least one of their "great walks" (although if you like solitude, other "tramping" options throughout NZ may be better). Of course, Queenstown, if you're looking for activities with a positive probability of killing yourself.
Getting around -- transportation options are a little lacking. Scheduled buses (Intercity is the biggest) are limited, especially if you're going to national parks, etc. Backpacker buses (Kiwi Experience, Stray, Magic) allow you to hop off/on in various places, but limited routes and fares on their web sites aren't exactly bargains. Renting a car (from smaller local companies - not Hertz!) will probably be cheaper, especially if two are sharing. Many backpackers buy a cheap car for longer stays (look around the hostels for bargains from departing travelers...)
Accommodation -- backpackers just about everywhere. Campgrounds in most towns (if you don't have a tent, many have basic cabins NZ$20-$50 a night -- you get what you pay for). Motels etc plentiful in most towns, usually you can still find places under NZ$100/night (and on average better quality than elsewhere, like the USA).
Can't help on the Islands...
Catherine.
Reply to this Definitely buy a cheap car - there are backpackers' car fairs in Auckland or other places, or look online. Get a tent and visit DOC.govt.nz (that's the department of conservation website) for their list of campsites in National Parks and other areas - some are free, which can save you a lot of money, and all have at least a long-drop toilet and water of some kind. There are also huts in the parks where you can stay, and they aren't very expensive.
There are a lot of great walks to do, like the Queen Charlotte Sounds track, the Milford Track, or thousands of smaller tracks.
In Fiji, a Yasawa Islands Island-hopping pass might be good value, and you should definitely visit Samoa.
Hope this was useful - for more tips on budget travel in general, you can look at www.indietravelpodcast.com. We have a competition at the moment where you can win a Lonely Planet book - might be useful for your trip.
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