Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand
Quote | Reply
Will be honeymooning for 10 days next month in New Zealand. Our plan is to fly into Auckland and to drive to Queenstown. Seeking advice/info on the following:

1) Have determined that distance from Taupo to Wellington is 385km. This is our one day with a lot of driving. How are the roads between these 2 cities? What type of average speed can we expect? This is important as we need to leave Taupo on time in order to catch the ferry to the south island.

2) What road and weather conditions can we expect on the south island? Is the weather better on one coast vs the other? What can we expect to be an average travel speed in the country side?

Any help would be appreciated as we our putting our final plans together and we know what we want to do it is now just a question of determining how long it will take us to drive between locations.

Thanks,

Dave
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [Barrio] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The key thing to know is that it's winter down there right now. The further south you go the colder the temperatures will be.

I have only been in Queenstown in the summer and I am not sure what it's like in the winter. I think that it shifts more to a ski town at this time of the year as many of the summer activities, hiking, camping, jet boating etc . . are on hold.

Perhaps some local Kiwi's on the board have a better idea.

Fleck


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [Barrio] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The driving is extremely slow. Count on single lanes and people to pass. There are a lot of vary scary signs by the road warning against speeding and/or drunk driving. Be careful down there. I wouldn't plan on anything faster than about 70 km/h - leave yourself lots of time.
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [Barrio] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Just came back from my honeymoon as well, styed in Queenstown for 8 days. Beautiful town filled the first couple of days with Lions supporters. While I was there it snowed 3 times, mostly at night. Went skiing 3 days (2 days Coronet Peak, 1 day Remarkables) and it was really cold up in the mountains, I´d say -4 C, -6C.



Right now they´re celebrating their Winter Festival so they will have plenty of activities during the month of July. It´s a small town full with any kind of outdoor activities you want (winter activities right now skiing, helicopter rides, boat tours, etc). I stayed in the Heritage hotel and it was a really nice place just outside downtown. I loved my stay in Queenstown and would love to go back there.



If you need more specific details let me know, I flew right into Queenstown so I wouldn´t be able to tell you anything regarding Wellington, Christchurch, or any other city.
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [Barrio] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
We stayed at a hotel/golf course in Arrowtown, about a 15 minute drive from Queenstown, when in '03 for Worlds. Such a beautiful country, I live in Boulder, and we have mountains, but NZ is something else. I am so jealous of you, you'll have a great time. Sorry I am not offering any useful advice, but have fun!


Geoffrey Nenninger
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [Barrio] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
1) Damned long drive from Taupo to W'ton. Road ( not plural!) is fine, just 2-lanes the entire way. Some nice farmland to look at.

Avg. speed? 50 mph, maybe 60 mph. Watch out for the speed cameras or a few weeks after you get home, you'll have a nice present of a speeding ticket (which you cannot pay via credit card and $NZ only...thanks Nige for paying mine!)

2) Even SLOWER going on the SI, especially from the ferry to ChCh. At times we were driving 30 mph for a good distance. Very beautiful though. On the west coast, it's the same slow going. Also, a lot of one-lane bridges on the SI.

To do it again, I'd fly.

clm

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [Barrio] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The drive looks like its about 4.75 hours with a stop in Tarangi, from a few websites I looked at. From my exp. the weather is a bit better on the East Coast. The ocean is def. a bit more calm on the East coast. West coast of South Island is spectacular though. Huge winter surf, rugged cliffs...

Do the Nevis when you are in Queenstown. Its a great memory. I did 3 bungee jumps and a sky dive in 24 hours in Q-Town. Adrenaline didn't wear off for a week. Good times.


------------------------------------------------------------

"He broke into the long easy lope, and went on, hour after hour, never at loss for the tangled way, heading straight home through strange country with a certitude of direction that put man and his magnetic needle to shame."

-Call of the Wild
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [Barrio] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Taupo to Welli is a looong way.

The only trouble you might have is if the weather turns to poo then they sometimes shut the Desert road south of Taupo due to snow. But that is reasonably rare. 70kph average would be about right. You can't speed - you will get snapped.

West coast of SI generally has wilder weather, but it could get crappy either side of the alps this time of year. Less traffic down south, so you may go faster, but not the best roads in the world, and if the weather is bad you don't want to be speeding. Also, we drive on the other side to you folks so you have to be super careful. Take your time, enjoy the scenery, and enjoy your stay!


kiwipat

per ardua ad astra
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [kiwipat] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
drive is about 4.5 hours from taupo to wellington (i live in taupo).



queenstown is overrated ;) wanaka= better.
Quote Reply
Re: OT-Looking for advice and info on New Zealand [fulla] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Nah, Wanaka's been taken over by JAFAs.

I should know...half my mates live down there now!


kiwipat

per ardua ad astra
Quote Reply