South Island driving route
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@mariner4life cheers fella
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@voodoo said in South Island driving route:
@Hooroo appreciate that mate.
Went for a 2hr walk up the QT track and came to the decision to stay put here. Feels like the right decision. Hopefully Mum's condition doesn't change in the time between now and us being able to get there, whenever that is!
Tough call!
Perfect outcome is that your Mum gets through this well and you get to isolate yourself in probably one of the most beautiful places on earth!
Are you staying in a Hotel or going into a more self contain accommodation??
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@Hooroo said in South Island driving route:
@voodoo said in South Island driving route:
@Hooroo appreciate that mate.
Went for a 2hr walk up the QT track and came to the decision to stay put here. Feels like the right decision. Hopefully Mum's condition doesn't change in the time between now and us being able to get there, whenever that is!
Tough call!
Perfect outcome is that your Mum gets through this well and you get to isolate yourself in probably one of the most beautiful places on earth!
Are you staying in a Hotel or going into a more self contain accommodation??
that was my question too, where are you staying?
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Well, this trip didn't quite eventuate, though the drive from QT to ChCh was still awesome.
So we are now in the North Island, will stay in Palmy for a couple of weeks, but will then look to move a bit (assuming L2 allows it). And while I'm bombarding the Fern with recommendations for skiing, I thought I may as well do the same on North Island destinations.
The parameters:
- 3 weeks max to get from Palmy and back to Palmy
- needs to include 1-2 nights in New Plymouth (friends, visit Green School), 1-2 in Hamilton (friends), and 3 nights at Lake Rotoiti (friends)
- no more than 3hrs driving per day, family gets car sick and don't love driving as a result
- wife has seen Rotorua, Auckland already, but kids haven't seen anything
Otherwise pretty flexible. Currently I'm thinking:
- Day 1 PN to NP, overnight NP
- Day 2 stay NP
- Day 3 NP to Hamilton
- Day 4 Hamilton to Lake Rotoiti
- Day 5 stay Lake Rotoiti
- Day 6 stay Lake Rotoiti
- Day 7 - Lake Rotoiti - Whangamata
- Day 8 - Whangamata - Waiheke Island
- Day 9 stay Waiheke
- Day 10 stay Waiheke
- Day 11 Waiheke - Waitangi
- Day 12 Waitangi - Russell
- Day 13 stay Russell
- Day 14 - 17/18 ish drive back from Russell to PN, maybe via Hawkes Bay, potentially Gisborne?
What have I missed in there? Any must see stuff on that route, or necessary deviations?
Cheers in advance!
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@voodoo said in South Island driving route:
Well, this trip didn't quite eventuate, though the drive from QT to ChCh was still awesome.
So we are now in the North Island, will stay in Palmy for a couple of weeks, but will then look to move a bit (assuming L2 allows it). And while I'm bombarding the Fern with recommendations for skiing, I thought I may as well do the same on North Island destinations.
The parameters:
- 3 weeks max to get from Palmy and back to Palmy
- needs to include 1-2 nights in New Plymouth (friends, visit Green School), 1-2 in Hamilton (friends), and 3 nights at Lake Rotoiti (friends)
- no more than 3hrs driving per day, family gets car sick and don't love driving as a result
- wife has seen Rotorua, Auckland already, but kids haven't seen anything
Otherwise pretty flexible. Currently I'm thinking:
- Day 1 PN to NP, overnight NP
- Day 2 stay NP
- Day 3 NP to Hamilton
- Day 4 Hamilton to Lake Rotoiti
- Day 5 stay Lake Rotoiti
- Day 6 stay Lake Rotoiti
- Day 7 - Lake Rotoiti - Whangamata
- Day 8 - Whangamata - Waiheke Island
- Day 9 stay Waiheke
- Day 10 stay Waiheke
- Day 11 Waiheke - Waitangi
- Day 12 Waitangi - Russell
- Day 13 stay Russell
- Day 14 - 17/18 ish drive back from Russell to PN, maybe via Hawkes Bay, potentially Gisborne?
What have I missed in there? Any must see stuff on that route, or necessary deviations?
Cheers in advance!
Day 8 ain't happening. -
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nor day 11....
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@taniwharugby said in South Island driving route:
nor day 11....
This however looks to be an error!!!
Where to stay in between?
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I would normally say to stay on the Central Plateau, but with everything closed you will simply be driving past a mountain.
You seem to be missing Mt Maunganui. Still a nice spot, despite development.
Why NP to Tron then back down to Rotoiti? That is a long and shitty drive NP to Tron and if you really must go there the detour coming off the Coromandel isn't much and the roads are better.
Maybe NP to Taupo? -
@voodoo said in South Island driving route:
@taniwharugby said in South Island driving route:
nor day 11....
This however looks to be an error!!!
Where to stay in between?
TR will put you up and provide a feed.
What about Mangawhai or Te Arai.?
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@voodoo there is Mangawhai/Waipu area (but this is taking the scenic route so adding a bit more time to your journey) or Whangarei really, time on the road will be about 2 hours (or more dependingon traffic) form Auckland ferry terminal to Whangarei.
We might be allowed to go to a pub by then!!
The ferry service from Opua to Russell is pretty good though!
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@voodoo said in South Island driving route:
- Day 3 NP to Hamilton
The places you could stop (if open) on this leg are:
- Waitomo Caves
- Otorohanga Kiwi House
- Viands Bakery in Kihikihi
- Sanctuary Mountain at Maungatautari if you enjoy a bush walk and viewing native birds (feathered variety )
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari | Ecological Bird & Wildlife Reserve
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is New Zealand's largest ecological bird & wildlife reserve
You could drive from NP to Rotorua via SH30. Waiotapu hot pools are really cool if taking the Taupo-Rotorua road and I have taken visitors there.
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, Rotorua, New Zealand
Visit some of New Zealand’s most unique geothermal and volcanic features - in Rotorua.
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@voodoo said in South Island driving route:
@taniwharugby said in South Island driving route:
nor day 11....
This however looks to be an error!!!
Where to stay in between?
Isn't @Snowy somewhere north of Auckland?
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@booboo said in South Island driving route:
@voodoo said in South Island driving route:
@taniwharugby said in South Island driving route:
nor day 11....
This however looks to be an error!!!
Where to stay in between?
Isn't Snowy somewhere north of Auckland?
Nobody knows for sure
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@Hooroo said in South Island driving route:
@voodoo if you come to Matamata to do Hobbiton, let me know and I'll buy you a beer!
Mate, that would be brilliant, will definitely keep you posted. What I really need is an activity (Hobbiton?) that I can convince the wife to take the kids to alone, so we can hit some golf balls pre-beer!
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@voodoo said in South Island driving route:
@Hooroo said in South Island driving route:
@voodoo if you come to Matamata to do Hobbiton, let me know and I'll buy you a beer!
Mate, that would be brilliant, will definitely keep you posted. What I really need is an activity (Hobbiton?) that I can convince the wife to take the kids to alone, so we can hit some golf balls pre-beer!
Absolutely, Hobbiton. That will kill a couple of hours! I will take you for a hit of golf on our course (If I remember correctly we are a similar-ish height so my clubs will be good for you) Beers at course! Winning!
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@Crucial said in South Island driving route:
I would normally say to stay on the Central Plateau, but with everything closed you will simply be driving past a mountain.
You seem to be missing Mt Maunganui. Still a nice spot, despite development.
Why NP to Tron then back down to Rotoiti? That is a long and shitty drive NP to Tron and if you really must go there the detour coming off the Coromandel isn't much and the roads are better.
Maybe NP to Taupo?I was really jusy looking at drive times, seems to be 30mins longer to Taupo than to Hamilton from NP? Then about 90mins from either Hamilton or Taupo to Lake Rotoiti?
Unfortuantely I def have to go to Hamilton. Will think about the Mount, I haven't been since I spent NYE at the Pap Tav somewhere around 1993! Is it ok in Winter?
