NZ south island - trips / tours
Submitted by Adam Gallash on Wed, 2023-01-11 17:36
Heading to NZ South island in late April before driving to the north in May. Will be hiring a camper van and driving from Christchurch up the west coast onto the ferry at Picton. Have a few ideas of things to do, but wondering if anyone has any recommendations on things to see that won't have the mass massss touros - ie small jetboat operators tucked away etc.
Ie, love this vid. https://youtu.be/LVr2Ptz4SvE
Cheers
Adam
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sea-kem
Posts: 15010
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Di the northern section of
Di the northern section of the south island about 5 years back starting in Christchurch and headed up to Kaikoura which is beautiful, all around to Blenheim for the Marborough wine region, Havelock , Nelson and down the guts back to Christchurch.
Adam the most stunning part was driving down to Akaroa but you will love that drive up every turn is a new vista.
Actually heading to the north Island 1st of Feb, be staying in a bach at Cooks beach for a week (friends own a potato farm lol) will do Bay of islands , Waitangi festival then fly down to Napier for a week where friensds own a dairy farm, big area for wineries so lots of Chardy coming up.
Love the West!
Shark1
Posts: 1086
Date Joined: 21/05/12
heading over on 15 th feb be
heading over on 15 th feb be there for 2 or 3 months maybe more Mainly for the wild salmon run around christchurch and surrounds until early march hunting browns down south Gore and Mataura river
things u gotta do
Kaikoura for ocean trout - at back of railway station - failsafe place also good hunting in the hills there, bloody good crays as well around and Paua
piss off north island u gotta see lake taupo and the falls but thats about it oh and puhoi cheeses really sorry to say but u heading the wrong way Chch and south and west is where its at massive fish around in march april
fish for wild trout 20+ lbs in fjordland normally chopper in, but there is pleanty rivers easily accesable - shoot some deer while u at it to get the red meat going there are many rivers -can send u some places u can use fly or spin gear compared to north island with some shit fly only rules $250 for trout licence OUCH makesure to get the $5 endorsement
fish for 30 -40 lb trout and even bigger salmon in the twizel channels world record there ATM 44 lbs i think i caught a 36 there
feb to march Wild pACIFIC sALMON RUN IN CHRISTCHURCH AND SURROUNDS - DUNEDIN TO HANMER SPRINGS SOZ CAPS
Pm me if u want might be able to to set u up with a car I got one there - rego and warrant paid for
renting a campervan is ridiculously expensive ATM cheaper to sleep in hotels etc. and run a small car been going there for the last 8 yrs always did a campervan - its ridiculous expensive to geta campervan after covid
I can set u up with choppers pilots who knows the country for fish and deer if u interested u can hunt on foot or shoot ferals out the chopper, they ll drop u off on some good trout runs
fly u into some amazing country pick u up 2 - whatever days later - there are some huts on amazing country milford sound is ok everyone goes there and talks about it - doubtfull sound pisses all over it
wanaka to Haast is some of the prettiest country in the world 2 lakes - u drive between em caught a 27lb brownie there last year with the covid restriction exemption , some amazing jet boat trips there -some will take u fishing on slow days
oamaru got best pies in NZ the bakery closest to the steam punk museum - another gotta do is the museum
everyone says invercargill is the arse end of NZ some amazing rivers around there to Gore
chch to Kumaru is another must do over arthurs pass village - Kia birds at arthurs pass village lookout, bastards feed em - so they always there
make sure to eat mussels while u there - all live from woolies and pack and save for about $4 a kilo and flounder or sole whatever u wanna call em - speckle belly is the one u want
if u into gliders -cheap way to see the place book a 6 flight intro course - about $800
NO IM NOT KIWI but its the last great bastion for the wild lifestyle if u not in ALaska
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
True dat, I'm heading to
True dat, I'm heading to Auckland March, to see my dear old ma in a rest home now in Orewa.
Puhoi-lol, grew up around there and Waiwera, we had several farms around there.
Puhoi pub is legendary and the old man is buried at the Puhoi cemetary.
Bloody car rental in Auckland has tripled for the cheaper runarounds, was easy to get a week for $150, now $500
The bloke who ran the Puhoi pub back then was a deadset alcho, which made for some entertainment at closing times...
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Moking
Posts: 1252
Date Joined: 30/05/12
We are also heading over to
We are also heading over to NZ, end of Jan. Going to be touring South Island for 6 weeks.
Rob- we have used Apex Car Rentals on both Islands for the last couple of years,while travelling around NZ.
It's a "Second Tier" Car Rental Company. But good late Model Vehicle's and will pick you up/drop off from Airport.
Not sure if they have also put there prices up?, but was always competively priced.
Worth having a look.
Cheers.
My Dad taught me how to Fish-Thanks Dad.(RIP)
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
I've booked thru Discover
I've booked thru Discover this time, $450 8 days, up til now was about $150 a week thru Economy car rentals
Just looked at Apex, cheapest $94 a day
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15648
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Well well Rob
Well well, the truth comes out, knew there was something dodgy about you mate ;)
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Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
On the other hand Adam,
On the other hand Adam, Australia asked me to become a citizen as opposed to those who simply happened to fall out of a pussy here
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15648
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Ooft
Best bite I've had all year :)
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Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
.
hope it didnt hurt your feelings, haha
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Alan James
Posts: 2226
Date Joined: 30/06/09
''The Puhoi Pub is legendary"
Sure is Rob. I've spent a few hours there myself in the early 1970s.
My folks had a bach at Red Beach during the 60s. The old man wasn't a beach person and he would be lured by the character of the Puhoi Pub. The hot pools at Waiwera were a treat for us kids then. Good times.
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Mate you would be devastated
Mate you would be devastated to see what happened to the pools.
Mum lived a few 100 meters away til 5 yrs back.
A Russian millionaire bought them because he wanted only the water bottling rights but the gov wouldn't seperate them.
So he just let them collapse until the Health department shut them down forever.
Mum swam there every weekday morning until she was about 87 and they locked them.
She was so shattered she sold and moved to Tauranga, now back in a rest home in Orewa but even go past there
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/waiwera-hot-pools-haunting-footage-shows-demise-of-abandoned-facility/MXLKFR7Z4SGRQ7HEXTXMCJ3AXQ/
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Alan James
Posts: 2226
Date Joined: 30/06/09
That's such a shame
The pics in the link look very different to my recollection, no slides then. There was a paddle pool, the main pool and a smaller, hotter pool towards the back?
Between Waiwera and Puhoi there was a small landing / jetty on the river. I think there was was a small shed on it. We used to fish off that occasionally. Good memories.
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
There is a freeway that
There is a freeway that literally goes thru the hill between waiwera and puhoi then all the way to wellsford
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
sea-kem
Posts: 15010
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Stopped in Puhoi for coffee
Stopped in Puhoi for coffee on our way back from Matapouri.
Sitting here now in Otane riding out this Cyclone,was meant to be at Cook's beach on the Coromandel. Thankully we changed our plans as they have been smashed.
Love the West!
Alan James
Posts: 2226
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Did you check out the Puhoi
Did you check out the Puhoi pub Andy?
Not many people will have heard of / or remember Otane I expect, myself included. It wasn't until I googled it that I remembered the location. There is a famous Maori boys college just north of Otane at Te Aute. It's well known for producing AllBlacks. I attended Dannevirke High School which is about 70km south of Otane. We would play rugby against Te Aute; bejesus they were hard boys.
I'm sure you have checked out the numerous vineyards to the north of Otane. These didn't exist back in my day. It was mainly orchards then. The kiwi guy that invited me to Vanuatu last year started his own vineyard in that area in the early 1980s. He has since sold out and retired. He now spends much of his NZ time at his bach at Kairakau which is not far from where you are at Otane.
tcarroll
Posts: 268
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Would love to get back
We did a lap of the south island is Jan 2015 during school holidays and not sure if it has changed..... But even in the middle of summer, bar Queenstown, you didn't need to be too worried about mass touros anywhere!! I'd suggest that time of year you should be pretty good.
Christchurch and Picton both on the east side so are you cutting across from Christchurch somewhere to head up the west coast and back across to Picton? Heaps of cool stuff on both the South and North island but don't want to give too many suggestions if you arent heading anywhere near the areas. Did you have a bit of a route planned?
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15648
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Trip
Christchurch to Akaroa thru to Mt Cook to Wanaka to Glenorchy, back up to Haast and up the coast to Picton via Hokitika. Got a decked camper van for 10 days. Currently planned for the franz Joseph glacier heli/hike tour, dart River jetboat and that's bout it so far.
Cant fly fish to save my life, but would like to do a half day trip just for the scenery - even to catch one on spin would be good.
All I know so far is, prepare to be cold after a long hot pilbara summer.
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Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Dart River Jetboat trip is
Dart River Jetboat trip is certainly the one to do.
I'm over there on the 19th March, but just to see my dear old ma in a rest home for a week
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
tcarroll
Posts: 268
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Epic
Sounds the goods!! My favourite part about the south island was literally the scenery on the drives.... Could have just driven all day every day.
None of these are tours as such but all worth a stop and a walk/look and wont hurt the pocket.
- Blue Pools between Wanaka and Haast
- Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki up the west coast
- Buller Gorge Swing Bridge and Historic Gold Mine - Will likely pass it when crossing between the west coast and Picton (might have been $10 or something from memory)
White bait patties galore up the west coast!!
Not sure if it was just the time of year that we were there, but the midges were bad particularly in the rain forrest areas around Franz Joseph so make sure you cover up.
Enjoy!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18045
Date Joined: 11/03/08
Sounds like your going to
Sounds like your going to need a holiday after your holiday with all you got planned . Enjoy
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together