Pre and post New Zealand suggestions
in New Zealand
Planning on doing this tour when things reopen. Need ideas on pre and post tour. Tour starts in Christchurch, ends in Auckland. We need a couple of days to acclimate before and rest after the tour. Could start in Auckland then fly to Christchurch for the start. Is there enough interesting in Christchurch for a couple of days plus the tour content there. Could acclimate in Wellington also since it’s not on the tour.
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Wellington is definitely worthwhile, see the national museum, take the tram up the big hill, see the parliament building. We were there in 2015 and enjoyed it
Wellington is not on the toir now? That’s such a shame, there’s lots to see there
I agree about Wellington. The museum is excellent.
British -- Wellington remains on the Grand Australia and New Zealand tour but it's not on the New Zealand: North and South Island, tour. I, too, really enjoyed the Te Papa Museum in Wellington. I spent most of our free afternoon in the museum. I stayed 2 extra days in Auckland. Did not think the city had much to offer, but took separate day trips to Rotorua and the Bay of Islands, which were good.
Ah, good to hear about Wellington, our favorites place there was Zeelandia. We also went to the theatre, both before the tour began. The funny story pre tour was that the hotel treated us with indifference as guests Until the tour began and then they were all over us....the same staff in the restaurant who kept us waiting to order the night before, couldn’t do enough at the welcome dinner....ah...the Tauck bubble and clout!
I agree about Auckland, not much to see on our free day.
If Rotorua isn't on the New Zealand tour (as MCD implies) then that's a bummer. I took a New Zealand and Australia tour in 2003, before I discovered Tauck. Rotorua and its surrounding area, to me, were one of the highlights. Lots of spectacular geysers and mud pools.
Smiling Sam, wait until you go to Iceland and then rethink what you saw in NZ
Looking forward to Iceland. Just hope we don't have to cancel again.
Smiling Sam -- Rotorua was not on the Grand Australia and NZ tour in 2018, which is the one that I took. I was supposed to go on the NZ North & South Island tour this month, and it's my recollection that a tour to Rotorua was one of the optional excursions on that tour, but I just checked the itinerary for 2021, and it's not on there.
Rotarua was excellent, see the Maori temple and the geysers. Definitely worth a trip. The only issue is that when we went (2015) we took a long and kinda boring bus trip to Auckland
I was on the Tauck Grand Aus/NZ tour in 2016 and we did visit Rotorua. It was an excellent stop. Can't imagine why they eliminated. it. Perhaps to make time for Christchurch, which we did not visit as it was still under repair from the earthquake?
Rotorua was on our tour. We were a little disappointed, I guess you can’t please everyone. Would have preferred Christchurch, but there had been the earthquake.
We really enjoyed the symphony in Wellington — we got seats behind the orchestra and it was a really memorable experience. Highly recommend.
British - I can understand why you would prefer Christchurch over Rotorua. Christchurch was very prim and proper - very British. Here's an example of the monarchy enjoying leisure time on the Thames, Christchurch style on the Avon river.
It looks wonderful. A float on any river right now would be wonderful....and my hubby has the straw boater too. But sadly, we’ve been hard at it all morning, digging new boarders, planting my favorites Clematis and seeding the lawn.....When we should be in Singapore sitting in Raffles having a Singapore Sling. Eaten a late lunch and out we go again.....one thing for sure, we’ll be making cocktails tonight!