Originally Posted by
avatarworf
Everything we're reading is pointing to a lot of time in NZ. Do you think 4 months would be too much? We could take a cargo ship Jan 29th to NZ, getting there Feb 4 (Auckland). We'd then have until May 20th to kill in NZ. Quite doable? It doesn't look like such a big territory but I guess there really is a lot to explore in a small space. We have family there too to visit.
I´ve never been to OZ but I can guarantee you won´t regret spending the entire trip in NZ. There´s so much to see. I spent 3 months touring around NZ and could have easily gone for another 3 months. Valygrl mentioned the East Cape on the North Island, which is excellent. Most of the South Island is excellent as well.
Although we did spend a majority of our time cycling, we also managed to do some great backpacking and kayaking. There are endless opportunities for having fun in NZ.
Arriving is Feb. is a great idea. The local kids are back in school and thus there´s fewer camper vans crowding the roads and campsites. We stayed until early May, when it started getting wet and cold. March and April were beautiful.
Have fun!