Route planning

[Dawn]

Have to, have to see whales!! Is this seasonal? Are you more likely to see whales at any specific time? Thought they were migrational? I cried at SeaWorld so Gaud knows what I'll be like seeing them in their own habitat! Just awesome, beautiful, stunning, awesome, moving, astonishing, beautiful, thought provoking, honest, awesome, beautiful, astounding, speech rendering......running out of superlatives but you get the picture. Honestly, blubbering I was, got everyone started. It was the only thing in Florida I enjoyed!

Amy, luge in Rotorua? Didn't think there was any snow or ice there? Is it an indoor thing then? Your list is ace, would love to do that helicopter thing and land on a glacier!! Wow!! 5 of us though do you reckon they'd give us a discount? Lol! Charlie loves mini golf so that's a must and Gary of course being a golfer (or so he says) takes it all far too seriously, shuffling his feet and all that rubbish, get a grip Gaz!!

Kokopeli what's this flying fox? Is it some kind of white knuckle ride? Charlie keeps asking if they have any theme parks in NZ. He loves these death wish rides! I didn't think they had anything like this? Please describe. How long did you spend touring, sounds like months or have you been on several excursions up and down the islands? Sounds like you had a great time anyway.

No one's recommended any horse treks yet. Has anyone heard of Hurunui horse treks? About 100km out of Christchurch they offer 7 day rides across country. Sounds amazing doesn't it?

Kokopeli, our options are open as to where to settle yet. We think the Wellington area is likely simply because of its connections with the Performing Arts. In the UK I am the main bread-winner, I teach dance but not in a school (I would have to explain), I run a little theatre company for kids and also teach voice privately from home. Although Gary has a degree in Humanities he's never used it specifically in his work and so can't get extra experience points with it. I have the experience but not the quals! Our oldest daughter who has just left school also wants to go to PA college and there are a good few around Welly but we really are open to whatever is going to come our way. It's extremely liberating actually, if a little frightening. People here think we're mad!

How on earth are we going to fit this lot into a month as well as finding a rental and doing all the other stuff we have to do?

[RedAlligator]

Kaikoura is seasonal but I think its the sperm whale that can be seen all year round. There are other species of whale that can be seen too and these are seasonal. Dolphins can normally be seen on these trips too. Never done this myself but am dying to. Kaikoura is famous for great seafood as well i.e. crayfish and mussells etc.

[Bermy Girl]

Don't miss the white-water rafting in Rotorua...it's rated a 5 and it's amazing, with a nice waterfall drop and all...might be a bit chilly in July though! I saw a whale in the Marlborough sound when we were crossing last time, but that was around February and I'm not sure whether this was seasonal or not.

[Welshgirl]

I agree about the white-water rafting in Rotorua - my brother and his mates did it while they were here recently and it was all they went on about for days! I think they said they went over a 7m waterfall

[Dawn]

We'll be up for some of that then!!!!

[kokopeli]

Hi Dawn,

Wellington is a great place, loads to do with the kids. Unfortunately, the weather is generally awful. We spent a week there over christmas. The rest of NZ basked in glorious weather - we were frozen, wet and windswept. It's great for a visit, but we couldn't live there just because of the weather.

We spent five months on the road in NZ 'cos we shipped our campervan from the UK. Spent two months in it across Europe before that. We settled in Chch but keep doing little bits. Haven't been to Akaroa yet, which is only an hour away because there's so much to do in Chch.

A flying fox is a zip wire ride. They have them in playgrounds all over, but they're usually fairly timid. The one at Motueka is about 700m long and runs down a blooming great big hill - about 200m high I think. You sit in a metal capsule a bit like the cockpit from a plane and get winched up to the top. Then they let you go.......... You rattle down getting faster and faster until you make a splash landing on water at the end. Of course, the bigger the riders, the faster it goes!

There are loads of horse trekking places in the Bay of Islands. Try this link for some ideas TrueNZ Guide to Northland horse trekking and riding. Horse treks and rides in New Zealand. Haven't been though - our eldest lad is allergic to horses - even had to be rushed to the Mickey Mouse Hospital during the Wild West Rodeo show at Disney!

[kokopeli]

How on earth are we going to fit this lot into a month as well as finding a rental and doing all the other stuff we have to do?

Just a thought.... A lot of the camping grounds have cabins and lodges as well as pitches for tents and vans. We met a lot of people who had taken a longer 'lease' on a cabin while they found somewhere to live. You get a much better price if you take the unit for that amount of time. We met one family from the UK who had been living in a campsite cabin for three months while they had a house built. Might be worth considering if you haven't found a rental by the time your campervan goes back. Wouldn't want you to spend valuable touring time (and campervan hire money) making small talk with letting agents when you could be out having an adventure!

[LilAmy]

Hello,

The whales you see pretty much all year round and the guides are great so you are 99% guaranteed to see them. You will also see Hector dolphins. Tine wee ones and the odd common one too.

If yous kids like death defying rides go to the Agrodome at Rotorua. Do the swing there. I took Mum on it and she kinda liked it but I loved it. You get popped into a sleeping bag the two of you. Hiked up and then release a cords and off you fly! Pretty cool.

The Luge is a cross between go cart racing and sledging on cemement. Fun for all ages! Plus the gondola ride up aint half bad.

Also try and stop off at Gravity Canyon near Taihape. You can do an amazing 1km flying fox. Fits up to three of you in. Pretty cool. You can also do another swing there which we've yet to try and a bungee.

Queenstown have more options available for these type of things.

Defo do the glaciers. We want to go back and do the heli-hike and skydive over the glaciers. its just out of this world the sceneray.

You'll love your adventure!

[kokopeli]

We want to go back and do the heli-hike and skydive over the glaciers

Wouldn't you rather have a nice cup of tea?

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by LilAmy

If yous kids like death defying rides go to the Agrodome at Rotorua. Do the swing there. I took Mum on it and she kinda liked it but I loved it. You get popped into a sleeping bag the two of you. Hiked up and then release a cords and off you fly! Pretty cool.

Isn't this like Glenda did?