British Expats - Auckland, Bay of Islands stopover

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Auckland, Bay of Islands stopover

We've got longer than expected in NZ - planned on a couple of days in Auckland but ended up with 8. So now we're going to spend a few days in the Bay of Islands area and are looking for a place to stay.
Anyone got any recommendations? We'd like somewhere with room for all our luggage and preferably about $150 per night, so no luxury lodges this time.
Remebering that it'll be the middle of winter are there any must-see/must-do things we should try to do?
Any help on choosing a hotel in Auckland would also be helpful - about $200 per night there. We've lived in Wellington and have already visited Rotorua, Taupo etc so just want to go north this time for a change.

Lesley

Paihia is loaded with motels all in your price range and as it is off season--heaps of choice.Just drive up and ask to inspect units . Trip to the "Hole in the Rock" a must--walk round Russel on a nice day =excellent and its free! Treaty house is OK but the local Maori has climbed on the tourist bandwagon-what was once free is now $$'s--I think they will work out how much oxygen is consumed and charge accordingly. Kerikeri is rather like Bournemouth but smaller-Gods waiting room. Be very aware of the road and standard of driving once you get North of Orewa--New Zealand produce wonderful fighter plane pilots, they do their apprenticeship on the roads.

Just want to second the above (might give you more confidence to 'just turn up'). You honestly shouldn't have any problems and your budget is on the generous side for motels so you should be able to afford good ones with NZD150.

Might want to take in a wee tour - Manganui (great fish & chips), Oponone, the Kauri forests - all worth seeing...:cool:

Thanks. Having got our stopover in the Cook Islands organised it came as a bit of a shock to start again in NZ. Also means we'll have to pack a few more clothes! All our NZ books are packed and gone so we had to go and get another (secondhand) today. Looking forward to it now.

Lesley

Re: Auckland, Bay of Islands stopover

Quote:

Originally posted by lesleys
We've got longer than expected in NZ - planned on a couple of days in Auckland but ended up with 8. So now we're going to spend a few days in the Bay of Islands area and are looking for a place to stay.
Anyone got any recommendations? We'd like somewhere with room for all our luggage and preferably about $150 per night, so no luxury lodges this time.
Remebering that it'll be the middle of winter are there any must-see/must-do things we should try to do?
Any help on choosing a hotel in Auckland would also be helpful - about $200 per night there. We've lived in Wellington and have already visited Rotorua, Taupo etc so just want to go north this time for a change.

Lesley

I went and stayed in the Bay of Islands for four days last year. We went to 90 mile beach and Cape Reinga; where you can see the Tasman and Pacific oceans meet. Also has a lot to do with Maori beliefs and is a very spiritual place for them.

As mentioned, Russell is really nice - some lovely lady even picked us up when she saw us struggling to climb the hill and gave us a tour of the whole area!! :D