shortfatbloke

We're thinking of travelling over to NZ on a 'fact-finding mission' at Christmas for three weeks and would like some suggestions as to what we can do and where we can stay...

We (that's two adults and two boys aged 2 and 5) would like to split the three weeks up, spending a couple of days in and around Auckland (as this is where we're most likely to be living) having a look around at the area, housing, shopping etc. Then a week or so in a camper van exploring the wider area and then the rest of the time on the beach. The only criteria is that for at least some of the time we need to be fairly close to Auckland as we're hoping to get some job interviews done.

Bearing in mind that the flights will have wiped us out financially... any suggestions of things to see, any apartment/houses for rent near/on a decent childfriendly beach, cheap motorhome rental, good campsites, B&Bs in Auckland or any general tips about staying and travelling in NZ would be hugely welcomed.

Don't want much really...

ukkiwi

I think a homestay would be a good option - basically people rent out their basements or granny flats to people. Try google.co.nz

As for Beaches you must visit Muriwai, Piha, Langs and Mangawhai Heads.

Pompey_Paul

Any B&B usually very good

INMHO

North island

Bay of islands
Auckland sky tower
Cape Regina
Any kauri Forest
Rotura
Taupo
Wellington

South Island

Picton
Abel Tasman
Kaikoura (swil with the dolphins & Whale watch)
Hamner Springs
Arthurs pass
Fox Glacier
Queenstown
Otago
Christchurch

Kiwipaul

BE WARNED Xmas is the peak holiday season in NZ and from Xmas to the end of the first week in Jan most places will be fully booked already and if they are not you will be paying top prices. Also it will be busy for most of the rest of Jan as well.

Servant24kids

I am afraid that is the first thing I thought of too. We did our first reccy in December and had to book well in advance. It took days of internet searching to find a holiday cottage for Christmas week and it cost us $250 pr night! New Zealand can have up to two million tourists a year, many during December/January.

Have you actually booked the flight tickets? You may have to really search for an available campervan. Hiring a car and using motel accommodation may be the easiest way of ensuring accommodation, but here many of the best locations will already be booked. We used www.jasons.co.nz to book accommodation ... but you may have to enquire with several motels at once in order to get a vacancy in one.

You will probably want more than a couple of days in Auckland - it is a big place and you may have to consider the effects of jet-lag. Just before Christmas the roads are really busy with Aucklanders going to Northland beaches and south towards the Coromandel. A few years back some of the beaches to the west of Auckland used to have unsealed roads - a no-no for rental vehicles. If you are reading this ukkiwi ... is that still the case?

If you have problems, let us know and we'll see if we can come up with any useful suggestions.

shortfatbloke

Thanks for all the info. Booked the flights this morning (BH has just done it as we speak) and have just booked into the New President in Auckland for 3 days. Just the rest of the holiday, sorry - fact finding mission, to sort out now...

ukkiwi

The roads are sealed to Muriwai and Piha - cant comments on any of the others.

shortfatbloke

Looks like the plan now is to hire a motorhome for the time that we are there - sorry kids, no presents for you this year...

Servant24kids

As we had a Christmas reccy, we just gave the kids small and/or edible pressies on Christmas Day. We got back home on the 31st Dec and had a Christmas Day/New Year celebration the next day when the kids opened all their other presents.

annaerb

Three bedrooms, one bathroom fully furnished lockwood available 16th Dec to 31 Jan. Close to Howick beach $410 pw.

I found this on one of the other sites if interested.

Tooanfrom

Do hope you have appointments re "Job Interviews".

If I wanted to invade New Zealand ,Christmas time would be the go!

You could take the North Island with a crew from the local Darby and Joan club--everywhere shuts down.

shortfatbloke

Thanks for all advice, we're probably going to sit out the 25/26th in Auckland - we've already been warned that nothing will be open, so we'll probably just wander... still waiting to hear if we've got a motorhome for the rest of the time, its expensive but gives us the freedom to move - the boys are very excited at the prospect - little do they know that they've paid for the holiday out of their college funds...

theduke

The best advice I got when I went on my recci to Auckland was to go up the Skytower on my first day and it would give me my bearings for my entire stay in Auckland and surrounding and it does, it is also a great sightseeing time.

Andy

Dodsonfamily

Hi
The chances of you getting a motor home are very very slim,kia campers are fully booked with not campers left for the christmas weeks,i don't know about www.britz.co.nz or www kiwicombis.com .If you are stuck i've got a 6 man tent and camping cooker you can borrow,hendersons in glenfield are cheap if you want to rent a small basic car$10per day plus insurance you'd have to look in yellow pages for the number/website.

Cheers
Judy

shortfatbloke

Thanks for the offer, still waiting to hear about the motorhome - tried to book it through Thomas Cook as they will try all of the major companies on our behalf and are no more expensive than dealing with the companies direct. Will let you know how it goes...