NZ Family Long Weekend Destinations?
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 80
NZ Family Long Weekend Destinations?
Was just wondering what destinations were peoples favorites??
#2
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Joined: Jul 2013
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 102
Re: NZ Family Long Weekend Destinations?
Where are you going from?
Where you can go for a long weekend form Auck is very different to where you can go for a long weekend from Dunedin...
Where you can go for a long weekend form Auck is very different to where you can go for a long weekend from Dunedin...
#4
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Joined: Jul 2013
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 102
Re: NZ Family Long Weekend Destinations?
We are in N Island and I love the Coromandel - hahei beach and cathedral cove - to my mind, the nicest place we've been in NZ, but I doubt its do-able in a long weekend...maybe one to save for the big hols!
#5
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 755
Re: NZ Family Long Weekend Destinations?
Top 5
1. Queenstown
2. Nelson
3. Wellington
4. Picton
5. Hamner Springs
I could go on and on about Queenstown, my favourite place in New Zealand. Nelson and Wellington closely follow. Go up the gondola and get unlimited rides on the luge, excellent fun. Plenty of mini golf which is always a laugh. Then there's the lake tours, fishing, the adrenaline shotover river which is excellent. Plenty of bike rides, bungy jumps etc. The only disadvantage/advantage is the 6 hour journey there and back. However stop at Lake Tekapo, Punakiki, Twizel and Arrowtown to less the amount of time spent in the car and if you wish Geraldline. You could get a flight down there but I often find the prices a rip off. It's a lot cheaper to have 2 full tanks in the car
Nelson is stunning and reminds me of Poole/Bournemouth. A great family place with the Sounds a 2 hour drive or Abel Tasman park a 90 minute drive away.
Wellington and Picton again I could go on and on about. Picton especially - the sounds are just out of this world. Not as good as QT and Nelson but they certainly give the two places mentioned a run for their money. I'd favour Wellington for families than Picton just
Lastly Hamner is mentioned as its cheap, 90 minutes from Christchurch and plenty of things to do there. It's a mini Queenstown
I recommend you use the top 10 parks, I can't say a bad word about them. The only negative perhaps is the smoke alarms being so close to the toaster (not good when you enjoy a morning slice of toast).
1. Queenstown
2. Nelson
3. Wellington
4. Picton
5. Hamner Springs
I could go on and on about Queenstown, my favourite place in New Zealand. Nelson and Wellington closely follow. Go up the gondola and get unlimited rides on the luge, excellent fun. Plenty of mini golf which is always a laugh. Then there's the lake tours, fishing, the adrenaline shotover river which is excellent. Plenty of bike rides, bungy jumps etc. The only disadvantage/advantage is the 6 hour journey there and back. However stop at Lake Tekapo, Punakiki, Twizel and Arrowtown to less the amount of time spent in the car and if you wish Geraldline. You could get a flight down there but I often find the prices a rip off. It's a lot cheaper to have 2 full tanks in the car
Nelson is stunning and reminds me of Poole/Bournemouth. A great family place with the Sounds a 2 hour drive or Abel Tasman park a 90 minute drive away.
Wellington and Picton again I could go on and on about. Picton especially - the sounds are just out of this world. Not as good as QT and Nelson but they certainly give the two places mentioned a run for their money. I'd favour Wellington for families than Picton just
Lastly Hamner is mentioned as its cheap, 90 minutes from Christchurch and plenty of things to do there. It's a mini Queenstown
I recommend you use the top 10 parks, I can't say a bad word about them. The only negative perhaps is the smoke alarms being so close to the toaster (not good when you enjoy a morning slice of toast).
#6
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Joined: Jan 2012
Location: St Albans, Christchurch
Posts: 586
Re: NZ Family Long Weekend Destinations?
Try the old town in Oamaru (steam punk etc), have a nice meal at the portside restaurant by the penguin colony. Skip paying the huge $$$ to see the penguins, when you are leaving the restaurant around 9pm, there will be penguins wandering around everywhere. They have a good top ten, lovely gardens and moeraki boulders nearby. About 3.5 hours in the motor.
#7
Life is what YOU make it.
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 3,312
Re: NZ Family Long Weekend Destinations?
Get yourself up to Golden Bay to study where all the old flower people (hippies) ended up!