LoTR Nerd Trip : North Island

[whereishome]

After some heavy personal cough that happened over the last few weeks, I am planning my next vacation jaunt to where I want to go and doing what I want to do, and my only obligations are to be at the airport on time.

So as a humungous nerd, I thought I would go to NZ and do some Lord Of The Rings nerd tripping. I've been looking and planning over the last week and have the following. I am a little bit flexible - I can add an extra day in somewhere and things, but I only know AKL a little from a visit for a conference a few years back.

At the moment, planning something along the following:

Day 1 : SYD-AKL via LAN in J, chillax in AKL with a local mate for a few days.
Day 3 : Pick up rental car in city, drive to Rotorua via Matamata & the Hobbiton set tour. Stay in Rotorua.
Day 4 : Do Rotorua, drive to Taupo. Stay Taupo.
Day 5 : Do Taupo area. Stay Taupo.
Day 6 : Drop rental off, fly TUO-WLG on NZ. Do a bit of sightseeing around Wellington. Stay Wellington.
Day 7 : Wellington Rover LoTR Day Tour. Stay Wellington.
Day 8 : More sightseeing. WLG-AKL on NZ. See mates again, hang out, get dropped to AKL at 3am.
Day 9 : AKL-SYD via LAN in J.

Am looking for additional things to do in areas that I'm not familiar with like Taupo, Rotorua and Wellington. I've been told I have to go to Polynesian Spa in Rotorua which looks awesome from the website. I would like to try and get a scenic flight from Taupo to see the mountains (and LoTR filming locations) but they all are dependent on a 2-pax minimum and since I am going in late june/early july it's not exactly peak season. Anybody have any ideas about how to deal with that? Wellington, I've been told Parliament House and Te Papa are quite good.

I am planning to stay in Millenium Hotels in Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington because my folks have done NZ a fair bit and told me they were well priced and good quality. Also, I can earn a pile of QFF points off them.

Finally, I can ditch the LAN J and fly direct QF in whY and save about $500 (I actually have to position myself from CNS-SYD and stay overnight at the SYD Mercure to make the 9.30 LAN flight. And that means I don't have to come back via AKL - I can save more money on not coming back from SYD. At this point the only flip-flopping thing for me is that I'm not chasing Gold (I'd still be 200 SC short at the end of the excercise), but I can afford the extra cash. I really just want to see what LAN J is like.

Also, should I bother joining *A for 2 tiny domestic legs? I have all my travel and direct earns, etc with OW.

Thoughts?

 

[whereishome]

79 Views and No Replies?

 

[yohy?!]

Polynesian Spa is ok - a little dated but the pools are a perfect to unwind in after a massage (watch out for the dynamic currency conversion though as they will try and bill you in AUD).

In Taupo recommend checking out the Haka Falls and taking a dip at the Spa Thermal Park joining the Waikato river(entire river of hot springs).

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=1081127115369040416&q=Spa+Thermal+Park&d

 

[serfty]

It'll be pretty cold that time of year.

TePapa is ok, it's more modern style of a place. Great to take school groups, but not one to spend hours musing on exhibits. I found it very superficial.

Car hire is a good idea. Plenty of great places to drive on those routes. We spent a long weekend at Taupo/Rotarua 7 weeks ago.

Rotorua thermal vieing can be great; I recommend a 3+ hour visit to Waiotapu (depending on the weather), can be done on the way from Rotarua to Taupo. Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland - New Zealands most colourful geothermal area

For other ideas, I suggest having a look on FT: Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[Mollycram]

We did a great night tour at lake taupo ( booked it at info centre). Got picked up in a bus and driven late afternoon to a thermal spring. We jumped in kayaks ( no experience necessary) and paddled our way across the lake. From there we climbed out of our kayaks and walked through a creek with high walls on both sides covered in those little critters that light up (brain freeze, can't for the life of me think what they are called!). At the end of the creek we went swimming in the pitch black in a hot spring waterfall. Was a great tour and we all really loved it....felt like a real adventure.

 

[docjames]

Depending on your desperation for points / SCs, why not save the $$ on WLG-AKL and use that to pay for the scenic flight, and come back Y direct from WLG? The way to guarantee "Min two pax" of course is to pay for two seats yourself if there's no other taker(s). Not a cheap option of course.....


I'd also contemplate driving TUO-WLG and just do the scenic flight. If you're not flying back WLG-AKL you'll have saved the time and $$ to do it by car rather than by plane.

The other option would be to look at car hire options - you can sometimes get great one way rental deals - so if a cheap hire can be had WLG-AKL, perhaps do this all in reverse?

 

[whereishome]

Ahh, that's more like the AFF I've come to know and love!

I am aware that it will be freezing cold. This is my first year living in Cairns, so I am actually looking forward to going somewhere to experience some actual weather.

Thank you for the tips about the spas as well - one of my other reasons for wanting to go to NZ is my love of hot springs - I've done a bunch in Japan, some in Australia. NZ is next, then Nordic countries.

MollyCram, that night tour sounds AWESOME! You wouldn't remember any other details would you? Just so I can see if the run them in June/July. Might be a seasonal thing. Night kayaking sounds awesome, but maybe not popular in winter...

Thanks for the suggestion about reversing the trip DocJames, but I am kind of locked in starting in AKL due to arrangements made with friends there. But I like the logic of managing to get my scenic flight (which I really want to do) over the 3 hours of J service. Maybe will save that for another trip where AKL is stop over. And I'll see if the "one way" penalty for car rental is cheaper between AKL and WLG as opposed to AKL-TUO.

 

[Mollycram]

Sorry, can't remember anything other than it was run by a small company rather than one of the big ones. As I mentioned, we booked it at the Lake Taupo visitors centre and we were picked up from the visitors centre. We went in April, not one of the warmer months but the cold didn't worry us as the water we were kayaking on, walking through or swimming in was all warm. Good luck and have fun!

 

[samh004]

79 Views and No Replies?

I bookmarked the thread when you posted it with the intention of coming back, but didn’t do so in time, and I’m not well versed on the North Island anyway.

I sounds like a fun trip though, and you should try meet up with jswong while in WLG is my advice, he’s great fun

 

[Andyzx]

When you say you realise its cold - do you realise just how F%&^%ing cold Wellington is on a summer day:!: and your going in June the rest of the NI isnt any warmer

Taupo - try some fishing for mud fish (aka brown trout) Fishing Water Activities New Zealand I think the Waimarie cook the fish on the boat. Chris Jolly is very good, little expensive though
Martinborough is some of the best red drinking in NZ, whites are ok but the Pinot is fantastic
Wellington go see TePapa, feel an earthquake, go to their website and see whats on that may interest you, try the cable car up Mt Victoria. See what coffee you like its probably the best in Nz although others will disagree. Try and see Weta (LOR effects) workshops, its worth the visit. Also use Wellington - New Zealand's Capital of Cool | WellingtonNZ.com for inspiration. if you have a spare day, try a day trip to Nelson, ferry one way, drink Sav Blanc, fly back to wellington.

Other suggestions
Buy a beanie (All Blacks), jacket and gloves - try possum fur gloves
If your around Taupo see Huku falls and Huka Lodge or at least the outside. its a longish drive to Wellington but with a stop in Martin-wine country its a good way to go.

Try booking you LAN via a NZ TA website (pm me if you need one, no commercial here) they are generally cheaper then Oz.

Lastly at A$1 = NZ$1.35 or there abouts - so spend lots and lots of money - they need it more than you do.

PS the South Island is much much better than NI, LOR and all

Andy:mrgreen:

 

[tuapekastar]

From there we climbed out of our kayaks and walked through a creek with high walls on both sides covered in those little critters that light up (brain freeze, can't for the life of me think what they are called!).

Glowworms I think.

Afraid the OP is concentrating on the parts of NZ I've not been to (except AKL and very briefly ROT). I do recall going (under some sufferance) to a Maori Show and subsequent Hungi at the hotel in ROT which was OK I guess (until someone dobbed me in to get up on stage :evil: - my attempt at a hakka looked more like a bad Elvis impersonation). Hot springs there were interesting.

 

[Mollycram]

GlowwormS it is

 

[Andyzx]

Rotorua - have only pased through but this is one mags input
Kuirau Park has hot bubbling mud pools, crater lakes, and sulphur vents. Only a short distance away the famous Pohutu geyser erupts several times daily.

Nearby Mt Tarawera looms over the region. The now dormant volcano is popular with visitors who can fly or 4WD to the summit. Whararewarewa Forest is a haven for biking enthusiasts. It comprises thousands of hectares of Californian Redwoods planted in 1901 that now guard the best cycle trails in New Zealand for every skill level. Many of the 16 lakes in the region are fishable and are also popular for water-based activities such as water-skiing. In the centre of Lake Rotorua, Mokoia Island is a sanctuary for many of New Zealand’s endangered wildlife. The island is a bird-watchers paradise, home to several of New Zealand’s rare bird life. Besides the staple jet-boating and zorbing, Rotorua’s more adventurous visitors can try scree sliding into the crater of Mt Tarawera, or luge-ing down Mt Ngongotaha and rafting on the Kaituna, which includes the seven-metre Tutea Falls, the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall.

 

[extracta]

If you like volcanoes a stay at the Chateau is very memorable.

It may be a bit out of your way though. If they have early snow though the slopes may be open.

Chateau Tongariro Hotel Mt Ruapehu | Accommodation, Restaurants, Bars

 

[whereishome]

Andyzx, I used to live in what is now a debris-strewn mudplain of epic proportions in Miyagi Prefecture up north in Japan - I am aware of what cold is. At least in NZ they put insulation in the buildings and have heat sources other than just kerosene stoves. And I will pass on the earthquake sim - last month's Tokyo trip was aftershocky enough.

Thank you for the extra suggestions! Trip is being replanned...

 

[scwappy]

In Taupo a great restaurant from memory was "Plateau". Was traveling on the pound at the time and so was dirt cheap. Much like the AUD today. Great atmosphere and food.