Hey all you New Zealanders

[GiaKrembs 0]

I was hoping I could pick your brains for ideas... I am planning a trip to New Zealand the end of February.
I was looking to rent a campervan - any reputable companies that you all can recommend??? Any particular sights/festivities that are a must see. I was hoping to start in the north Island and work my way down. I'm planning on doing a bit of kayaking, absailing, water rafting/surfing - oh, and of course skydiving.
How is the weather the end of Feb/and beg. of March? I presume it's going to be HOT - tail end of your summer and all.
I would greatly appreciate any input anyone may have.
Blue skies, g

[freeflir29 0]

Stand by for "Sheep Joke Barrage" "and I'm not easily impressed...Ooohh look...a blue car!" -Homer Simpson

[rhuurrr 0]

I'm not a Kiwi but my girlfriend is, we went 'home' for xmas last year. We didn't hit the South Island, which I hear rocks, by the way, but on the North Island we went four wheeling on 90 mile beach wayyy north, then drove down to Aukland and hung out for a few days, then went to Rotorua and Lake Taupo for camping and adventuring. Skydiving, Jet skiing, rapids jetting(very cool), zorbing(lame), rapelling(or abseiling), bungee jumping, you name it, we did it(or could have done it). I hear the canyoning trips are killer as well, gonna do that next xmas!!!
theres nothing like summer in January!!
BS,
J

http://www.oneeyedjackproductions.com

[skymedic 0]

Canyoning rocks in NZ....I lived there for over a year...would do it again too....
Marc
Res Firma Mitescere Nescite

[freeflir29 0]

Look....not one mention of sheep......"and I'm not easily impressed...Ooohh look...a blue car!" -Homer Simpson

[skymedic 0]

Pardon me....My one and ONLY complaint about living and working in NZ was the frickin sheep...they are everywhere....
but I was in the waikato area...so that is farmers heaven there....good ol Hamilton...
Marc
Res Firma Mitescere Nescite

[freeflir29 0]

"My one and ONLY complaint about living and working in NZ was the frickin sheep...they are everywhere...."
What......too many to choose from? "and I'm not easily impressed...Ooohh look...a blue car!" -Homer Simpson

[des 2]

hi,
feb,march is very good time to go,warm ,not hot,temps rarely exceed 95f in nz,because nowhere is more than about 80mls from the ocean.
plenty of dz's ,whenuapai and mercer near auckland (mercer has a porter) taupo ,in central north island (turbine cresco),and smaller dz's all round the country.
for surfing,the peninsular nth of auckland offers myriad spots,with the advantage of a quick drive across,to get the offshore wind.
piha on the west coast ,is the best auckland spot.
sth of auckland,raglan,an excellent lefthandpoint break,on the westcoast,and multiple spots on the coromandel and bay of plenty on the east coast,my fav is whangamata (fonga ma ta ), a very beautiful river mouth left.
further sth on east coast,is the best place in the world,gisborne!off the tourist track,if you want to surf ,go there!,and try tuamotu island,(only a short paddle).
across to the west coast new plymouth has some great spots as well,under n.z's mt fuji (egmont).
haven't surfed much further south than that,but many spots,if a bit cool.i haven't been to n.z for years,so probably plenty of newly found spots now.
there are many car hire places,remember you get over $2 n.z .for you us dollar.
good holiday option!
des

[GiaKrembs 0]

YEAH!!! Thanks so much for the advise guys~! The more I hear about the Island the more excited I get for the trip. I can't tell you how many friggen tourist books I purchased for this, and none compare to the personal input of others!
Keep the suggestions coming......... thx, g

[skymedic 0]

Quote

The more I hear about the Island the more excited I get for the trip

Which island??? the north is nice...especialy Taupo area...but the south is where its at!!! Adventure capital of the world!!!!
Marc
Res Firma Mitescere Nescite

[GiaKrembs 0]

Definitely the Southern Isle...
However I'm really looking forward to kayaking in the North Isle. I understand that the Dragon Boat races will be happening in Wellington around that time - that should be good fun!

ciao for now, g

[skymedic 0]

I have been to those....man what a great time....hope ya like lots and lots of cheap alcohol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marc
Res Firma Mitescere Nescite

[GiaKrembs 0]

Any kind of alcohol is good~! :) After the 4/5th drink you really can't tell the difference anyway! HA, g

[davethorsen 0]

Best you get your butt down to the South Island! The North is OK but the south is definately where the Adventure is.
I currently live in Tauranga in the North but am from the South so can speak about both. If you want adventure and have the US dollar you are good to go! Plenty of DZ's (North Isl: Parakai above Auckland- should be open by then, Mercer- never jumped there but does have a good jumpship, Matamata in the Waikato-friendly DZ with plenty of beer, Tauranga-great scenery but mainly caters for Tandems, need a B licence, Rotorua-great views, good buch of sporties, home of the NZPF, Taupo-north island adventure spot, 2 DZ's on 1 airport, South Isl: Nelson-Very Hot, Christchurch-In a "big" city, hot but blows in the afternoon, Wanaka-never jumped there but understand it has awesome views, need a B licence, Queenstown-adventure capital of the WORLD!!! You name it and it can probably be done. Best jumping views in my limited experience. Heaps of tourists in the town so huge night life, I think there is also a DZ in Dunedin in the deep south) If you want to surf in the South you may want a Wet suit as the South Pole is just around the corner or you could just get hard!
I haven't rented a van myself but it would be a good way to go. Plenty to do and see and with a van all you have to worry about is all of the other US visitors driving on the wrong side of the road.
As for the weather, it will be very warm in the North, around 25-30 deg, up to 35 in the far north. It is a bit cooler in the South but you are still looking at mid to high 20's.
Bring your rig, camera, wallet and plenty of time and you wont want to leave.
Drop me an email if you do get down this way and I'll buy you a beer (or maybe you should for your presecond visit to NZ)
Onward

[skymedic 0]

Quote

Bring your rig, camera, wallet and plenty of time and you wont want to leave.

Isn't that the truth....I go for a two week vacation...end up calling up my job, quiting and staying for a year....had a great job down there doing what I loved...too bad the pay sucked.....but the country is awesome...my home away from home....
Marc
Res Firma Mitescere Nescite

[pyke 0]

Quote

I currently live in Tauranga in the North (Man, what a beautiful city that is - I loved being around the Mount)but am from the South(me too! - where you from?) so can speak about both. If you want adventure and have the US dollar you are good to go! Plenty of DZ's (North Isl: Parakai above Auckland- should be open by then(are they re-opening?? I heard they closed for good), Mercer- never jumped there but does have a good jumpship(I did one jump there - they let cows into the landing paddock just as we were about to get out - ever tried to dodge a cow on final?), Matamata in the Waikato-friendly DZ with plenty of beer(WAIKATO DRAUGHT!! Home of the Cow Bells), Tauranga-great scenery but mainly caters for Tandems, need a B licence, Rotorua-great views, good buch of sporties, home of the NZPF(pretty dz from the air!), Taupo-north island adventure spot, 2 DZ's on 1 airport(equally as beautiful as Rotorua, but there is only 1 'real' dz - the other is a Tandem Factory (see "Crosswind" for good aerials of jumps over Taupo and the aircraft available)), South Isl: Nelson-Very Hot, Christchurch-In a "big" city, hot but blows in the afternoon, Wanaka-never jumped there but understand it has awesome views, need a B licence(I had a boogie here last year - you don't need a B as far as we knew, but we had our own plane - so I could be wrong....view is AMAZING and the town is a great afterhours place), Queenstown-adventure capital of the WORLD!!!(don't even try to get up in Q-town's plane - they are dicks about sporties (e.g. SDLV) Q'town is everything you would expect an expensive resort town to be like, but still a must see. Lake Wakatipu (maori for 'breathing water') is the ONLY tidal lake in the world!!) You name it and it can probably be done. Best jumping views in my limited experience. Heaps of tourists in the town so huge night life, I think there is also a DZ in Dunedin in the deep south)(Yes, there is a dz in Dunedin, w/ends only, but a great group (my "home" dz) - understand they have a newly painted jump van as well! Pete is a very conscientious DZO and doesn't stand for "radical, dangerous shite", but if you know (and can prove it!) what you're doing - he has also been around long enough to not worry about you)

You also forgot to mention the DZ's in the North Island, like Martinsborough, just north of Wgtn - which is the same guy as Napier/Hastings (now closed) - one in Paihia, Bay of Islands - need a class B - Dannevirke's "Cloud 9" dz, just outside of Palmerston North - run by Andy and Kate, nice ppl...good dz - and finally, there is one dz in Palmerston North itself.
Other S.I. dz's are Fox Glacier - ring ahead...he is a Tandem "mainly" operation, but will sell you a slot, Ashburton "Ash-vegas" - Awesome dz, big plane (relatively speaking for NZ) and a great group of ppl (say 'Hi' to Howard for me) - and every once in a while - you can catch the Otago Skydiving Club (out of Dunedin) jumping in Stewart Island. Doing a jump in Dunedin (or St. Island) guarantees you a jump at the "southern most dz in the world" (ex. any remote Chilean dz's - but I have done research into and yet to find one that is vocal about it).
Anyway, as far as van trips - go to Maui.co.nz and check out their deals. You can't go anywhere in NZ without seeing one of their vans - so they must give pretty good deals on trips. Otherwise, the other thing to do (cause it is cheap enough!) is to show up in Auckland and buy a car from Turner's Auctions. Then drive it around the country for as long as you need - and then sell it through Turners when you leave. Has been done before and for little hassle too! (depending on when you plan on arriving - auctions are on Wednesday morning, but you can get cars 'checked' on Tuesday prior)
Nobody is lying when they say that once you arrive, you won't want to leave. I was there for 5 1/2 years, and I miss it EVERY MORNING when I wake up in this "hellhole" they call "Hotlanta". I am DEFINATELY moving back there permanently in less than 6 years - just need to get rid of some debt - then it's Harere Ra America and Kia Ora Aotearoa!!!!!
Have fun, safe travels, Blue Skies, and Long White Clouds!!!
Cheers!
(p.s. first visit to NZ - BEER!)
Kahurangi e Mahearangi,
Pyke
The Kiwi Lesbian!!!
USPA C- 31879

[GiaKrembs 0]

Thanks Dave & Pyke, Yeah, I can see the potential to want to stay in NZ. I keep warning my family not to expect me to return. Dave, I'll definitely hit you up for that beer (my treat,1st & all)... I'll be firming the dates up within the next two weeks - waiting for that holiday bonus to purchase the tix. More than likely I'll travel btwn 2/15 - 3/8. I'd like to spend more time, however I have contract negotiations in March. ciao for now, g