Where should I stay between Nelson and Queenstown?

The top cities between Nelson and Queenstown are Wanaka, Franz Josef, Hokitika, Arrowtown, and Cromwell. Wanaka is the most popular city on the route u2014 it’s 10 hours from Nelson and less than an hour from Queenstown.

Thereof How long does it take to travel the West Coast? It takes about 45 hours, or six 8-hour days, to drive coast-to-coast. You will need to decide if you want to take one of four coast-to-coast interstates or traverse the country as the old-timers did on U.S. highways. If you have about three months to travel, you can even see all 48 continental states.

How long does it take to drive from the top of NZ to the bottom? Driving from the top of the North Island to the bottom, technically speaking, will take you close to 13 hours. This is without any rest stops or time for sightseeing.

Similarly, Can you drive from Queenstown to Wanaka?

About the Drive from Queenstown to Wanaka

Wanaka is about an hour’s drive from Queenstown. With that said, in bad weather or if you stop along the way this drive could take significantly longer. Depending on the route you choose to drive, the drive is 80 or 120 kilometers long (50 or 75 miles.)

What is there to see between Nelson and Punakaiki?

New Zealand West Coast Road Trip

• Nelson. It’s just under an hour’s drive from Havelock to Nelson with the picturesque road heading up, down and around mountains, over rivers and streams and through forests. …
• Murchison. …
• Hawks Crag & the Kilkenny Lookout. …
• Westport & Cape Foulwind. …
• Punakaiki. …
• Lake Mahinapua.

What is there to see between Te Anau and Queenstown? 11 Best Places to Stop Between Queenstown and Te Anau

1. Jacks Point. Jacks Point Golf Course. …
2. Wye Creek Track. The most underrated viewpoint in Queenstown! …
3. Devil’s Staircase Lookout. Not a bad place to stop, check out the windy road! …
4. Kingston. …
5. Xtreme Off Road. …
6. Garston Hunny Shop. …
7. Athol. …
8. Five Rivers Café and Art Gallery.

Is Hokitika worth visiting?

The Hokitika Gorge is one of those places. The vivid turquoise water surrounded by lush native bush looks too good to be true but trust us, it is well worth a visit. The easy West Coast Wilderness Trail and more challenging Blue Spur single tracks near town mean Hokitika is a great place to bring your bike.

How long is Hokitika Gorge Walk? Hokitika Gorge Walk is a 1.3 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Hokitika, West Coast, New Zealand that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and bird watching and is accessible year-round.

What is there to see between Wanaka and Haast?

Makarora, at the northern tip of Lake Wanaka, is a launching point for several multi-day walks in Mount Aspiring National Park. A number of shorter walks begin at the highway’s edge between Makarora to Haast. Favourites include walks to the Blue Pools, Fantail Falls, Thunder Creek Falls and Roaring Billy.

Is Te Anau worth visiting? Check out glow worms, hike a great walk, explore Lake Te Anau, and enjoy some really incredible places to eat! Is Te Anau worth visiting? Yes! Many people simply pass through Te Anay on their way to Milford Sound, and this is a shame since there’s so much to do in Te Anau itself.

Which is better Doubtful or Milford Sound? Because it’s featured the most heavily in tourism campaigns, Milford Sound is much better known than Doubtful Sound. It’s also the mainstay of basically every coach trip in New Zealand and so receives extremely heavy foot traffic, especially during peak tourist season.

How do you get a Doubtful Sound from Queenstown? Getting there

1. Getting there.
2. The easiest way to get to Doubtful Sound is to travel by boat from Pearl Harbour wharf in Manapouri, across the lake to West Arm, then travel by coach over the Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove. This needs to be booked in advance with one of the local transport operators.

Is it better to stay in Hokitika or Greymouth?

Personally I would stay at Hokitika, I found it much more enjoyable than Greymouth and there are many more options for dining and accommodation than at Punakaiki.

Is Hokitika a nice place to live?

The town itself is humming and has a great seaside vibe.” Joseph says living in Hokitika and the West Coast is all about the quality of life, access to the natural environment and minimal financial pressure. “We are lucky to have clean air, plenty of fresh clean water and a very safe living environment.

Can you swim in Hokitika Gorge? Can you swim at Hokitika Gorge? The milky turquoise water of the Hokitika Gorge is tantalizing, and plenty of people do swim, but it should only be done with caution – there are hidden rocks and river currents. After the second swing bridge the trail leads to a small river beach.

Can you kayak Hokitika Gorge? Hokitika River (II+) Rapid Creek Hut to Hokitika Gorge

The headwaters of this valley are home to some of the hard west coast heli-kayaking runs, but the section from Rapid Creek down is much more manageable for intermediate packrafters. Easily done in a day, but there’s a great wee hut there so why not spend the night?

Why is Hokitika Gorge so blue?

Located a little more than a half-hour away from the town of Hokitika toward the foothills of the Southern Alps, the gorge features brilliant teal water due on a sunny day, and a milkier, less saturated blue color on cloudy days. Both are the result of rock flour suspended in the water. … Use caution; the water is cold!

What is the Haast Pass road like? Is the Haast Pass dangerous? It’s a difficult road, with uncountable curves and bends making passing quite difficult. The road features a few one-lane bridges along the way, with speed limit for heavy vehicles. And there’s slip hazard which can have terribly fatal consequences.

Is Franz Josef or Fox Glacier better?

Fox has a gradual decent, whereas Franz Josef drops steeply from the Southern Alps to near sea-level. The steeper incline forces dramatic movement of ice, making Franz Josef Glacier the fastest commercially guided glacier in the world, with ice moving up to 5m per day!

Can you walk to Fox Glacier? The walk will take you to within about 500m of the glacier terminal face. Even on a cloudy day, Fox Glacier valley looks like it’s from another world. The final section of track to the safety barriers includes a short climb up to the viewing area.

What is there to do in Te Anau at night?

10 Reasons to Spend the Night in Te Anau

• To truly appreciate Milford Sound. …
• As well as Doubtful Sound. …
• To tackle a walking trail. …
• To see glowworms twinkle. …
• To spot rare birds. …
• To explore the lakes. …
• To witness Fiordland from the skies. …
• To play one of the world’s most scenic golf courses.

Should I Stay Te Anau or Milford Sound? Staying in Te Anau allows for a leisurely two hour ride to the sound with plenty of time for ooohs and aaahs at the various scenic points, more time to explore Milford Sound, and even time enough for a fairly strenuous hike on the way back to Te Anau.

Does Milford Sound get rough?

Milford Sound is a large and fairly sheltered body of water and while conditions can be rough in bad weather, there is no surf to speak of. The best way to enjoy the water is by diving, kayaking or taking a cruise.

Who is go orange? As one of NZ’s fastest growing tourism businesses, Go Orange aspires to challenge visitors to Go Beyond the average tourist, and connect to NZ through a deeper experience.

Can you do Milford Sound in a day?

While you can spend more than one day in Milford Sound, a one-day itinerary is enough to see all the beautiful views along the way, take a scenic cruise around the fiord, and get back to Queenstown or Te Anau in time for dinner. There is a wide range of Milford Sound day tours on offer through many local companies.

Who owns Real Journeys NZ? Real Journeys

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