Holiday?

Some friends have offered to come and stay at our place for a week or two and look after house and farm while we have a holiday - our first in more than a decade. Naturally we'll have to go toward the end of winter. Where in the country would you go, if you could only visit one place?

Anywhere, as long as you call in to see us as you go past!

It depends! []
For a complete change I'd go somewhere quite different, so since you are in the far north, I'd consider the south.
If you want urban, I'd go to Wellington and really enjoy myself in the theatres and museums and galleries.
For wildlife and landscape that are different consider Otago Peninsula, Central Otago, the Maniototo or the Catlins or Fiordland with the mountains and beech forest.
aargh now I want to go....but which?

Ruth;424757 wrote: Where in the country would you go, if you could only visit one place?

Given that it will still be pretty cold outside, I would head to Hanmer Springs and spend some time in the Thermal Pools:

www.hanmersprings.co.nz/thermal/about/

They have the best thermal pool complex in the country IMO, and there are lots of bush walks or 4WD tracks to explore if you are that way inclined.

We stayed at a camping ground a few km out of town en-route to the Milford Track, and enjoyed good affordable accommodation in their cabins, given that there were so many of us. If it was just Inger and I, we would have stayed in a motel in the middle of town and enjoyed the cafes etc.

One week ?? 7 days or 6 days ?
Drive or fly ?

If 6 days and you drive, then somewhere in the South Island will not give much relaxing time

Waiheke Island ?

in the country

sadly, it is sometimes cheaper to travel overseas.
Noumea, Cook Islands, Tonga, depending on specials.

Charter a boat in the BOI's ?

Main thing is to enjoy yourselves

Coromandel Peninsula - base yourself at Coromandel Township. There are many day trips that will take you all over the Peninsula.

The trip up to Port Jackson is the best coastal road in NZ, IMHO, especially on a nice sunny day.

Flights within NZ at this time of year can be had at $59 one-way per person. What about wobbly Quakechurch? And then a few days in Hanmer to relax? During late winter you can get anything in regard to weather. We often have beautiful sunny winter days where we can wear T-shirts from 11am to 3pm but then frosts during the nights. Akaroa is a nice day-trip from Christchurch and just coincidentally I live here, too - would love to meet you

Just been working in the south island on the West Coast - first time over here for 20 years, forgot how stunning it is! I would be grabaseating to ChCh, Transalpine to Greymouth, rent a dent to the glaciers, basing yourself at Franz Josef where there is a huge range of accommodation now - and hot pools too.

The glaciers are outstanding. The scenery awesome. Biiiiig country!

Hot water beach
Or Mt Maunganui (salt water hot pools)
Or Wairakei

I don't know what "HOLIDAY" means []

Enjoy yourself where ever you go
Cheers

terralee;424804 wrote: I don't know what "HOLIDAY" means []...

It's not something about which we have more than a vague recollection ourselves! I'd never have contemplated it without this fabulous offer.

That is a good question Ruth. I also don't remember what a holiday is, our family getaway is fielddays each year, and we are still trying to sort out what fits with the 4 individual calendars...before that, coming from Aussie, we mostly came across separately being self employed, although usually managed 1 or 2 family short term transits to the land and long drop per year...:rolleyes:

Me personally, I would like to do a road trip of NZ without a time restraint and it would be a foodie and sight seeing trip. the sort you see on TV, no major exercise, no timetable set by someone else, just have a comfy car with a comfy bed and go for it type of thing with enough $$'s not to cook each night and to eat and drink well, time to spend where we would like to explore more, that type of trip. Something where you can stop for YOUR cup of tea/coffee/poison.

I know how to get to BOP, I know how to get to Auckland, Hamilton. I have been to the BOI once, far too rushed, far too expensive accom. to stay too long.

have you thought about buying a caravan that contains your needs, to go where you want, when you want and still be an affordable destination?

I had a great trip to the Chathams 5 years ago on an organised botanical tour, at the end of November, staying at the pub. Very expensive though ... $600 to get there and $800 to get back.

WANAKA! the most beautiful place in NZ- I lived there for 8 years and it was paradise!

I have always wanted to go to Stewart Island but a week isn't long enough I wouldn't think but 2 would be plenty. My neighbours flew to Chch and drove one of those motor homes back up over the period of a few days, they thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.