New Zealand south island

We'll be travelling to NZ and Aus next week, starting witha week in the south island of NZ. We'll do a circuit from Cristchurch to the west coast (Glaciers etc.), down to Fiordland and back to Christchurch. Are there any places we shouldn't miss. Last time i was there I hitched around - this time we will rent a car.

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thanks

Steve

<P>Have you seen Philip Greenspun's Web Travel review of Australia and New Zealand? http://www.photo.net/nz

<P>You might want to purchase a guidebook like Jane King's <I>The New Zealand Handbook.</I> I will possibly visit New Zealand and Australia in January 1998, so I, too, look forward to hearing particular answers. I already know that I want to see the Moeraki Boulders myself.

1.Do you know the Milford Trek ? (Fiordland area)

If positive please send me private e-mail.

2.Did you checked http://www.vic.com/new_zealand/ ?

This site is full with info about this area.

I'll just clarify my question a bit - What I am interested in is some areas that we shouldn't miss that are accessible by car (plus some walking) rather than by hitching. We will be there next week. I've spent 6 weeks hitching and hiking on the south island - and often you are at the whim of your lifts - with time constraints not allowing you to stop in the middle of nowhere (esp. on the west coast where it can sometimes be problematic to get further lifts.

i know the photographic potential along some of the major trails in Fiordland area is superb (some time I may scan some of my slides and put them on my web page) - but this trip will be somewhat different. My wife considers it more of a honeymoon (we didn't really have one when we got married) - she is also quite happy for me to spend time taking photos, so no hassles in that regard. As we are both geologists, we plan to spend time looking at rocks as well (e.g. Alpine Fault, Moeraki Boulders).

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Sean - if you have time you need to go backpacking when you are there. For a short trail, try the Routeburn Track (3 days). I did the Keppler Trail before it was completed, in bad weather, so I am not sure how it compares scenically with other trails. Longer tracks that are worth doing include the Rees-Dart and Dusty Sound. Many people say that the Milford Track, although still spectaular, is overrated.

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Steve

There a number of places that I can recommend having lived in the area and visitied it regularly. Lake Matheson in winter has a good chance of being still early in the morning if it is frosty and the views then are really great.

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If you pass through Haast and the weather is good drive down to Jackson's Bay. This is a pleasant fishing village with a walk to a viewing platform or a longer one (about 30mins) to a remote beach. Fiordland crested penguin may be returning about now.

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Before you get to Haast there a walkway at Ship creek that has some great reflections in the rainforest.

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There is so much to see in Fiordland it is hard to know where to start. One place that really has great memories for me is a 2 hour walk to Lake Marian from the Hollyford road just below the Milford Road.

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On the east side there is less but stops at Moeraki village as well as boulders and around Otago peninsula to the Royal albatrosses (this may be their off season).