Who: Jerry and Joel Lachance of Highlands Ranch and Bob and Donna Otten of Denver
Where: Milford Sound
Best meal: The Orbit Restaurant. We were 59 stories up the Sky Tower with 360-degree views of Auckland. Get a discount coupon from any visitors center and get a free glass of wine plus a free ride to the observation deck worth $15.
Best deal: The motels throughout the North and South islands are very reasonably priced. We were two couples traveling together and found clean, comfortable two-bedroom motels with kitchens averaging $55 per couple per night. Our motel in Picton, the Broadway, was $48 per night and by far the nicest of our trip. Our rental station wagon from EZY Rental was also a great buy. We had the vehicle for 30 days with full, no-deductible insurance, and we paid $17 per day per couple.
Best time to go: We went the entire month of February, which is the end of their summer, and we had two days of rain and one day of overcast weather. We were very lucky, as NZ gets a lot of rain. We would recommend any time in February or March as your best bet for warm, sunny weather.
Best travel tips: Besides the popular tourist sites, consider Coromandel on the North Island. It’s a beautiful, quiet spot just three hours from Auckland. We went nonstop for 30 days (21 days on the South Island and nine days on the North) and felt there was still so much that we missed. If time is limited, go to just the South Island. The West Coast is also a must-see.
