Hey you guys, it's Phoebe here from Little Grey Box
with Matt behind the camera and on this channel we share with you
all our experiences and tips to help you travel well
and in today's episode, we're sharing everything you need to
know to plan a trip to New Zealand's beautiful South Island
Now while we may not be able to travel just yet, now is the perfect time to
dream and plan for when the world opens up again
Fingers crossed we see an Australia - New Zealand travel bubble soon
because I am so keen to get back over there ASAP
Now you guys if you don't already be sure to subscribe right now
so you never miss a single episode
Our video this week is generously sponsored by the guys at Southern Cross Travel Insurance
So both Matt and I just want to say a huge thank you to them
for supporting us through their sponsorship especially at this time
we really appreciate it
Now let's dive right in
When it comes to travelling to New Zealand's South Island
you're going to want to fly into either Christchurch or Queenstown
Now every time Matt and I have visited
we've opted to take advantage of cheaper sale airfares and fly into Christchurch
Coming from Brisbane it is a super quick three and a half hour flight time
so we are there in the blink of an eye
When we arrive we usually hire a vehicle which means we're able to add a bit of a
a road trip element to our trip which we love
it gives us so much more freedom we're able to see and do more
and we get to stop at some of our favourite little towns and scenic spots along the way
We've experienced the South Island in a few different ways
from budget-friendly to all-out luxury
either way, having your own vehicle is a really great way to get around
it's going to give you that freedom that you really need to make the most of New Zealand's South Island
Before you rent a vehicle it is well worth checking your travel insurance policy
as the excess may already be covered
If you don't have cover for rental car excess
and your car is involved in an accident, is damaged or stolen
you may have to pay the cost of the rental car excess yourself which can
cost you thousands of dollars
Our policy with Southern Cross Travel Insurance covers us for up to five thousand dollars for the excess
so we wouldn't have to foot the bill if we had an accident
For our budget-friendly road trip
we hired a Maui Platinum River Motorhome
from the guys at Motorhome Republic and we loved it
It was so much fun
Now we were travelling as a group of three so we
opted for a six-berth motorhome and it was fantastic and so spacious
decked out with absolutely everything that we needed
Here's a breakdown of the costs of our 10 night adventure for three people
Now you guys these costs do not include flights or activities
our Motorhome rental was around NZD$1600 for the whole time
and our additional motorhome expenses like fuel and taxes were around NZD$720
Our stays at holiday parks came to around NZD$670
and food was a NZD$1030
This was a total of around NZD$4000, 10 nights for 3 people
For our other trips, we usually hire a car
for the whole time and tend to stay in mid-range to luxury accommodations
So here's a look at our costs for 10 nights in the South Island
for two people, not including flights or activities
Our car rental costs usually come out to around NZD$300
with additional expenses like fuel and such coming to around NZD$300
Now for hotels the average price for a decent place is going to be
around NZD$200-$300 per night
So for a 10-night stay, you could probably expect to pay around
NZD$2000-$3000 and food for us comes to around NZD$1500 for the whole time
meaning you're looking at around NZD$5000 for two people for 10 nights
To give you an idea of the cost of flights and activities
for our last trip, we spent around NZD$1300 per person across the 10 days
for our activities and our flights in and out of Christchurch
were NZD$1200 return for the two of us
When it comes to planning your itinerary there is an abundance of beautiful spots
and gorgeous little towns that you're going to want to visit
but here's a look at our most recent itinerary
We flew into Christchurch then drove to Twizel
from Twizel, we headed to Wanaka where we spent two nights
then we headed down to Queenstown for another two nights before driving all
the way down to Milford Sound for one night. We then headed back to
Queenstown for another two nights before making our way back north
stopping in at Lake Tekapo for a night and Christchurch for one final night
before we flew back home
Now I absolutely loved our itinerary and
all the places that we visited but if I could have my time again
I definitely would have added just a few extra days to our trip so we could have
spent a little bit longer exploring Milford Sound
and a little bit longer in Wanaka which is probably my favourite place in the South Island
But if there's one thing I am really really glad we did on our last trip
is that we made the time to visit The Fiordland and Milford Sound
It was so beautiful out there and i know
a lot of people try to do it as a day trip but honestly if you want to take
your time, stop and visit all those beautiful spots
and spend one or two nights out there it is really, really worth it
Now here are some things you really need to know before you go
Firstly, the snow season runs from around June to September and
if you are planning on visiting in winter and
really want to visit the snowfields I highly recommend trying to time your
visit around those New Zealand school holiday times
it's going to mean less crowds and more snow for you
When driving make sure you allow a
little more time than your maps or your GPS tells you
because you are definitely going to want to stop along the way to
take some photos and just soak in some of that beautiful scenery
now freedom camping and Campable which is kind of like
Airbnb for motorhomes they are fantastic resources they're gonna help you save a
lot of money, but you guys I personally think they are
best suited to summer We did give Campable a shot but we
were there in winter and we just found it was a little bit too cold we wanted
that constant power hookup for our heater and those lovely hot
showers at the end of the day If you aren't used to driving in winter
weather conditions and you are visiting the South Island during winter
it is so very important that you take the time to learn about driving in those
weather conditions and that includes understanding things
like black ice and of course knowing how to fit snow chains properly
Now you guys New Zealand's border control is really
really strict and that is coming from somebody who lives in Australia
so it is very important that you observe the biosecurity laws you don't try to
bring in any food items or wooden items even
things like if you have a wooden hairbrush for example
that will be confiscated from you by border security
and if you are coming from somewhere where you have gotten your shoes all
muddy or you visited farmland just make sure that all of your gear is
really clean and free from any dirt or any potential hazards
New Zealand is a hub of activities and endless adventure so
of course, I have to mention the importance of having travel insurance you guys
Now Matt and I actually hold an annual travel insurance policy with the guys
at Southern Cross Travel Insurance our video sponsor this week
We started getting an annual policy a few years ago because we just found that it saved us
time and money as well as giving us peace of mind on our travels
Honestly, there have been quite a few
times when Matt and I have really needed travel insurance and two
of those happened in New Zealand funnily enough
One was when we thought it'd be a great idea to put our GoPro on the front
of our motorhome and it fell off and we and about 50 other cars ran over it
the second time was when Matt had this terrible anaphylactic
asthma attack in Christchurch Airport right at security
He had to be carted off in an ambulance
and I had to go with him of course our bags got turfed
and in that moment I just remember feeling so grateful that we did have
travel insurance and I didn't have to worry about the
costs and i could just completely focus on Matt
and make sure he was going to be okay
But travel insurance isn't all doom and gloom you guys
for Matt and I, it just means we are able to travel and
have fun without any stress or worry
Now one tip I do want to share with you guys
Is that if you are visiting in winter and you are planning on enjoying
some of those snow fields you can definitely add ski and snowboard
cover to your policy now with that said you are definitely
going to want to pack your itinerary with
loads of fun activities here are just a few of our favourites
For snow-based fun you can visit the Remarkables and Coronet Peak from Queenstown
You can also check out Cardrona and Treble Cone from Wanaka
and of course, you can visit Mt Hutt which is super close to Christchurch and a favourite among locals
You can get your adrenaline pumping with a skydive
Jetboat ride or bungee jump
You can also take a scenic flight in a helicopter even right the way up to a glacier
or do a vintage Tiger Moth flight like we did in Wanaka
Make the most of New Zealand's gorgeous
scenery with a hike which will allow you to immerse yourself in nature
Now the South Island is renowned for producing incredible wine including some
pretty impeccable Pinot Noir my favorite
So I would definitely recommend joining a guided wine tour you guys it
just takes the worry out of it and you can enjoy
all of the good food and amazing wine
All right you guys have you ever thought
about visiting New Zealand's South Island? or have you visited before and you have
some awesome recommendations If you do please share those in the
comments below right now so we can check them out and add them to our next itinerary
If you are planning a trip to New Zealand
be it the North or South Islands we have an abundance of great
resources for you here and on the website
You might like to watch our entire New Zealand motorhome road trip series
or our breakdown video where we share all of the costs involved with that
Finally, if you loved this video and you found it useful you guys
be sure to book your next adventure to New Zealand or
anywhere else in the world using our affiliate links below
We will earn a small commission at absolutely no extra cost to you
All right you guys and with that that brings this week's episode
to a close i really hope you found this video useful
Now if you don't already be sure to subscribe right now and say hello in the comments below
I hope you have a great weekend and a
great week ahead and we will see you with a brand new episode next week
Love ya!
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