The first emotion that came to me when I found out I had been chosen as the recipient of one of the Blog4NZ prizes was excitement.
Followed immediately by some slight freaking out.
I won a fantastic South Island prize package with a ton of goodies thrown in, from a bus pass, to some hostel stays, to bungy jumping, and much more. But what was not included was a plane ticket.
I’ve flown to New Zealand twice before, so I know that doing so is NOT cheap. But I knew I couldn’t possibly pass this chance up just because of a plane ticket. It’s not everyday that a chance to return to New Zealand falls into my lap. I would just have to work it out.
I’ve been putting money aside into a travel fund for the past few months, saving up for both TBEX this summer and the road trip I’m supposed to take with my sister in August. I had enough to cover the ticket, and then some… but did I want to wipe out my savings and risk not being able to go on the road trip?
Who am I kidding? This is TOTALLY worth it.
I began weighing the pros and cons of traveling to New Zealand right away, versus planning my trip for sometime in December, when I hope to be in graduate school and have a 3-week holiday break.
Going in May:
Pros
- Plane tickets would be cheaper. Extra accommodation could be, too.
- It’ll be the off-season for travel.
- It’s the tail end of fall, so I might catch some lingering autumn colors.
- There will be snow on the mountains.
Cons
- It’ll mean wiping out my savings, and living very frugally for the next couple of months.
- It will be quite chilly on the South Island.
- There will be less travelers for me to bump into.
- I’ll have to take 2 weeks of unpaid vacation from work.
Going in December:
Pros
- It will be summer! The weather will be beautiful.
- There will be more to do; more tours running.
- I could cross “celebrate Christmas in a foreign country” off my bucket list.
Cons
- Everything will be more expensive, including plane tickets.
- It’ll be more crowded, as more people will be traveling.
- It could mean spending the holidays away from my family for the first time ever — alone.
Obviously, there are pros and cons to planning to travel at both times. What to do??
But then I got into my car to drive home for dinner on Tuesday. And what came onto my shuffle playlist? Snow Patrol’s “PPP.”
If you’ve never heard this song before, it only has one lyric, which is repeated over and over again:
You won’t be around forever girl,
You’ve gotta grab life with both hands
Clearly, this was a sign.
And it was true, wasn’t it? Who knows what I’ll be doing in December. If I don’t figure out funding for grad school, I might NOT have that 3-week holiday break. I might, instead, be at a new job. And, as a new hire, there would be no hope of me getting weeks off to travel around Christmas.
Sometimes, you DO just have to “grab life with both hands.”
So, when I got back to work, I talked to my boss and got the OK to take 2 weeks off at the beginning of May.
And then I went home and bought my plane ticket.
Air NZ is having a fare sale in May, and so I got my round-trip ticket from Los Angeles to Wellington for $1209. Not bad at all, considering tickets in December are already running almost double that.
I land in Wellington on May 8, and have until May 21 to have my adventures in New Zealand.
Right now, I’m planning to spend 2 nights in Wellington to re-visit my favorite city, and also (hopefully) adjust to the time difference and get over the inevitable jet lag that comes along with traveling halfway around the world.
After that, I’m thinking I might snag a cheap domestic flight to Christchurch to avoid extra travel time. Since Blog4NZ was all about supporting the Garden City and the Canterbury Region, I wouldn’t feel right visiting NZ and not stopping here. I’d love to talk to some people who have stuck around since the earthquake, so if that’s you, let me know.
I also hope to make it out to Akaroa, and perhaps swim with some dolphins.
After that, maybe I’ll take the TranzAlpine over to Greymouth on the West Coast, and then catch a bus down to Franz Josef?
Or I could head directly to Queenstown next, where I plan to spend the latter part of my trip, until it’s time to head back to Wellington to catch my flight home.
Some of the things in my South Island prize package that I could possibly use:
- Magic Bus — South Island pass
- Jucy Rentals — 10-day Jucy Condo hire
- Black Cat Cruises — Swimming with dolphins in Akaroa
- Rainforest Retreat — 2 nights accommodation in Franz Josef
- Nomads Queenstown — A few nights of accommodation
- Pinewood Lodge — One night’s accommodation in Queenstown
- Shotover Jet — Passes in Queenstown
- AJ Hackett Bungy — Nevis Bungy and Nevis Swing Combo
Things in the package that I may not be able to use:
- Abel Tasman Kayaks — 2-day sea kayak hire
- The River Boarding Co — River boarding trip in Queenstown
- Monarch Wildlife Cruises — Dunedin Harbor tour
I wish I could use it all! But there are certain things I don’t think I would enjoy, especially on my own – such as the really tough physical stuff.
I’m also not sure if I’m confident in renting a car or campervan of any sort on my own. Sure, it would making getting around easy. But the thought of driving long distances in a foreign country (where I’ll have no cell service) on my own worries me.
Has anyone had experience with Magic Bus?
I have less than a month to figure things out — including how I’m going to pay for everything not included!
I’ve already had a lovely offer of a bed in Christchurch, which has just reaffirmed for me the openness and generosity of kiwis.
If you, too, are in New Zealand and have any suggestions for me, let me know! Or, if you want to be lovely and sponsor a meal, or even a night’s accommodation, I certainly won’t turn that down, either!
New Zealand, I hope you’re ready. Because here I come!
You are a lucky duck. Enjoy! Can’t wait to hear about your trip to New Zealand!
RossRoams recently posted..Day 151- Tarifa- Wandering and Waiting
I actually can’t get over how lucky I am! I’m very excited. And I can’t wait to blog about it all!
I’m so jealous. You’ll figure it all out I’m sure and have a fabo time. May is a great time to do to NZ. I’ve been in May and in late Nov and when I go back again I would do it in May.
Consider renting a small camper van. They have ones that are just a VW van with a small kitchen and single bed. The NZ camp grounds are super cheap, super clean. Most camp sites have kitchens, laundry facilities and large clean bathrooms. Camp sites near major cities have a swap system. Let’s say it’s your last day and you have left over stuff (coffee, sugar, sunscreen, coffee pot, towels whatever) you leave it at the camp site and campers coming in can grab it and it doesn’t go to waste and saves them some $$.
If you do rent a van, don’t rent in Wellington, it will cost you xtra to get it to the South Island via the ferry. But I do recommend the ferry otherwise.
Last thing, if you get a chance, check out Hanmer Springs in the SI. We loved it and it was pretty cheap if you just want to get into the pools and not do any of the other “xtra” stuff, which is what we did.
I can’t wait to go back to NZ so I’ll be watching your updates jealously.
Cheers!
J.
J is a Bird recently posted..Travel and Adventure Show – Los Angeles
Thanks for the suggestions, J!
I’m still wary about renting any kind of car, since I’ll be on my own. And I’m admittedly not much of a camper… as in, I have never been camping outside of my own backyard. Lol.
But I know I’ll figure it out!
Sounds like a great trip. Looking forward to hearing more about the South Island from you. My friends are from the North, so I feel like I would have a handle on that end. I also want to hear how you manage with just 2 weeks. That looks like roughly my plan in December to see some highlights in a short amount of time.
Andrew recently posted..Living in a Culture of Public Transportation
I’ve spent far more time on the North Island, too, since I lived in Wellington for almost 5 months back in 2008. So I’m really excited to have the chance to explore more of the South!
2 weeks is NOT a lot of time in NZ. There’s so much to see. I’m actually glad that I’ll be confined to just one island. If you’re going to try to see the whole country in 2 weeks, I suggest lots of planning in advance!
Hey Amanda! Sounds like you’ve got 2 great NZ weeks planned out! Don’t worry about renting a camper or a car – it’s easy to get used to driving on the left and shifting gears with your left hand. Just take it easy on the first day and you’ll be fine. And no worries about cell phone coverage either – just buy a 2 Degrees SIM card, they are cheap as and you’ll have coverage pretty much everywhere unless you go to Steward Island or really remote areas. Very excited for you!!
Christina recently posted..Campsite review- Lake Hawea Kidds Bush DOC campsite- Otago
Thanks, Christina! I actually have driven in NZ before, but, looking at where I want to go, I honestly could easily take buses and probably spend the same amount that I would on petrol. And I wouldn’t have to worry about flat tires or sheep accidents! Haha.
I’ll have to look into SIM cards. I just got a Verizon iPhone a few weeks ago, so I have no idea about its capabilities in NZ. I was just planning on using it to connect to wifi when it’s available. That way, I could still easily keep in touch with people, but it wouldn’t cost as much, and I wouldn’t have to fumble around with a SIM card!
Hey! Congrats for the prize, that’s great news! By the way, when I was in NZ I hired jucy rentals for my road trip. I’m not a usual driver AND I had never driven an automatic car + on the left side of the road. But it was really easy!!! Oh, and I just realized, I was in NZ last year at the same time you’re going this year!
Katherina recently posted..Fridays Five – 5 Swiss French Words Related to Food You Should Know
Thanks, Katherina! The driving part in and of itself doesn’t worry me — I drove in NZ a few times the last time I was there. I just don’t know if I feel comfortable on my own! If I can work out my schedule with Magic Bus, I’d much rather just rely on buses to get me where I want to go. Plus, that way I’d meet some other travelers!
How did you like NZ in May?
I was so excited when I read that you had won…you certainly put a lot of work into Blog4NZ and are deserving of the prize! Can’t wait to hear all about it. Cheers!
Gillian @OneGiantStep recently posted..The Great Eastward Migration
Thanks for all the support, Gillian! I can’t wait to write all about it!
Wow! What an opportunity! Congratulations on your win and prize – looking forward to reading about it!
Thanks so much, Julie! Hopefully I’ll have a whole lot of adventures to write about.
Congratulations again for your trip. I’m so happy for you! I’m sure you’ll make the most out of it. And I think you made the right decision – carpe diem!
Carpe diem indeed! Thanks for the support, Marie. I’m going to do my best to make the most out of every day there!
Congrats on winning and what a wonderful array of prizes! Good on you for ‘going for it’.
I live in Wellington and would be delighted to offer you accommodation for a night or two. I live only a ten min drive from the airport on the South Coast. The only thing that might put you off is my tribe of little people (I have 3 girls!). Anyway, if you don’t have any better offers you would be very welcome indeed (depending on what time your flight gets in we can even pick you up at the airport!).
Sarah recently posted..Us MAD Bloggers
Thanks so much, Sarah! I still kind of can’t believe my luck.
And wow, thanks for offering me a place to stay for a night or two! I still need to figure out the details, but I will definitely keep your kind offer in mind! The South Coast of Wellington is so beautiful! I’m jealous that you get to call it home.
I’ll shoot you an e-mail…
I was going to ask you if you were going to take part in the skydiving part of the package…
I don’t know if I would!
I remember that you were saying that you weren’t into the whole solo travel idea…so what do you think of this?
The skydiving is still up in the air. I e-mailed NZone, because their Blog4NZ offering was “an invitation to get in contact to negotiate a discount.” So we’ll see! I’d love to jump out of a plane, though, if I can make it affordable.
And I’m pretty excited about this, simply because there are a lot of ways to make it solo travel with lots of contact with other travelers. For example, I’m definitely more likely to book bus tickets than get a rental car. And I’m going to stay with other bloggers as much as I can on the road, so that things don’t get so lonely (and so that perhaps I can leech off their interwebs… hahaha). This will be an adventure, for sure! But I’m excited.
Wow those song lyrics definitely seem like a big sign, glad your taking your trip in May. Sounds like you’ll be busy, but I’m sure everything will work out great. Will you still be going to TBEX in June?
Alouise recently posted..Road Trip Memories Week 4 – The Last Chance Saloon
I almost couldn’t believe when I got in my car and that song came on! I laughed out loud, and was like, “Well. That’s decided.” Haha.
And yes, I still plan to come to TBEX in June! That’s been on my calendar for ages, and I already have my plane ticket to and from Seattle purchased. So I’ll definitely still be there! I’ll just need to find a REALLY cheap room now.
Up up and away in just a few weeks –
So thrilled for you –
Amazing where writing a few blog posts can get you – Going on a road trip in USA one minute… heading off around South Island the next!
Looking forward to reading about your adventures
Linda ~ Journey Jottings recently posted..Year at a Glance March 2011
Thank you so much, Linda. And thanks for all your support through the whole Blog4NZ effort! And yes, it indeed is amazing what a few blog posts can lead to… I never imagined when I signed up to participate in Blog4NZ that I would be headed back to my favorite country within a matter of months!!
It’s awesome.
Fantastic you are coming! Would have been great to catch up. But we’re off to Namibia on 7th May.
Gee, we’re going to read some more great posts on New Zealand, and I’ll be praying for good weather for you.
Jim McIntosh recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday- April 7th
I decided I just couldn’t pass this opportunity up, Jim! I’m so excited to get back to NZ that I can barely contain myself. I joked with a friend that, if it weren’t for my family and boyfriend here in the states, I might very well be tempted to turn this trip into a permanent move!
I’m really looking forward to producing some more fantastic NZ content – and I’m hoping to try a lot of things that I’ve never done in NZ before and visit some places I haven’t been, so that I have really fresh stuff to write about.
And I’ll definitely be hoping for good weather, too!
Congratulations! I’m in Christchurch, but sorry I can’t offer you a bed, they’re all full in our house.
I’d definitely recommend Hamner Springs too – especially in May.
I don’t know if the West Coast is on your itinerary, but if so I’d also recommend the “Trans Alpine” train trip for the scenery.
There’s also a Bed & Breakfast in Geraldine (South Canterbury) I can particularly recommend http://www.abitfromthegarden.co.nz/
Hope you have a wonderful visit, and I look forward to reading of your adventures.
Adulcia recently posted..Life as we know it
Hi Adulcia! No worries about not having a bed open in your house. I’ve got Christchurch covered!! I definitely would like to try the TranzAlpine and get over to the West Coast – I never made it there on any of my previous NZ trips!
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Congratulations on the package! I am so happy you booked the plane ticket after hearing that song. I totally agree with you–you never know what’s going to happen in the future, so you might as well do things in the “now.” Can’t wait to read about your trip
Thanks, Lauren!
I figure I can worry about the road trip money later. Right now, I’m SO excited about New Zealand! Carpe diem, right?
December in New Zealand still can be not the summer. It still can be cold in South Island but it should be beautiful with all colors of spring.
Vi recently posted..Is it safe to go to New Zealand now
I’m hoping when I’m there next month it’ll still be beautiful with all the colors of fall!
Congrats on winning! That sounds so amazing! I’m sure whatever you choose to do will be great. I’ve never been to NZ so I have no suggestions for you, but I can’t wait to see where you go!
Kendra recently posted..Anniversary Ideas
Thanks, Kendra! I hope you’ll follow along on my adventure, and perhaps be inspired to visit New Zealand yourself!
Congrats Amanda, how exciting! Though I can understand your feeling–I won a Twitter contest for a three-night stay at a hotel in St. Thomas, only to realize that nothing else was included. Flights from my city are $800 a piece. If I’m spending that much on a flight, I’d rather go to Europe! So I might not even be able to use it. But I’m so glad you will be able to use yours. It sounds like you actually did snag a pretty good price. Very excited for you!
Emily recently posted..Adventure Philanthrophy- A Q&A with Roadmonkey CEO Paul von Zielbauer
Thanks, Emily! That stinks about your St. Thomas win! Shame that it’s so expensive to get there. But I agree — if I’m spending a ton of money on a flight, I’d rather go somewhere I’m really dying to visit. And, for me, that wouldn’t be St. Thomas!
So much was included in this prize (and so many peolpe have been kind enough to offer me beds while I’m there) that I should be able to squeak by only paying for my flight, food, and maybe a few extras here and there that I know I’ll end up splurging on (I’ll be in NZ; how can I NOT splurge on something??). I’m really excited!!
Congrats again and good luck getting your trip somewhat planned. Feel free to send any questions my way!
See you in Queenstown! How exciting!
Matt recently posted..15 Tips for Your First Experience Backpacking in New Zealand
Thanks, Matt! I have an idea of what I’d like my trip to look like… it’s just a matter of convincing everything to fall into place! Haha.
But I’ll keep you in the loop, and will definitely see you in Queenstown! Can’t wait!
Congratulations! You really deserve this, you were an absolute star when it came to Blog4NZ! I’m really excited to read all about your trip. I’m planning at trip there myself so I’ll be following closely. Well done!
Monica recently posted..Kota Kinabalu Night Market
Thanks so much, Monica! I still kind of can’t believe it, or the fact that I’m leaving in just a little over 3 weeks! Ahhh!! I’ll do my best to do NZ proud, and produce some great content while I’m there, and once I get home.
When are you planning your trip there?
New Zealand in May is hit or miss. My first year (2007) it was windy and rainy and cold by mid-March (and this was in Auckland!) but my second year (2008) the crap weather seem to arrive exactly on June 1st. I am sure it will be fine, but my fingers are cross for you, since you are on such a tight schedule!
YAY on making it out to Akaroa!!! There are shuttles from CHC that I am sure are running from some point in town out to the peninsula, if Magic doesn’t go there.
Have a great time, looking forward to your posts already!
(PS. Loved Chicago this past weekend:-) Posts coming soon!!!)
Rebecca recently posted..Random Weekend- Book- The Lunatic Express
Well I’m keeping my fingers crossed for nice weather next month, too! We’ll see, though. Though, I’m jusr so excited for a chance to go back that I don’t even think rain could completely ruin my trip.
I think I probably will take a shuttle from Chch to Akaroa — totally going because you’re so wild about it! So many people I know who’ve gone there love it, too, so I’m excited to see it for myself!
Glad to hear you had a good time in Chicago! I’ll have to keep an eye out for your posts.
Amanda, you are one lucky girl.
The only advice I have is about driving yourself or getting the bus. I personally LOVE driving in New Zealand, its allows you the freedom to go where you want, when you want. Distances aren’t actually that bad, Greymouth to Franz Joseph is about two hours drive, along stunning coastline so if you spot something you want to get a snap off, you can!
Because you have only two weeks, I would recommend driving over the bus, do you want to waste time on travel days?
Oh and the drive to Akaroa is amazing! Breathaking.
The only drawback is you won’t meet people if you are driving alone.
Good luck and I can’t wait to read about all your adventures.
I am indeed very, very lucky!
Thanks so much for the tips, Mike! I’ve actually decided to just do the Magic Bus, because I was able to get a pass that also included the TranzAlpine ticket, which saves me a good chunk of money! Plus, this way I won’t be completely on my own.
I agree that driving in New Zealand is fantastic — I’ve done it before. However, for this trip (and to cut costs), I’m going to bus it most of the time. I know it’ll still be great, and I’m planning to see a lot of the country that I haven’t seen before!