Monday 26 August 2013

NZ Baby!

You may remember me mentioning a couple of months ago that MR and I were thinking about planning a holiday to New Zealand.

Well, that thinking has turned into action!  I got my letters from the specialists, found out that I could get travel insurance and now we've booked!  We're going in October for 11 days and I am quite beside myself with excitement.  That's only five and a bit weeks away!

For those who are interested, it was only an extra $100 to have my Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia and Liver Transplant covered during the trip.  I was expecting a lot more that that!  I guess it does depend on your age, status of your condition and where you are travelling though.  NZ and Australia have a reciprocal health agreement which makes things more friendly.

Of course, after we booked, I was driving home one day making up lists of what to take in my head and into my mind (thankfully) popped the passport aspect.  Mine had expired.  Argh!  After having a big stress about not being able to go because my passport wouldn't arrive in time, I found out it only takes about 2 weeks for a new one to arrive so off I went for new photos and to fork over a ridiculous amount of money.

Look what old age steroids have done to my jaw line.
We've even planned a bit of an itinerary.  We're flying in to Auckland at about 6am so the plan is to jump into a hire car and drive to Te Puke (MR has family there) where we will visit for a couple of days and do things like glow worm caves, waterfalls, a big flying fox and hot pools.  Then we're off to Rotorua, Taupo and Masterton on the way to Wellington.  We're going to stop in at some cheese farms to indulge in lots of yummy cheese.

Following that we're flying to Queenstown where we'll stay for a couple of nights and then head over to Dunedin before flying back to Auckland and flying out.

For the south island we have planned:
  • snow
  • maybe Milford Sound
  • Arrowtown
  • some famous burger joint in Queenstown
  • Butterfly Experience at the Otago Museum
  • maybe a penguin experience

Of course, there is still lots to be planned, where to stay, what else to see, hire a car and so forth.  So I'm very open to suggestions of great places to go (or stay).  Particularly cool crafty shops or nice galleries.  We've been saving up for some art for our walls and are thinking about buying something while we're over there to remember the trip by.  So have you been to NZ or are you a local?  Please, please share your expertise!





5 comments:

Bron said...

So so so very excited for you.....we headed north from Auckland so can't help with you with any tourist info except when you hire a care you must ask for the KRUSE system...It was so invaluable for information as we drove we would highly recommend it and it totally made the NZ experience so much better...
http://www.krusenz.com/
We just had our Travel agent booking the car organise it.

Have a fab time.
Oh and you pic is still gorgeous. xxx

2paw said...

How exciting, I am so glad it can be organised for not very much extra money!! You look lovely in your photos, but I share your crossness at steroids!!
I liked NZ, I went to the North Island, I loved all the small villages, and ended up in the far north at Whangarei(sp?) Rotorua smelled of sulphur but the geysers were great and then boiling mud scary.
Friends have been on excellent walks, helicopter rides and fjord trips.

Margret said...

Yay! What a fantastic time you'll have! Passport photos are so hard now, the not being able to smile is horrible. I look so stern in mine.

Sally said...

This is such exciting news. YAY!!! Never been to NZ. Would like to though... are you planning a slide night when you get back? I do so hope you are... its been ages since I've been to a slide night. I guess the technology will be a bit better but hey sitting back on the couch looking at your awesome photos with a bit of yarny action - sounds like bliss.

Unknown said...

Wow! How come you get to look so good in your passport photo? Most of us look half dead :-)

You trip sounds wonderful, I have yet to explore the beautiful NZ, its on my list.