Holidays - mostly elsewhere in NZ or overseas?

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rayonline

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#239321 12-Jul-2018 09:14

Just what do you guys end up doing? I know those I know they would pretty much only visit NZ a few days and the far majority of the time is spent overseas. If it is NZ it is the classic Auckland (for those not from there) or Queenstown.

Cheers.

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#2054753 12-Jul-2018 09:14

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Wheelbarrow01

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#2054871 12-Jul-2018 10:58

My friends and I have been going to Lake Benmore for the last decade or so. We head down so often for fishing and boating etc that we ended up pooling resources and bought a holiday home there (Otematata) last year. It's about 3.5 hours from home (Christchurch), so an easy drive on a Friday after work if the mood strikes me/us.

Apart from the attraction of the location itself, it's a pretty good base for day or overnight trips to Wanaka, Queenstown etc.

Other than that, my girlfriend and I do at least 1 or 2 trips to Aussie every year to visit friends scattered about. We also did a tour of the US west coast in June last year, and just came back from Hawaii last week. Whilst the overseas travel is fun and exciting, spending time in our quiet little piece of paradise down south will never get old.

networkn

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#2054899 12-Jul-2018 11:27

I own my own business, with a requirement for high availability to clients, so I find if I stay close to where I live, I end up "working" even though I have staff who do stuff as well. If I go overseas, it creates a barrier that means I get a better quality holiday.

@wheelbarrow01 I love Hawaii, how is it over there since the Eruption? Where did you go ?

cldlr76

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#2054900 12-Jul-2018 11:28

My wife and I have two boys 12 and 14) and we do a mix of both. In the last year we have done the following...

4 days in Queenstown
7 days in Fiji
10 days camping in Paihia over Xmas
4 days in Wellington (This was primarily to watch one play sport but there was holiday stuff in between games for the rest of the family while he was in camp)
5 days camping at Easter near Whangarei
4 days in Melbourne
3 days in Rotorua

We will have a week in Dunedin later in the year again for one of the boys sports but the rest of the family get a holiday out of that.

scuwp

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#2054909 12-Jul-2018 11:39

We do a mixture.

At least twice a year we do a road trip somewhere new in NZ or explore an area of the country we have never been before with our 2 kids. Small towns, interesting roads, off the beaten track kind of stuff as well as the main tourist attractions. Northland so far has been our favourite. Overseas holidays tend to be every couple of years, finances depending. Son's school trip to China (China!!! I was lucky to go to a zoo somewhere when I was at school)...so that's taking a bit of saving for.

Funding as always is the main barrier to doing more.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

kryptonjohn

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#2054912 12-Jul-2018 11:47

Mostly Whangamata because it's "free" (exctended family owned bach.

In winter, probably do about 10 days skiing at Whakapapa. Belong to a ski club, which provides a cook, 3 squares a day and bunkroom accomodation for about $42/day so not bad, adds up for a family of 5 over a week though.

Seem to go on a big overseas holiday once a year or two years which causes me financial anguish for the following year.

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Wheelbarrow01

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#2054923 12-Jul-2018 11:57

networkn:

I own my own business, with a requirement for high availability to clients, so I find if I stay close to where I live, I end up "working" even though I have staff who do stuff as well. If I go overseas, it creates a barrier that means I get a better quality holiday.

@wheelbarrow01 I love Hawaii, how is it over there since the Eruption? Where did you go ?

We had 5 nights on Maui and 5 back in Honolulu. Maui was amazing and we would go back there tomorrow if we could. Honolulu was pretty good but after a few days it's like any other major city near a nice body of water. It's not nearly as laid back as Maui was. The bus-loads of Japanese tourists in Honolulu were off the hook - I thought we had a lot visiting NZ but nothing compared to there. We also had a car for a couple of days but the traffic was ridiculous - we got by far better without it, but it was handy to get to Kualoa Ranch and exploring the north coast.

Highlights of Maui included the road to Hana, sunset at the top of Haleakala, a dinner cruise off Maalaea Bay, snorkelling with turtles pretty much every day (it was mating season so they were everywhere - even swimming at the beach in front of our hotel)

Highlights of Oahu included Kualoa Ranch, a doors-off 'Magnum PI' helecopter tour, Pearl Harbor Monuments, and the Dole pineapple plantation (my gf had VERY low expectations of the last one but she loved it lol)

At the time of the original eruption, we were yet to plan which islands we were going to - the eruption made that decision for us. I understand we could still have gone to the big island but decided against it. From what I can tell and heard while in Hawaii, the eruption on the big island has had very little effect on tourism.

trig42

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#2054930 12-Jul-2018 12:07

We have a family bach on a property at the top of the Coromandel, so that is our go-to holiday.

We regularly do weekends away - Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, even Auckland (even though we live on Waiheke).

Just got back from a month in Europe.

Doing a cruise to the islands next year (family wedding).

Saving for Europe again, but will holiday here in NZ in the meantime.

Looking at Hawaii after that, for my 50th (you know, Hawaii 5 0).

networkn

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#2054948 12-Jul-2018 12:23

Wheelbarrow01:

networkn:

I own my own business, with a requirement for high availability to clients, so I find if I stay close to where I live, I end up "working" even though I have staff who do stuff as well. If I go overseas, it creates a barrier that means I get a better quality holiday.

@wheelbarrow01 I love Hawaii, how is it over there since the Eruption? Where did you go ?

We had 5 nights on Maui and 5 back in Honolulu. Maui was amazing and we would go back there tomorrow if we could. Honolulu was pretty good but after a few days it's like any other major city near a nice body of water. It's not nearly as laid back as Maui was. The bus-loads of Japanese tourists in Honolulu were off the hook - I thought we had a lot visiting NZ but nothing compared to there. We also had a car for a couple of days but the traffic was ridiculous - we got by far better without it, but it was handy to get to Kualoa Ranch and exploring the north coast.

Highlights of Maui included the road to Hana, sunset at the top of Haleakala, a dinner cruise off Maalaea Bay, snorkelling with turtles pretty much every day (it was mating season so they were everywhere - even swimming at the beach in front of our hotel)

Highlights of Oahu included Kualoa Ranch, a doors-off 'Magnum PI' helecopter tour, Pearl Harbor Monuments, and the Dole pineapple plantation (my gf had VERY low expectations of the last one but she loved it lol)

At the time of the original eruption, we were yet to plan which islands we were going to - the eruption made that decision for us. I understand we could still have gone to the big island but decided against it. From what I can tell and heard while in Hawaii, the eruption on the big island has had very little effect on tourism.

Maui is my favourite place on earth to Holiday, there is some discussion around retiring there, though not for some time yet. Our favourite areas are Wailea where we stay every time, and Lahainia where we visit every time we go.

We try and be there during whale mating season and it's hard to beat sittting on the deck, with the BBQ cooking massive steaks, watching whales as the sun sets.

If you head back, and are a foodie, hit me up, and I can give you some *outstanding* places to eat.

ObidiahSlope

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#2054950 12-Jul-2018 12:28

For Cantabrians facing the winter blues I recommend a trip to the West Coast.

Often the weather on the West Coast can be mild and sunny when the weather east of the Divide is cold wet and depressing. If you have been before you will know West Coasters are a welcoming friendly bunch. It is close enough so when the circumstances are right you can just pack and go.

A shout out to WheelBarrow from a fellow Otematataite. Otematata doesn't have the silly real estate prices of inland lakeside holiday destinations like Tekapo Wanaka or Queenstown so gives ordinary Kiwis an opportunity for a holiday home.

Obsequious hypocrite

kiwi_64

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#2054954 12-Jul-2018 12:32

Wheelbarrow01:

the Dole pineapple plantation (my gf had VERY low expectations of the last one but she loved it lol)

The real pineapple snow freeze ice cream from there is awesome!

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networkn

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#2054959 12-Jul-2018 12:40

If you are in Hawaii, get shaved ice. From one of the top places on tripadvisor. It will change your view on icecream!

Wheelbarrow01

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#2054975 12-Jul-2018 12:59

networkn:

Maui is my favourite place on earth to Holiday, there is some discussion around retiring there, though not for some time yet. Our favourite areas are Wailea where we stay every time, and Lahainia where we visit every time we go.

We try and be there during whale mating season and it's hard to beat sittting on the deck, with the BBQ cooking massive steaks, watching whales as the sun sets.

If you head back, and are a foodie, hit me up, and I can give you some *outstanding* places to eat.

I can understand why you'd want to retire there for sure - it was so peaceful in every way. We stayed at Hale Pau Hana in Wailea/Kihei. It's a fantastic place right on the beach with amazing uninterrupted views - I don't think I'd stay anywhere else i̶f̶ when we go back. I think next time we'd spend the entire duration of the trip on Maui, or maybe split it with Kauai - as recommended to us by fellow kiwi travellers who we happened to be sitting next to for dinner one night.

My one regret is that I didn't get more drone footage - but there were signs everywhere prohibiting it and I didn't want to be that guy...

Wheelbarrow01

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#2054980 12-Jul-2018 13:08

ObidiahSlope:

A shout out to WheelBarrow from a fellow Otematataite. Otematata doesn't have the silly real estate prices of inland lakeside holiday destinations like Tekapo Wanaka or Queenstown so gives ordinary Kiwis an opportunity for a holiday home.

Shhhhh, don't give them any ideas lol, we like that it's still a largely overlooked & secret town.....

But I agree, even Twizel's property prices + new developments have gone gangbusters the last few years. I didn't see that coming a decade ago...

networkn

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#2054983 12-Jul-2018 13:14

Wheelbarrow01:

I can understand why you'd want to retire there for sure - it was so peaceful in every way. We stayed at Hale Pau Hana in Wailea/Kihei. It's a fantastic place right on the beach with amazing uninterrupted views - I don't think I'd stay anywhere else i̶f̶ when we go back. I think next time we'd spend the entire duration of the trip on Maui, or maybe split it with Kauai - as recommended to us by fellow kiwi travellers who we happened to be sitting next to for dinner one night.

My one regret is that I didn't get more drone footage - but there were signs everywhere prohibiting it and I didn't want to be that guy...

I would *strongly* recommend against Drones or messing with Wildlife in Hawaii. There aren't many things that make them super mad, but those are two of them. They have ZERO tolerance. I get the impression you wouldn't anyway.

Not sure if you noticed, but very few places even sell them

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