Quote:
Originally Posted by Corral
Bring lots of warm clothes and rain gear - it will be cool and wet. It is ski season in August on the south Island - remember that especially if you go to Queenstown - it will be like hitting Banff in March. Personally i'd give Queenstown a miss - its like a Banff/Kelowna mix.
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On the skiing down here:
If you're into skiing/snowboarding in the rockies, you will be very, very disappointed. The hills are small, the snow is hit and miss (mostly miss), and they are lacking the infrastructure that you see at Canadian ski hills. Plus the town is in a major boom phase where there isn't enough accommodation for all the visitors and residents, so everything ends up being extra expensive.
I'll second what the others have said about Raglan - it's where I learned to surf and just such a nice laid back little town. I really like Abel Tasman and that area at the top of the South Island, Kaikoura just north of Christchurch is another favourite. And if you're ending in Invercargill then you absolutely have to spend some time in the Catlins, the bottom corner of the island.
Send me a PM if you want more info, I'd be happy to provide any advice I can!