i will be flying to australia on february 2008, i want to cross to new zealand. any tips on how much and how?

Question

i would like to tour new zealand. but i will be working on a budget. im looking for a cheapest suggestion. thank you!

Answer 1

G'day Maryanne.
Airfare prices depend on what part of Australia you are flying out of (eg Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney) to New Zealand. On a good airfare you can pick one up for $199. I have always found Virgin Blue to be the cheapest personally as I always fly from Brisbane to Christchurch. Most flights get in around midnight.
Flight time is around 2.5 hours, but by the time you are at the airport 1-2 hours ahead as they require you to be, then getting off the plane the other end and through customs you are looking at a good 6 hours. . .so look it as a day trip!

You can sign up to the following airlines for their specials so you can keep an eye on the fares.
http://www.jetstar.com/au/index.html
http://virginblue.com.au/
http://www.qantas.com.au
http://www.airfaresflights.com.au
For flights within NZ (and some to Australia) these are the cheapest deals - http://flightbookings.airnewzealand.co.nz/vgrabview/ Keep looking as it changes all the time. Quite often they have fares for a dollar!

Activities in NZ.
You can create your own customized itinerary for travelling in New Zealand according to your own preferences and budget here http://www.nzyourway.com
If you google 'travel NZ on a budget' there is plenty of Travel adventure discounts.

My top picks in NZ are (and I think the South Island is way much nicer to travel) ::
Top of the south island - Nelson is a must with the great beaches, vineyards, outdoor adventure and art centres. http://www.nelsonnz.com

See Abel Tasman National park (very easy walk along the coast line etc) http://www.abeltasman.co.nz - http://www.aquataxi.co.nz
Christchurch's International Antarctic Centre - http://www.iceberg.co.nz
Christchurch, the garden city - http://www.christchurchnz.net/visitchch
Franz Joseph Glacier - http://www.franzjosefglacier.com

For a real budget, free is the way to go, take a look at http://www.dosomething.co.nz and http://visitnz.co.nz/regions.htm - Lists things to do my regions for sightseeing and what the region is all about.
For Instance:::

Marlborough - "the wine and food capital of the country"
Nelson/Golden Bay - "hops and crops and crafts"
Canterbury - "Christchurch . . . a garden city more English than England
The West Coast - "a heritage of mining shapes the land and the people"
Mount Cook to Wanaka - "magnificent mountains and picture-perfect lake, winter sports and the worlds most beautiful fighting machines"
Queenstown and Central Otago - "the adventure centre of the Pacific"
Dunedin - "The Antipodean Edinburgh "
Fiordland "a raw, elemental, awe-inspiring landscape"
Southland - "of oysters, tuataras, bootleg hooch . . . and solitude"

Have a great trip