Flighthacker

Photo Credit: slack13

Well, when I’m not writing, performing the day-job or watching Tour de France, I seem to be doing one thing quite successfully – booking holidays for other people. So when I do get the pleasure of booking a trip for myself, I have the bargain radar well honed  and those specials be quakin’ in their boots.

The mission: Fill a 5-day, 6-night itinerary with fun (and not too pricey), Winter things to do in Christchurch and Queenstown, New Zealand. With a fistful of Australian dollars, this wasn’t to hard at all (all prices are in AUD).

Night 1 – Christchurch: Arrive late in Queenstown on Jetstar, $300 return. Crash out at the Ibis Christchurch (I managed to rustle up this one up a few months ago using the infamous HotelClub hack, usual retail $100 pn). Check the Accor Hotels website as you can get good deals on centrally-located hotels and resorts.

Day 2 – Christchurch/Queenstown: Explore Christchurch on foot/by tram. Fly down to Queenstown via Jetstar (was Qantas, $140 return), settle in at the Novotel Queenstown Lakeside (another hack special, $127 pn rrp). That night, ride the Queenstown Gondola and enjoy dinner ($57).

Day 3 – The Remarkables / Queenstown: Ski madness at The Remarkables! Two-day adult starter packs (including 2-days of gear hire, lift passes, lessons and bus transfers to Queenstown) can be purchased online direct from the resort for $210. A 50-minute drive out of Queenstown, The Remarkables are cheaper, quieter and have more beginners’ runs than Coronet Peak. Transfer to Queenstown, enjoy the apres and crash out.

Day 4 – The Remarkables / Queenstown: Day 2 of falling over awkwardly at The Remarkables. Once well damaged, transfer to Queenstown, enjoy a local dinner, then check-in at the Queenstown Onsen. Listed by TripAdvisor as the #1 activity in Queenstown, you can book a hot pool for up to 4 people at any time of the year – a perfect treat for ski-battered limbs. Prices start from $25 for an hour of slow-cook bliss.

Day 5 – Milford Sound: An early start to join the Milford Sound day-tour, courtesy of NakedBus.com. NakedBus offer the cheapest Milford Sound day-tours ex. Queenstown hands-down, starting from $70. Personally I paid $100, which is still great value, as it includes Milford Sound transfers by bus and a 1oo-minute boat cruise. Tour returns to Queenstown at 7:15pm, at which point, I’ll certainly be in a good mood to gloat over my photos over dinner and crash.

Day 6 – Queenstown/Christchurch: Time for last-minute shopping and sightseeing. Fly Jetstar back to Christchurch, settle back at the Ibis Christchurch, dinner at the Pinnacle Restaurant atop the Christchurch Gondola (yes, another gondola, $10 plus dinner). Fight the sleepies. Fly out early the following morning, end of tour. Phew!

I hope some of you find this itinerary to be useful when planning your own South Island short-breaks. If you’re one of over one-million Aussies that have visited New Zealand in the last 12 months, please do share your experiences – I’ll be heading over there in two weeks, so y’all have something to teach me.

Watch out, New Zealand! Flighthacker is coming!

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