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New Zealand in June

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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Hi there!

This summer, I will be travelling the globe, and it'll be work related. I work for a company that does broadcast equipment rack installs. So we'll be in Poland for the Eurocup Soccer, then head to New Zealand and London for Olympics.

In between Eurocup and Auckland, I have 9 days off. I can choose to fly home to Canada (really don't want to), or I can fly to Auckland early and have my vacation before I begin a month straight of incredibly busy work.

Below is my work schedule,

Eurocup (Warsaw, Poland)
May 12-29

Auckland, New Zealand
June 8-29

Eurocup to Olympics (Poland to London)
June 29- July 17


My original plan was the go to NZ a week early, and ski. Seeing how I'm coming right from Poland though, I don't think I'll be wanting to bring my skis with me. However, I'll carry my boots and everything else around if there is the possibility I will be able to rent or borrow park skis from someone/somewhere.

My other option is to actually do the tourist thing. I've been told you guys have a beautiful country, and I'd love to see it all.

So I come to NZ regionals with a few questions.

What are the chances of me skiing park or some stuff if I don't bring my own park skis?
What are some places of interest in New Zealand that I should go check out?
and
Does anyone want to travel around with me?

The last question would be my favourite. I'd love to go explore your country with a fellow skier.

That is all,
Feel free to PM me if you'd like, or just respond here.

Mason

Jan 25 2012 11:25AM
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Flozz
Posts: 144 - Karma: 13
We'd have to be really lucky to be skiing by the first week of June tbh. I think most resorts schedule to start opening mid June onwards and last season didn't reealy start going till well into July (tho thats not the norm).

If I were you I'd not plan on being able to ski. It shouldn't be too hard to spend a week doing other stuff though. If you're gonna be in Auckland anyway maybe check out some other parts of the country in your week off? You'll most probably need a car if you plan on checking out stuff outside of the main centres however.

Just keep in mind that heaps of the awesome things to do here are outside based and the weather can be pretty shit (wet and cold) at this time of the year (not always the case).

Hit me up if you have any more questions and i'll try and help out. Enjoy NZ!
Feb 1 2012 1:30AM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Thanks man!

I don't think I'll be bringing my skis.
I have the 9 days in NZ to travel the island(s). Sadly, I'll only be 21, and I don't think I'll be able to rent a car.

I'm also wondering what the hostel situations are like down there. Plenty of them?

I might start in Auckland, tour the islands off the east coast for awhile, then head more south. I'll probably only have time to visit the northern island.
Feb 1 2012 1:33AM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40

If you were wanting to get some skiing in you could hit up snowplanet one day (indoor ski slope, 30 mins north of Auckland). There are heaps of hostels around in Auckland so you should hopefully have no problems there.

http://www.bbh.co.nz/   <--hostels link

I live in auckland, so if you have any questions, PM me!

Feb 2 2012 12:20AM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
I'll probably just tour around hostel to hostel until I have to head back to work, probably staying rather close to Auckland
Feb 2 2012 9:17PM
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sick-as-aids
Posts: 3453 - Karma: 1,007
DONT go to snowplannet.

If you want to do the tourist thing, come to Queenstown. From there, many amazing places are within a day trip. You can ski, if theres snow, (wont be hard to find some skis), or you can rent a car (and you can if your u21 no worries, Juicy rentals) and travel to the west coast or dunedin. All the cool scenery is in the south island, its where the big fiordlands are etc. The north island tourist thing is mainly based around maori culture and boring shit like that.

Hostels in queenstown is easy, there are lots of backpackers, check out BASE or Deco's. The same with wanaka.

So in conclusion, bring your boots, come to queenstown, and expect to either do the tourist thing, or the ski thing, and regardless have a rad time

Feb 22 2012 2:27PM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Not going to ski anymore, and huge possibility of my girlfriend cl
Feb 22 2012 7:33PM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Girlfriend coming down. Since I can only fly to Auckland, I think I'm going to stick to the northern island. If I can rent a car at the age of 21, that'll be pretty sweet. So whatever the tourist thing is on the northern island, I'll be doing that. Thanks to everyone!
Feb 22 2012 7:35PM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Try and get to rotorua (3 hrs from auckland) while your here, probably the best touristy spot in the north island, check out the maori culture and all the thermal activity (hotpools/mud pools)
Feb 23 2012 12:14AM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
I like the sound of this.


Any lakes or rivers worth checking out?

Like clear, deep, slow rivers to swim in?
Feb 23 2012 12:17AM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Rotorua is on lake rotorua which is pretty big, Blue lake is nice for swimming and water skiing (if someone is willing to give you a go!). There are heaps of other lakes but itll be winter so theyll be pretty cold!
Feb 23 2012 1:08AM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Ah fuck!, forgot about the winter again.

Thanks!

I'll have it all figured out soon.

Feb 23 2012 1:13AM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Visit an i-site when you get here, they have really good info, i think there is one at auckland airport.
Feb 23 2012 2:01AM
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remster
Posts: 898 - Karma: 261
Basically, this is what I would do if I was coming here and doing the touristy thing:

Pick up a car in Queenstown, stay a night or two, check out Wanaka then drive up the West Coast via the Haast Pass.
From there you could drive up via Fox and Franz Josef glaciers and through up to Hokitika or Greymouth (I'm in Greymouth). Hire a board and go surfing at Cobden-one of the sickest surf beaches around and an epic crew to go riding with. Not much tourist stuff in Greymouth except for the pancake rocks in Punakaiki which are pretty amazing.
Then via Greymouth i highly recommend going through Arthur's Pass. I make the drive from here to the ski fields every weekend in the winter (june-october). Arthurs pass is a sweet little mountain village which has like 2 backpacker hostels, a motel, a tearoom and a mean restaurant which do a dope venision ragout. The actual pass is a huge viaduct bridge and is beautifully scenic, very similar to Roger's Pass BC.  
From there you would go through to Christchurch to check out the destruction from the earthquake. Christchurch (350,000 people) has tonnes of stuff to do and you could fly out from there or drive back down to Queenstown via Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, the catlins through to invercargill (probably a two day trip. And from invercargill two hours back to queenstown maybe for a day or two skiing.

Also check out about Milford Sound- which is pretty interesting.
Mar 1 2012 3:14AM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Thanks man!

But I'm staying up on the northern island. My flight is to Auckland, and that's where I have to be again by the 7th or 8th of June. I don't really think I want to spend half my trip heading to the southern island.

Is there any where else worth checking out on the northern island?

And again, not skiing either.
Mar 2 2012 9:02PM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Waitomo caves, massive caves with glow worms and all that, also white water rafting there, its 2: hrs 30 mins from auckland. Would go there after rotorua maybe
Mar 2 2012 10:03PM
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remster
Posts: 898 - Karma: 261
Yeah i'm not really familiar with the north island. Maybe rotorua?
Mar 4 2012 3:22AM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
^^^ haha
Mar 4 2012 4:25AM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Oops sorry, yea already been said ^^
Mar 4 2012 4:25AM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Will check this out!

Thanks guys.

I'll probably just be wandering the northern island for the week until I have to go back to work.

No plan seems legit
Mar 7 2012 1:25AM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
PM me if you need any info!
Mar 7 2012 1:45AM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Bumping, just touched down in Auckland, any locals here?
Jun 1 2012 2:26AM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Yup! What plans you got for auckland?
Jun 1 2012 6:20PM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
None really. I'm downtown right now. Bought some Mons Royale. Today is just a mellow day. Tomorrow I might head to some islands, don't know about after that.
Jun 1 2012 7:30PM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Were you the guy in snowcentre this morning buying mons royale?
Jun 1 2012 11:09PM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
In the Minty Jiberish jacket? That was me.
Jun 1 2012 11:13PM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
I saw you, picking up your PEs.
Jun 1 2012 11:27PM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Yea that was me, have a good time in auckland!
Jun 2 2012 12:02AM
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rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,626
Thanks! It's a shame you're all young, I'd like to see some night while I'm here.
Jun 2 2012 1:25AM
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