[seayork2002]

We are thinking about going there in the September schools holidays for a week to the South Island. We were going to hire a camper but are now thinking of basing ourselves and doing organised day trips and/or hiring a car. We love food/books/wine/mountains (not skiing perhaps) and maybe a little hiking, We won't be doing any extreme sports/bunjee jumping etc. though

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

[chickenpants]

I think it all depends on what area of the south island you are going to base yourself in.

I prefer the Southland/Otago areas, make sure you do check out Christchurch and Dunedin on the way through though - the original architecture is awesome, especially in the Dunedin CBD/The Octagon.

Take a drive down from Dunedin through Milton and turn off to go across the country via Roxburgh & Alexandra. If you like fresh fruit this road is absolutely littered with orchards selling all manner of fruit from roadside stores, fresh from the trees/bushes. There are many pick-you-own places too, where you get to traipse through the orchards and pick your own fruit.

Also, try a Jimmy's Pie - their factory & store is at the entrance to Roxburgh. They are divine.

It's old goldmining country, so there is like 7 pubs along that stretch of road, which I find quite amusing.

Make sure you check out the little cathedral at Lake Tekapo - it is beautiful.

You could go Queenstown which, while it may be extreme sport central, is also a nice place to just hang. Take the gondalas up the hill, the view is glorious. Also the TSS Earnslaw is a magnificent paddle steamer on Lake Wakatipo which does tours of the lake and visits farms and whatnot. The lake itself is beautiful, but bloody cold!

A lot of the LOTR films were shot around that part of the country too and I'm pretty sure there are tours.

You could head over to Te Anau and have a look at the scenery, there are a few glaciers dotted about the place too. Plus the Milford Sound along the West coast.

That's just the south of the south.

[Foogle]

A week is not very long so I would concentrate on one particular area and settle in there. This would be my suggestion.

Fly into Queenstown but not stay there (too manic and crazy). Instead, hire a car at Queenstown airport and drive to Arrowtown. It's only 20 minutes away but really a world away.

Stay somewhere like this.

Visit some wineries (plenty to choose from) in easy reach of Arrowtown, take day walking treks and generally relax and enjoy that particular region.

Mountains abound so that's a given. Enjoy.