If you haven’t selected an outfitter yet, Jim
@NEW ZEALAND SAFARIS is outstanding. I highly recommend hunting with him.
My wife and I I toured the South Island for few days prior to our hunt.. Queenstown has a lot to offer… great food, lots of really nice Air BnB options, the gondola up the mountain is worth doing..
Christchurch has a lot to offfer as well… again great food, plenty of great places to stay, some really cool museums, etc..
Mt Cook was a neat day trip…
The little town surrounding the Hanmer Springs hot spring baths are really nice as well…
Don’t miss the Fairlie Bakehouse that’s just a few miles from Jim’s lodge… bar none the best New Zealand savory meat pies on the island… we literally visited 3 times… and ate pies at probably a half dozen different places while we were there..
Hokatika Gorge is another don’t miss item… the hike is stunningly beautiful… and the bridge over the gorge makes for stunning photography…
Call Gary at Von Gruff knives and stop in for a visit to his shop… he’s a super nice and accommodating guy… and one of his hand made custom hunting knives is a perfect memento for a hunting trip to New Zealand… he does exceptional work and his knives are very reasonably priced…
Don’t be afraid to rent a car and drive the island.. just getting from place to place is an adventure in and of itself and the views and vistas you’ll catch just driving down the road are incredible.. you’ll be on the wrong side of the road and wrong side of the car… but speed limits are pretty low all over the island and New Zealanders are courteous drivers.. we had no problems at all…
We stayed in Air BnBs our entire trip.. no hotels.. we found the Air BnBs more affordable, more comfortable, and more convenient than hotel options.. especially in the more rural areas…
