Let’s start planning my NZ 14 trip!
What does everyone do lift ticket wise?
Bear in mind the fact that Jucy Rentals have been running a Treble Cone promo for years, where you get a free day pass for every day of vehicle hire (up to six consecutive days).
TC is a great resort, and the whole ‘only good if there’s fresh pow’ thing is total crap. If you’re a decent rider, TC’s heaps of fun - pow just makes it better. If all you can ride is park, you may find TC lacking as it’s more a freeride resort, but other than that, it’s gold.
Just skimmed super fast through this thread. As you already know, I did a camper van tour in a Jucy in NZ the winter just gone. Here’s the thread: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/14857/
The free lift pass at Treble Cone was a good perk. We only did the one day there though but still handy.
The Jucy van was fine driving up the mountains. We had chains but luckily never needed them. Petrol in NZ is crazy expensive!
I highly rate the route we took but the whole country is beautiful so I don’t think you can go too wrong.
If you have any specific questions I’m happy to help out.
Cool mate, happy to help with whatever you need.
One thing I’d advise is not to do the West Coast on your first trip to NZ. The inland route from Christchurch to Queenstown is FAR better in my opinion.
Thanks mate appreciate it.
OK definitely interested in hearing why the inland route is far better? Keeping in mind this isn’t a pure snowboarding holiday and will be a bit touristy/sightseeing based I thought the west coast route took in a lot of the major landmarks a long the way which I was quite looking forward to. Nothing is locked down though so I’m all ears.
Can you do both?
Fly in to CC and drive inland to Queenstown then back the long way of the west coast?
I did the west coast the last time i was in NZ and can’t believe I hadn’t done it previously (5th trip)
And well if you are a LOTR fan its a must do!
Yeah as Miz said the plan had been fly into CC and depart QT but no nothing is booked yet (got close the other day but have been pretty busy so forgot all about it) So if the round trip is vastly better than I can certainly do it but I also don’t want to be stuck driving rather than sightseeing/boarding keeping in mind I’ll be doing it by myself.
Good to hear you were impressed by the west coast as well it sounds like I’m a little spoilt for choice! I doubt this will be my one and only NZ trip.
Bear in mind the fact that Jucy Rentals have been running a Treble Cone promo for years, where you get a free day pass for every day of vehicle hire (up to six consecutive days).
TC is a great resort, and the whole ‘only good if there’s fresh pow’ thing is total crap. If you’re a decent rider, TC’s heaps of fun - pow just makes it better. If all you can ride is park, you may find TC lacking as it’s more a freeride resort, but other than that, it’s gold.
Wow did not know that. That’s amazing value! I’ll be all over that. Hang on isn’t freeride and park the same thing??? J/K 
I’m definitely more on the freeride side of things than park (which frankly I suck balls at) so that would suit me just fine.
Just skimmed super fast through this thread. As you already know, I did a camper van tour in a Jucy in NZ the winter just gone. Here’s the thread: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/14857/
If you have any specific questions I’m happy to help out.
Thanks Dan will definitely sit down and have a read through your TR ASAP (not tonight falling asleep at the kb) as from what I’ve gathered I’m after a very similar trip to what you did.
Will definitely get you to expand on the mountain drive/petrol, what you did for bedding/drying gear situation as well as some other things after I’ve had a read through your stuff.
Thanks everyone just absorbed a whole bunch of great info!
DRC I don’t think you can go wrong with either route!
But one thing to consider is the flight cost and also the potential drop off rates or penalties for doing a one way rental with the Juicy van?
I have no idea if it is even an issue but it could be.
And paying a higher cost to fly in or out of QT combine with a premium to drop the van off at a different location could be the deciding factor.
Okay cause you know I can’t help it… I just looked.
Just looked at renting a camper from QT to CC 22/7/14 - 28/7/14.
Noticed there was nothing about a premium for drop it back to a different location.
BUT I did notice there seems to be an additional charge of $15 a day for “premium location”
Wondering if that was a loop hole for dropping off at a different location I then searched for the same but CC to CC.
This time the “premium location” charge was only $10 a day!
So at least factor the $10 a day in to your budgeting! That’s a MASSIVE add on considering the daily rate is $30! 
Okay cause you know I can’t help it… I just looked.
Thanks Kim appreciate you looking into it. Life has got in the way of any further planning but just had a quick look at the van option for me and it looks like the $10 is a one off payment. Here is the breakdown of my travel dates (only issue is I would arrive very late on the 28th so would have to look into if i could pick up the van or have to stay overnight somewhere.
Pick Up: 28 June 2014, 11:00 from Christchurch Airport JUCY Rental office
Drop Off: 12 July 2014, 10:00 at Queenstown Airport JUCY Rental office
JULY 2014 15 days @ $29.80 $447.00
3. Risk-Taker ($3000 excess / $3000 bond) Daily at $0.00 $0.00
Credit card fee Fixed at $9.94 $9.94
Premium Location Fee Fixed at $10.00 $10.00
Snow Chains Fixed at $40.00 $40.00
Pay In Full Discount of $15.30 $-15.30
TOTAL COST (incl. GST)
NZD $491.64
With the TC ticket deal it still seems like a steal to me!
Booked a 1 way ticket to Christchurch yesterday!
Surprisingly return (multi-city) flights weren’t much cheaper and snapping up this one way trip was pretty much the only flight that arrived at 2pm rather than 1am meaning I can pick up the van straight away other than having to sort out transfers/accommodation for the first night.
Keeping an eye out for a return flight from Queenstown now and starting to consider spending the extra and getting the bigger of the campervan options with the bed on the upper level giving me more living/storage room downstairs.
What’s with the 1am flights!!!!!
I thought most airports have curfews these days?????
I haven’t read the whole thread so I apologise if re-hashing here;
The stand-out of my last NZ trip, other than catching up with friends for a week at Queenstown, was the heli-hike we did on Fox Glascier. More to the point, walking through ice caves inside the glacier, it was absolutely spectacular.
I was keen to go buy some crampons and hike up Fox Glacier on our own but my fiance put her foot down and I’m glad she did as there is no way I would have gone so far into the ice cave if I wasn’t with a guide. I don’t know if they’re always this good but we went a long way into the glacier and we were in there for a long time. There were a few who didn’t like it because it is very claustrophobic but for me it was by far the highlight of the trip
You don’t have to do the heli-hike to go into the ice caves, you can go in on the full day hike as well but if you’re going to pay to go on the glacier make sure you get to go inside it because that’s the bit that’s worth it.
On this day the clouds cleared enough for us to get a photo of the glacier from the entrance road to Gillespies Beach camp site (free camp).
These are a couple of the photos I got from inside the glacier.
That last photo is eerily cool!
That last photo is eerily cool!
Yeah I got a heap like that, looking up through the ice. I tried to upload some more but they’ve decided not work.
The stand-out of my last NZ trip, other than catching up with friends for a week at Queenstown, was the heli-hike we did on Fox Glascier. More to the point, walking through ice caves inside the glacier, it was absolutely spectacular.
Thanks for the tips and photos!
Really looking forward to spending some time in the glaciers. I’ll be packing my snowboarding gear but activities like this will mean I’ll have a great time even if there isn’t any snow!
I hope I’m not hijacking your thread but here are a few of the highlights from the 600 odd photos we took on our last NZ trip. I hope it gives you some ideas. We haven’t done Fiordland yet, first adventure there is the Kepler track at Easter.
I don’t know what it is like now but but Christchurch was a real eye opener
Castle Rocks in Arthurs Pass has some pretty cool places to see
Some cool rocks someone else who left before we arrived stacked at Gillespies Beach free camp site
Some more shots from Fox Glacier
Mount Cook National Park has some pretty awesome scenery
And finally an absolute MUST do if you head to Wanaka, Roys peak. It has to be one of the most spectacular half day hikes in the world. Don’t plan on doing anything after it though, it’s tough going.
View from Roys Peak
Loved NZ last few seasons!!! Seriously considering moving over to the Wanaka area at the end do this year to live for a few years.
we are also considering moving to wanaka at some point in the next couple of years. It is so ace there!