u/harry_hotspur

I'm pescatarian and love to seek out unique dining experiences when I travel, mainly centered around seafood.

what are your most memorable seafood meals you've had in NZ?

For example, I found there's a couple roadside stops that sell just salmon sashimi (high country salmon/Mt cook alpine salmon), there's a hook and eat place in wanaka, and kaikorua has some crayfish spots. Also randomly found a trailer outside Jackson bay called "the craypot" which looks incredible and unique.

What else is out there?

I'm feeling pretty solid about the first half of our 17 day south island itinerary, but I am looking for advice on how to split the time with the second half, between queenstown and christchurch. our trip is in December. the only things currently booked and set in stone are the milford track dates, and all the flights. (in and out of akl, akl to zqn, chc to akl). everything else is flexible.

day 1: arrive akl 3pm, check in to hotel and keep it chill near the cbd

day 2: take the ferry to waiheke island, go wine tasting, have a nice meal somewhere either on the island or in the cbd

day 3: fly to queenstown in the am, check into airbnb, walk to cbd. possibly bike the lakeside track.

day 4: ben lomond track in morning with gondolas, or go for trail run solo without the wife. check in for milford track tour @ 3pm.

day 5: start milford track guided trip early in am

day 6: milford track

day 7: milford track

day 8: milford track

day 9: milford sound cruise as part of track tour, return to queenstown from milford track late afternoon, check into queenstown airbnb

day 10: uber to airport to pickup rental car, drive to wanaka, explore arrowtown, pitstop at cadrona hotel on way for lunch.

day 11: rob roy glacier track in am, stay in wanaka

day 12: drive to mt cook, hooker valley track in afternoon. stay at mt. cook

day 13: sealy tarns track in morning, stargazing in evening. stay at mt cook

day 14: drive to tekapo, rest day. maybe tekapo springs? honestly nothing here is really calling out to me but it seems commonly recommended.

day 15: stay in tekapo or christchurch? activities here?

day 16: drop off rental car, flight to akl at 1pm, check in to akl hotel, find something to do in the evening

day 17: depart akl at 3pm

big questions:

• how should i allocate the days/nights after day 10? most itineraries suggest stops in wanaka, mt cook, and lake tekapo. any other potential places to add?

• what activities do you recommend in wanaka, mt. cook, and lake tekapo?

• can anyone recommend any trail runs for me to do (up to 50km) in the second half of this itinerary? preferably in a way that is balanced with the already packed hiking schedule. i consider myself pretty fit but don't want to overdo it.

• would it potentially be worth driving up the west coast instead of doing this commonly suggested central itinerary?

• any alternative activities to recommend on the half day in queenstown day 3, or morning on day 4?

• must-hit restaurants, breweries, wineries, etc in any of these locations?

I'm a tourist considering signing up for the Valley Ultra (50k) in Castle Hill NZ, as i'll be in the area then and am wanting to do some trail running while on holiday and it's logistically the only one I could do. Can anyone speak to their experience doing this ultra? Do you recommend it? Would it be best to stay in Castle Hill (despite no services/food) or further out say Springfield or Arthur's Pass?