Get used to the new time zone and go for a small walk/shopping in Auckland. Accommodate in City Lodge Vincent Street for 2 nights. Picture is from The Jewel Changi Airport from Singapor, where we had nearly 5 hours layover.

Pick up your rented car at Omega Rental Cars in central Auckland at 8:00 sharp. Drive to Kauri Walk, Puketi Forest for 3.5 hours. Rather quickly take the loop walk through the forest. Have a sandwich for lunch on the way during your drive/walk. Drive for 45 minutes to Paihia for your pre-booked cruise Discover the Bay Cruise departing at 2:00pm. With a little bit of luck you pay only 65 NZD. You will get dinner as part of the cruise. Drive for 3 hours back to your hotel in Auckland - arriving rather late at around 9:30pm. Pay 25 NZD for parking place at the hotel - make a reservation at least 1 day ahead.

Drive for 2.5 hours to Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Book all 3 caves ahead: first at 10:30am, second 12:00pm, third 2:30pm. Pick the combo ticket for 100 NZD. Enjoy all 3 caves. All of them are very much worth it - their content is different from each other and does not repeat. You will not regret it. Have a snack after you finish the first cave - optionally buy food on the premises. There will be a very short drive between all 3 caves - moving from one car park to another. Refill you water bottle after the second cave! There is no refill at the 3rd cave. At 3:45pm drive for 1.5 hours to Hobbiton Movie Set, where you had booked your guided tour for 5:30pm (= the last one when sun sets). Enjoy the tour (https://www.hobbitontours.com/en/experiences/hobbiton-movie-set-tour). You will be 84 NZD shorter after this trip. At 7:30pm drive for 1 hour to Rotoura. Accommodate at Sunny home, 61 Pegasus Drive Westbrook Rotorua 3015 for 2 nights.

Drive for 1 hour to Waimangu geothermal area (https://www.waimangu.co.nz/). Time it well, as you will want to take the bus back to the visitor's office (entrance). So mind the time while walking. The bus interval is around 1 hour and you don't want to wait that long. You will be 42 NZD shorter after you enter. Drive for 20 minutes to Kerosene Creek and enjoy the warm thermal water! Have some snack while you are there. Drive for 15 minutes to Crater Lake walk. Go check the Crater Lake and return back to the car park. This is a return trip for max 1 hour. Drive for 1 hour to Redwoods - Whakarewarewa Forest, where you must take the 2 hours long Pohaturoa Track. It will give you a distant view to both Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village and Te Puia, which you will miss. On the way back to your hotel, stop at PAK'nSAVE Rotorua and make some provision of food for your future days.

Drive for 1.25 hour to Wai-O-Tapu geothermal area (https://www.waiotapu.co.nz/). Timing is essential here. Buy entrance ticket online in advance and arrive latest at 10:15am directly to Lady Knox Geyser. If you have still time, make a stop at Mud pool. Optionally take advantage of all tourists being at 10:15 at the Lady Knox geyser, which is not that great if you had already been to Yellowstone, and start your geothermal tour with nobody around you. You will be 32.50 NZD shorter after your entry. After about 2 hours, have a snack for lunch and walk (don't drive) to check the Hot and cold pools - just don't put your head under water! Drive for 1 hour to Orakei Korako Geothermal Park & Cave - this is as good as the Wai-O-Tapu if not even better, but not as much crowded. If you have time for just 1 area this day, definitely pick the latter. You will be 39 NZD shorter after your entry (https://www.orakeikorako.co.nz/). Drive for 1 hour to Huka Falls. Stop at the top view lookout (take pictures only) and then drive to the bottom park place, where you will go for a short walk. Eventually drive for another hour to Turangi. Accomodate at Riverstone Backpackers, Turangi, Tongariro for 2 nights.

Book in advance the bus shuttle (http://www.tongarirocrossing.com) for 36 NZD, without which you can not do the track. Strongly recommended is the very first bus departing at 5:30am, if you don't want to be surrounded by crowds. This will pay off very much, you will get some great picture without anybody! Prepare for walking the first 30 minutes in complete darkness - take a headlight. If you start as early as the bus 5:30am, you will reach the parking lot as soon as 2pm.

Drive south for 2 hours to The Wool company (thewoolcompany.co.nz) and buy some merino clothes for a very good price (if not the best). Drive for another 4 hours to Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve. On the way make some great photos of the coast scenery. At the Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve: take the loop lookout trail (1.5 hours) and start with the LEFT part - clockwise direction. After you get back to the ground level from the hill, turn left and go to the Pinnacles valley and check the pinacles from near. Watch Dimholt Road in "LotR: Return of the King" (Paths of the Dead) before you go there. If you have time, go check the Te Kawakawa Rocks at the southernmost part of the north island. Drive for another 2 hours to Wellington, where you check in for 1 night at The Dwellington

Enjoy free breakfast. Leave your luggage in the hostel and walk to the Te Papa museum. It opens at 10:00am, so time it well. The entry is free. After you have seen the Mauri houses and the nature section, have some lunch in the buffet at the ground floor. Go for a walk through the city and do some great shopping. If you have time for the funicular, take it to the gardens. Be back at your hotel latest 2:30pm. Drive to the Omega Rental Cars office near the Interislander ferry. Make sure to fill up your tank full before that. Omega Rental Cars will give you a shuttle drive to the ferry terminal. Check-in for your Interislander ferry is at 3pm and it departs at 4pm. You will be 66 NZD shorter after this trip. Enjoy the 3.5 hours ride! When you disembark the ferry terminal in Picton, your new Omega Rentals Car will be waiting for you just outside. Don't worry it will be after their closing hours. Drive for 2 hours to Nelson. Check in for 2 nights at The Prince Albert Backpackers & Bar.

Enjoy free breakfast. Drive for an hour to Abel Tasman National Park to Marahau to Abel Tasman Kayaks office, where you had previously online booked the Earth, Sea & Sky 1 day kayak trip for 225 NZD (https://www.abeltasmankayaks.co.nz/guided-tours/earth/). Check-in is at 8:15 am. Make sure you have your swimming suit and sun cream with you. Sandals are also recommended. Enjoy one of the best trips in your life! When you return to the agency's office, you will be able to shower (towel provided) before you enter your car. Drive back to your hotel in Nelson, check Split Apple Rock Moonraker Way, Kaiteriteri on the way back! Make sure you take advantage of the offered discounted meal for accommodated guests.

Enjoy free breakfast. Drive to Richmond's PAK'nSAVE and make some provisions of food for your future trips! Drive for 3.5 hours to Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes Walk. Stop for a few lookouts on the way, when you reach the coast. Drive for another hour to Hokitika. If the weather and time is right, drive for 30 minutes to the Hokitika Gorge. Then drive back to Hokitika. Check in for 1 night at Mountain Jade Backpackers.

If you did not make it to Hokitika Gorge the previous day, drive there now. Enjoy the walk! Drive back to Hokitika (30 mins) and continue to Franz Josef Glacier (1 hour). Drive to the car park, from which you can approach the closest lookout view to the glacier. Go for the short walk. Drive for 30 minutes to Fox Glacier. Take the walk on the right side of the river, which originates in the glacier, going upriver. Leave your car at the parking lot just behind the bridge on the left. At some point you will enter the forest and this will be your day's highlight. After you had walked to the most distant glacier lookout, go back to car and drive for 15 minutes to Lake Matheson. Enjoy the walk and take all the pictures you can with the lake's reflection. Drive back to Fox Glacier city and check in for 1 night at Ivorytowers Backpacker Lodge.

Drive to Knights Point Lookout and have a look. Drive to Ship Creek / Swamp Forest Walk do the both walks (1.5 hours). The swamp walk will be your day's highlight. Drive to Thunder Creek Falls and take a quick look (10 minutes). Drive to Fantail Falls and take another quick look (10 minutes). Drive to Haast Pass Lookout and go for the 1 hour return trip to the lookout. Drive to Blue Pools Track and go for the 1.5 hours return trip to see the blue pools. Take your swim suit with if you don't mind cold water. Drive further to Wanaka and stop to take a picture at Lake Hawea Lookout. Park very close to That Wanaka Tree and go take your picture. Drive in the direction to Queenstown and go take a picture of LotR: The Pillars of the king. Be careful on the uneven road, where you can hardly pass a vehicle going in the oposit direction. Drive to Queenstown. Check in for 3 nights at The Flaming Kiwi Backpackers - BBH.

This day could be exchanged with day 14 based on the weather. Drive for 1 hour to Routeburn Shelter Parking. Make sure to park latest 9:00am. Go for the most beautiful hike you can imagine. You can have a peak at Forge Flat on the way. Eat your snacks for lunch at Routeburn Falls Hut. Continue to the top to Harris Shelter passing spectacular Lake Harris. Then go all the way back to the parking lot. The roundtrip should take you about 9 hours with all your stops. There will be a place, where you can refill your water bottle: in a small river running under a white (approx. 5 meters wide) bridge. Drive 1 hour back to your hotel.

This day could be exchanged with day 13 based on the weather. Walk to the cabel car bottom station. Take the ride up and take some great pictures. Then ride back down. You will be 44 NZD shorter after the ride. Walk to the city center, buy some souvenirs and enjoy the central park (Queenstown garden) with some of the most amazing trees. And have lunch at Big Fig Queenstown. Go back to your hotel and drive to Moke Lake. Park at the north camping place. Take the 2 hours trip around the lake. Drive back to your hotel. Optional: instead of one of the above, take the TSS Earnslaw Steamship Cruise. It was very much recommended to us, but we did not take it.

Check out from your hotel and leave all luggage at the premises or in your car. Let yourself be picked up by the bus from the DartRiver agency (https://www.dartriver.co.nz/) at 7:55am. The whole trip will cost you 250 NZD, but it's very much worth it. The bus will take you to Glenorchy, where you board the jet boat. Enjoy the ride and then enjoy the guided tour through the forrest, which includes several referrences to the LotR. The bus will drop you off shortly after noon, so you will have enough time to have lunch in the city center. Go back to your car and drive for 2 hours to Te Anau. Check in for 1 night at Te Anau Lakefront Backpackers - BBH

If the situation allows, drive to Milford Sound, where you take a ship cruise for 1.5 hours (95 NZD). Due to the recent floods we had to take the bus to and from Milford Sound (195 NZD including the ship). https://www.realjourneys.co.nz Enjoy the way to Milford Sound, especially the area close to the tunnel. Make sure you stop at Mirror lakes on the way. When you return to Te Anau, drive for 5 hours to Lake Ohau. Check in for 2 nights at The Barn at Killin B&B, which will be one of your best accommodations in your life.

Enjoy the delicious breakfast! Drive for 1 hour to Mt. Cook village. Take the 3 hours return Hooker valley track. Enjoy the view to Mt. Cook! If there are clouds, wait for them to dissolve :) Enjoy the drive past Lake Pukaki and take some picture of the aquamarine color on the way back. Drive for 1.25 hours to Clay Cliffs and prepare 5 NZD to throw into the entrance pay box. Enjoy the 30 minutes walk around the cliffs. Return to your hotel for a lovely dinner (check ahead with the hosts).

Enjoy the delicious breakfast! Drive for 1 hour to Lake Tekapo, park just in front of the Church of the Good Shepherd! Go for a small walk along the lake's coast (30 minutes). Drive for 30 minutes to Fairlie Bakehouse, where you will have delicious pies for lunch! Eat as many as you manage, this is your best meal in NZ. Drive for 2-3 hours to Castle hill / Kura Tawhiti Track. Enjoy the walk among the rock boulders for at least 1.5 hours. Drive for 1 hour to Christchurch, where you check in for 1 night at Energetic Healthy Homestay.

Enjoy free breakfast! Drive for 1.5 hours to Akaroa Wharf to the BlackCat office (blackcat.co.nz) for check in for your 11:30 tour. Take the TOURIST DRIVE in Akaroa (make sure you have enough time). Park you car latest 11am in order to make it for the 11:15 check in. Enjoy the swimming with the dolphins (https://blackcat.co.nz/swimming-with-dolphins/)! (3 hours tour) You will be 185 NZD shorter after this trip. Drive back for 1.5 hours to central Christchurch and check the damaged cathedral. Drive to the airport and fly to Auckalnd. Your plane departs at 8:10pm. Arrive to the rental cars parking lot latest 6:00pm. Check in for 1 night in Auckland at YHA Auckland City Backpackers Liverpool Street.

Leave luggage at the hostel. Take part of the Coast to coast walk. Check the Auckland domain with view to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Take the Skybus (17 NZD) to the airport. Your flight departs at 3:15pm.

You might have noticed and wondered, if there was always a time for a proper lunch or dinner. The answer is "there wasn't". For those cases buy instant meal in a powder. We bought 8 packs of MANA powder (2x one box packing) drinkmana.co.uk. We used it whenever there was no time for having the lunch/dinner or no time to buy groceries.

Renting a car: Omega Rental Cars (www.omegarentalcars.com) provided the best deal. You don't pay for returning the car in a different location. You are allowed to pick up and/or drop off the car at a time, which is outside business hours of the given office. We booked Toyota Corolla Hatch Premium with Gold insurance (it was our first time driving on the left) as follows: First 7 days for 70 NZD per day (total 490 NZD). Last 11 days for 64 NZD (total 745 NZD with later drop off fee). The cars were perfect. Especially the smooth transaction from the first car to the second. We spent approximately 1000 NZD on the fuel for the whole 18 days.