December 2026 16 Night Itinerary. Would love feedback!

Hey folks! Planning a honeymoon over NYE. Been doing research and talking to the AIs. Here's the plan we've got so far. Curious if this sounds reasonable / are there glaring problems? Open to suggestions for improvement too!

SOUTH ISLAND — Car #1: pick up Christchurch Airport (Fri Dec 26 am) · drop Queenstown (Tue Dec 30)

Thu Dec 25 · Christchurch (1 night, no car) — Land at night, airport hotel, recover. (we're flying in from the US) Fri Dec 26 · → Lake Tekapo (~3 hr) — Pick up the car, drive down. Church of the Good Shepherd, Tekapo Springs. Night: dark-sky stargazing. Sat Dec 27 · Aoraki/Mt Cook day (~1.5 hr each way) — Past the Lake Pukaki lookout (Pelennor Fields); Hooker Valley or Kea Point walk. More stars back at Tekapo. Sun Dec 28 · → Wānaka (~2.5 hr over Lindis Pass) — Lakefront stroll, That Wānaka Tree. Mon Dec 29 · Wānaka — Blue Pools walk or a lazy lake day. Tue Dec 30 · → Queenstown (~1.5 hr over the Crown Range) — Drop Car #1 in Queenstown. Settle; Arrowtown or the lakefront. Wed Dec 31 · Queenstown — NYE — Easy day, then New Year's Eve on the lakefront with midnight fireworks. Thu Jan 1 · Queenstown — Slow recovery; the gondola or a lake cruise. Fri Jan 2 · Milford Sound — Full-day coach tour (~12 hr) with a fiord cruise. Sat Jan 3 · Glenorchy — Guided day-tour to Glenorchy and the Paradise/Dart Valley (Lothlórien & Isengard); the Onsen hot pools in the evening. Sun Jan 4 · fly Queenstown → Auckland (book a morning flight).

NORTH ISLAND — Car #2: pick up Auckland Airport (Sun Jan 4) · drop Auckland Airport (Fri Jan 9)

Sun Jan 4 · → Taupō (~3.5 hr) — Land, pick up the car, drive down. Arrive afternoon; Huka Falls. Easy evening after a travel day. Mon Jan 5 · Taupō — Geothermal country (Craters of the Moon or Orākei Kōrako) and lake time. Tue Jan 6 · Tongariro day — Mt Ngāuruhoe (Mt Doom): the Alpine Crossing (shuttle-assisted, strenuous) or shorter walks and viewpoints. Swap with Jan 5 if the mountain forecast is better that day — both nights are in Taupō, so it's flexible. Wed Jan 7 · → Rotorua (~1 hr) — Geothermal sights (Te Puia or Wai-O-Tapu), an evening Māori cultural experience. Thu Jan 8 · Rotorua — Polynesian Spa hot pools, the Redwoods walk, the lakes. Fri Jan 9 · → Auckland (~3 hr) via Hobbiton (the Shire) at Matamata, right on the route. Arrive Auckland evening; drop Car #2 at the airport and stay at an airport hotel (1 night). Sat Jan 10 · fly home.