Have you wanted to visit the land of Hobbits and kiwis? Maybe bungee jump off a cliff or take a jet boat down a river? This week we chat with Australian Melissa Delaware from Thrifty Family Travels about how to plan a two-week family vacation to the South Island of New Zealand.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Talking with Tamara about her Florida Trip

03:33 - Upcoming trip to DC

06:35 - Kim's upcoming cruise

08:48 - New Zealand

09:57 - Talking with Melissa

13:03 - Melissa's recent trip

13:55 - How long to spend in New Zealand

14:36 - Weather in New Zealand

16:25 - Where to go

17:38 - Flights onto the Islands

19:14 - Road Tripping the South Island

24:03 - Beautiful gorge and glaciers

29:45 - Queenstown

32:52 - Milford sound

35:18 - Mount Cook

36:57 - Wildlife

38:05 - Best age to go

39:40 - Budgeting tips

42:15 - Driving in New Zealand

43:30 - What to pack in the summer

45:38 - Favorite place to take a family photo

46:13 - Favorite travel gear

47:43 - Melissa's upcoming trip to Asia

48:41 - Review and Shout Out!!

ABOUT MELISSA DELAWARE

Melissa is the creator and writer for the Thrifty Family Travels website; which details her family's travels both locally and across the globe. Together they travel the world, experience new cultures, indulge in local delicacies, and explore every corner of our beautiful earth, navigating their way around the world. Thrifty Family Travels hope to inspire other families to travel and to show them all the fantastic places the world has to explore. Follow Melissa on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

NEW ZEALAND TRAVEL TIPS

• On a map New Zealand may seem on the small side but there are actually a lot of places to see. When planning a trip it is recommended to spend at least two weeks in New Zealand and pick either the North or South Island as two weeks isn't enough time to fully explore both.
• Most visitors will go to the South Island.
• Summer goes from December to February It usually starts snowing in June or July so if you are looking for a summer vacation spot New Zealand, is the opposite seasons as the US. The warmer months are between October and April.
• If you road trip the south island of New Zealand it is shaped so that you can basically drive in a circle to explore the island.
• If you are one that wants to explore the locations where the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed, there are different sets scattered around the South Island. But keep in mind that you will not find Hobbiton on the South island but on the North island in Matamata.
• Dunedin is known for its wildlife. So you really want to get up close with some animals like penguins, seals, or sea lions, this should be a location you have on your to do list when visiting New Zealand.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Melissa loved visiting the Karangahake Gorge and recommends taking a family photo in front of it. The contrasting colors of the water and the greenery make for a beautiful backdrop. But you can also pull over on the side of the road and take a beautiful photo anywhere along the trip.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Melissa loves to wear Merrell sandals, which are very comfortable to wear around for hiking or even in the city and to dinner.

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!