It’s been more than seven years since the last time we made this trip. The last time we crossed the ditch we had very little idea what to expect. Apart from snow – considering it was August and all.
I imagine we made the same mistake as a lot of folks do when they visit Aaustralia. They look at the map, think it is a lot smaller than it really is and think – yeah sure! Sydney to Cairns in one days drive is totally doable!
We crammed both islands into 17 days and given the airfares were so expensive, we aimed to go everywhere. The end result was some horrendous 12-16hr drives, often in abysmal conditions. We still enjoyed our trip but arrived home absolutely shattered.
This time we have 19 days but visiting the South Island only. Hopefully this will allow us more time to get off the beaten track and see more of the fabled “real” New Zealand.
Time will tell whether this is doable or not. 
I am sure you can do it Kay, & try to check out the chinese walk in the little town outside of Queenstown
Looking forward to your photos……will you be catching up with Di?????
Have fun….enjoy every minute.