Ari's Planet

tongariro links
http://www.i-needtoknow.com/tongariro/links/index.html

bus services
http://www.nzs.com/travel/transportation/bus-services/

volunteer stuff
http://www.volunteer.org.nz/newzealand/ (pay to volunteer? good grief)
http://www.conservationvolunteers.org.nz/
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/oceania/solutions_country/n...

Visa extension
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/visit/

http://www.immigration.govt.nz
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/pointsindicator/
Can you emmigrate to NZ? There's a point system. If you have 140+ points and meet other criteria (good character, knowledge of English, etc.) you are accepted automatically. You get points, among other things, for having experience or degrees in fields in which NZ needs employees, e.g., medical professions and computers, for having an advanced degree or qualification, etc. There are other ways too, like sponsorship, family ties, etc.

Maybe a useful backpacker site
http://backpackerboard.co.nz/

Dental care and typical costs in NZ http://www.emigratenz.org/Dentist.html

Overall 4-6 week itinerary (LP) http://adventures.worldnomads.com/destination/153/itinerary/28.aspx

Costs http://www.backpack-newzealand.com/costs.html
Food $10 self, $15 out
Car $19/day (ace rentals)
Gas $500 bottom to top, more like $750 with side trips (or more)
Sleep $20 bed, $14 tent, $0 camp
Transport $1890
Car $19/day * 60 days = $1140
Gas $750
Sleep $680
30% bed * 60 days = 20 days * $20/day = $400
30% tent * 60 days = 20 days * $14/day = $280
30% camp = $0
Food $750
50% self * 60 days = 30 days * $10 = $300
50% prepared * 60 days = 30 days * $15 = $450
Total $1890 + $680 + $750 = $3320 = $2606 USD
About $1700/month = $1334 USD
Per year $1334 * 12 = 16000
Convert to USD x 0.785

Glow worms!
http://www.waitomo.com/waitomo-glowworm-caves.aspx

Penguins

Auckland Airport

It looks like I need an onward ticket to enter NZ. This really sucks since I like flexibility with cities and dates. Bah.

http://www.backpackerboard.co.nz

TONGARIRO NORTHERN CIRCUIT

If I show up to late, http://www.extremebackpackers.co.nz/tongariro_crossing.html can help.

http://www.volunteerabroad.com/NewZealand.cfm

Christchurch climate

http://www.airfaresflights.com.au/Weather/Christchurch
nice graphic min/max/rain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/weather/longterm/historical/data/ch...
more info, including wind, etc.

http://www.christchurchnz.com/canterbury/Climate/
this one has sunshine!

http://www.rssweather.com/climate/Massachusetts/Boston/
boston climate, my hometown (sort of), for comparison

boston in nov, christchurch in may (more or less the same season)
(from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/weather/longterm/historical/data/ch...
and http://www.rssweather.com/climate/Massachusetts/Boston/)

So Christchurch is kind of like Boston, only a little warmer and drier. Other parts of NZ? Well, pick your weather.

NZ climate

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/nature/nature-climate-and-weat...
http://www.wildwalks.co.nz/nz_weather.htm

Tramping in winter...without dying.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1567836&tstar...
Summary: A few suggestionsm, asking about June.

Yellow fever vaccine in New Zealand
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1574792&tstar...
Summary: a couple of clinics listed

Entry in NZ
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1566440&tstar...
Summary: get an onward ticket or airline may not board. (What about AU?)

Winter tramping in New Zealand
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1563076&tstar...
Queen Charlotte Track

Airport
http://www.auckland-airport.co.nz/

http://www.azworldairports.com/airports/a2180akl.cfm
(out of date)
Airlines Serving Airport: Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti, Air Vanuatu, Airwork, American Airlines Cargo, Ansett Australia, Asian Express Airlines, Atlas Air, i, Z Link, National, tional, iti Nui, ight NZ, Britannia Cargo, British Airways, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, ian Av, DHL Air, Emery Worldwide, EVA Air, Evergreen Int´l, Fedex, Freedom, Garuda Indonesia, er Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, LAN Airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Mandarin, Mexicana, Mountain Air Cargo, fic Airways, Polar Air Cargo, Polynesian, Qantas, as NZ, Royal Tongan, SIA Cargo, Thai Airways, United Airlines

Cheap Flights to New Zealand
http://airfare.bootsnall.com/cheap-flights-to-new-zealand.html