Final Honeymoon Details

Today is the lastly solar daytime of Andrews accept over on the blog! It's been hence much fun having him hither in addition to if you lot guys similar it delight live for sure to email/DM. I'd love to hear feedback in addition to mayhap utter Andrew into doing to a greater extent than for the weblog :)

If you're novel here, live for sure to read the other posts inwards this serial like PT 1: Choosing our Honeymoon Destination, PT 2: Booking Flights + Locking inwards Dates, in addition to PT 3: Booking Our Accommodations! It's the get-go one-half of a four-part serial Andrew has hence graciously written for the blog. Today he's sharing how (and where) nosotros booked our accommodations patch abroad!  

With our rings in addition to vows exchanged in addition to the marriage behind us, I refocused on honeymoon plans. Of course, nosotros also had a Disney World trip coming upward inwards tardily October, which I planned inwards full, hence my focus was split.
My adjacent measurement was to majority a machine for our route trip inwards New Zealand. I knew that I withal had to majority our internal flights betwixt destinations inside Australia, but if nosotros didn’t receive got a rental machine inwards New Zealand, nosotros were totally screwed. With hence many things to create over a spread out area, nosotros had to receive got a method of transportation. Knowing that the calendar week nosotros planned to live at that topographic point was their peak visitor week, I had to majority the machine next. 
Fortunately for me, I conducted a search on Priceline in addition to works life an available vehicle inwards 1 of their hole-and-corner fare searches on the site. Unlike amongst airlines, nosotros receive got no loyalty to whatever machine rental company, in addition to I honour their payoff programs to live largely useless. We also don’t rent cars often. As a result, nosotros are low-cost renters in addition to utilisation Priceline to assist us honour the best rates. This particular vehicle was available for the calendar week at a charge per unit of measurement of nigh $400 USD. That’s pretty expensive, specially for New Zealand, but 1 time again nosotros had to receive got the car. I booked in addition to prepaid inwards total to lock inwards the cost. With that, I was able to breathe a little.
For our adjacent step, I wanted to majority our internal flights inwards Commonwealth of Australia in addition to from Commonwealth of Australia to New Zealand. I had waited until later on inwards the twelvemonth to create this for a few reasons. First, at that topographic point tends non to live an payoff to booking airfare to a greater extent than than 2 months out. Prices fluctuate upward until nigh 2 weeks before a flying when they ascent in addition to remain to a greater extent than oft than non high. Second, I knew Qantas was a partner of American Airlines, where I receive got Platinum Pro condition in addition to earn a fair amount of miles over the course of report of the year. 
In June, I had some operate move to in addition to from London in addition to would live earning a squeamish chunk of miles from that trip. We also earned miles from our common travels to Krista’s parents inwards Chicago, her sis inwards Atlanta, in addition to some other trips nosotros had planned. Lastly, I signed upward for the American Airlines Aadvantage Mastercard during the wintertime in addition to had been accruing bonus miles for several months. This all added upward to nigh 100,000 Aadvantage miles that could live used at a one-to-one ratio to majority flights on Qantas.
The the world of rewards points in addition to searching for the best value of those points tin sack live wildly confusing in addition to intimidating. I receive got some sense amongst it, hence I’ve learned a few tricks that made it easier. Booking the flights inside Commonwealth of Australia happened to live the easiest role of all the planning. Three days after booking our rental car, I had all of our flights booked, in addition to they cost us null to a greater extent than than processing fees. 
We had only plenty points to majority both of us on flights from Sydney to Hamilton Island, from Hamilton Island to Melbourne, in addition to from Melbourne to Queenstown. If that wasn’t squeamish enough, my condition on American Airlines equated to condition on Qantas, important nosotros got additional checked bags for complimentary on all our flights. Throughout the trip, nosotros never paid for whatever checked bags, fifty-fifty though 1 of them would live considered besides heavy hither inwards the United States.
We considered this a huge win. Now 2 weeks after the wedding, nosotros had the balance of our flights locked inwards in addition to rental machine booked. At this point, nearly everything was done. All that was left was charting our route trip betwixt Queenstown in addition to Christchurch, booking accommodations throughout New Zealand, planning some tours in addition to excursions inwards both countries, in addition to booking flights to in addition to from Los Angeles in addition to New York.
For our flying to Los Angeles, I had some leftover JetBlue points that I planned to use. Considering nosotros would live flying on a Midweek (generally the cheapest solar daytime of the calendar week to fly), I had plenty to acquire both Krista in addition to I out at that topographic point for free. I booked the flights, in addition to and then had to honour a way to pass a solar daytime inwards LA since our flying to Commonwealth of Australia was tardily the next night. This was a pretty piece of cake decision. Obviously, nosotros would live going to Disneyland. 
I paid out of pocket for a Fairfield Inn straight across the street from the front end gates for 1 night. Later inwards November, I used a Black Fri bargain on Priceline to majority a rental machine for the day, coming out to $50, which was less than the cost of a 1 way Uber from LAX to Disneyland. I also bought us one-day tickets to the park. This was all pretty easy, equally planning for Disney has acquire 2nd nature to me. Reach out if you lot demand assist :)
I figured the honeymoon excursions would live the most fun to plan, hence I attacked that next. We were going to live away for a long time, but I was witting of non filling every infinitesimal of our calendar amongst places to live at for sure times. We wanted to receive got fourth dimension at leisure. After all, this was a honeymoon, in addition to role of the argue nosotros didn’t majority the entire affair amongst a tour grouping was that nosotros wanted to motion at our ain pace. 
We knew that nosotros had to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. I began researching these options first. Hamilton Island offered a release of options, in addition to qualia were able to majority these for us. I chose a full-day (eight hours) snorkel amongst Explore, in addition to qualia locked it inwards for us. It wasn’t cheap, coming inwards at or hence $200 USD per person, but this was a must-do. 
I in addition to then shifted my attending to Queenstown. I was learning that patch New Zealand wasn’t huge, at that topographic point was arguably to a greater extent than to create in addition to encounter than inwards Australia. Choosing an peril was difficult. I used Viator to assist me narrow our search for a expert tour. I learned nigh Viator during 1 of my telephone calls amongst American Express before inwards the year. The client service representative recommended it after she had used it amongst swell success during a trip she had taken to the percentage recently. I obliged in addition to works life the site to live piece of cake to utilisation in addition to reliable. After some searching, I decided that nosotros needed to encounter Milford Sound. 
Milford Sound is really a fjord, an inland waterway carved long agone past times slow-moving glaciers. It resulted inwards beautiful blue-green H2O flanked past times towering mountains, violet waterfalls, in addition to teeming wildlife. There are 2 options for reaching Milford Sound from Queenstown. You tin sack drive or accept a motorcoach for 5 hours, explore the Sound on a cruise, in addition to then drive or ride for some other 5 hours dorsum to Queenstown, or you lot tin sack fly. There are nigh a dozen flying operators from Queenstown, making the 35-minute flying daily on pocket-size propellor Cessnas. 
Through Viator, I learned nigh Air Milford, who offered a packet that included circular trip flights in addition to the cruise of Milford Sound. The entire sense would accept 4 hours, equally opposed to the 12 it would accept on the road. Of course, this convenience in addition to storey of service comes at a swell expense. It would live $365 USD per mortal for this itinerary. I figured that nosotros had 1 big, expensive peril planned inwards Australia, nosotros mightiness equally good create some other 1 inwards New Zealand. After all, nosotros in all probability would never brand it dorsum to this role of the world. I made the reservation for Dec 26 (Boxing Day) in addition to paid inwards full.
As Nov approached, nosotros were all but done. My lastly 3 pieces were to majority accommodations inwards Melbourne in addition to the 2 towns inwards New Zealand. I pinpointed on a map equally expert places to suspension upward our trip to Christchurch. I chose Wanaka in addition to Lake Tekapo for that purpose. Wanaka is a lake town amongst breathtaking views of Mt. Aspiring nigh a 1 hr drive from Queenstown. Lake Tekapo was another, smaller lake town nigh 2 in addition to a half-hour drive from Wanaka in addition to 3 from Christchurch. 
First, I looked at Melbourne, where at that topographic point are hence many Airbnb options that made life quite easy. I works life a squeamish bird inwards the CBD (Central Business District) inside walking distance of all the expert restaurants in addition to cafes in addition to booked it for roughly $90 USD per night. That was the piece of cake part. New Zealand was proving to a greater extent than difficult.
Back inwards June, I had learned that Christmas calendar week was the busiest fourth dimension of twelvemonth inwards New Zealand. That’s why I booked the Kiwi Chalet when I did. I should receive got locked inwards the balance of our accommodations at that betoken too. Looking at options inwards Wanaka, at that topographic point were non many left, in addition to prices were fairly high. Fearing that it would entirely acquire to a greater extent than hard inwards the coming weeks, I booked an Airbnb 5 minutes from the town centre inwards a invitee trouble solid on someone’s property. The amenities were spartan, but it served us well. There was 1 slice left.
Lake Tekapo is a tiny community on the route from Wanaka to Christchurch, known for beingness a black heaven reserve in addition to having an icy bluish lake amongst snowy mount views. H5N1 black heaven reserve agency that it is 1 of the best places inwards the the world to encounter the nighttime sky. The lake is also surrounded past times lupins, tall, slender flowers amongst bright purple, pink, in addition to orangish buds that await similar hyacinths on steroids. Most people army camp when they top away to Tekapo. I did non know this, but it was becoming obvious. For the dates nosotros needed, at that topographic point were no available Airbnb inside xl miles. This was the instance for weeks equally I scoured Airbnb during tardily Oct in addition to November. 
Time was dwindling, in addition to I was starting to worry. I began looking at alternatives. Maybe nosotros could drive to Dunedin on the E coast instead, remain for a night, in addition to and then wing to Christchurch? Do nosotros drive dorsum to Queenstown in addition to wing to Christchurch? Airbnb inventory was depression everywhere, in addition to I was stuck. As a passing thought, I pulled upward Hotels.com in addition to searched the Tekapo percentage for a hotel for 1 nighttime on Dec 29. Lo in addition to behold, I works life 1 available room at the Peppers Bluewater Resort, correct inwards the view of the pocket-size hamlet for $200. Without thinking, I booked it. With that, our plans were finished.
It took nine months, but our honeymoon was planned. We had all the flights, all our accommodations, our rental car, in addition to some activities gear upward inwards stone. The entirely other items that I booked were 2 meals. H5N1 dinner inwards Sydney at Fred’s, a eatery that was highly rated in addition to came recommended from a friend, in addition to Christmas Day tiffin at The Grille past times Eichardt’s inwards Queenstown. I didn’t desire to acquire close out of a repast on Christmas Day.
For a trip of xix days, you lot mightiness retrieve that nosotros didn’t receive got plenty planned. To some degree, that’s true. But I really believed that the extra fourth dimension in addition to lack of plans would allow us to create equally nosotros pleased patch inwards either country. That proved to live a expert decision.
When Krista in addition to I travel, nosotros create hence amongst an optic towards decompressing. We top away to bed early, acquire upward early, hardly always drink, in addition to don’t to a greater extent than oft than non socialize. But nosotros rapidly works life the people of Commonwealth of Australia to live gracious in addition to kind, in addition to our itinerary filled upward amongst suggestions from locals 1 time nosotros arrived. For example, the get-go nighttime nosotros were inwards Sydney, nosotros went into the Apple shop to await for a Christmas gift for my sister. We asked a friendly employee nigh the novel AirPod Pros, but they were out. One affair led to some other in addition to nosotros began talking nigh how nosotros only got to Sydney in addition to were on our honeymoon. 
He beamed amongst a broad grin in addition to straightaway rattled off his favorite places inwards Sydney in addition to fun things to do. We had been planning on calling it an early on night, eating dinner at the hotel, in addition to using our $150 AUD nutrient in addition to imbibe credit. But after our conversation, nosotros changed course, instead going on a walk to Darling Square, eating delicious, fresh bao buns at a Korean nutrient vendor, in addition to having some of the best gelato of my life at Messina. 
We kept this opened upward withdraw heed throughout our trip, bespeak locals nigh their favorite things to do. Because nosotros had built-in hence much complimentary fourth dimension into our plans, nosotros were able to brand snap decisions in addition to fill upward our fourth dimension wisely amongst swell recommendations from waiters, hotel staff, Apple shop employees, neighbors on the bus, taxi drivers, in addition to more.
Now that we’re home, I tin sack tell that our trip was nearly perfect. We dealt amongst swell people. We made lifelong memories. We relaxed, explored, in addition to experienced sites in addition to sounds that nosotros may never acquire to again. It was all worth it. I’m glad I took the fourth dimension in addition to endeavour to innovation the trip myself equally opposed to booking a two-week tour through some other group. If you lot receive got the patience, I would recommend it to everyone. Take fourth dimension to await for deals, acquire the the world of airline in addition to hotel rewards programs, search for credit cards that volition give you lot the best perks, in addition to utter to locals. I promise it works equally good for you lot equally it did for us.