Ok, I'm pressured!!! hahahhahahahahha  Too many overdue travelogue posts promised to my friends, colleagues and family.  I will skip my Yangshou post for now and continue with the most requested New Zealand and Europe trip.  Overwhelmed questions and inquiries are really appreciated.  I'm sorry if my reply/info via email was too short or too brief or if I haven't even replied to your email. 
With the upcoming posts, you don't need to wait for my email reply and there will be more info that I didn't include in the email. It will be easier for you to refer and hope that it will help in planning your trip.

So.. let's get started!!

Date :
27th August - 18th September

Venue / Route :
South Island  ~ Christchurch - Amberley - Timaru - Lake Tekapo - Lake Pukaki - Mt Cook - Kurow - Oamaru - Dunedin - Owaka - Te Anau - Milford Sound - Queenstown - Glenorchy - Wanaka - Franz Josef - Kaikoura
North Island ~ Wellington - Taupo - Wai-O-Tapu - Rotorua - Matamata (Hobbiton) - Auckland

Flight :
Going from Singapore - Sydney - Christchurch
Coming back from Auckland - Sydney - Singapore

I started to plan, did my research and refer to another travel blogs 1 year before the trips. I managed to get cheap Qantas & Emirates flights via Changi Airport and transit in Sydney 10 months before the travel dates.  My parents are in Johor Bahru, so flying through Singapore was an advantage for me.

Visa :
I applied for Australia Visa because I already plan to visit Sydney during my transit from Auckland to Sydney on my way back to Changi.  I applied through my company travel agent, Airplus Travel, which I deal with.

Motorhomes :
I booked Britz Explorer 4 Berth Motorhome earlier from KL through this website https://www.newzealand-motorhomes.com
There was 3 of us and this motorhome was spacious enough with kitchen, toilet, shower and 2 queen beds.


We took the snow chain, GPS, wifi device and full insurance coverage and was so lucky because we were entitled to winter discount and relocation discount of nearly 70% off! (On the motorhome daily rental only. We still need to pay full price for the snow chain, GPS, wifi device and insurance)

Relocation discount was because we collect the vehicle from Christchurch and returned in Auckland.  Basically, the company needs this vehicle to be transferred to Auckland and we were doing them the favor to transport it to the Auckland in North Island via ferry.  The ferry fare was expensive, no wonder they gave us the discount! Hahahahahhaha

Petrol :
Price was varied, depending on the town or which petrol station.  Prices in smaller town usually higher.

Camper Park :
I did not make any reservation at any camper park because I was aware, it was low season during our trip and getting any camper spot wouldn't be any problem.  However, if you are traveling during peak season, please do check with the camper site on the availability.

I listed down few camper sites in the town we planned to stop over and just drove into the reception.  You can search for the camper site from this website  https://www.holidayparks.co.nz/home  You can choose from a room, cabin, powered or unpowered site.  In my situation, during my trip was still a transition from winter to spring, the weather was still cold especially at night and it was still snowfall in the certain area, we choose the powered site.  Prices were varied and were charged per pax.

Is it safe to drive in New Zealand?:
I would say yes because there weren't many cars on the road.  However, there are some roads in South Island are quite challenging.  One of it is the road in Lindis Pass.  Just make sure you follow the speed limit.