Was it worth the 24+ hour flight?
Yes! The flight is long but it's worth it. To adjust to NZ time we stayed awake as long as possible (until evening ish — 7pm) on our first day and this seemed to sort us out.

Was 18 days long enough?
No! 18 weeks might not have been enough. We definitely got a taste of both the North and the South islands but it was just that. We did a lot of driving, too much really but we saw a lot of things briefly. Some of the roads are really scenic (and winding) and so driving isn't so bad.

Would we do the same again?
More or less — there isn't anywhere I wouldn't go back to. All our accommodation was good, as were most of the restaurants we ate in. I'd like to have more time to explore places a bit more thorougly, spend some time a bit more off the beaten track and spend more time with New Zealanders.

Where do we want to go next time?
Taupo again — to spend more time around the lake.
Napier — the idea of an art deco city sounds cool
Ninety Mile beach — playing in the sand dunes!
Abel Tasman national park — kayaking around what claim to be beautiful beaches
Heli-hiking on the glaciers
Sea kayaking at Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound

Did Holiday Rewards contact me?
Indeed they did. They discovered that Regency had indeed made a mistake and offered me their apologies. Also offered to extend the life of my card for another trip. They ended up crediting us for the NZ$40 on our credit card.

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