Thanks tdc glad to read your parents and niece ar fine now.That would be a shock to anybody such a bad accident.Sea air just what I need ,we don't live far from the sea here but its cold:).

I miss our son Jan he was always a handfull but a good company .We keep in touch with him using skype and the distance feels less.

Hi Dutchie,

I also have family in NZ, living just outside of Wellington in the Hutt Valley, and have visited them several times.

The fight is very long and with some air lines there are several stops, and baggage has to be removed from the aircraft. I have flown with Air New Zealand leaving from Heathrow UK. The plane goes all the way with only a crew change at the fuel stop, so you do not have to remove baggage. The international airport is Auckland and you have to change to internal flight to get to Wellington. No extra charge if you fly the national carrier.

I know you will be in a rush to see your family, but a careful study of the airline stops, you can have an extended stopover with no additional expense except for hotels in some interesting places. I particularly liked Hong Kong.

January and February are very good times to go, sunny and warm, but you will get plenty of sea air as Wellington is very, very windy.

If you only plan to go once make sure to visit the south island. Take an internal fight and hire a car or camper.

To see what Kiwis do, google House Trucks NZ and you will understand why they are so independant.

Good luck in your plans, keep on rolling,

Sumpnut