[Tonz]

am on kiwi soil at present, luckily with kiwi brothers family reunion. North of Auckland has been smashed many roads impassible, same as Coromandal and most of East coast, the roads here are very different to Aus... never straight there are always bends, curves and hills. traps for the unwary. I would say cancel north Island try and get to south.
Fly into Christchurch, head north to Nelson, then cut through to west coast, travel down through Hasst Pass into Southland , Bluff, Dunedin, then to Queenstown fly out from there.
If you could leave it until April or May autumn will be there and colours are fantastic.
Don't plan on more than 400 - 500K's a day travel there is so much to see.
2 weeks would be good time.