With so little time, I suggest you pick just one island. NZ looks small on a map, but it takes much longer to get from Point A to Point B than you might expect. Roads are generally one lane in each direction, there are tons of one lane bridges, and roads tend to be squiggly and narrow. Then there's all the spectacular scenery along the way...all of which add considerably to the travel time.

I'd suggest renting a car and doing it on your own - this way of traveling offers you more flexbility and if something strikes your fancy, you can explore at will. Taking a bus will tie you down to the bus schedules and will eat into your limited time.

I suggest the South Island - in 10-11 days you can do a circuit and see quite a few (but certainly not all) of the highlights.

Here's a popular driving route for first time visitors to the South Island (I only mention the SI, because it's my preferred island, and in 10 visits, I've still not gotten enough of it).

Christchurch-Arthur's Pass-Greymouth-side trip to Punakaiki- Hokitika-Glaciers-Wanaka-Te Anau-Milford Sound-Queenstown-Mt Cook-Lake Tekapo-Christchurch.

Thank you for your response!! I really appreciate the advice. Any ideas on places to stay? Does lodging fill up pretty quickly where we would need to book everything in advance or would we be fine with booking as we travel around?

In March you might get by with booking as you travel. A few places to consider if you follow the route suggested by Melnq8. The Shining Star in Hokitika is right on the beach and surprisingly affordable. The Edgewater in Te Anau and the Amity Lodge Motel in Queenstown were also good values, both just a few blocks from the center of their respective towns. If you decide to splurge on something, I'll have to say that the helicopter flight over the glaciers and by Mt. Cook with landing on the Franz Josef Glacier was the highlight of our trip. An overnight boat trip on Doubtful Sound with Fjordland Expeditions (less luxury and a smaller boat, more personalized than the bigger ships that cruise the sounds) was a close second. We chose Doubtful over Milford since we thought it would be a bit more remote. Both are lovely.

Since you are Lord of the Rings fans, pick up a copy of Ian Brodie's The Lord of the Rings Location Guide, which includes the locations of all the filming sites. We used it when we visited the North Island in 2004, and it was very helpful.

As others have said, rent a car; you'll appreciate the freedom to stop when you want.

Lee Ann

March is still pretty busy, I'd suggest you book in popular areas with limited accommodation, such as Mt Cook and the glaciers.

You won't have any school holidays to contend with, but do be aware that Good Friday, Easter, Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday will be very busy - if you're traveling over these days, absolutely book.

As far as specific places to stay with the above suggested itinerary:

Christchurch - Merivale Manor
Hoki - Agree with Midnight Sun - the Shining Star is lovely
Franz Josef - Glen Fern Villas
Wanaka - Alpine Lodge
Te Anau - The Croft B&B or Birchwood Cottages
Queenstown - we actually prefer to stay in Arrowtown at Orchard Cottage.

The Bella Vista Motel chain is also a good, decent priced option. You'll find them in several towns across the SI.

Correction - that's the Alpine View Lodge. There is an Alpine Lodge, but I've not stayed there.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all the help!