Has anyone here visited New Zealand?

[whiskygalore]

I'm thinking about visiting the South Island next July. I know cost of living over there is quite cheap, but does anyone know which airline is the cheapest to fly with, good places to stay? Also, how long would I need to stay to get the best out of it? I know it's somewhere for a fortnight may not be sufficient. Any general advice / experience appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[wildwood]

A good place to start would be Lots target=_blank>http://www.christchurchnz.net/
Lots of links to info you may require. Really cheap flights must be booked online only, restricted seats. Airlines; AirNZ, Qantas, Origin, MtCook. Have lots of rellies in NZ so if you have any specific Q, post here and I'll reply asap.

[wildwood]

I'll try that url again http://www.christchurchnz.net/

[getgirl]

If you can be bothered to get a log on or even just browse through the existing Q&A, the Lonely planet's message boards are useful - http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/thorn/branches.p
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