Bob Minchin :
We expect to be away from home for possibly a month with 1 week in San
Francisco/LA at one end of the trip or other. The North/south island
timing split is completely flexible.
We plan to book a couple of nights hotel wherever landfall is (Auckland
or Christchurch) into order to recover from the journey and then pick
up a car. From then follow our noses staying in basic motels for about
3 weeks.

Internal travel is more difficult than you'd think. Best to arrive in
Auckland and leave from Christchurch or vice-versa. If Christchurch
still exists. :-(

--
Mike Barnes