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Ended up leaving straight after work on Thursday 30/06 at 1700, had a few stops to do on the way through Matamata and about an hour in Hamilton for dinner so got to National Park for the night about 0030 on Friday morning. Leaving at 0830, spent a good two hours in Wanganui and got to Wellington 5 minutes late for our 1430 check in for the 1530 ferry. In Picton at 1900 and Nelson around 2045. Saturday we left at 0900 and went down the west coast through Westport, stopping at Punakaiki for an hour and another hour walking to the base of Franz Josef (so sad to see how much this has retreated in just the last few years) and arrived in Wanaka at 2115. Skied Cardrona for 5 days. Although there wasn't a huge amount of snow, every day was perfect weather. Left Cardrona at 1430 on Thursday 07/07 to make it to the lakes while there was still some light, sunset at Tekapo at 1730. Half an hour stop in Fairlie and we arrived in Okuku (about an hour north-west of Christchurch) at 2115. Friday we left at 0915, making it to Picton at an acceptable 1315 for our 1300 check in for the 1400 ferry. After a very harrowing crossing we got back to Wellington at 1800, went up Mt Victoria and left around 1845. Arrived in Karamu between Hastings and Havelock North at 2245. Leaving at 0800 on Saturday, spent about two hours stopped across Taupo and Hamilton and got to Auckland right on 1500 just in time for my football match. Overall would rate experience 10/10 but have already booked flights for August. I'll drive it again one day.

Thanks for all the advice! That overnight ferry does sound like a good idea in future but won't be taking it this time because it just doesn't fit with everything else. Appreciate the tips and I'll message you about your routes Andy although I do have a few set stops which will determine a lot of it. I'll let you all know how it goes!

About to do Auckland to Wanaka this week and back the next (hopefully with a bit more snowfall on the way!). The farthest I've driven before is just to Wellington and back. Does anyone have any tips about long driving in general but particularly catching the car ferry? Are you supposed to be there an hour beforehand to get everything sorted?

This sounds awesome but timing isn't great for us kids with exams either. Even just one week later next year I would be all over it

F10 M5 while out in the E34, quite a lot of difference between these two generations!

Jules can you pleeeaaase get a proper Euro plate? I know I'm way too fussy about plates but I can't stand those replica cover things!

Damn. Hope it's gone to a good home and it's still around in 20 years because I'd love to see it in my garage when I'm having my midlife crisis.

We don't need to have this argument again but yes, I do want the three pedal feel.

As great as that would be I've never been a 7 series fan either.. they're so big. I had an E32 for a short time once, felt like a limousine to drive. Did NZ get any manuals? I think Porsches are too curvy, one reason for the RRS over the Cayenne. More expensive than an E90 M3 as well. Hadn't even considered a convertible, never owned one. Never warmed to two wheels in the short time I owned a bike though, prefer the cosiness of an enclosed cabin. And as Andy says, a roof takes up quite a lot of luggage space. The passenger seat spends most of her time on the phone anyway, not much of a driver. I think she just likes heated seats, being able to listen to shitty music and a German badge (definitely likes Audis). Sometimes appreciates a bit of acceleration and perfect shifting As much as that's a huge power output it doesn't outweigh the missing pedal for me. Not to mention in the same price bracket as the M3 etc.

Alright before this descends into anarchy I want to make it clear I don't want to start any wars over this, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we could actually have some construction discussion here.. I've even tried to be reasonable in the argument that follows. I've been thinking again lately about my realistic and not ridiculously excessive (I'm not a supercar person at all even if money wasn't a problem) dream garage. For me that's three cars - the daily, one for the wife and kids, and the weekender. I want to keep my E34 as a daily as long as I can, which should be a while given the robustness of the M60B40. The family car was always going to be the L320 RRS which I have, but now I've seen the L494 RRS SVR which is just mental and presumably safer, so I've almost definitely decided to get rid of the L320. Which leaves the weekender. A slot I want to fill with the best all-round weekender ever, potentially as soon as I sell the RRS. The way I want to define 'best all-round weekender ever' is the overall experience for both the driver and the passengers when it gets taken out on the weekends on New Zealand's windy country roads, with a little bit less regard to how much it's going to cost because it isn't a daily and it's going to be good so one can expect to pay well for it. In terms of the driving experience it has to be a manual, right? Sure, the E60 M5 and E63 AMG etc. are crazy fast cars but personally I think there are better options just because of the feel of that third pedal. Obviously it has to be quick; I'm a naturally aspirated guy so for me it has to be at least a 4.0 V8 to churn out enough horses without forced induction (forget economy, this is not a daily). From the perspective of build quality, brand image and I guess even safety and comfort a European car will take out anything from anywhere else in the world pretty much every time, even if they may be a bit less reliable (more costly maintenance is not really one of my considerations though, this is not a daily). Finally, I think it needs to have at least 4 seats. What's the point in having a great car if you can't take your mates for rides in it? The practicality is there for the family as well. So what I have narrowed it down to (for me, this is my opinion), is manual, V8+, European (quality, image, safety, comfort) and 4+ seats. As far as I am aware (happy to be proved wrong so I have more to think about!) the only cars that fit these criteria are the E90 M3, E39 M5 and B7 RS4. I've never really liked any 3-series that much (weak argument I know but this is personal preference) and an E90 M3 is probably a little bit out of my budget at the moment, so that leaves two. I think that basically comes down to a choice between RWD and AWD and an interior from the stone age versus a comfortable, modern one. I don't really want to get sideways on public roads so that's an easy choice for me - the B7 RS4. Make that B7 RS4 Avant for the luggage space and the fact that Avants are just classic Audi. >>>tl;dr start here: I think (happy to be convinced otherwise) that the best all-round weekender ever is the B7 RS4. Cue anarchy

This will be on November 2 http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/49568-auckland-monthly-coffee-and-cars-meet/ first Sunday of every month

Are these genuine or not? Can I get a photo of any ACS identification on them? If they're the real deal I'm very keen

Jesus is far from an indecisive fellow

I'd almost sell you mine for $30k..

The next $10k I spend will probably be: -Manual conversion for the E34 -New tyres for the RR ...and that'll probably use it all up.