Family Friendly North & South Highlights Itinerary

‘Haere Mai’ … Welcome to New Zealand

Relax you are now officially on holiday and everything has been taken care of! We will meet you at the airport and drive you directly to your hotel to freshen up and unwind. Make the most of some free leisure time in the 'City of Sails' - simply relax or take this opportunity to explore the many sights of Auckland. 

This afternoon visit the All Black Experience and find out what our nation's obsession with the oval ball is all about!

Accommodation: Auckland - 1 Night

This morning you will be collected and have time to sit back and enjoy a journey into the heart of the Central North Island. Setting off from Auckland, travel through the lush farmland of the Waikato and King Country regions. You will journey to the emerald pastures and rolling hills of The Shire, where Hobbiton was brought to life on a private farm in Matamata. This idyllic village blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Set to the scale of a 3ft Hobbit you’ll feel like you’ve walked into a magical world of smoking chimneys. 

From here your journey continues to Rotorua. Rotorua is surrounded by steaming lakes, bubbling hot pools and bursting geysers, host to some of the world's most incredible natural forces. A heartland of Maori culture, the local people have embraced this turbulent land.

Accommodation: Rotorua - 1 Night

Collect your rental vehicle on arrival at Christchurch Airport and drive to Mount Cook.

Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is part of UNESCO's Te Wāhipounamu (The Place of Greenstone) World Heritage region. Here in Mackenzie Country you'll find Australasia's highest mountain - Aoraki / Mount Cook (3,724m) - nestled in the splendid Southern Alps.

Known to Māori as Aoraki or Cloud Piercer, this magnificent mountain is surrounded by over 150 peaks along with countless glaciers, ice and snow fields, mountain lakes and ranges.

Today we recommend  a Mount Cook Helicopter Flight, affording you a spectacular bird's eye view of these natural wonders, with a landing on the Tasman Glacier to make you feel like you're on top of the world.

Approximate Distance: 330 km | 205 miles  Total Driving Time: 4 hours 15 mins

Accommodation: Mount Cook - 2 Nights

Experience the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake and its icebergs, in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. A unique guided experience departing Aoraki/Mount Cook village by bus to the beautiful Tasman Valley followed by a 1/2hr gentle alpine walk. Board our MAC boat, and explore the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake, where you will discover the ever-changing ice face of the Glacier and icebergs, making each trip different from the last due to changing winds and currents. 

Knowledgeable guides, enhance your experience with their expertise and passion for this amazing alpine environment.  Have you ever been alongside, discovered, or touched an iceberg?

Make the most of this morning to enjoy the beauty of Mount Cook National Park at your leisure. Take your time heading south this afternoon: you won't want to miss the spectacular scenery as it transforms from rugged ranges and mirror lakes to the winding Kawarau River Gorge. You will finally emerge into the lush green farmland surrounding Queenstown, your destination for tonight.

Approximate Distance: 265 km | 164 miles  Total Driving Time: 3 hours 15 mins

Accommodation: Queenstown - 2 Nights

This morning visit Queenstown's Kiwi Birdlife Park shows you New Zealand native forest and birdlife and real conservation in action. The park is a hidden sanctuary of trees, bush and native trails in the middle of the busy resort town of Queenstown. The park will entertain and educate both young and old. All visitors are guaranteed to view a kiwi! The staff at the Kiwi Birdlife Park is passionate about providing an eco friendly environment. By visiting the park you are also contributing to the breeding programmes we undertake for endangered New Zealand bird species. Enjoy features such as a live conservation show held multiple times daily, kiwi feeding and informational talk, a walk through native bush.

In the afternoon head up Bob's Peak with the gondola whisks you smoothly up 450 metres as Queenstown drops away below. Breathtaking views from the top extend almost 360 degrees; from Coronet Peak around to The Remarkables, with Cecil and Walter Peaks on the other side of beautiful Lake Wakatipu. Ride the luge for some fast paced fun! You have the choice of two 800 metre tracks winding down through trees; choose either the scenic track if you want a leisurely trip or take the advanced track if you want to be more adventurous and enjoy the challenge of banked corners, a tunnel, bends and dips.

The drive from Queenstown to Franz Josef is one of the most scenic in New Zealand. Mountain passes give way to ancient rainforest and the windswept West Coast.

Travel approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to Lake Wanaka, and visit Puzzling World . Continue across Haast Pass, here's beauty around every bend, with woodland walks and dramatic waterfalls along the way - perfect for picnic stops. Nestled in a rainforest clearing, Franz Josef Glacier Village lies at the heart of the Westland National Park. Welcome to one of the most diverse and beautiful areas of New Zealand.

Excursions available in and around the Franz Josef area:

Approximate Distance: 350 km | 218 miles  Total Driving Time: 5 hours 

Accommodation: Franz Josef - 2 Nights

Fly over Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier on a spectacular helicopter tour that includes a landing right on the snow. Seeing both glaciers on a single helicopter flight offers an incredible perspective and understanding of New Zealand’s massive ice sheets, and you touch down on one of the glaciers to snap up-close photographs of the frozen terrain.

Highlights

• Spectacular aerial views of Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier
• Live pilot commentary points out landmarks and unique features below
• Walkout onto the snow after an exciting glacier landing
• Bring home photographs of the glaciers and the stunning Southern Alps

Begin your morning with a breathtaking coastal drive to Greymouth. You might like to pause in Hokitika for a spot of shopping - this town is home to many artisan carvers of the local pounamu (greenstone), which is sacred to Maori. A unique, locally carved greenstone pendant would be a special way to remember your trip.

Arriving in the town of Greymouth it's time to drop off your car and head to the station to begin the TranzAlpine Scenic Rail Journey.

Renowned as one of the great train journeys of the world, you will descend through spectacular gorges, river valleys and over massive viaducts before completing your journey at Christchurch.

Approximate Distance: 173 km | 107 miles  Total Driving Time: 2 hours 30 mins

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night

"Haere rā" Goodbye! and Bon Voyage! Today we say farewell. We take care of your transfer to Christchurch Airport where you will board your onward flight, taking with you the magical memories of a truly exceptional New Zealand family holiday.