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Welcome to New Zealand!
Haere Mai Welcome to the 'City of Sails' Auckland.
Relax, you are officially on holiday! We have arranged for you to be met and transferred to your accommodation. The remainder of the day is yours to do as you please and to let the family get over the time difference as tomorrow is the start of your New Zealand Adventure. Take a stroll around our beautiful city, explore the highly acclaimed Waterfront Restaurant Quarter or choose one of the many activities available to give a more in-depth understanding of Auckland and the surrounding area.
This evening dine on the Harbour, an experience not to be missed in Auckland. This relaxed sailing excursions offer a uniquely local Auckland experience with an intimate and engaging atmosphere. Enjoy great sailing and asthe sun sets watch the night lights of the cityscape come alive.
Accommodation: Auckland - 1 night
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Waiheke Island
Today take a short and very scenic ferry ride across the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island. This island is a tonic for the soul - with stunning beaches and coastal vistas to enjoy, as well as being home to some of New Zealands' most iconic wine brands - such as Stonyridge Larose Cabernet Merlot.
You will be staying at The Boatshed small luxury hotel just five minutes up the hill from beautiful sandy Little Oneroa beach. Its casual and elegant atmosphere works in perfect harmony with its seaside location. The chic,architecturally designed small luxury suites offer panoramic ocean views. All day dining for hotel guests is a wonderful way to make the most of the hotel's beautiful design, architecture, art and the local surrounds, as well as the beautiful bay and ocean views.
Accommodation: Waiheke Island - 2 nights
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Gourmet Food & Wine Tour
You'll be collected today from the Boat Shed to enjoy a premium day of food and wine experiences.
Enjoy succulent fresh oysters, award-winning olive oil and other locally-produced specialty foods, accompanied by wines from some of the Island's top boutique vineyards. Your guide will provide an entertaining and informative commentary along the way. You will visit an award-winning olive oil mill, followed by two vineyards, each offering a range of gourmet tastes to accompany their wines. Treats may include oysters straight from Te Matuku Bay, wild honey, the famous local green herb spread and artisan cheeses. Afterwards, enjoy a platter lunch at one of our top vineyard restaurants.
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Fly to Christchurch
Take the ferry back to the CBD today, you will be met and transferred to Auckland Airport to meet your flight to Christchurch - and transferred to your hotel on arrival
Welcome to Christchurch, New Zealand’s second-largest city and the South Island's capital.
Bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Christchurch is our "Garden City," blessed with beautiful parks and gardens right in the heart of town. English heritage buildings sit side by side with innovative post-earthquake regeneration in this vibrant place.
After settling in, why not relax with a punting trip down the Avon River? Gliding gently along in a flat-bottomed boat, you will take in Christchurch's 'must-see' historic attractions and botanic gardens away from the hustle and bustle of the streets.
Accommodation: Christchurch Hotel - 1 Night
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Mt Cook National Park & Stargazing
Pick up your rental car today and leave the city behind: the scenic Southern Alps are beckoning.
After driving through the Canterbury Plains, you'll reach the majestic and peaceful setting of Lake Tekapo amid the high-country splendor of the Mackenzie Basin. Nestled in Mt Cook National Park, Tekapo boasts amazing views of the Southern Alps - including Aoraki / Mount Cook, our tallest peak. Visit the little church sitting at the edge of Lake Tekapo - couples arrive from all over the world to take their wedding photos here, with the turquoise lake and snowy mountains in the background.
But it gets even better, recently earmarked as one of only three Grade 1 “Dark Sky Reserves” in the world, the Aoraki Mt Cook will show you an unforgettable night sky exposing the Milky Way Galaxy, Southern Cross, Alpha-Centauri and more. Your expert guides will get an insight into our universe and beyond, through both telescope and specialized binoculars...
Approximate Distance: 330 km | 205 miles Total Driving Time: 4 hours 30 mins
Accommodation: Mt Cook National Park - 2 Nights
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Free Day to Explore the Hooker Valley
Today we recommend a freedom walk in the Hooker Valley. The Hooker Valley Track is a 5-kilometer looped walk that is relaxing and beautiful. It winds its way through the Hooker Valley, past the Mueller Glacier and Hooker Lake, offering stunning views of Aoraki/Mount Cook and the Southern Alps. The track is open year-round, but it is best to visit during the summer months when the weather is mild.
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Queenstown: Our Adventure Capital
The drive to Queenstown is stunning, leading you over the rugged Crown Range on the highest main road in the country. Take your time and enjoy the scenic lookouts en route - your camera will get a workout.
The winding mountain road demands concentration & care, but more conservative drivers can take an alternative route along the Clutha River, Lake Dunstan, and the Shotover River. The vineyards of the Gibbston area and bungy jumpers at the Kawarau River Bridge are interesting distractions along the way.
The alpine resort of Queenstown is exciting, sophisticated, and fantastically scenic. It’s the place to source almost any kind of adventure including bungy jumping, jet boating, horse trekking, rafting, and river surfing. It’s also a destination for luxury experiences – gourmet food and wine, spa treatments, and leisurely games of golf.
This evening you are booked in for a relaxing soak at the Onsen Hot Pools
Approximate Distance: 265 km | 164 miles Total Driving Time: 3 hours 30 mins
Accommodation: Queenstown - 2 nights
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Beautiful Milford Sound Cruise
Fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound and enjoy a spectacular view of the mountains, lakes and waterfalls of Fiordland National Park. Surrounded by some of the most magnificent scenery in the world, you'll board your cruise and travel the length of the fiord out to the Tasman Sea experience the spray of a waterfall as you cruise close to sheer rock faces. Informative, participative and relaxed, this is the perfect way to experience Milford Sound to the fullest..
Milford Sound, an amazing 22km-long fiord dominated by Mitre Peak. A cruise on Milford Sound will be an essential component of your time in Fiordland. Tall waterfalls, vertical rock faces, and seals are some of the things you’ll remember. An underwater observatory is an option with most cruises.
After your cruise you will fly back to Queentown
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Wanaka
On the shores of New Zealand's second largest lake, the town of Wanaka is often described as Queenstown's quieter little sister: the lake and mountain views are equally incredible, and many visitors count it as a favourite location on their New Zealand tour.
Even the short drive here is stunning, leading you over the rugged Crown Range on the highest main road in the country. Take your time and enjoy the scenic lookouts en route.
This charming little township is easily explored on foot, and a stroll or bike ride around the picturesque shores of Lake Wanaka is a must. The mountain backdrop is perfect for a for a skydive or even a romantic flight in a vintage Tiger Moth plane.
Approximate Distance: 70 kms | 43 miles Total Driving Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Accommodation: Wanaka - 2 Nights
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Wild Wire Climbing Adventure
Lord of the Rungs Level 1 Climb
Climb alongside a waterfall. In just a few hours, you will learn all you need to know to safely ascend steel rungs and cross 4 suspension bridges as you make your way up the lower section of the waterfall. This tour is our easiest climb and includes approximately 1 hour of climbing. No previous experience is required, just an adventurous spirit. If you can climb a ladder, you can do it.
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Wanaka to Glacier Country
Be transported to the South Island's wild West Coast today on one of New Zealand's most breathtaking scenic drives. The views are impressive all the way, and once over the Haast Pass they change dramatically. There's beauty around every bend, with woodland walks and dramatic waterfalls along the route — perfect for picnic stops.
When the ancient forests and mountain passes give way to coastal views, you'll soon be nearing glacier country. Nestled in a rainforest clearing, Franz Josef Glacier lies at the heart of the Westland National Park.
Welcome to one of the most diverse and beautiful areas of New Zealand.
Approximate Distance: 285 km | 177 miles Total Driving Time: 4 hours
Accommodation: Franz Josef - 2 Nights
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Glacier Heli-hike
A thrilling action packed day awaits with a Heli Hike (2 hours 15 minutes on the ice) With the combination of an exhilarating helicopter ride, jaw-dropping scenery and an over two hour hike through the most spectacular glacier features, it's no wonder guests often label their Glacier Heli Hike as the highlight of their visit to Aotearoa. Your helicopter will whisk you away over breathtaking landscape. Your pilot will land you high up on the glacier itself and you'll begin you glacier hike. You may find yourself sliding through a narrow crevasse or between towering walls of ice, crawling through blue ice tunnels, hanging out in ice caves, or witnessing the glacier calving.
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TranzAlpine to Christchurch
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.
Drive approximately 2 hours 30 minutes to Greymouth, return your rental vehicle and board the TranzAlpine to Christchurch - transfer on arrival
Approximate Distance: 175 km | 109 miles Total Driving Time: 2 hours 30 mins
Accommodation: Christchurch Hotel - 1 Night
Rail Journey | 5 hours
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Bon Voyage!
"Haere rā" Goodbye! and Bon Voyage!
We know you will enjoy touring New Zealand and our promise is to make your travels through New Zealand as hassle-free and hospitable as possible - ensuring that today you leave with a memory card full of photos, and huge smiles on your faces when recalling your time in New Zealand! Have a great homeward journey, farewell, and hope to see you again soon in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
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