Day 1
- Fly into Auckland Airport
Depending
on what time your flight arrives I will pick you up at the Airport and
take you on a city
tour of
Auckland before taking you to your
accommodation for the night.
Day 2
- Today we will make our way through Thames and a very scenic coastal
drive through the fabulous Pohutakawa Trees which line the road and in
December are a stunning array of Red colour (NZ Christmas Tree). We will then
make our way into Coromandel where you will join a short 1 Hour train journey taking you through replanted native Kauri forest and includes 2
spirals, 3 short tunnels, 5 reversing points and several large viaducts
as it climbs up to the mountain-top terminus.
It offers great panoramic views out over the island-studded
Hauraki Gulf with the forested valley and mountains behind. Your night's accommodation will be in Coromandel.
Day 3
- We will drive today to Rotorua to visit a living Maori Village of Whakarewarewa. You will join a tour to enjoy traditional song & dance performances by the Te Pakira
Performance Group and then afterwards lunch from a Hangi - traditional Maori way
of cooking.afternoon. Maybe a swim in the hot pools...later that
afternoon ...don't forget your swimmers.Your night's accommodation will
be in Rotorua
Day 4
- Today you will visit one of the best Geothermal areas of New Zealand to Orakei Korako where you catch a short ferry crossing to this spectacular Hidden Valley as it is called. You can spend a couple of hours walking the boardwalks around the amazing mud pools and geysers. Afterwards will make our way across to Huka Falls
which is a natural attraction in New Zealand and on through Wairakei where I will take you to a lookout with amazing views of the Geothermal Power Station. We will drive through to Napier the Art
Deco capital of the Southern Hemisphere. After a devastating earthquake
in 1931, it chose to adopt this distinctive style of architecture. Your night will be in Napier
Day 5
- Today
we will make our way down through the wine regions of the Hawkes Bay
and Martinborough where you can spend some time tasting a few wines on
your way to Wellington the capital of New Zealand for your night's accommodation.
Day6
- Today is a day to yourselves .There are a few options to do in Wellington to explore and also the Te Papa Museum an interactive national museum. There is also the Wellington Cable Car which has the best views of the city and harbour. Your night's accommodation will be in Wellington.
Day 7
- We leave the North Island to travel through the majestic Marlborough Sounds to the South Island via the Cook Strait Ferry. This in itself is a tour on it's on with stunning scenery of all the small Islands and rural properties scattered on the way to Picton the gateway to the South Island. Here we will continue along the Charlotte Sound Drive to your accommodation in the heart of the Vineyard area of Richmond.
Day 8
- Today we travel through Murchison and the
Buller River and Gorge through to Westport and Punakaiki (pancake
rocks )and blowholes, where columns of water shoot skyward from rocks
that resemble giant stacks of hotcakes. Our coastal drive with panoramic views takes you through to Hokitika the Greenstone capital of New
Zealand for your night's accommodation.
Day 9
This morning you can spend some time having a look around this delightful art and craft town of Hokitika before we make our way down to Franz Joseph and Fox Glacier. I will take you out to Lake Matheson, famous for its
mirror-like reflections of Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mount Tasman/
Rarakiroa, New Zealand’s highest peaks, on a clear day. A delightful bush
track walk follows the lake edge. There is also time for an actual walk on
the Glacier if you wish or those who would prefer a scenic flight...its a
great way to see the bigger picture.Your night's accommodation will be in Fox Glacier
Day 10
- We will leave the Glacier country to travel through to the historic gold mining town of Arrowtown. On our way we will pass over the famous Haast
Pass to the township of Wanaka with a
pristine alpine lake at its doorstep and surrounded by the spectacular
backdrop of the South Island's Southern Alps. Your night's accommodation will be in Arrowtown situated on the beautiful Arrow River.
Day 11
- Today we will make our way down to Queenstown situation on the beautiful
Lake Wakatipu. Here you will join a 3-4 hours cruise on the majestic
Paddle Steamer TSS Earnslaw up through Lake Wakatipu to visit Walter
Peak High Country Farm for a guided farm
visit
& barbecue lunch. After your cruise
we will then make our way down to Te Anau for your night's
accommodation.
Day 12
- The best way to
experience the great Fiords of New Zealand is once again by water and
I have chosen Doubtful Sound for you as has a few different components to
it.
Your day
begins in Manapouri with a cruise across the picturesque Lake Manapouri followed
by a trip across New Zealand’s most expensive road over Wilmot Pass, pausing
along the way to experience the dense Fiordland rain forest and view Doubtful
Sound below. In Doubtful Sound you will board a purpose built
catamaran for a three hour cruise. You will also have a chance to visit the
Manapouri underground Power Station. Your night's accommodation will be in Te Anau.
Day 13
- Today we will leave Te Anau to travel to Dunedin
and enjoy a short city drive around the City with it's stunning
Victorian and Edwardian architecture and the iconic Dunedin Railway
Station. We will then make our way out to the Otago Peninsula with panoramic views and your accommodation for the night at Larnach Castle a house built between 1871 and 1877 for William Larnach a famous Politician and Entrepreneaur of Colonial NZ.. It has incredible views of the Otago Peninsula surrounded by beautiful Gardens.
Day 14
- Today we will make our way through the East Coast of
New Zealand stopping off at the Moeraki Boulders which are unusually
large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach. Your tour will then take you through the beautiful Waitaki Valley up into the Blue lakes district calling into a Highland Salmon Farm just out of
Twizel. We will then make our way to Lake Tekapo for your night's accommodation.
Day 15
- Your last day of touring will be driving to Christchurch and stopping off at Fairlie the Church of the Good
Shepherd situated on the beautiful Lake Tekapo and one of the most photographed churches in the world (and proud to say I was christened here.....had to throw that in). It will be then onto Christchurch for your night's accommodation situated in the heart of the City so plenty of time to explore the new city built after the devastation of the 2011 Earthquake.
- Day 16
- Your flight out
The Total Cost For This Tour approx.
2 Persons - NZ $7625.00 each
4 Persons - NZ $5330.00 each
This tour includes:
15 Nights 4-5 Star accommodation with 13 breakfasts(Other accommodation self-contained)
Private flexible touring for 15 Days including Airport Transfers
Doubtful Sound Cruise incl lunch
Lake Wakatipu Cruise at Queeenstown incl lunch
Whakarewarewa Guided Tour incl lunch
Orakei Korako
Train Journey at Coromandel
Please note all prices are based on Peak Time touring in NZ (Dec-Mch) and in 4-5 star accommodations
The above prices quoted are based on availability at the time