New Zealand Highlights

This morning enjoy an Auckland Highlights tour. This tour makes stops along the way at some of Aucklands most interesting places including Queen Street, a pass through the Auckland University grounds which features some historic buildings, the Auckland Harbour Bridge, and Ponsonby Road. A visit to the Domain Parks and Gardens and the waterfront streets of Paritai Drive and Tamaki Drive is also scheduled.

The America’s Cup is the world’s oldest and most prestigious sporting trophy and ultimate yachting accomplishment.  Usually the domain of billionaires and elite professional yachties, this activity provides a very unique opportunity to participate in sailing on these grand prix racing machines.  A must do attraction in Auckland and a unique opportunity to participate as crew on an actual America’s Cup yacht.  The experience varies per person: take the helm, exert energy on the grinders or sit back, relax and enjoy the sail, a once in a lifetime experience.

Enjoy a full day of touring around Waitomo and Rotorua.  Begin by travelling south past Auckland, through the small rural townships of the early pioneer times, before stopping briefly for a morning tea. Continue travelling through the rich farmland of the Waikato towards the King Country (birthplace of the Maori Monarchy) before arriving in Waitomo. Join a guided tour through the enchanting Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, which is climaxed by a boat ride through the Glow-worm Grotto, a cavern system illuminated by thousands of tiny lights from the glow-worms suspended from the cave ceiling.  After, lunch is served before re-boarding the coach making route to Rotorua.  Upon arrival in Rotorua take a soak in the award-winning Polynesian Spa, voted one of the world's top 10 day spa resorts. Enjoy tranquil bathing and lake views in four shallow alkaline rock pools, each with different temperatures ranging from 36°C to 42°C.  The pools are filled with soothing alkaline mineral water leaving skin soft and supple.  Surrounded by the lush native New Zealand flora, natural rocks, and the sound of two waterfalls, this experience will truly revitalize one’s body and mind. The tour continues with a visit to the Te Puia Arts & Crafts Institute, Maori Village and some local boiling mud pools.  The day concludes as the coach travels back to Auckland through the horse breeding district of Matamata and pastureland of the Hauraki Plains where a light snack is served.

Today, visit Hells Gate & Wai Ora Spa in Rotorua, New Zealand’s most unique geothermal, cultural, health & spa experience. Home to New Zealand’s most active geothermal field, this fascinating area showcases a large variety of volcanic features such as exploding geyser, steaming fumaroles, pools of boiling mud, the only accessible mud volcano and the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Set amongst the active geothermal reserve is the Wai Ora Spa and Wellness Centre, where visitors experience the unique geothermal muds and sulphurous geothermal waters in the Hells Gate Mud Baths. Each mud bath contains an excess of 100kgs of the finest geothermal muds in both a suspended and solid form. Each spa contains pure sulphurous water drawn directly from the geothermal valley. Unaltered, the water cleanses tones and heals broken skin, just as it was used in ancient times by the local Maori people.

Enjoy an evening cultural experience at a local Maori concert.   It is a feast of cultural storytelling, entertainment and Maori kai (indigenous food). Feel the spirit of Te Puia at night and experience the heritage - a living legacy of people, culture and place.  Feeding guests is regarded by Maori as an honour and a sign of a tribe’s mana (standing), so a sumptuous banquet is provided during the evening. This banquet combines contemporary cuisine with a traditional hangi (earth-cooked oven meal), where kai (food) is steam-cooked by hot rocks in the earth, giving it a delicious smoky flavour. 

A privately driven vehicle will provide a transfer between the airport and hotel today.

Flight is required, currently not included in the quote.

A private vehicle will provide a transfer between the airport and your hotel.

Travel by luxury coach on an unforgettable journey from Queenstown into Milford Sound.  Travel from Queenstown along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, and through rolling countryside to Te Anau.  After a short break at Te Anau, continue via the spectacular Milford Road, to Milford Sound.  Board the Milford Mariner for a relaxing cruise of Milford Sound.  The cruise provides excellent viewing opportunities and plenty of time is available to enjoy waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and wildlife.  An on board nature guide provides interpretation in English only.   Experience stunning surroundings at the heart of Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area. In Maori legend, the fiords were created not by rivers of ice, but by Tu Te Raki Whanoa, a godly figure who came wielding a magical adze uttering incantations. Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) is without doubt his finest sculpture. Luxuriant rainforest clings to sheer rock walls washed with waterfalls. In the foreground stands Mitre Peak, dominating the skyline. Whatever the fiord’s mood, teeming with rain or with sun glistening on deep water, it will inspire you.   A return transfer by luxury coach to Queenstown is provided.

Prepare for a full day walk within the ancient Beech forest of the Mount Aspiring National Park. Start the tour with a scenic drive to the northern end of Lake Wakatipu and into the Routeburn Valley. The high snow capped mountains provide a magnificent backdrop for the walk up this beautiful river valley. A journey along the edge of the lake from Queenstown, to the head of Lake Wakatipu is the ideal preparation for the splendour of the world-famous Routeburn Track. The walk begins amongst the towering tree's of the ancient Beech forest, making route gradually through blankets of forest moss and ferns.  The woodland eventually parts to reveal the rich grassland of Routeburn Flats, overlooked on all sides by cloud-scraping mountains, some so high they have permafrost and small glaciers. These flats provide the perfect location to enjoy a well earned lunch, before heading to the next stop at Routeburn Falls.

Depart Queenstown by coach at 7:40am passing through Cromwell, Wanaka and Hawea before travelling over the magnificent Haast Pass into Westland.

A local shuttle is available to take you to the glacier base (own arrangements, weather permitting). Spectacular photo opportunities abound of these huge ice masses. Watch out for Keas (native parrots) and their inquisitive cheeky play.

Prepare for a fantastic introduction session into an enthralling world of ice, traversing spectacular tracks of only moderate difficulty.  This hike travels along the impressive terrain on the lower reaches of Franz Josef Glacier.  After a short walk through regenerating rainforest, the trip continues along the glacier valley with the expert guide providing information about the unique features of the Franz Josef Glacier and its surroundings. After equipping a pair of crampons, make route up the terminal face of the glacier, where pre-formed tracks make exploring the lower reaches of the glacier achievable for most agile people. The terrain can look daunting, but the huge effort the guides put into creating extensive trails, allows for further travel and more to see. Afterwards - enjoy a soak at the Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Join your coach and continue to Greymouth, the largest township and port in the area, rich in gold and coal mining history.

The TranzAlpine scenic train journey travels between Greymouth and Christchurch, from one coast of New Zealand to the other. From your carriage you’ll see the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River fields, followed by the Canterbury Plains and farmland . Your train climbs into the Southern Alps through lush beech rain forest from the West Coast town of Greymouth. Our train journey finishes in Christchurch - New Zealand's largest city on the South Island. The trip is 223.8 kilometres long and takes just four and a half hours. There are 16 tunnels, and 5 viaducts, the highest being the Staircase standing at 73 metres.

A private vehicle with driver will provide a transfer between the airport and hotel.