This Ultimate Small Group Touring itinerary has been specifically tailored to provide a Business Class level of comfort, service and quality without compromise. Travel in style on a full-size, state-of-the-art coach with a maximum of only 20 travellers and enjoy extensive onboard features and VIP extras as well as the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow!
(B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner (SD) Specialty Dinner
This 5 star boutique hotel is ideally located on Victoria Street amidst an array of cafes, restaurants and bars, and is only a martini olive pips’ throw from beautiful Hagley Park and Christchurch’s CBD. As a contemporary hotel it features luxe rooms, stylish restaurant & bar and elegant day spa. A great way to experience the ‘garden city’ in style.
The Hermitage Hotel, Aoraki/Mount Cook is an iconic hotel with a rich history spanning over 130 years. Located right in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, the Hermitage is the perfect base to explore the natural wonders of this stunning area, with a variety of accommodation options, a collection of dining establishments & unique activities whilst providing genuine kiwi hospitality.
The views from Heritage Hotel Queenstown are awe-inspiring – soak in the view of the towering Remarkables mountain range, rising from the rippling waters of Lake Wakatipu from the comfort of the hotel. Crafted from centuries-old schist stone and cedar, this is a comfortable hotel. The spacious, beautifully appointed rooms take in a variety of views of either the surrounding forest and towering mountains or the majestic Lake Wakatipu.
Located in Franz Josef, this eco-designed retreat provides an outstanding experience that is close to nature but far from ordinary. Nestled amongst native rainforest the Te Waonui Forest Retreat is the ideal place to reconnect with nature and the dramatic surroundings. This property is a great example of sustainable accommodation. The hotel’s four wings join together to enclose an area of native rainforest that was carefully preserved during construction, and is so dense that you can’t see the opposite wing, ensuring a sense of privacy. A truly unique experience.
The hotel offers a range of boutique hotel accommodation options including a range of room types. Facilities include a restaurant and bar – which has ‘Social Hour’ from 4.30pm – 6.30pm daily and great deals on selected beers, wines, bubbles, cocktails and small plates. For leisure there’s a swimming pool and fitness centre, a day spa and conference/business facilities.
Adjacent to Wellington’s waterfront, InterContinental Wellington offers a great central location. The guest rooms are spacious, all rooms feature a TV with cable channels and a large bathroom with modern amenities and bathrobes. The hotel’s restaurant is open for breakfast and offers an internationally crafted menu in a luxurious setting. The Lobby Lounge offers a warm and cozy setting to enjoy a snack and cocktail. There is a health club that features an indoor heated pool, a spa and sauna. Te Papa Museum of New Zealand is 5 minutes’ walk away.
Christchurch is an fascinating city to explore. It was once a historic garden city. Since the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes it has turned into a fascinating city of regeneration and growth.
The central city is filled with cutting-edge architecture alongside some of the oldest buildings in New Zealand. But Christchurch is constantly evolving, always giving locals and visitors something new to explore. Expect street art and innovative projects, a bustling hospitality scene and established green spaces.
The Avon River runs through the city, bringing a natural landscape to the urban environment. Cruise along the picturesque river on a flat bottomed punt. Take a ride on a historic tram through the city. With wonderful parks and botanic gardens to explore Christchurch is a great place to visit.
Aoraki / Mount Cook, standing at 3,724 metres, is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It is located within Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.
The park is home of the highest mountains and the longest glaciers. It is alpine in the purest sense — with skyscraping peaks, glaciers and permanent snow fields, all set under a star-studded sky. It is part of the Southern Alps, the mountain range running the length of the South Island.
A popular tourist destination, Aoraki /Mount Cook is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers. Mt Cook, helped Sir Edmund Hillary to develop his climbing skills in preparation for the conquest of becoming the first person to climb Mt Everest.
Although the National Park encompasses 23 peaks over 3000 metres high, it is very accessible. State Highway 80 leads to Aoraki/Mt Cook Village beside scenic Lake Pukaki, which provides a comfortable base for alpine activities.
Far from city lights, the stargazing here is magnificent. Indeed, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park forms the majority of New Zealand’s only International Dark Sky Reserve.
Wanaka is a lively resort town surrounded by some stunning alpine scenery. It offers a picture-perfect location and easy access to the outdoors. The town has the buzz of a genuine alpine town and is the ultimate hub for outdoor adventures.
With Mount Aspiring National Park close by Wanaka is the perfect destination for exploring the Southern Alps. There are an abundance of activities on offer. Sky dive. Take a scenic flight. Go canyoning. Do some climbing or mountaineering. Or hike or bike on the hundreds of kilometres of local tracks offering iconic South Island views.
In summer, the crystal-clear water of the lakes and rivers are ideal for kayaking, fishing, lake cruises and jet-boating. And, in winter, Wanaka is a vibrant centre for skiers and snowboarders with four ski areas just a short drive from the town.
Queenstown is a stunning resort town, renowned for its beauty and wealth of adventure activities, it sits on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Southern Alps mountains, Queenstown is also a base for exploring the region’s vineyards and historic mining towns.
Iconic adventure activities include bungee jumping off Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge and jet-boating on the Shotover and Dart rivers. And in winter, there’s skiing on the slopes of The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and Cardrona ski resorts.
Queenstown is a hub of adventure, thrumming with adrenaline and an buzzing with a carefree sense of fun. But extreme activities aren’t the only options here. This world-famous resort town and its surrounding area boast many things to see, do, eat, drink and explore. Something for everyone at any time of year.
Franz Josef is the name of both the glacier and the nearby village. The small but lively Franz Josef Waiau village is surrounded by lush rainforest with the high snow-capped Alps rising above it.
There are many ways to take in the natural attractions within a short distance of the village. Your options include a cycleway, walks of varying lengths, guided walks, kayaking, and action adventures like rafting or skydiving. You can also visit the white heron colony or see the world’s rarest kiwi.
A short distance from neighbouring Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier is one of the steepest glaciers in New Zealand. It descends from its origins high in the Southern Alps deep into the lush native rainforest of Westland’s National Park.
The glacier moves faster than your average glacier so no two days are the same. The main ice fall moves an average of 50cm per day, but steep sections can move as much as 10 metres in a single day. This creates some truly incredible features in the glacier such as ice caves, tunnels, seracs and crevasses; and all features are constantly changing and evolving.
Hokitika is a historic town in the West Coast region of NZ’s South Island. Close to the mouth of the Hokitika River, this character-filled town is 40 kilometres south of Greymouth.
Historic Hokitika was first settled in 1860, after the discovery of gold on the West Coast. It is a place to appreciate the fascinating history of the West Coast. Visit to hear about the ship wrecks, gold miners and pounamu hunters.
The town was an important river port. And many ships came to grief on the notorious ‘Hokitika Bar’ – a sandbar that shifts with every tide.
Nowadays Hokitika is known as a Cool Little Town. There are some lovely old buildings on the town’s historic walk. You’ll also notice galleries specialising in pounamu jewellery and art works. And Hokitika’s iconic event is the Wildfoods Festival, held at the end of summer each year.
The Arahura River, entering the sea just north of Hokitika, is a traditional source of pounamu (greenstone). Gold jewellers, wood turners and potters provide other souvenir opportunities.
The small alpine village of Arthur’s Pass is located between Canterbury and the West Coast of the South Island. Climbing to more than 900 metres through Arthur’s Pass National Park, it is the highest and most spectacular pass across the Southern Alps.
The road and rail tracks through this challenging environment are pieces of extreme engineering involving viaducts, bridges, rock shelters and waterfalls redirected into chutes. This is also the route of the famous Tranz Alpine Train journey.
Arthur’s Pass National Park itself is a landscape of two halves. Climbing the eastern side of the alps from Christchurch you’ll see wide, shingle-filled riverbeds and vast swathes of beech forest. Then, as you descend the western side, you’ll pass through dense rainforest alongside and over deeply gorged rivers.
Visitors should look out for New Zealand’s inquisitive and comical alpine parrot, the kea, along the way. This is a rugged and beautiful part of New Zealand.
There are few places on earth like Kaikōura. A small coastal village, with a relaxed beachside vibe, it has some stunning views of both mountains and sea. And it offers to enjoy the bounty of the sea whether eating local kai moana or encountering local sale sea life off the coast.
The nearby Seaward Kaikōura Mountains, a towering snow-clad mountain range, provide a stunning backdrop over the town centre. Meanwhile, the town extends out to the Kaikōura Peninsula, where the waves of the Pacific Ocean roll in.
These mountains rise to heights of 2600m. And the undersea canyon that comes to meet them, plunges to depths of over 1200m very close to shore. These two factors alone make Kaikōura unique.
Stand on top of a snow-capped mountain in the morning. Whale watch or dolphin / seal swim in the afternoon. Then take in a gorgeous sunset while feasting upon fresh seafood beside the sea.
Blenheim sits in the heart of the wine-growing Marlborough region. It is known as one of the sunniest towns in New Zealand. Mountains frame the area and trap the summer heat (temperatures over 30°C are quite normal in February and March).
Rows of vines thrive in this environment and produce the majority of New Zealand’s famous Sauvignon Blanc.
In and around Blenheim you’ll find an array of cafes, restaurants, wineries, bars, shops, artisan food outlets and golf courses along with popular walkways along the Taylor River Reserve.
Aircraft enthusiast are in for a treat. A 10 minute drive from the railway station and you will be outside enormous airport hangers, about to enter a world of flight and excitement. Omaka Aviation Heritage is home to Peter Jackson’s personal collection of WW1 planes and memorabilia.
Right in the heart of the Marlborough Sounds you will find Picton. This picturesque port town is home to great cafés, restaurants, galleries and specialty shops. It is the heart of the beautiful Marlborough Sounds.
The town is built around a very sheltered harbour, full of moored yachts. The attractive seafront is dotted with cafés, restaurants, various types of galleries and a pleasant place to wander.
There’s a floating maritime museum and an aquarium. The Marlborough Sounds offer cruising, fishing, dolphin watching, sea kayaking or mountain biking. And the iconic Queen Charlotte Track, running almost the length of the Queen Charlotte Sound, is a must-do for keen hikers.
Picton is also the South Island port for the Bluebridge and Interislander ferries that link the main islands of New Zealand.
Wellington is New Zealand’s capital city and the location of our parliament. Located at the bottom of the North Island it sits on the Cook Strait, which divides the North and South Islands. Strong winds through the Cook Strait give it the nickname “Windy Wellington”.
It is a vibrant and compact city, with a beautiful waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and some lovely turn of the century, timber houses on the steep hills it features. From Lambton Quay, the iconic red Wellington Cable Car heads to the Wellington Botanic Gardens.
Wellington is home to New Zealand’s National Museum, Te Papa, and bespoke art and creative pursuits thrive in this city. Couple this with a strong café and restaurant culture and you have an interesting and unique little city to explore.
The Air Force Museum of New Zealand had its origins in the RNZAF Historical Centre. Today, the Museum covers 37 hectares of land and spreads across six buildings. It is a world class cultural institution, employing a team of over 30 professional staff, and attracting around 150,000 visitors per year.
It features the “Horizon to Horizon” gallery where you will learn the history of New Zealand’s military aviation. Follow the history through stories, objects, photos, film and some very life-like dioramas.
Established at RNZAF Base Wigram in 1976, this was a small-scale, part-time venture. In 1981 a formal Air Force 0rder established the RNZAF Museum as an official Air Force unit, staffed by uniformed Air Force personnel. Now it is anything but small-scale with approximately 5,000m2 of display area and 14,000m2 of storage and workshop space.
Arrowtown’s Lakes District Museum was established in 1948 as a Centennial of Otago project. Appropriately set in the former gold mining town, the museum started life in the billiard rooms of the Ballarat Hotel. It then shifted to the current home, the former Bank of New Zealand building, in 1955.
Over the last 60 years, innovative direction has seen the museum recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading small museums. It has a strong hands-on focus. Working displays cover two floors and incorporate three historic buildings. They offer a window into the past — an authentic picture of early Maori life and the harsh lives of European settlers and goldminers.
A short distance from Queenstown, the museum also houses an art gallery, bookshop, archives and research facility and a busy education programme.
Enjoy a very special view of the South Island’s striking natural landscape. Take the Tranz Alpine train between Christchurch and Greymouth. See epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest.
You’ll cross the remarkabley flat Canterbury Plains overlooked by the majestic Southern Alps before eventually crossing the aqua-blue Waimakariri River. Tunnels, viaducts and feats of railway engineering take you across alpine passes where you’ll then travel through lush lake valleys towards the West Coast of the South Island. This iconic train trip is the journey of a lifetime.
The TranzAlpine is acknowledged as one of the world’s great train journeys. The 223 kilometre (139 mile) one-way trip takes just under 5 hours and connects Christchurch and Greymouth on the West Coast via Arthurs Pass through the Southern Alps.
Established in 1985, Cloudy Bay was one of the first five wine makers to venture into Marlborough’s wine region. At the time, it was an almost unimaginable place to set-up a vineyard. But Cloudy Bay’s founder — David Hohnen — saw its potential to produce great wine and invested in the best land of the region.
Since then, Marlborough has become New Zealand’s leading wine region. It’s one of the finest winemaking locations in the world. And the winery was named after nearby Cloudy Bay.
Explorer Captain James Cook came across the area during his voyage to New Zealand in 1770. His arrival coincided with flooding in the region, which washed sediment into the sea. Noticing the water’s opaque appearance, Cook named the area “Cloudy Bay”.
Today, Cloudy Bay not only captures the essence of Marlborough. It also embodies New Zealand’s luxury to the world. The luxury of space and time, of intimate moments and nature’s rarest qualities.
Near Blenheim Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre offers a fascinating insight into the history of war in the air. It features one of the world’s largest private collections of Great War aircraft and artifacts in dramatic displays created by Sir Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films, with mannequins by Weta Workshop. A second exhibition opened in 2016 and features stories and aircraft from World War II.
The original “Knights of the Sky” exhibition, features Sir Peter’s own collection of WW1 aircraft and artifacts. It tells the story of aviation in the Great War. A story brought to life in sensational sets created by the internationally acclaimed WingNut Films and Weta Workshop.
The second exhibition, “Dangerous Skies”, features stories from World War II. These are tales of daring, valour and tragedy from the British Isles, the forests of Germany, an embattled Russia and the Pacific Islands. Historic scenes and amazing vintage aircraft combine to create an outstanding display that tells a powerful and moving story.
The Interislander is one of The Great Journeys of New Zealand and doubles as a Marlborough Sounds cruise. It is New Zealand’s original Cook Strait ferry, sailing between Wellington and Picton several times a day connecting the North & South Islands’ road and rail networks.
Considered one of the most beautiful ferry journeys in the world, The Interislander is one of New Zealand’s most iconic travel experiences. The ferry takes around three-and-a-half hours to travel between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island.
From Wellington, your short voyage begins with a tour around Wellington Harbour. You’ll then cross the narrow passage between New Zealand’s two main islands. This passage, The Cook Strait, is named after Captain Cook, the English explorer who first mapped it.
Having crossed Cook Strait, the final stretch of the journey is through the magnificent Marlborough Sounds. This sheltered stretch of water is spectacularly scenic. It’s the reason the trip is known for its scenery. And it is this hour long cruise through the Marlborough Sounds that makes the Interislanderr a must-do experience.
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