South Island Spectacular
14 Days South Island from £3,259 per person
Christchurch > Hokitika > Fox Glacier > Wanaka> Te Anau > Milford Sound > Queenstown > Mount Cook > Christchurch
The South Island deserves its own tour, there’s so much to see and do. From the action-packed adventure centre of Queenstown to the remote tranquility of Milford Sound and the majestic scenery of the Southern Alps.
Day 1 Arrive Christchurch
We meet your flight and transfer you to your hotel: today is free for you to get your bearings.
Day 2 Christchurch to Greymouth to Hokitika
Board the TranzAlpine train for one of the world’s great rail journeys, across the Southern Alps to the West Coast.
Arrive in Greymouth and collect your rental vehicle for an afternoon drive along the rugged coastline to Hokitika, the former gold mining town so brilliantly captured by Eleanor Catton in her book The Luminaries. The BBC dramatisation starring Eva Green was filmed in and around Hokitika, which still has a frontier feel.
Day 3 Hokitika to Fox Glacier
Travel into Westland National Park, which extends from the surf-pounded beaches of the West Coast to the stunning snow-capped Southern Alps. Head into the native rainforest of the Westland National Park through the settlement of Franz Josef to Fox Glacier Village. Many of our travellers book a thrilling helicopter flight (weather permitting) to fly over the rivers of ice and land on a snow-field.
Day 4 Fox Glacier to Wanaka
Make a morning visit to Lake Matheson, where a clear day rewards you with superb reflections of the Mount Cook range. Continue south through the ever-changing scenery of native rainforest, bush-fringed lakes, crystal clear mountain streams and wild beaches into the rugged beauty of the Haast Pass to cross the Southern Alps mountain range. Travel around the shores of glacial Lakes Hawea and Wanaka into the charming township of Wanaka.
Day 5 Wanaka
Board a paddle boat or lake cruiser to explore Lake Wanaka, or drive to the delightful Glendhu Bay for easy walks and beautiful views.
Day 6 Wanaka to Queenstown
An easy drive over the Crown Range through orchards and farmlands to Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure playground and South Island’s busiest resort.
Day 7 Queenstown
There are experiences and activities to suit every thrill-level and budget in and around Queenstown. Hire a bike to explore local routes that are part of New Zealand’s National Cycle Trail. Throw yourself off a bridge whilst tied to a piece of elastic: this is the home of bungee jumping!
Day 8 Queenstown to Milford to Te Anau
It is almost impossible to visit South Island and not make the pilgrimage to Milford Sound, one of the most remotely beautiful places in the world. Most visitors opt for a coach trip, to avoid the challenging drive deep into Fiordland National Park. On your return, overnight at Te Anau.
Day 9 Te Anau to Dunedin
Roll through New Zealand’s sheep farming heartland through Gore and Balclutha to Dunedin, for city sightseeing.
Day 10 Otago Wildlife Excursions
Head out to the Otago peninsula, which protects the city from southern storms and gives shelter to penguins, seals and – uniquely – the Royal Albatross. Taiaroa Heads is this majestic bird’s only mainland nesting site in the world.
About 30 pairs nest every year, and as the cycle from egg-laying to fledgling takes almost 12 months, there is always fascinating behaviour to observe.
Day 11 Dunedin to Mount Cook
Time to head north along the coast road, but pause for the Moeraki Boulders, calcite formations 65 million years old. Turn inland to Mt Cook National Park where you can enjoy short walks to Kea Point or in the Hooker Valley for wonderful views of this alpine panorama. Overnight in the country township of Twizel.
Day 12 Mount Cook to Christchurch
Stop at the church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo, one of New Zealand’s most photographed spots. Then cross the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch where you return your rental vehicle.
Day 13 Christchurch
This most English of New Zealand cities suffered a succession of terrible earthquakes in early 2011. Christchurch is re-inventing itself with typical Kiwi spirit and exciting new sights include the ‘cardboard’ cathedral and Re:START shopping mall in re-purposed shipping containers. A guided tour of the city will help you to understand the past, the present and future hopes for the city.
Day 14 Depart Christchurch
After breakfast transfer to Christchurch International Airport for your flight home.
Your New Zealand Holiday
From £3,249 per person*
Please note Payment is by Bank Transfer Only.
*See Inclusions
Flights
Airline prices are usually released 13 months after the date you intend to return to your home base.
(This means if you intend to complete your trip by 25th February, your flights will be available from the 25th March the previous year).
Prices are flexible and based on market demand; they change every day.
A general rule of thumb would be to budget approximately £2,000 plus per person in Economy; £4,000 plus in Premium Economy and £8,000 plus in Business.
These are only guidelines for prices with the major airlines; of course, offers and deals are always coming online.
Stopovers
Unless you are travelling Business Class and find it easy to sleep on a plane, we would suggest a stopover in one of the main gateways; our favourite at present, being Singapore.
It is a long way to travel (23/24 hours) and it makes sense to have a break en route to refresh before the next journey.
A guide price at a well-located hotel for two persons sharing a room with breakfast would be £250 per night for the room
What’s included?
- Meet & greet at Auckland airport
- Private transfer to your Auckland hotel
- 13 nights’ accommodation in quality hotels, B&B’s and apartments
- Breakfast each day
- Intermediate car hire with unlimited kilometres & daily insurance
- Domestic flight Rotorua/Queenstown
- TranzAlpine rail service
Optional Experiences
These are activities that need to be pre-booked to ensure availability
- Hobbiton
- Small Group wine tasting tour in Napier or Blenheim
- Whale watching at Kaikoura
- Star Gazing at Mount Cook or Tekapo.
