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Tour Code: PQ
Tour Length: 11 days
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SOUTH ISLAND SPECTACULAR
Day 1 - Fly to New Zealand. Board your transpacific flight and skip a day as you cross the International Date Line. Day 2 - Fly to New Zealand. Board your transpacific flight and skip a day as you cross the International Date Line. Day 3 - Arrival in Christchurch. Haere Mai"welcome to New Zealand! This afternoon is free for you to explore the pretty garden city of Christchurch. Day 4 - Christchurch - TranzAlpine Train - Franz Josef. This morning, board the TRANZ ALPINE TRAIN for one of the most spectacular rail journeys in the world. Enjoy stunning scenery as we journey through spectacular gorges, river valleys, and across the country's greatest mountain range, the magnificent Southern Alps. Disembark at Arthur's Pass and continue to Hokitika by motorcoach. Here, take the opportunity to see Pounamu (jade) being carved into beautiful jewelery. Continue along the dramatic West Coast and enter the World Heritage-listed area of Te Wahipounamu" South West New Zealand. View the magnificent Franz Josef Glacier. Nowhere in the world's temperate zones are glaciers as accessible as here. There may be the opportunity to enjoy an optional scenic flight over this incredible region, weather permitting. (B,D) Day 5 - Franz Josef - Queenstown. Enjoy a day of incredible scenery as we travel along the West Coast, through a world of mountains and glaciers, limestone landscapes, tranquil lakes, raging rivers, and rare bird and plant life. At Haast, experience a unique RIVER SAFARI with breathtaking views of the massive glacier-formed Haast River Valley, flanked by towering peaks, cascading waterfalls, and dense temperate rainforest. Follow the shores of Lakes Wanaka and Hawea to the action-packed alpine resort of Queenstown. Tonight, choose from one of four restaurants for dinner. (B,D) Day 6 - Queenstown. Queenstown is an exhilarating, year-round alpine resort, perfect for adventurers and leisure-seekers alike. Today we have a selection of activities for you to choose from. A Queenstown "Double Decker Explorer" tour, an "Original Wine Tour" of some of the local and awardwinning wineries, an exhilarating jetboat ride on the Shotover River, or a relaxing garden tour might be for you. Perhaps the "Safari of the Scenes" tour, a 4WD adventure into Skippers Canyon, might appeal, or a leisurely walk around Lake Wakatipu on a "Lakeshore Forest and Bird Walk." (B) Day 7 - Queenstown - Milford Sound - Te Anau. More beautiful scenery today as you travel into FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK through the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound. Boasting some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world, this region of New Zealand has the elite status of belonging to UNESCO's World Heritage Parks. CRUISE on the fiord with sheer rock walls rising thousands of feet from the water's great depths. This afternoon we have a relaxing drive to the tranquil settlement of Te Anau. (B,D) Day 8 - Te Anau - Dunedin. Travel across the South Island through small farming communities to Dunedin. The city was settled by the Scottish in 1848 and is now known as the "Edinburgh of the South." Dunedin is also the old Gaelic name for Edinburgh. This afternoon, choose what activity you want to participate in. Consider a tour of the Speights Brewery and Heritage Centre where they brew popular Speights Ale; maybe visit Otago Peninsula to see the Royal Albatross Colony or explore Penguin Place to spot "Hoiho," rare yellow-eyed penguins; or perhaps explore Larnach Castle, New Zealand's only castle and its beautiful gardens. (B,D) Day 9 - Dunedin - Oamaru - Mount Cook. Departing Dunedin we journey north to Moeraki Beach with its unusual boulders. Stop at Oamaru, a historic town renowned for its distinct cream limestone buildings, then continue inland past beautiful glacier-fed lakes of incredible color. We continue our journey into New Zealand's highland and MOUNT COOK NATIONAL PARK. View Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain at 3,754 meters above sea level. You may wish to take an optional scenic flight over this awe-inspiring alpine region, weather permitting. (B,D) Day 10 - Mount Cook - Christchurch. This morning we stop at the beautiful Lake Tekapo, once an ancient glacier, and visit the picturesque stone Church of the Good Shepherd. Leaving the High Country we cross the braided Rakaia River and travel through the mixed cropping and sheep grazing holdings of the vast Canterbury Plains to Christchurch. (B,D) Day 11 - Christchurch - Departure. This morning, choose from a range of exciting activities. Enjoy a sightseeing tour including the Antarctic Centre, Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Christchurch Tram, and Christchurch Gondola; take a leisurely trip on the Avon River or a bike ride around Christchurch City; or maybe wander through some of Christchurch's local gardens. Later, transfer to the airport for departure. Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B) |
