Tour itinerary

Sat 03 ARRIVE AUCKLAND
(D) Arrive Auckland international airport where you will be met by our staff and transferred by private charter coach to your hotel. En route to the hotel drive to the top of Mt Eden for panoramic views of the city, it’s twin harbours, and the Waitakere Ranges away to the west. Mt Eden is one of almost 50 extinct volcanoes around which the City of Auckland has been established. Your hotel is an historic building located in the heart of the city.
In the afternoon take a sightseeing tour of the “City of Sails” including the Maori and Pacific Islands Court at the impressive Auckland War Memorial Museum; the harbourside Viaduct Basin which was home to world sailing’s prestigious America’s Cup for several years; and Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World and Antarctic Encounter where you will travel by moving walkway through the original "Underwater World" - an acrylic tunnel under the sea, for spectacular views of native fish, sharks, manta rays and other marine life, as well as King and Gentoo sub-Antarctic penguins going about their daily routine.
This evening enjoy a “Welcome” dinner at the Harbourside Bar and Grill two minutes walk from the hotel in downtown Auckland.
Accommodation Copthorne Hotel Auckland HarbourCity

Sun 04 AUCKLAND – WAIPOUA FOREST – BAY OF ISLANDS (380kms)
(BD) Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel north across the Auckland Harbour Bridge and past the Pacific Coast beaches of Orewa and Waiwera. Continue through productive rolling farmlands to Matakohe for a visit to the excellent Timber Museum. This award-winning museum records the timber milling and gum digging pioneering days of the Northland region. Afterwards drive on through Dargaville to the Waipoua Kauri Forest to see Tane Mahuta, which is the largest kauri tree in New Zealand. Continue around the Hokianga Harbour which has special spiritual significance for local Maori, and cross the Northland Peninsula to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Your hotel is located 150 metres from the beach and a short stroll from the centre of Paihia Village.
Dinner this evening in the hotel.
Accommodation Scenic Circle Bay of Islands Hotel ( 2 nights )

Mon 05 AT THE BAY OF ISLANDS
(BD) Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning take a Dolphin Discoveries cruise out among the islands of the Bay where there is the opportunity to see both Bottlenose and Common Dolphin. Conditions permitting you will be able to don snorkel gear and interact with the dolphins in their own environment. Other species often encountered are Orca, Blue Penguins, Gannets, various seabirds, and the New Zealand Fur Seal.
Early in the afternoon a Maori guide will escort you on a tour of the Waitangi treaty House and grounds, including the magnificently carved Meeting House located there. In 1840 the native Maori and British settlers signed an historic Treaty forming the nation of New Zealand. Though the Treaty continues to be the subject of much debate, the principles it enshrines have generally stood the test of time and laid the foundation for a stable and equitable system of government. The remainder of the day is at leisure to further explore the area. Suggest a short ferry trip across the bay to the small settlement of Russell, known as ‘the hell hole of the Pacific’ in the 19th Century but now a charming township with colonial architecture, craft galleries, cafés and restaurants.
Dinner this evening in the Bistro 40 Restaurant a short walk from the hotel.

Tue 06 BAY OF ISLANDS – CAMRIDGE (388kms)
(BLD) Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel south from Paihia to the city of Whangarei and a visit to the fascinating Clapham’s Clocks collection before travelling over the Brynderwyn Hills for lunch at a leading vineyard in the West Auckland wine district. This area was the cradle of the New Zealand wine industry with many of the wineries stared by settlers of Dalmation nationality at the turn of the 19th Century.
From Auckland your journey takes you along the Southern Motorway and over the market gardening area of the Bombay Hills where market gardens supply home and export markets. Travel through some of New Zealand's richest farmland in the Waikato Valley and continue along the east bank of the Waikato River, the country's longest river. Pass through the coal-mining town of Huntly, and the settlement of Ngaruawahia, home of the Maori Queen. Continue through the city of Hamilton and on to Cambridge. It is here that you will meet your dairy farm hosts and transfer to their home (usually 4-5 persons per farm).
Enjoy a home cooked dinner with your hosts.
Accommodation Farm Stay

Wed 07 CAMBRIDGE – WAITOMO - COROMANDEL PENINSULA (363kms)
(BD) Breakfast on the farm
9.00am Farewell your farm hosts and travel south to the Waitomo Caves area where you will take a guided tour of the famous Waitomo Caves to discover an ancient underground labyrinth of limestone caves and grottos. See the fascinating limestone formations of stalagmites, stalactites and columns that have formed over thousands of years then enjoy a silent boat ride on an underground river into the starry wonderland of the magnificent Glowworm Grotto.
11.00am Afterwards travel through picturesque farmland through the rural Waikato townships of Morrinsville and Te Aroha to Thames at the Gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula. The magnificent golden sand beaches and magnificent native forests of the Coromandel Peninsula make the region particularly popular for holiday makers especially in the summer. Travel north up the west coast of the peninsula to Coromandel township enjoying spectacular coastal scenery en route. You will cross the Coromandel Ranges to the eastern coast and head south to the small resort settlement of Tairua on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Your accommodation is on the waters edge in the centre of town.
Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.
Accommodation Pacific Harbour Lodge

Thu 08 COROMANDEL PENINSULA – ROTORUA ( 230kms)
(BLD) Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning experience a leisurely half day guided tour with a local guide who will take you off the beaten track into the native bush to show you nature’s finest works, disused goldmines, and tree roots and berries which were eaten or taken as medicines by early Maori. Lunch is included.
Leave the Coromandel Peninsula travelling south through the popular coastal township of Whangamata to Waihi, the site of early gold mining dating back to the 1860’s and still the site of mining to this day. Continue through the small township of Katikati renowned for its extensive history-depicting building murals to Tauranga and the seaside resort of Mt Maunganui. Shortly after, you will pass through Te Puke which is main centre for the production of Kiwifruit or Zespri by which name the fruit is now marketed overseas. With 40 years of crop development, research, innovation and expertise there has been created a perfectly shaped, delicious, nutritious, versatile fruit, that has earned New Zealand a great export. Visit Kiwifruit Country for a guided tour through the orchards, export packhouse and horticultural theme park. Afterwards continue through pine forests and the northern lakes district to Rotorua on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua. Your hotel is located at the Rotorua City Lakefront.
6.30pm This evening enjoy a Maori Hangi (feast) and concert of traditional Maori song and dance at a local marae (Maori village).
Accommodation Royal Lakeside Novotel (2 nights)

Fri 09 AT ROTORUA
(BD) Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning you will be joined by author, historian and local Maori authority Don Stafford MBE, CBE for a sightseeing tour of some of Rotorua’s unique attractions. Don will provide an informed insight into the establishment of Rotorua as a tourism and spa resort and the interaction between Maori and the early British settlers. Included is a guided tour of Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve to see the boiling mud pools, steaming silica terraces and the geyser activity and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where young Maori are learning traditional carving and weaving skills. Also visit the Rotorua Museum located in the beautiful tudor-style Bath House building in the manicured Government Gardens. This award-winning Museum tells the stories of the Rotorua region in exciting, innovative exhibitions – the famous Pink and White Terraces; the eruption of Mt Tarawera; the bizarre past of the Bath House itself; and the rich history of the Arawa People and the exploits of B Company Maori Battalion. Visit the entertaining Agrodome Sheep Show to learn how sheep and wool are one of New Zealand’s premier exports.
The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or enjoy optional extra sightseeing such as the trout springs, scenic helicopter or floatplane flights, trout fishing, golf, or shopping.
Dinner at the hotel.

Sat 10 ROTORUA – HASTINGS (240kms)
(B) Breakfast at the hotel.
Leave Rotorua and drive through the Kaingaroa State Forest, one of the largest planted forests in the world, to Wairakei. Here steam ensuing after contact with hot rocks beneath the earth's crust is harnessed to generate electricity at two power stations. Stop at Huka Falls and marvel as the mighty Waikato River thunders through the narrow canyon. Continue through the resort town of Taupo and briefly along the shores of Lake Taupo which is New Zealand’s largest lake and a world renowned trout fishery. Travel across the Rangitaiki Plains to Hawke's Bay, and the seaside city of Napier. Napier was devastated by an earthquake in 1931 and was rebuilt during the period when Art Deco Architecture was fashionable. The area is also one of New Zealand’s top grape growing regions with some of the country’s best-known wines coming from the Hawke’s Bay. Visit Church Road Winery which was founded in 1897 and now produces a variety of wines including Merlot Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Continue to Hastings.
(Own arrangement for dinner this evening)
Accommodation Cumberland Court Motel

Sun 11 HASTINGS – NAPIER – CHRISTCHURCH
(BD) Breakfast at the motel.
8.15am Depart Hastings for the short drive to Napier where you will take an entertaining look at the unique 1930s architecture as you wander through the streets. The tour is 2-hours long and includes some interior visits and a 30-minute introductory slide presentation.
Report at Hawkes Bay Regional Airport for flights to Wellington and on to Christchurch.
Arrive Christchurch where you will join your South Island charter coach for a sightseeing tour of the ‘Garden City’. Highlights include the impressive gothic style Cathedral; the wonderful stone buildings of the Christchurch Arts Centre which was the original site of the Canterbury University and now houses a number of arts and crafts stores; the lovely gardens at Mona Vale Estate where there is the opportunity for punting on the pretty River Avon and the scenic vistas across the Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps from the Port Hills.
Dinner at the hotel which is in the central city
Accommodation Copthorne Hotel Central

Mon 12 CHRISTCHURCH - TRANZ ALPINE TRAIN - FRANZ JOSEF(427kms)
(BD) Breakfast at the hotel.
8.15 am Board the award winning Tranz Alpine Express for a scenic rail journey through the heart of the mighty Southern Alps to Greymouth on the West Coast. Cross the fertile Canterbury Plains then wind through the gorge of the Waimakariri River and climb into Arthur's Pass National Park, a base for alpine sports, trekking and hunting. From the valleys of the snow-capped mountains, descend into the lush rainforests of Westland, to conclude the journey at the town of Greymouth.
Travel south along the West Coast to Hokitika. Visit one of the greenstone factories where a local jade-like stone highly prized by pre-European Maori is crafted into exquisite jewellery. Continue south through forests and farmland, with views of the Alps to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west, to the village of Franz Josef. The huge rivers of snow and ice of the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers flow from vast snowfields high in the Southern Alps almost to sea level which is unusual in a temperate climate.
Dinner at the hotel
Accommodation Franz Josef Hotel

Tue 13 FRANZ JOSEF – QUEENSTOWN (404 kms)
(BD) Breakfast at the hotel.
Time this morning to view the glacier before travelling south past Fox Glacier through magnificent native rainforest and past pretty bush fringed lakes crossing the Haast Pass through the Southern Alps - the scenery is spectacular. Descend past glacially formed Lakes Wanaka and Hawea and cross the Central Otago sheep and cattle country. Pass Lake Dunstan and drive into Queenstown through the Kawarau Gorge. The hotel is located within walking distance of Queenstown’s central mall and lakefront.
Dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation Millennium Hotel ( 2 nights)

Wed 14 QUEENSTOWN SIGHTSEEING
(BD) Breakfast at the hotel.
This mornings sightseeing tour includes a visit to the historic settlement of Arrowtown, site of a major 1860’s gold rush, and a ride on the Skyline aerial gondola to Bob’s Peak from where there are spectacular vistas of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains. The afternoon is at leisure to further explore Queenstown. There is a wide choice of optional tours and activities in this marvellous alpine resort such as the, jet boating, river rafting, trout fishing, horse riding or bungy jumping.
6.00 pm Board the vintage lake steamer TSS Earnslaw for a cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak for a succulent buffet dinner in the Colonel’s Homestead. Following dinner there is the option of an entertaining brief farm show, or just relaxing in the bar before re-boarding the TSS Earnslaw for Queenstown. On the return journey join a sing-a-long with the ship’s pianist. Return at 10.00pm and transfer to the hotel.

Thu 15 QUEENSTOWN TO MILFORD SOUND (290kms)
(BD) Breakfast at the hotel.
Depart Queenstown mid-morning travelling around Lake Wakatipu and through Te Anau and the Fiordland National Park. The scenery is stunning with high mountains and deep valleys carved out by ice age glaciers. There are clear rushing streams and leaping waterfalls set in magnificent native rainforest.
In the late afternoon board the Milford Mariner, a modern boat designed like a traditional New Zealand Coastal Scow for an overnight cruise. Leisurely explore the length of the sound, past Mitre Peak to the Tasman Sea. Seals and dolphins are often seen. The vessel returns under sail (weather permitting) and anchors overnight in Harrison Cove. There are experienced nature guides on board and kayaks available for the use of passengers.
Dinner, bed and breakfast is provided and all cabins have private en suite bathroom facilities.
Accommodation Milford Mariner

Fri 16 MILFORD SOUND – WANAKA (394kms)
(BD) Breakfast on board.
Rejoin your tour coach returning to Te Anau and Queenstown. From Queenstown travel east through the Gibbston Valley wine area and the Kawarau Gorge. Pass several orchards around Cromwell and drive around Lake Dunstan and through the Central Otago sheep and cattle country to Wanaka a popular lakeside resort. Your hotel is located on the lakeshore.
Dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation Edgewater Resort

Sat 17 WANAKA – MT COOK – CHRISTCHURCH (540kms)
(BD) Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning you will drive through the Lindis Pass and through the small towns of Omarama and Twizel then see the huge Waitaki hydro electricity generation scheme in the Waitaki Valley. Drive along the shores of Lake Pukaki into Mt Cook National Park. At the heart of New Zealand’s most spectacular alpine region is Mt Cook, at 3754 metres the highest peak in Australasia. The Mt Cook National Park comprises 70,013 hectares of ice, snow, rock, sub-alpine scrub, tussock and riverbeds. In the afternoon depart Mt Cook travelling past Lake Pukaki then on to Lake Tekapo to view the Church of the Good Shepherd and the famous bronze sculpture of the sheep dog. Continue over Burkes Pass and on to the fertile Canterbury Plains.
Final night group dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation Copthorne Hotel Central

Sun 18 DEPART CHRISTCHURCH
(B) Breakfast at the hotel.
At leisure for last minute shopping or just relaxing before ……….
Transfer by coach to Christchurch International Airport to check in for your departure flight from New Zealand. Depart New Zealand by air.

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