| Itinerary |
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DAY 1 and DAY 2
LAX or SFO/CHRISTCHURCH |
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Don’t forget that you have crossed the International Date Line and have lost a day during your flight to Christchurch. Greeted at the airport by our reps, who will answer your questions, counsel about your trip and transfer you to your hotel. Afternoon is free to explore the Garden City. New Zealand was a British colony and Christchurch prides itself for its British heritage and appearance. Your hotel is in the heart of Cathedral Square, which is ideal for exploring the city. Our rep or the concierge will help plan your afternoon. Optional sightseeing tour features some of the parks and gardens for which Christchurch is so well known. Visit Mona Vale Gardens, Hagley Park, the Avon River, the Cathedral, Town Hall, Canterbury Arts Center and the International Antarctic Center. Free evening to explore the restaurants and cafes of Christchurch. (Meals Aloft)
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DAY 3
CHRISTCHURCH / KAIKOURA / BLENHEIM |
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Your car is delivered to your hotel. Drive north to Kaikoura along the coast for whale watching. A marine nature tour by purpose built rubber chase boat. This area is rich in marine life with a 95% record of seeing sperm whales year round. Migratory pods of Orca (killer whales) humpback whales, schools of Dusky Dolphins and their young are seasonal visitors. Fur seals and albatross and a wide variety of other seabirds reside in the area. Afternoon continue on to Blenheim. (B) |
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| DAY 4
BLENHEIM / NELSON |
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Free morning. Blenheim is the center of the Marlborough, New Zealand's award winning wine producing area. Among the best known are Hunters, Montana, and Cloudy Bay Chardonnays and Pinot Noir. Visit some of the wineries or explore the lovely Marlborough Sounds. Continue on to Nelson, a base for the lovely Abel Tasman National Park. Nelson's sunny climate makes it popular with holiday makers as well as being a famous apple growing region. Enjoy the shops and markets of Nelson, where you can see the work of many local artists and potters.(B) |
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DAY 5
ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK DAY TRIP |
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Depart for Kaiteriteri in the Abel Tasman National Park. Thousands of hectares of native forest, beautiful golden-sand beaches, clear coastal waters make up the subtropical region. Explore by kayak in the morning, then join the noon launch cruise to Tonga Island seal colony and Onetahuti Beach Walk to Bark Bay before rejoining the launch again and cruising back to Kaiteriteri. Return to Nelson. (B)
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DAY 6
NELSON / FRANZ JOSEF
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Travel through the Butler Gorge, on to the South Islands wild West Coast, a sparsely inhabited area west of the Southern Alps. The area is renowned for greenstone, and native forests, as well as its magnificent glaciers, which are the largest anywhere in temperate zones. Visit the extraordinary Punakaiki Rocks. These layers of limestone rocks with a pancake appearance and blowholes are spectacular. Continue on the South Islands scenic coastal roads and mountain highways, arriving in Franz Josef township at the base of the glacier early evening. (B)
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DAY 7
FRANZ`JOSEF/WANAKA |
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| Enjoy a half day guided tour onto the snow and ice of Franz Josef Glacier. You will be provided with boots, sock and snow sticks. Your drive today is through unbelievaby beautiful country including magnificent rainforests, Haast Pass, and awesome alpine scenery. Descend past glacial Lake Hawea to the eastern shore of Lake Wanaka and the village of Wanaka, which is one of the most beautiful of the South Island's glacial lakes and is a popular year-round vacation spot. (B)
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DAY 8
WANAKA/QUEENSTOWN |
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Morning free to explore Wanaka. There are opportunities for a wide variety of outdoor activities, suggest a visit to the Warbird's Museum to see vintage fighter aircraft, or a visit to Puzzle World. In the afternoon a short drive to Queenstown through Central Otago sheep and fruit growing country. Or, a slightly longer drive takes you over the Crown Range with several sites that were used in the filming of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. On arrival in Queenstown, enjoy a sightseeing tour of this lovely alpine resort including a visit to quaint Arrowtown and stopping at Kawarau to watch the bungy jumping, with opportunity to have a go at it, if you dare! Dine this evening at the Skyline Restaurant, and enjoy the panoramic views across the lake to the surrounding mountains. Access is by aerial gondola. (BD)
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DAY 9
QUEENSTOWN |
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Free day in Queenstown with many optional activities available. It has been said that Queenstown is like Aspen, Colorado but not yet discovered by the world. Many of the mountain and lake scenes from "The Lord of Rings" trilogy were filmed in this area. There is excellent golfing, trout fishing, bushwalking, and adventure activities, such as river rafting, and parapenting. The route from Queenstown to Glenorchy is one of the most beautiful drives on earth and you should see it if at all possible. There is excellent golfing, trout fishing, bushwalking, and adventure activities, such as river rafting, and parapenting. Our clients invariably wish they had more time in the Queenstown area.(BD)
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DAY 10
QUEENSTOWN / MILFORD SOUND / TE ANAU
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If the skies are clear, neither words nor pictures can prepare you for what you will see traveling around Lake Wakatipu and through Te Anau and 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. Cruise down Milford Sound past Mitre Peak to the open sea. Seals and dolphins are often seen and Milford Sound reminds us of the fjords of Norway except the mountains here are taller. A buffet lunch is served aboard. Afternoon travel to Te Anau. (BL) |
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DAY 11
DOUBTFUL SOUND DAY TOUR |
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| Full day tour. Drive to Lake Manapouri, and then travel aboard a high speed launch to West Arm to visit the underground power station. Travel by coach across Wilmot Pass through dense virgin rainforest. At Doubtful Sound take a launch cruise and experience a more mystical, remote version of Milford Sound. There are resident dolphins and seals in the fiord plus a variety of other marine life and birds. A boxed lunch is provided. (BL)
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DAY 12
TE ANAU/QUEENSTOWN/CHRISTCHURCH |
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| You can choose to fly to Queenstown over towering peaks and gorgeous fiordland (extra cost) or retrace your path and drive back to Queenstown, which of course is a beautiful route. Participate in the activities that didn’t fit your schedule on Day 12 or take an earlier flight to Christchurch. (B) |
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DAY 13
CHRISTCHURCH/LAX or SFO |
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| Take in whichever of the sights in Christchurch that you missed on Day 2. Return your rental car at the airport and depart for home. (B) |
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