Tour Type: Independent Coach Tour
Duration: 9 Days
Tour Starts In: Christchurch
Tour Finishes In: Christchurch
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from NZ $2559 pp
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9 Day Superb South Island Touring Route:
Tour Inclusions:
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Day
1 |
Christchurch - Kaikoura
The Coastal Pacific Train makes an early start through dry North Canterbury sheep country. Next it edges along the narrow coastal strip between the ocean and the rugged mountains to arrive in Kaikoura. Conditions permitting, you may like to take a cruise to see the whales and other marine life which feeds in this area. Overnight in Kaikoura.
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Day
2 |
Kaikoura - Blenheim - Nelson
Rejoin the Coastal Pacific Train and turn inland to Blenheim. Joining your coach, you pass vineyards and orchards to Nelson. Stay two nights in Nelson.
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Day
3 |
At Nelson - Abel Tasman National Park Tour
Your full-day Abel Tasman National Park excursion begins with a drive through orchard country to Motueka, then on to Kaiteriteri Beach to board your launch. You may choose to remain on board your launch for the duration of the cruise, or to disembark to walk part of the track, before meeting your launch again in a different bay. |
Day
4 |
Nelson - Greymouth
Travel through the Buller Gorge to Westport and down the coast to the unique formations known as the Pancake Rocks. On arrival, take a leisurely walk through Paparoa National Park, to view the limestone landscape. Highly recommended and absolutely unique and stunning.
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Day
5 |
Greymouth - Glaciers
Enjoy a guided tour from Greymouth to the glaciers, visiting the jade carvers in Hokitika, places of historical interest, a giant Mitai tree and several picturesque lakes. Take a short guided walk to the terminal face of a glacier before overnighting at either Fox or Franz Josef Glacier. Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers both extend 12 kms from the high snow fields of the Southern Alps. The terminal face of the Franz Josef glacier is just 5 kms from the Franz Josef township and at Fox an easy walk from the village to the terminal face.
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Day
6 |
Glaciers - Queenstown
Dense rainforest contrasts with rugged coastal vistas as you plunge deeper into South Westland. As the Haast River guides you inland through the Haast Pass. Cross the pass to reach the southern lakes district and the alpine playground of Queenstown. Stay in Queenstown for three nights.
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Day
7 |
Queenstown - Milford Sound - Queenstown
An early start takes you alongside the lake to Kingston, then on to Mossburn and Lake Te Anau. Travel through the Fiorland National Park, passing the Mirror Lakes, the Chasm, the Homer Tunnel and the Cleddau Chasm. A cruise on Milford Sound beneath lofty Mitre Peak, waterfalls and out to the mouth of the Tasman Sea is included. Then you climb out of Milford Sound to return to Queenstown by evening. |
Day
8 |
At Queenstown
Today is completely at your leisure to enjoy the many sights of this alpine resort situated on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown offers something for everyone - you can enjoy the quiet beauty and tranquility of this mountain retreat and enjoy several walking trails in the town area. For sheer excitement there is white-water rafting, helicopter rides, the famous jet boats, bungy jumping to pump your adrenalin, and offroad 4WD tours with plenty of river crossings. There are cruises on the lake and a visit to a high country sheep station, and wine tasting tours. You can visit nearby Arrowtown where the main street has been preserved since the 1860's gold rush days and you can try your luck and pan for gold in the adjacent Shotover River. We have included the Skyline Gondola ride in your tour package. |
Day
9 |
Queenstown - Mt Cook - Christchurch
Travel through the rocky Kawarau Gorge and past Cromwell to climb up over the Lindis Pass. The tussocky plains of the Mackenzie Country lie before you as you head towards Mt Cook village in the heart of the Southern Alps. You have a brief stop here for optional flight seeing or lunch (not included) before travelling on to Tekapo to see the Church of the Good Shepherd. Cross Burkes Pass to Fairlie before returning to Christchurch. Tour ends on arrival at aproximately 6.05 pm. |
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from NZ $2,559
9 Day Superb South Island
11
4.2
5
9 Day Superb South Island Reviews
Tour reviews from past clients of Relaxing Journeys for the 9 Day Superb South Island. |
Great value, 1st class itinerary. Transportation was always on time, comfortable with very pleasant drivers, especially Linda of Kea Tours, who was generous to my friend in allowing her great photo opportunities as we wended our way from Greymouth to the Fox Glacier. Commentaries were good but, with the exception of Linda, Wayne (Milford Sound) and David (Queenstown to Christchurch), who were all loud and clear, most of the other drivers mumbled! Or else the intercoms were of poor quality. Due to that mumbling, and the abrupt malfunction of the taped commentary onboard the TranzCoastal train, we didn't hear any announcement that we were in Kaikoura, failed to recognise the Kaikoura stop as a railway station - the hut-like building was labelled 'Whale Watch', so, thinking it was just a stop-off for whale watchers, we stayed on the train - all the way to Blenheim! We were not asleep, honest! We apologize to the Kaikoura shuttle drivers and the White Morph Motor Inn, but we were not at fault! I suspect that the 2 young women who strolled through the rail car a few times were conductors? Well, they didn't conduct! But, in Kiwi-talk - no worries! Your Auckland office rescued us in Blenheim and we got home to Nelson a day early. The hotel accommodations were excellent, The Elms in Christchurch valiantly offering good service despite earthquake damage. I wept at the destruction of favorite buildings in Christchurch, but that did not detract from the quality of Relaxing Journeys' itinerary and execution. Liz Hoffman and I compliment all of you, and will heartily recommend your company to our friends.
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Value For Money
Accommodaton
Tour Pace
Our Service
Doreen Moore (United States)
Tour Date 09/01/2012 |
We had a great time! The scenic route taken was exactly what we wanted, the hotel locations are convenient, the transport arrangement were timely except for the day we arrived in Nelson. The unfortunate train accident whilst onboard the TransCoastal train shortly after leaving Christchurch had added some excitement to our journey. Toni, many thanks for your suggestion to extend a day each in Kaikoura & Mt Cook. Kaikoura is such a beautiful little town. The extra day gave us the opportunity to do the peninsula walk which both of us enjoyed totally. At Mt Cook, we are fortunate to have the perfect weather and the view is absolutely stunning! We actually had a relaxing time engulfed in the beauty of nature. Thanks for a very nice holiday arrangement.
Sew Sook Fong & Sew Wai Fong (Singapore)
Tour Date 19/09/2011 |
This was one of three back-to-back tours I did in 2011. For fifteeen days, I envied the quality of life New Zealanders enjoy. The biggest advantage of letting Relaxing Journeys do all the planning was - exactly that. If I booked everything myself, I would have put in countless hours and perhaps spent more. Professionalism and courtesy of all NZ'ers invloved was very impressive. Thank you again Toni, and any Kiwi reading this as a matter of fact.
Daniel Luzdem (Canada)
Tour Date 05/08/2011 |
We had booked a customized tour with Relaxing Journeys through Toni, and from the start to finish it was a lovely experience. I needed somebody to tune holidays according to our needs and requirements. Toni was patient enough to understand and actually also suggest better alternatives through her native experience. She helped us to make a plan to suit our needs and we were all ready to go. And then we had some severe problems at airports and we were stuck at one of the airports and in such an event I emailed Toni and she did make alternative arrangements - like changing of the pick up times, communicating to hotel staff and making sure everything went smoothly - thank you Toni for that. Once we were at Christchurch everything went well. We were given a bunch of brochures which helped us to pre plan our activities. Shuttles arrived on time. Weather was fantastic and I can easily say NZ is better than any place I have ever been to. The plan that Toni made allowed us enough time to rest as well as enjoy the pristine beauty. Only regret I had was that I wish I could be there for more time, but I am coming back and travelling with Relaxing Journeys again.
Swetanshu Shekhar & Swati Mulay (United States)
Tour Date 24/11/2010 |
We really enjoyed the tour. I was very impressed that on every leg of the journey there were no issues with transportation. Every tour bus or shuttle was on time and all of the people were very friendly. I was also impressed with the knowledge that all of the drivers had about every aspect of your wonderful country. I was disappointed that the weather did not cooperate with us on our stop at Mt. Cook but, as we all know, you can't control the weather. Thank you again for a superb tour.
Ken & Linda Hogue (United States)
Tour Date 17/04/2010 |
To coin an old phase, 'you have to see it to believe it'. Brochures, videos, pictures, reading books and researching the internet just doesn't reveal the true beauty of New Zealand. You have to see it, touch it and live it and we did just that. We have traveled most of the world and have seen a lot of countries. New Zealand is without a doubt the most beautiful country I've ever seen. Our thanks and appreciation go to 'Toni' of Relaxing Journeys for her timeless work and continued dedication in putting together a tour that will be remembered for years to come. From the time we arrived in Christchurch airport and were met by super shuttle representatives to the conclusion of our tour everything went like clockwork. The trains, buses, vans were always on time. The hotel accommodations were fantastic. When we arrived at the Te Weheka Inn were greeted by Cris the hotel manager in the parking lot with our room keys in hand and were given an invitation to join him and other guests for a wine welcoming drink. We never had to sign in or sign out. The next morning we were given a free cook to order breakfast before we continued on our trip. Our trip to the Glaciers via a van driven by Brian was very special. Brian's knowledge about the history, the plants, the wild life and the glaciers made this part of our trip very special. The weather was great. We only had 1 or 2 days of clouds and some light rain. Our trip to Milford sound was cloudy and rainy, but we enjoy it to the max. While in Nelson we did the excursion to Abel Tasman National Park. Disembarking from the boat and taking one of the walks was fantastic and I highly recommend it. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Ten days was just not enough time to see and do it all..I shall return. Again, our special thanks to Toni and everyone at Relaxing Journeys for making this vacation a dream that came true.
Stuart & Susan Brown (United States)
Tour Date 16/04/2010 |
This really was a Relaxing Journey with everything as promised and running like clockwork, despite us enquiring and booking in the last three days of 2009 (great service Toni). Worth special mention was the manageress/owner of the Alphine View Motel at Kaikoura who not only volunteered to confirm our booking to swim with the dolphins but also offered to drive us there and lend us towels so ours would not get wet! The train offered spectacular views up the East coast of South Island and the observation carriage was great for pictures with no glass in the way. We really enjoyed the coach sectors because we could watch the scenery instead of the white line! You could just put a bit more emphasis in the itinerary on being ready a good 10 minutes before the coach departure time as the Abel Tasman excursion coach was early and they had to go off and pick up other people before returning for us. Still we learnt from that.
Richard & Val Hemingway (United Kingdom)
Tour Date 25/01/2010 |
Wonderful trip. Everything went like clockwork. Buses, transfers, hotels all good. Weather was perfect, though I can't give you credit for that! Scenery was magnificent. Thanks for making our customised holiday so trouble free.
Marie Houghton & Anne Stonnard (New Zealand)
Tour Date 11/10/2009 |
I located Relaxing Journeys on the internet via a Google search. A few clicks around their website showed that they were a very professional and experienced tour operator. All information was clear, concise and available easily. That in itself gave me to confidence to consider booking my trip with them. I had a few questions which I emailed them and I received a prompt and clear answer. Once I arrived in NZ, everything moved like clockwork. There were no unpleasant surprises. The accommodation they booked for me was comfortable, clean and well appointed - exactly as it says on their website. The coaches arrived on time and everyone was really friendly and helpful. Regular stops along the way ensured that everyone was comfortable. The little cafes where we stopped were lovely and the food was great, and reasonably priced. One minor hiccup where a transfer didn't take place on time, but it was soon resolved via a phone call and things went back to working smoothly. Thank you Relaxing Journeys. Your country and your hospitality made my visit something I will talk about for a long long time.
Rohit Bhalla (Singapore)
Tour Date 23/03/2009 |
Greetings, our trip was fantastic. We had to book this with very short notice and Craig expedited our requests. Everything went without a hitch. We even had perfect weather for photographs at every site. The drivers were very informative and the itinerary was excellent. I have told our friends about the great service at Relaxing Journeys, the beauty and friendliness of New Zealand, and the overall excellence of your travel industry. Thank for picking up the pieces from our cancelled cruise vacation and turning it into a great holiday.
Kevin & Karen Olson (United States)
Tour Date 14/03/2009 |
I feel horrible about never telling you about such a great experience my trip was with you. My trip was 3 yrs ago, to the day. Jill Harris was the agent I was working with and she did a wonderful job. I took a customised 15 day independent coach tour - because I was currently deployed in Iraq and coming from a war zone for two weeks of R&R, the dates of when I was going to be landing in NZ weren't firmed up until almost 48hrs before I arrived, and yet Jill did a wonderful job working with me and ensured that I was able to see everything I wanted to see on the South Island during my trip. From the minute I arrived until the day I left everything was taken care, there was one small hick-up but Jill quickly got it fixed and I was able to make it to one of my day trips I had planned. Whale watching in Kaikoura was amazing, the train ride from Christchurch to Kaikoura was also very memorable. Abel Tasman National Park was amazing and I could have spent more than a day there, but I had so much more ground to cover. Time spent in Fox/Franz glaciers was also so very very beautiful, Milford Sound, Mt. Cook, Queenstown, and I'm sure there were more places...I got to see my favorite animals on earth, penguins to include the Little Blue penguin, even if it was at the aquarium/zoo in Christchurch. The food, wine and even local beer was wonderful. I fell in love with NZ and would love to live there some day. The great news is that I will be returning in April 2010 for a business trip and afterward I'll be meeting up with some of my family and will certainly be calling on Relaxing Journey's to help plan our vacation. Thanks again for the trip of a life time!
Casandra Koistinen (United States)
Tour Date 29/10/2007 |
Tour Prices
All tour prices below are per person. |
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| Stay |
Twin Share |
Single |
Triple |
Breakfasts |
| Motel |
NZ $2,559 |
NZ $3,829 |
NZ $2,369 |
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| Bronze |
NZ $2,669 |
NZ $4,039 |
NZ $2,549 |
NZ $210 |
| Silver |
NZ $2,989 |
NZ $4,679 |
NZ $2,779 |
NZ $245 |
| Gold |
NZ $3,179 |
NZ $5,049 |
NZ $2,899 |
NZ $273 |
| Apartment |
NZ $3,039 |
NZ $4,799 |
NZ $2,759 |
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EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL OFFER
2012 Season Sale! Take $200pp off prices shown if you place your tour deposit this month!
Valid for bookings made with Relaxing Journeys between 1 February 2012 and 29 February 2012
with your tour starting between 11 April 2012 and 31 March 2013 . Subject to availability at time of booking. |
*Prices above are valid 01 November 2011 to 30 September 2012. Prices before or after this period are on request.
*Terms & Conditions apply to any discounts and/or specials above. Your designated tour consultant will apply the appropriate discounts automatically to your quote and detail any currently applicable 'Exclusive Specials'. |
Tour Information
This is an independent coach tour and operates daily. |
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Independent New Zealand Coach Tours
Independent coach tours are
the ideal way to explore New Zealand. We pre-book all your travel arrangements including coach, rail and ferry transport, accommodation, transfers between your transport and accommodation and key sightseeing activities. We can add and take off days in the middle, start or end of your tour and you can choose to add meals and/or pre and post tour accommodation. You also choose the level of accommodation that suits you best, from 3 star to 5 star! While the coaches do not have dedicated tour guides, the multi-talented coach drivers provide excellent onboard commentary. You will receive an informative touring wallet which will include brochures, detailed maps, tour vouchers and comprehensive itinerary.
Accommodation Levels
Your coach tour accommodation is in specially chosen properties, centrally located and of a high standard. Choose from 5 levels of accommodation - Motel, Bronze, Silver, Gold & Apartments. All accommodation is subject to availability at the time of booking so get in early!
Daily Departures
Our independent coach tours operate daily, using regular coach, train and ferry services. This provides you with excellent flexibility when planning your coach tour start date to coincide with your flights or other holiday arrangements.
General Information
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