Tour Type: Mid Range Self Drive Tour
Duration: 7 Days
Tour Starts In: Christchurch
Tour Finishes In: Queenstown
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from NZ $1693 pp
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7 Day Fangorn Forest & the Misty Mountains Touring Route:
Tour Inclusions:
- 6 nights quality 3 star hotel accommodation, including optional breakfasts & 1 lunch
- Rental vehicle of your choice including airport and ferry port collection charges
- Full day Lord of the Rings Tour, Christchurch
- Dart River Wilderness Safari
- Comprehensive travel compendium, including Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook, maps, vouchers and travel guides
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Day
1 |
Arrive Christchurch
"Haere Mai" Welcome to Christchurch - the Garden City. Upon arrival at Christchurch airport, you will be personally met by our representative & transferred in an executive sedan to your accommodation. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore what Christchurch has to offer. The city has had 2 earthquakes in the last year, and as a result the central CBD district has been damaged. However many of the activites in and around Christchurch are still operating as normal, and there is plenty to experience and see. Stay: Pavilions (2 nights) |
Day
2 |
Tour to Edoras
Join your Lord of the Rings tour today and journey to the remote and beautiful Mt Potts high country station, home of Mt Sunday, and see how this peaceful mountain was transformed into Edoras, the capital city of the Rohan people. Immerse yourself in the natural, unspoilt beauty of this breathtaking area with its sparkling clear lakes, glistening blue rivers and fresh, crisp mountain air. This amazing day includes 4WD access onto Mt Sunday/Edora itself and a delicious champagne picnic lunch. (L) |
Day
3 |
Christchurch to Twizel via Tekapo and Lake Pukaki
Take delivery of your rental car this morning and head south across the Canterbury Plains, through the picturesque town of Geraldine. Be sure you make a photo stop at Lake Tekapo, a beautiful turquoise coloured lake. Visit the Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of the lake. This is one of the most photographed churches in the world made of stone and sand from around the lake. You are now in Mackenzie Country and the scenery is fantastic as you drive past Lake Pukaki which has its source in the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers close to Aoraki/Mount Cook. As you drive by the southern end of the lake, on your way to Twizel and the grassy plains of Pelennor Fields, you will get good views of the mountain, 70 kilometres to the north. Stay: MacKenzie Country Inn |
Day
4 |
Twizel to Wanaka
The easy drive to Omarama takes you through picturesque sheep farming country fringed with mountain ranges. You’ll have the chance to detour to the fascinating Paritea cliffs, which are constantly being exposed by the active Osler fault line. You could also pause to cast a line into the Ahuriri River – famous for sizeable rainbow and brown trout.
You’ll know you’re in Omarama when you see the giant merino sheep statue. This area’s unique geography has made it a magnet for gliding enthusiasts. The north-westerly wind blows steadily to form the famous Northwest Arch, a thermal that can take the glider pilots to 10,000 metres. Scenic soaring can be arranged.
Your trip to Wanaka then takes you through the beautiful Lindis Pass – just magic when there’s snow around. Then at Tarras, a small sheep farming settlement on State Highway 8, not far from the southern end of the Lindis Pass, you might like to stop at one of the vineyards that have been established here in recent years (mainly pinot noir and Riesling) before you head inland to reach your destination of the peaceful and picturesque lakeside town Wanaka. From the waterfront, look towards the Alps at the end of the lake and you’ll see the backdrop used for Gandal’s flight to Rohan with Gwaihir, after his rescue from Orthanc. Stay: Grand Mercure Oakridge Resort |
Day
5 |
Wanaka to Queenstown
From the beautiful scenic centre of Lake Wanaka we recommend you take the shorter route to Queenstown, 70 km (44 miles) by way of the Crown Range. The highest main road in New Zealand, with great views and gold mining history – it’s a unique trip not to be missed. The road zigzags up to the Crown Terrace and from there you can look down to Arrowtown in the Arrow Valley, and across at the end of the Remarkables and the road to the Remarkables skifield.
More conservative drivers can take the State highway 6 route that runs beside the Clutha River, Lake Dunstan and the Shotover River and takes you through Cromwell and the scenic Kawarau Gorge and onto Queenstown.
This afternoon, join your Dart River Wilderness Safari. The ‘Wilderness Safari' is a diverse adventure exploring spectacular 'World Heritage' wilderness within Mt Aspiring National Park through a combination of exhilarating wilderness jet boating, informative guided ancient forest walk and back-country 4WD safari vehicle. Surrounded by awe-inspiring peaks and mysterious hidden valleys shrouded in native Beech forest, your specialist guides will bring to life the variety of landscapes, vegetation and wildlife within this unique area, as well the captivating stories of the original Maori and early pioneers. Stay: Copthorne Queenstown Lakeviews (2 nights) |
Day
6 |
Queenstown at Leisure
Today is free for you to choose any activities you'd like (own expense), or you can extend this self drive to give yourself plenty of free time. We'd recommend either a day tour to Milford Sound or a Safari of the Scenes half day Lord of the Rings tour.
The Lord of the Rings Wakatipu Basin Tour takes you to The Remarkables, which were used as various mountains throughout the trilogy including the Misty Mountains. Travelling part way up this beautiful mountain range you get a bird’s eye view onto Deer Park Heights, which was used for the refugees of Rohan and the Battle of the Wargs scenes. Travelling from The Remarkables we head to the Kawarau Gorge where the filming took place for the Argonath, or Pillars of the Kings before heading to Arrowtown where the loss of The One Ring at Gladden Fields was filmed.
After time for lunch (at own expense) join the Glenorchy tour and follow the Dart River to the spectacular filming location for Isengard. This location offers stunning views of Mt Earnslaw. Heading to Paradise to discover the location for the Forest of Lothlorien. Leaving Glenorchy and returning towards Queenstown you will stop at 12 Mile Delta to explore the location of the Ithilien Camp. The Safari of the Scenes - Glenorchy also includes locations from Xmen Origins: Wolverine, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
Or if you'd like to visit one of New Zealands most popular iconic destinations then perhaps join an unforgettable journey from Queenstown into Milford Sound as you journey along the edge of Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau by coach. The road to Milford is one of New Zealand’s most scenic drives. The first part is relatively mild farmland, then you’ll ease into beech forest near the entrance to the Fiordland National Park. The rough hewn Homer Tunnel brings you into Milford Sound, an amazing 22km-long fiord dominated by Mitre Peak. At Milford Sound, board your boat for a spectacular cruise in New Zealand’s most famous waterway, a dramatic 22 kilometre fiord carved by glaciers during the last ice age. After your cruise you join your coach back to Queenstown. |
Day
7 |
Depart Middle Earth.
Your visit to Middle Earth regrettably comes to an end today and so with fond memories of mountains and fiords, glaciers and sparkling braided rivers drifting in your memory, we ask you to return your car to nearby Queenstown airport where you will depart on your scheduled flight over our great Misty Mountains for a safe and pleasant journey home. Haere ra, Ka hoki mai ano (Farewell, but return again). |
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Note: This self drive tour can be completed in reverse order, the tour cost remains the same. To view tour prices or to make an enquiry, please click on the Tabs at the top of this itinerary. Top |
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Tour Prices
All tour prices are per person, twin share. |
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| Compact Car |
NZ $1,693 |
NZ $190 |
| Intermediate Car |
NZ $1,704 |
NZ $190 |
| Full Size Car |
NZ $1,731 |
NZ $190 |
| Mid Size 4WD |
NZ $1,807 |
NZ $190 |
| Full Size 4WD |
NZ $1,843 |
NZ $190 |
| People Mover (MPV) |
NZ $1,861 |
NZ $190 |
EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL OFFER
2012/13 Season Sale! Save 10% off the prices shown on our website, for 01 May to 31 Aug 2012 departures. Save 5% on all other departures. Deposit this month to qualify! |
*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'. |
Self Drive Tour Notes
Prices above are per person & valid till September 2013. |
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- Frequently Asked Questions.
- International flights to & from New Zealand are not included.
- Breakfasts are optional for mid range self drive tours, please select your preference when requesting a quote.
- Mixed accommodation pricing is available on request.
- For families we can also price our mid range self drive tours using self catering apartments.
- If a property listed on our itinerary is unavailable at the time of booking we will replace it with a equivalent accommodation, and let you know, to ensure it is to your satisfaction.
- Please note this itinerary was last amended 5 April 2012.
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