Tour Type: Premium Self Drive Tour
Duration: 16 Days
Tour Starts In: Christchurch
Tour Finishes In: Christchurch
|
from NZ $5081 pp
|
16 Day Te Wai Pounamu Touring Route:
Tour Inclusions:
Back to top |
Day
1 |
Arrive Christchurch
Upon arrival at Christchurch, you will be personally met by our representative at the airport & transferred in an executive sedan to your chosen accommodation. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore what Christchurch has to offer.
|
Day
2 |
Christchurch to Picton & the Marlborough Sounds
Guests will be transferred to Christchurch Railway station where you will join the TranzCoastal train for your journey to Picton. From here, travel by water taxi to your resort in the heart of the spectacular Marlborough Sounds. (B)
|
Day
3 |
Explore Marlborough Sounds
A day to relax & marvel at the magic that is the Marlborough Sounds. Resort staff will share their love of the Sounds with you through the range of water and nature based experiences they put at your fingertips. Optional activities include fishing, boating, sailing, swimming & sea-kayaking and there is a wealth of walks and meanderings in the immediate vicinity. There is also the opportunity to visit the vineyards & wineries that are located in the famous Marlborough wine region. (B) |
Day
4 |
Picton, Nelson
Return to Picton this morning by water taxi. On arrival, collect your rental car and proceed to Nelson at your leisure. The region, which is the sunniest in New Zealand, has for many years attracted residents who love to use their imagination. There are more than 350 working artists and craftspeople living in Nelson, including traditional and contemporary Maori artists. From the northern edge of the Southern Alps across the fertile plains and out to a great sweep of beaches, Nelson is beautifully laid out under a generous sun that delivers New Zealand’s highest sunshine hours. (B)
|
Day
5 |
Nelson – Kaiteriteri – Awaroa
This morning drive to Marahau to connect with the Aqua taxi transfer to Awaroa Lodge. Located at the quiet northern end of Abel Tasman National Park, it is the perfect vantage point to explore the famous Abel Tasman Coastal Track - the most beautiful of all New Zealand's 'Great Walks'. (B)
|
Day
6 |
Explore Abel Tasman National Park
Today there is time to explore what the Abel Tamsan National Park has to offer. Choose a walk from a few minutes to several hours, on any section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. Golden sand beaches, native forest, spectacular coastal views and swimming opportunities in calm, azure waters are all highlights of the park. Every journey is unique from paddling the coastline by sea kayak to walking through native forests and across vast coastal inlets to secluded bays of golden sands and turquoise waters. (B) |
 |
Day
7 |
Return to Nelson
Return today by water taxi to Marahau and collect your rental car. Continue on to Nelson & enjoy an afternoon relaxing in this charming city, based on a harbour that is home to the country’s busiest fishing port. (B)
|
Day
8 |
Nelson Lakes, Punakaiki Rocks
Today you travel south through the Nelson Lakes region and navigate the awesome Buller Gorge across to the rugged West Coast. At Hawks Crag the road has been hacked out of solid rock – you’ll drive under a dramatic overhang! Travel along the Tasman Sea coastline to reach Punakaiki – home to the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. (B)
|
Day
9 |
Greymouth, West Coast Glaciers
The road to Greymouth is breathtaking. White capped breakers and rugged rocks on one side, bush-clad mountains on the other side. Travel south along the dramatic West Coast, steeped in history dating back to the gold rush era for the 1800’s, and enjoy views of the Southern Alps to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west as you make your way to the Glacier townships of Franz Josef & Fox. (B)
|
Day
10 |
West Coast day of leisure
There’s lots to explore in this area – you can take your own time walking up to the glacier, going to the Okarito Lagoon; or join a guided walk on the glacier, take a heli-hike adventure, or a scenic flight over both glaciers. There’s also quad biking through rainforest and riverbeds or even a half hour drive back down to Fox Glacier & Lake Matheson.
The Franz Josef Glacier hot pools are open for a hot bathe amongst the rainforest!
Let us know if you'd like us to include any of these activities in your itinerary. (B) |
 |
Day
11 |
Haast Pass, Wanaka & Queenstown
Depart Franz Josef and travel down the West Coast, alongside braided riverbeds, native forests and roadside waterfalls before climbing up over the Haast Pass and through Mount Aspiring National Park, with its impressive mountains sculpted by glaciers during the Ice Ages. Then follow the shores of Lakes Hawea and Wanaka to the alpine resort village of Queenstown, regarded as New Zealand’s premier holiday destination. (B)
|
Day
12 |
Explore Queenstown
Enjoy a full day to experience this magnificent resort. Surrounded by majestic mountains, Queenstown boasts adventure activities in all forms, from extreme to relaxed exploration. Here you can take a thrilling jet boat ride, experience the Ultimate bungy jump, pan for gold, raft the white water rapids, take a wine trail, fish for trout, play golf or 4WD sheer canyons. (B) |
Day
13 |
Doubtful Sound Wilderness Excursion
Queenstown is also a great base from which to explore the Fiordland National Park. Today, leave your car behind & board a luxury glass-roofed coach to the Doubtful Sound. Travel along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and through the rolling countryside to Manapouri. Then cruise across the crystal waters of Lake Manapouri to West Arm before boarding a coach and crossing the alpine route of Wilmot Pass through some of Fiordland and Doubtful Sound’s most dense rainforest.
On reaching Deep Cove, board a modern catamaran vessel, the Patea Explorer for a three hour cruise exploring the waterways of this serene and isolated fiord. There is plenty of time available to explore points of interest and view the spectacular alpine scenery including waterfalls, rainforest and mountains all the way out to the Tasman Sea. It is home to bottlenose dolphins and fur seals and when in season, the rare Fiordland crested penguin.
An on board nature guide with specialist knowledge of the region’s history, flora and fauna provides detailed interpretation in English with a roving microphone. On the return cruise, the vessel’s engines are turned off and visitors are treated to the ‘sound of silence’. (B/L) |
Day
14 |
Arrowtown, Mt Cook
Make sure to stop off at the historic & beautiful mining village of Arrowtown today before journeying through the rugged and beautiful landscape of Otago. Cross the Lindis Pass into the Mackenzie Country to arrive at Mt Cook National Park a World Heritage listed site. Mt Cook is Australasia's highest mountain at 3764 metres. The park covers over 70,000 hectares of breathtaking alpine scenery and is also home to the Tasman Glacier, the longest in the Southern hemisphere (optional Ski-plane & helicopter flights are available subject to weather conditions). (B)
|
Day
15 |
Tasman Glacier – Tekapo – Christchurch
Experience the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s largest, in the most unique way possible. This morning, an experienced guide will whisk you away in a stable MAC Boat to explore the melting ice-face of the Tasman Glacier where you will also get to touch & taste 400-year old icebergs that have been carved into the murky waters of the lake. Later visit beautiful Lake Tekapo and stop to view the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd, built of local stone and oak in 1935. Leaving the High Country, cross the vast Canterbury Plains to the 'Garden City' of Christchurch. (B)
|
Day
16 |
Depart Christchurch
At leisure today until you return your rental car to the airport in time to connect with your onward flight. (B) |
| |
Note: The Glacier Explorer Tour at Mt Cook, does not operate between May-September so replaced with a Wilderness Safari Tour on the Dart River in Queenstown. This replaces the Shotover Jet ride in Queenstown as well.
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 |
 |
As with the North Island 'Beaches & Vineyards' self drive tour I did earlier this month, I thoroughly enjoyed this tour as well. Both Marlborough Sounds and Able Tasman had amazing scenery. Getting to Lochmara & Awaroa Lodges by water taxi proved interesting. Restaurant in Lochmars was probably the best encountered in both North & South Islands. That in Marlborough Vintners Hotel not far behind. Enjoyed day spent in Marlborough touring a number of vineyards. As in the North Island, all the hotels were of a high standard. The chalets in Lochmara Lodge were somewhat more basic than those in Awaroa Lodge. The heli-hike on the Franz Josef glacier proved to be quite a challenging experience, which I would not wish to repeat. Surprised that they did not separate the groups by age and and fitness level. Favourite place visited - probably Nelson.
James Christie (Ireland)
Tour Date 29/10/2009 |
Tour Prices
All tour prices are per person, twin share. |
|
| |
| Intermediate Car |
NZ $5,087 |
NZ $5,081 |
NZ $6,488 |
| Full Size Car |
NZ $5,147 |
NZ $5,141 |
NZ $6,548 |
| Mid Size 4WD |
NZ $5,315 |
NZ $5,309 |
NZ $6,716 |
| Full Size Wagon |
NZ $5,315 |
NZ $5,309 |
NZ $6,716 |
| Full Size 4WD |
NZ $5,459 |
NZ $5,453 |
NZ $6,860 |
| People Mover (MPV) |
NZ $5,459 |
NZ $5,453 |
NZ $6,860 |
EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL OFFER
Earlybird Special! Save 5% off the retail prices shown! Departures to 31 March 2011.
Valid for bookings made with Relaxing Journeys between 1 September 2010 and 30 September 2010
. Subject to availability at time of booking. |
*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 August 2011. |
| |
- Frequently Asked Questions.
- International flights to & from New Zealand are not included.
- Single, Triple & Quad prices are available on request.
- If you would prefer a mix of the accommodation listed we can arrange this.
- For families we can also price our premium self drive tours using self catering apartments.
- Our premium B&B's do not cater for children.
- 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 updated 22 July 2010.
|
|
     |
