17 Day New Zealand Uncovered

After a city sights tour enjoy time at leisure. B

You’re invited to a Be My Guest lunch at the Red Barn on the Waikato farm of Lance and Bridgette O’Sullivan, New Zealand horse racing royalty. Later, travel to Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty.

Stay: Trinity Wharf, Tauranga (B,L,D)

Travel through Te Puke to visit Kiwifruit Country, then on to Rotorua for an orientation tour. This afternoon explore Te Puia Thermal Reserve. Then an evening of culture, history and a Hangi feast Highlight Dinner awaits you at the Tamaki Maori Village.

Stay: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua, (2 nights) (B,D)

Embark on one of your Included Choice sightseeing experiences. Glide through the Waitomo Glowworm Grotto, take an ancient forest zipline adventure with Canopy Tours, visit the Hobbiton Movie Set, or explore Rotorua and its lakes in an amphibious WWll-era Duck. (B)

Journey through forests and farmland to the turquoise torrent known as Huka Falls. The road unfolds in a broad panorama of stunning Lake Taupo. Continue south and along the Kapiti Coast to the capital city, Wellington.

Stay: James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, Wellington (B)

Explore Te Papa Museum of New Zealand. This afternoon cruise the Cook Strait into tranquil Queen Charlotte Sound. The village of Picton is next, then it’s on to Blenheim for a city sightseeing tour. Tonight, enjoy a 3-course Highlight Dinner celebrating local produce and the wines of the Marlborough region.

Stay: Chateau Marlborough, Blenheim. (B, D)

Travel to Kaikoura, where sperm whales can often be seen not far from shore. Travel along the Pacific coast and across the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch.

Stay: Distinction Hotel, Christchurch (B)

This morning, join our Sustainable Tourism Commitment by planting a native tree in the Port Hills of Christchurch, an area recovering from wildfire. Next, visit the home of Angie and Stan Taylor at Lake Tekapo, for a Be My Guest afternoon tea and to learn about a lifetime spent farming. Later, view the little stone-hewn Church of the Good Shepherd on your way to Twizel.

Stay: Mackenzie Country Inn, Twizel (B, L, D)

Journey along the Waitaki River, with a photo stop at the Waitaki Hydro Power Scheme and Benmore Dam. Travel through to Oamaru and on to Dunedin. Choose an Included Choice sightseeing experience. Take a wildlife cruise out to Otago Peninsula, visit the famous Speight’s Brewery or ride the historic Taieri Gorge Railway.

Stay: Scenic Hotel Southern Cross, Dunedin (B, D)

After free time, travel through lush sheepfarming land. Then the rolling, grassy hills turn back into forested, rugged mountains, as you meander your way up into Fiordland National

Stay: Distinction Te Anau Hotel and Villas (B, D)

You will be awestruck by the magnificence of the World Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park. Amazing photo opportunities await you today as you see rainforest, ancient glaciers, mountain ranges and the handmade Homer Tunnel. Pass the Mirror Lake, Pop’s Lookout, Cleddau Valley and the Chasm. Your cruise on Milford Sound will take you past Bowen Falls and Mitre Peak. Afterwards, travel along the shores of Lake Wakatipu on your way to Queenstown, where an orientation tour finishes this highlight day.

Stay: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown (2 nights) (B)

Choose an Included Choice sightseeing experience. Ride the Shotover Jet, take a gondola to Bob’s Peak and visit Kiwi Birdlife Park or a minibus tour through Skippers Canyon. This evening, cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue Highlight Dinner. (B, D)

Visit the gold mining settlement of Arrowtown. From here you will travel to Cromwell to taste delicious stone fruit at a local orchard. It is a day of gorgeous lakes, as you travel further into Central Otago. Cross over the Haast Pass as the landscape changes from alpine scenery to the rainforest marvels of the wild West Coast. Your destination is the extraordinary Franz Josef Glacier.

Stay: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier, (Douglas Wing) (B, D)

Visit Hokitika, home of the native greenstone for a factory visit and jewellery demonstration. Later, travel to Punakaiki to view the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. You’ll spend the night in an eco-friendly resort right on the waterfront.

Stay: Punakaiki Resort (B, D)

Travel to Greymouth to visit the iconic Monteith’s Brewery and taste some of their innovative brews before a pub-style lunch. Later you will journey aboard the TranzAlpine train to Christchurch. This evening, join your Travel Director and new-found friends for a Farewell Dinner.

Stay: Distinction Hotel, Christchurch (B,L,D)

Say farewell to your fellow travellers when your holiday concludes after breakfast. (B)