New Zealand - Land of the Long White Cloud

Day 1: Arrive in Auckland

Please arrive into Auckland before 7:00 am. Upon arrival at the airport, you are transferred to your hotel. After time to freshen-up, we have our orientation meeting in the hotel at 10:30am. 

After lunch we visit the Auckland Museum which has a magnificent collection of Maori and Polynesian artifacts.  We take in a Maori performance and there is time to meet and speak with the Maori performers afterwards. Dinner and overnight in Auckland.

Day 2: To Waitomo via Rotorua

We depart this morning to drive to Waitomo, stopping in Huntly on the way. In Waitomo we stop to explore a glowworm cave and see the amazing effect of thousands of softly shining glowworms on our raft ride through the cave. We then take a gentle walk along a gorge path which brings us to the Cave of the Spirit. Te Ana o te Atua, is a time vault preserving evidence of extinct animals and abandoned stream passages. We continue to Rotorua for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Rotorua, Maori Feast

Today we have the opportunity to experience the wonders of Rotorua. We visit the Agrodome for a live show displaying aspects of New Zealand agriculture, including sheep shearing and sheep-dogs working. There are 19 different breeds of sheep here!

Based in Rotorua at Rainbow Springs, we visit the “Kiwi Encounter”, a Kiwi conservation center. Here we can see the efforts being made to stop the extinction of New Zealand’s national icon and see the Kiwi’s up close.

We then visit the thermal village of Whakarewarewa, for an informative visit with a local Maori. Maori legend narrates that this was the place where the Goddesses of Fire emerged from the earth’s core, creating this geo-thermal area. There are 500 pools and at least 65 geyser vents, 7 active geysers and many bubbling mud pools. Overnight in Rotorua.

Day 4: Rotorua, Huka Falls, to Taupo

After breakfast, visit the church at Ohinemutu and see a Maori Christ figure depicted walking on the waters of Lake Rotorua. We then travel to Waimangu Valley for an unforgettable journey through a geo-thermal valley formed by a massive eruption in 1886.

Travel to Taupo, through exotic forests and recently developed farm lands. View the Aratiatia Dam and the rapids on the Waikato River, a good combination of environmental and economic concerns. This afternoon visit Huka Falls with an optional 1-hour walk upstream. Dinner and overnight in Taupo.

Day 5: Tongaririo River rafting

After breakfast, we continue to Turangi and begin our white-water rafting adventure on the Tongaririo River. We raft for about 3 hours, covering over 80 rapids. An alternative is to take a cruise on Lake Taupo to see its many attractions.

Continuing south past Tongaririo National Park, we stop at the Waiouru Military Museum. Situated as part of a living Army environment next to the Waiouru Army Base, it is a unique fortress-like building which resembles a castle with a moat. The Army Museum’s galleries will help us learn the story of the New Zealand Army from the Land Wars in the 1800s, through WWI and WWII to peace-keeping and UN missions in the 21st century. We then travel to Paraparaumu for a short walk to the sandy beaches of the Kapiti Coast. Overnight in Paraparaumu.

Day 6: Wellington sights

Today we travel to Wellington. Upon arrival, we climb to the top of Mount Victoria for an excellent view over Wellington Harbour and its fault line. We take a guided tour of Te Papa (National Museum of New Zealand) and then walk back into the city via the fascinating waterfront of this capital city of New Zealand. This afternoon we visit Parliament and have some free time to explore independently before dinner and overnight in Wellington.

Day 7: Ferry to Picton

Today, we take a ferry to Picton, through the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Following lunch, we will walk around Picton, the starting point to an idyllic marine playground.  The sheltered waterways of these sounds meander for more than 600 miles, and are full of secluded coves and pristine beaches. After our visit we continue on to Nelson. Upon arrival in Nelson, we visit the Cathedral on Church Hill; the Maori name for the hill is “Pikimai” which translates to “climb up here”! Dinner and overnight in Nelson.

Day 8: Nelson - Waimea Plains

Morning at leisure in Nelson, a favorite vacation spot with New Zealanders. The mild climate is ideal for horticulture and it is one of the country’s largest producers of apples and pears.

We will visit a number of local craft people in their studios and have a chance to speak with them about their work. We will then travel to the Waimea Plains, a region dominated by grape growing. This major wine producing area is known for a number of New Zealand’s award-winning wines. We will enjoy lunch at a local winery and you will have a chance to sample some of the local wines. Dinner and overnight in Nelson.

Day 9: Abel Tasman Park

This morning we travel by bus and water taxi to the starting point of our hike in the Abel Tasman Park. We explore coastal Abel Tasman National Park, located between Tasman and Golden Bays. The park was named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who anchored in Golden Bay over 350 years ago. He was the first European to explore New Zealand coastline. Graced with magnificent beaches, unspoiled native forest and rocky headlands, this rare park is a hiker’s haven.

We will explore the park on foot for approximately 5 hours with a picnic lunch before returning to Motueka.

Day 10: Abel Tasman Park, Golden Bay

This morning we travel to the Golden Bay region and visit the sacred Waikoropupu Springs with its enticing bush walk and the purest of spring waters rumbling to the surface at a rate of 2.16 million liters per day. We travel on and take the sand-dune walk to Wharariki Beach with its white sands and views of the mysterious Archway Islands. Weather permitting, we walk on Marble Mountain where time has sculpted the rock into intricate and fascinating shapes. Overnight in Motueka.

Day 11: Abel Tasman Park - sea kayaking

This morning we explore the beautiful bays and inlets of Abel Tasman in double sea Kayaks, paddling to Split Apple Rock. This afternoon there is free time to explore the town of Motueka.

Day 12: To Punakaiki - Pancake Rocks

Following breakfast, we continue our venture, traveling south along the Buller River and through the gorge to reach the west coast at Charleston. Here, we walk along the cliffs and view the original harbor used by the early settlers. We travel further south to the small township of Punakaiki, on the wild West Coast. We see the unique Punakaiki Pancake Rock formations and blowhole and we walk on the beaches covered with beautiful quartz pebbles.

Our walk also takes us through calm river gorges surrounded by rainforest and towering limestone walls. For those that wish, there is the opportunity to swim in sparkling waterholes. Overnight in Punakaiki.

Please note: Single Supplement not guaranteed this night — hotel only has 9 rooms.

Day 13: Franz Josef Glacier & Fox Glacier

Our journey today takes us further down the coast, stopping in Hokitika to visit the greenstone (jade) factory, and the wood, wool, and glass-blowing shops. Continuing further on we stop at various points of interest in this quiet, remote area.

Stop at Franz Josef Glacier and then continue onto Fox Glacier Township. Weather permitting, we hike as close as possible to the Fox Glacier terminus. Dinner and overnight in the village.

Day 14: Wanaka and Queenstown

Before breakfast, we walk to Lake Matheson and its wonderful mirror reflections. Continue on through spectacular rainforest scenery in one of the most remote areas of New Zealand. After lunch in Haast Township, we continue up the Haast River Valley and through the Gates of Haast to the completely different dry landscape of Central Otago.

We stop in Wanaka, a small town at the southern end of Lake Wanaka. Time permitting, visit Puzzling World and challenge your senses. Continue onto Queenstown. Dinner and overnight in Queenstown.

Day 15: Queenstown, cruise or jetboat ride

Following breakfast, we will drive to the Shotover River to see the jetboats in action. Chance to go jet boating on the lower Shotover Gorge, or board the TSS Earnslaw for a cruise on Lake Wakatipu. Continue on to the site of the world’s first bungy jump — AJ Hackett, on the Kawarau River. Chance to jump, if it appeals! Lunch in the old gold mining settlement of Arrowtown. Tonight we take a gondola to our restaurant for dinner. Overnight in Queenstown.

Day 16: Te Anau, Milford Sound

We depart for Milford Sound following an early breakfast. En route we travel through Te Anau along a scenic highway of massive peaks and bluffs, stopping for short bush walks if time allows. We take a cruise on Milford Sound, the best known of all of the fjords and the only one that can be accessed by road. It is close to the open sea, so a cruise along the fjord and past the majestic Mitre Peak is an idyllic way to enjoy this incredibly beautiful area.

Watch out for dolphins skimming along the surface of the water, and the beautiful waterfalls that cascade down the sides of the sheer cliffs after a rainfall. We then return to Te Anau for dinner and overnight.

Day 17: Depart Queenstown

Today we depart, or join the Australia Extension. For those departing today, we leave Te Anau early morning for the drive to Queenstown airport.

Please do not book flights departing from Queenstown until after 2 pm.