New Zealand

Nature's Paradise

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9 Day Adventure Travel New Zealand Christchurch to Christchurch

Highlights: Come with us while we explore magnificent New Zealand on our Adventure Travel in South Island, New Zealand. Over 9 days you will travel from Christchurch and spend two nights on remote Stewart Island, enjoy a guided walk on Ulva Island and see rare and endangered birds on this predator free sanctuary, explore Tea Anau Glowworm Caves, and hike on a glacier! Plus lots more!

Itinerary

Day 1        Christchurch to Lake Tekapo

Travel to the world heritage-listed Mt Cook National Park with over 70,000 hectares of breathtaking alpine scenery. This afternoon, experience the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake and icebergs up close on the only tour of its kind in New Zealand. Local guides whisk us away in a stable MAC boat to explore the melting ice face of the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand's largest, and you'll be able to touch

& taste 500 year old ice. After dinner, explore the southern sky with expert astronomy guides. (D)

Day 2         Lake Tekapo to Te Anau

A big drive today as we journey through the Lindis Pass to Cromwell. Travel through rolling countryside to Te Anau. Nestled on the edge of the south island's largest lake, it boasts a spectacular backdrop of Mt Luxmore, the Murchison mountains and Fiordland National Park. (B)

Day 3        Invercargill, Stewart Island

Catch a shuttle bus this morning to Invercargill & then on to Bluff. From here, ferry across to Stewart Island, a special place valued for its clear clean waters, lush rainforest, sweeping sands and flora and fauna. (Please note: days 3-5 travel as an independent traveller)

Day 4         Visit Ulva Island

A short water taxi ride takes you to Ulva Island, an idyllic, predator-free bird sanctuary for rare and endangered birds. Enjoy a guided walk with  Ulva Goodwillie, a direct descendant of the first Maori peoples of Stewart Island. With no more than 12 guests on every trip, Ulva will provide you with a unique experience, learning about native flora and fauna from a Maori and local Stewart Island perspective. 

Day 5        Stewart Island to Queenstown

Return by ferry to the mainland this morning & connect with the shuttlebus to Queenstown, widely regarded as New Zealand's premiere holiday destination. This beautiful alpine village is located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu & you rejoin the main tour group on arrival.

Day 6        Queenstown

A full day to experience this magnificent resort. Queenstown boasts adventure activities in all forms ... from extreme to relaxed exploration.  However, no stay in Queenstown is complete without an exhilarating ride on the iconic, award winning Shotover Jet Boat and this has been included in your tour. Enjoy the thrills of skimming past rocky outcrops at close range as you twist & turn through the narrow canyons of the Shotover Gorge at breathtaking speed.

Day 7        Queenstown to West Coast Glaciers

Stop at the historic, gold mining village of Arrowtown. Then view incredible scenery as you travel past the untouched native forests & pristine lakes of the Westland National Park & Haast Pass as you travel to the glacier townships of Fox Glacier & Franz Josef.

Day 8        West Coast Glaciers to Greymouth

Your guide will lead you onto the ice of Franz Josef Glacier via a track through regenerating rainforest. You'll be supplied with sturdy leather boots & instep crampons, specially designed for the ice conditions. Make your way up the terminal face of the glacier traversing spectacular tracks of only moderate difficulty. Your guide will pass on fascinating details of the natural history of this awesome landscape. Continue north along the rugged west coast to Greymouth.

Day 9        Punakaiki, TranzAlpine, Christchurch

At Punakaiki, view the incredible limestone formations that make up the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Then it's back to board The TranzAlpine, rated as one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. Travel coast to coast through the awesome Southern Alps, crossing spectacular river gorges and crossing massive viaducts en route to Christchurch.

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