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Travel Insurance
If you are going overseas, then travel insurance is a necessity.
Accommodation
There is a choice of accommodation available on all packages, which depending on locations, includes motels, 3 star hotels, 4 star hotels, boutique lodges & hotels and luxury lodges and hotels. We are happy to quote on alternate accommodation requests.
Airfares
International flights can be included from Australia for all Australian resident
Optional Extras
From Dunedin
Monarch Wildlife Cruises Half day tour and Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve
A half day tour of the Otago Peninsula and its unique wildlife including a cruise through Dunedin Harbour. A unique environment, this tour includes a visit to The Penguin Place to view the rare and unique yellow eyed penguin. The tour also includes a scenic bus tour and the wading bird wetlands.
Royal Albatross Colony 'Albatross Classic' tour
This 60 minute tour focuses on the Royal Albatrosses and wildlife that inhabit Pukekura (Taiaroa Head). Begin with a short film, then enjoy the informative commentary provided by your guide about albatrosses as you visit the observatory to see nesting albatross in their natural habitat.
From Te Anau
Te Anau Glow Worm Caves
Begin your Te Anau Glowworm experience with a scenic cruise across lake Te Anau on board the luxury catamaran, Luminosa, to the western side of the lake. On arrival you’ll enter the caves through Cavern House, where informative displays detail the history of this 12,000 year old underground network.
You’ll then explore by limestone pathway while your guide points out hidden whirlpools, sculpted rock formations and a rushing underground waterfall. See a magical display of thousands of glowworms as you glide through the darkness in a small boat.
From Queenstown
Skyline Gondola and Luge
In the heart of Queenstown, located 450 metres above town in Ben Lomond Scenic Reserve is the Skyline Complex. Catch a gondola to the summit for awe-inspiring views and delicious local fare with view. Ride the 800 metre luge track, then for added thrill, choose to tandem paraglide back to base.
TSS Earnslaw cruise to Walter Peak including gourmet BBQ dinner and a farm tour
Go back in time on this return trip to Walter Peak High Country Farm aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw steamship. On disembarking, you’ll be escorted through the beautiful lakeside gardens to the charming Colonel's Homestead. Here you’ll enjoy a Gourmet BBQ dinner which your chef will prepare in front of you. The seasonal menu includes an expansive array of local produce, including succulent meats cooked on the outdoor rotisserie and a selection of delicious vegetables and salads.
Finish your meal with an irresistible dessert, New Zealand cheeses and freshly brewed tea & coffee. After dinner, an entertaining and informative demonstration gives you a glimpse of life in the high country. On your cruise home, enjoy the camaraderie of a singalong with the ship’s pianist or breathe in the fresh night air as you watch the lights of Queenstown draw nearer.
Dart River Wilderness Safari
Take a one and a half hour jet boat safari through the remote wilderness of Mt Aspiring National Park. Home to towering mountains, alpine bush, glacial lakes and icy rivers, this spectacular trip is considered one of the most scenic in the world. Following your boat journey, take a 40 minute walk through ancient beech forests over 80 million years old. Learn about the area and its history before taking a four wheel drive coach on a 50 minute journey to the isolated hamlet of Paradise - home to many Lord of the Rings filming locations.
From Wanaka
Lake Wanaka Cruise and Island Nature Walk
Lying close to the centre of Lake Wanaka is Mou Waho Island Nature Reserve. A unique glacial remnant of the last ice age, the island is also the historic site of early shipbuilding and used to be a stopping place for the steamers and log rafts that once plied the lake. Accessible from Wanaka by a 35 minute boat cruise, the landing is on the eastern side of the island where the remnants of early settlement remain; a stone wharf and a hut.
A well-formed track leads from the landing and climbs steadily through native bush to near the top of Tyrwhitt Peak. Just before the top we see Arethusa Pool, a small lake on the island with small islands in it - very intriguing! From the top we have a sweeping 360-degree view of Lake Wanaka, its surrounding mountains and valleys, and below Arethusa Pool. The perfect spot to stop for a tea or coffee.
Going back down the track gives us more time to take in our surroundings, listening to and watching the lively bird-life, and just enjoying this unique wildlife reserve. You will feel well rewarded as you re-join the boat for the cruise back to Wanaka. Total cruise time is 1.5 hours. The trip runs subject to weather and lake conditions.
From Mt Cook
Mt. Cook Ski Planes Glacier Highlights Scenic Flight including Glacier Landing
Take in the spectacular Southern Alps - including New Zealand’s highest peak Aoraki Mount Cook - and the constantly changing glacial landscape. See the Hochstetter Icefall as you fly beneath the face of Mount Cook then along the length of the Tasman glacier before landing on the glacier itself. Experience the silence of the mountains, broken only by the rumbling of an avalanche and creaking of the snow and ice beneath your feet. You’ll take off again for another incredible flight over peaks, ice falls, alpine lakes and climbing huts.
From Christchurch
Christchurch Gondola
In the Heathcote Valley, just fifteen minutes from the heart of Christchurch city, ride the Christchurch Gondola for nearly a kilometre to the collapsed rim of an extinct volcano - which exploded six million years ago. Take in the panoramic 360-degree views of the central city, Lyttelton Harbour, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury Plains and the distant peaks of the Southern Alps. Wander the summit complex and choose one of many nature walks or visit the Time Tunnel - a dramatic reconstruction of the history of the Port Hills and Christchurch.
Highlights
Christchurch - Dunedin - Te Anau - Milford Track - Milford Sound - Queenstown - Routeburn Track - Wanaka - Mt Cook - Christchurch
Lake Marian Guided Walk
An adventurous guided day excursion from Te Anau hiking to Lake Marian amongst forest and alpine scenery. Begin with a spectacular scenic drive along the Milford Road to the Lower Hollyford, the starting point for the guided walk to Lake Marian. There are opportunities for short nature walks and photographic stops along the way. The hike starts with a gentle walk alongside a series of waterfalls, then steepens and becomes rocky underfoot as you ascend through a lush forest of fuchsia, ribbon wood and beech trees. You'll travel as part of a small group, allowing your guide to lead you on a journey of discovery that is personalised to your and your fellow hikers. Stops for photographs, bird-watching and enjoying the scenery are made along the way. Hot drinks and energy snacks are carried by the guide, and a wilderness tea break is enjoyed along the way. After walking for 2-3 hours, arrive at Lake Marian. This alpine lake is situated in a hanging valley surrounded by steep, snow clad mountains. If weather permits you'll enjoy a picnic lunch at this inspirational location and relax in this magnificent alpine amphitheatre. Descend back down the track to the Hollyford Road and then travel back to Te Anau by coach. A medium level of fitness is required to enjoy this walk.
Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise
The Milford Mariner offers you a very special dinner, bed and breakfast experience on Milford Sound. Onboard the Milford Mariner you will cruise the full length of this spectacular fiord to the Tasman Sea before anchoring for the night in sheltered Harrison Cove. Accompanied by a nature guide you can go exploring in the tender craft and kayaks or simply relax on deck. After the day's activities, you enjoy a delicious evening buffet in the spacious saloon before retiring to your private cabin.
The vessel itself was designed along the lines of a traditional New Zealand coastal trading scow to reflect Fiordland's heritage. Departing from the Milford Wharf, the Milford Mariner cruises the length of Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea leisurely exploring on the way many points of interest, there is plenty of time to view the waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and wildlife and the experienced nature guide on board will be able to answer any questions you may have. After reaching the open sea, subject to weather and favourable conditions the sails are hoisted for a period. The vessel returns to the calm and shelter of Harrison Cove for your overnight stay.
Full Day Routeburn Guided Walk with Nomad Safaris
The Routeburn track is rated one of the world's 'Top 10 Classic Hikes', combining the thrill of personal achievement with awe-inspiring natural landscapes and unique wildlife. Your day begins as you are picked up from your accommodation and set off on the picturesque Queenstown-Glenorchy road alongside Lake Wakatipu. Passing Glenorchy you will drive through the aptly named Paradise before entering the Mt Aspiring National Park, which hosts the beginning of the Routeburn track. The smooth, flat path will take you through spectacular beech forest where you may spot the Mohua (yellowhead) and Rifleman birds flitting through the trees. The track follows the Routeburn River to the west as it roars through a breathtaking gorge. You will climb a gradual ascent on your walk through the 130-million-year-old forest towards snow-capped peaks, as your guides share their knowledge of the histori
Glacier Explorers Mt. Cook
Experience 500 year old icebergs up-close on the Mt Cook terminal lake. The Glacier Explorers tour is the only one of its kind in New Zealand and one of only three in the world! Very few glaciers terminate into lakes and even fewer of them are accessible. See towering ice cliffs and floating icebergs from the safety of a specially designed boat. These boats provide a safe way to view unseen and inaccessible areas of New Zealand's largest glacier The Tasman.