New Zealand 2019

Depart Wagga Wagga travel to Sydney/Melbourne for overnight stay prior to flying to New Zealand tomorrow.

Accommodation: TBA

Day 2              Friday, 13th September 2019

ARRIVE AUCKLAND                                                                                                                   (DBB)

Today we fly from Sydney/Melbourne to Auckland.

Welcome to New Zealand! You are met on arrival at the Auckland International Airport before being transferred to your hotel. Visit the Auckland Sky Tower – at 328m tall is one of the tallest buildings in the Southern Hemisphere offering you outstanding views of the Auckland CBD and the surrounding region.  Welcome dinner at the hotel.
Amora Hotel, Auckland

Day 3              Saturday, 14th September 2019

AUCKLAND – BAY OF ISLANDS                                                                                                (DBB)

Departing Auckland we travel north over the Auckland Harbour Bridge to visit the Parry Kauri Park. Here we will view some fine examples of Giant Kauri Trees. Continuing we then visit Matakohe Kauri Museum, at Otamatea. Here we gain an insight to the early New Zealand pioneer history, which helped form the New Zealand that we see today. Continuing our journey we reach Paihia in the beautiful Bay of Islands, where you’ll take a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty House where New Zealand’s history began.

Dinner at the hotel.
Scenic Bay of Islands Hotel, Paihia – 2 nights

Day 4              Sunday, 15th September 2019

BAY OF ISLANDS                                                                                                                           (BB)

Today is a day of leisure. The Bay of Islands has so many options for you to discover – perhaps a day trip to the light house at Cape Reinga the most northern tip of New Zealand, followed by a safari along 90 Mile Beach on the way home. Maybe try your luck a deep-sea fishing, or take the plunge swimming with the dolphins or just take time out to relax within Paihia or Russell – New Zealand’s first capital.

Tonight is free for you to explore the local restaurants – please note coach not available for dinner transfers.

Day 5              Monday, 16th September 2019

BAY OF ISLANDS – AUCKLAND                                                                                               (DBB)

This morning board a luxury catamaran to cruise the Bay of Islands to Cape Brett before making a passage through the Hole in the Rock. After your cruise we travel south following the Twin Coast Discovery Highway to arrive in Auckland, where on arrival we experience a highlights tour of Auckland, the ‘City of Sails’, exploring the lively waterfront area. Enjoy the relaxing views along Tamaki Drive, which runs east past peaceful sheltered bays to Auckland’s most expensive real estate.

Dinner at the hotel.
Amora Hotel, Auckland

Day 6              Tuesday, 17th September 2019

AUCKLAND – WAITOMO – ROTORUA                                                                                      (DBB)

This morning we depart Auckland to travel south crossing the Bombay Hills through the dairy rich Waitato countryside and arrive at the famous Waitomo Caves. Here a guide will take you underground to view amazing limestone caves featuring stalagmites and stalactites, which have taken centuries to form. Continue to walk down to an underground stream to board a small boat to view the glow-worm grotto – an underground cavern featuring millions of glow-worms. From Waitomo we travel to the thermal wonderland of Rotorua, the Sulphur City. Rotorua has the most energetic thermal activity in the country with bubbling mud pools, gushing geysers, beautiful coloured hot springs and terrace formations created by mineral water. This afternoon we enjoy a relaxing guided walk through Rainbow Springs, a specialist garden featuring spring fed pools full of Rainbow & Brown Trout and New Zealand native flora and fauna including the iconic New Zealand Native Kiwi Bird.

Dinner at the hotel.
Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua, Rotorua – 2 nights

Day 7              Wednesday, 18th September 2019

ROTORUA                                                                                                                                    (DBB)

Today is at your leisure. Your Optional Touring Booklet will give you plenty of options on how to spend your time. This evening you will be treated to a traditional Hangi (feast) and Maori Concert. We are transferred from our hotel to visit Tamaki Maori Village for a Cultural Experience and Hangi Dinner. Experience the warmth of the Maori people during an evening of ceremonial rituals, powerful cultural performance, storytelling and hangi feasting. Enter the pre-European Maori village, witness the earth being scraped carefully away from the hangi pit and enter their ancestral Meeting House to relax as their family entertain you with a powerful cultural performance before dining on the traditional hangi buffet dinner (Maori feast) cooked the traditional Maori way in an earth oven.

Day 8              Thursday, 19th September 2019

ROTORUA – NAPIER                                                                                                                  (DBB)

This morning visit Te Puia – The New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley featuring the famous Pohutu Geyser. Departing Rotorua we travel via New Zealand’s largest pine tree forests to Taupo. En-route, we make a visit to the Wairakei Geothermal Steam Field. This was a world-first, generating electricity by tapping a natural steam field then channelling the steam to a nearby power generation plant. Continuing we view the mighty Huka Falls. Huka in Maori translates to “snow” as the water here has the appearance of snow falling as it is forced along from Lake Taupo through the falls on its journey along the Waikato River. This afternoon we continue to the ‘Fruit Bowl’ of New Zealand, Hawkes Bay – Napier.

Dinner at the hotel.
Scenic Te Pania Hotel, Napier

Day 9              Friday, 20th September 2019
NAPIER – WELLINGTON                                                                                                            (DBB)

Before we depart Napier we take a city sights tour, featuring beautiful Art Deco buildings to give us an insight of why Napier is known as the Art Deco capital of the world. This afternoon we continue south to Wellington where we spend the rest of the day enjoying an informative sightseeing tour, including a visit to Te Papa, (Our Place) New Zealand’s national museum.

Dinner at the hotel.
James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel, Wellington

Day 10            Saturday, 21st September 2019

WELLINGTON –  NELSON                                                                                                          (DBB)

Today begins as we cruise the Wellington Harbour out onto the Cook Strait on the inter-islander and through New Zealand’s only true sounds, the picturesque Queen Charlotte Sound into Picton. The bustling port of Picton is the terminal for inter-island ferries, and gateway to the ‘Mainland’, the South Island’s self-proclaimed nickname. Reboarding our coach we continue to tour through to Pelorous Bridge. Here we can walk through the Beech and Podocarp Forest as well as view the many sculptured boulders in the Pelorous River. Continuing on for a tour of Nelson. – this being the first city of New Zealand.

Dinner at the hotel.
The Hotel Nelson (formerly Quality Inn Nelson)

Day 11            Sunday, 22nd September 2019

NELSON – CHRISTCHURCH                                                                                                      (DBB)

Passing Brightwater, the birthplace of Lord Rutherford, the New Zealand science pioneer who split the atom, we travel through the Golden Downs Forest to Murchison through the Maruia Forest over the Lewis Pass then into Hanmer Springs. Time out here for lunch in this lovely alpine village (at own expense) before joining the upper reaches of the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch where we enjoy the sights of the ‘Garden City’ also known as “the most English city outside of England”, en-route to our accommodation.

Dinner at the hotel.
Quality Hotel Elms, Christchurch

Day 12            Monday, 23rd September 2019

CHRISTCHURCH – FRANZ JOSEF                                                                                            (DBB)

From Christchurch we traverse the Southern Alps aboard the famous Tranz-Alpine rail journey to Arthurs Pass. From your carriage you’ll see the fields of the Canterbury Plains and farmland, followed by the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River. Your train then climbs into the Southern Alps. Once we have crossed into the Southern Alps we are met at the village of Arthurs Pass by our coach to continue our journey to the West Coast – or the Coast as locals call it, stopping in Hokitika where a visit is made to the Greenstone and Glass Blowing factories. Further south we tour the Westland National Park, the home of Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. On arrival, time is available for optional scenic flights, before continuing onto our accommodation for the night.

Dinner at the hotel.
Scenic Franz Josef Hotel, Franz Josef

Day 13            Tuesday, 24th September 2019

FRANZ JOSEF – QUEENSTOWN                                                                                               (DBB)

Driving towards the southern end of the South Island’s West Coast Road, there is a strong sense of entering a primeval land, and a feeling of total isolation. Arriving at Haast, you are surrounded by a landscape of rainforest, wetlands, sand dunes and surf pounded shingle beaches. This wilderness forms part of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, so designated because South Westland and Fiordland have some of the most dramatic forest and mountain scenery and natural resources in the world. From the Westland National Park we travel through the Haast River valleys and over the Haast Pass to Makaroa and onto the upper reaches of Lake Wanaka. Travelling past Lake Hawea we reach the popular Lake Wanaka, the starting point of the mighty Clutha River. This afternoon we travel via Cromwell following the Kawarau Gorge Road into Queenstown.  This evening ride the aerial gondola to enjoy a sumptuous buffet dinner at Skyline’s Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar, Queenstown’s most spectacular location high above the city on Bob’s Peak. Whilst you dine, the panoramic view from the windows will captivate you day or night.

Copthorne Lakefront Hotel, Queenstown – 2 nights

Day 14            Wednesday, 25th September 2019

QUEENSTOWN                                                                                                                            (DBB)

Today is at leisure. Visit the Remarkables or Coronet Peak. Experience the thrill of a jet-boat ride along the Shotover or Kawarau Rivers. Perhaps a scenic 4 wheel drive excursion through Skippers Canyon, it’s up to you. This evening we take a cruise across Lake Wakatipu on the steamer TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station to dine at the Colonel’s Homestead.

Day 15             Thursday, 26th September 2019

QUEENSTOWN – TE ANAU                                                                                                     (DBBL)

After breakfast, leave Queenstown for a full day excursion to Doubtful Sound. Travel to the small settlement of Manapouri on the shores of one of the South Island’s most scenic lakes. Cross Lake Manapouri by launch and meet up with a coach which will transfer you across Wilmot Pass for your first glimpse of Doubtful Sound. Cruise this remote and pristine fiord enjoying the stunning scenery, the wildlife and the ‘sound of silence’ when the catamaran vessel’s engines are turned off. Wonder at the magnificent surroundings of rainforest and towering mountains with cascading waterfalls and watch for the resident pod of bottlenose dolphins and the fur seals which like to bask on the rocks. Picnic box lunch included. Return to Manapouri and then transfer to Te Anau and your overnight accommodation.

Dinner at hotel.
Distinction Luxmore Hotel, Lake Te Anau

Day 16            Friday, 27th September 2019

TE ANAU – DUNEDIN                                                                                                                  (DBB)

Departing Te Anau early this morning, we travel through some of New Zealand’s most populated sheep country through to Lumsden and onto Gore before arriving in Dunedin – “the Edinburgh of the South”. Upon our arrival we board the Taieri Gorge Excursion train from the historic Dunedin Railway Station for a scenic rail journey into the spectacular Taieri Gorge to Pukerangi and return. Includes picnic box lunch.

Dinner at hotel.
Scenic Dunedin City Hotel, Dunedin

Day 17            Saturday, 28th September 2019

DUNEDIN – OMARAMA                                                                                                               (DBB)

This morning we visit Olveston House – an impressive turn-of-the-century house that is still home to all the lavish furnishings and art collections that have been collected from all corners of the world. We continue to then take in the sights of the old Scottish City before travelling onto Oamaru where we have time to look at the ‘White Stone City’ where the old buildings have been constructed with local limestone. (Please note: entry to Whitestone City heritage precinct in not included – own cost). It was from Oamaru that New Zealand’s first frozen meat was shipped in 1882 taking over three months to reach England, and thus began New Zealand’s most important export industry. Travelling inland through Benmore and Otematata, through Sailors Cutting we arrive at Omarama.

Dinner at hotel.
Heritage Gateway Hotel, Omarama

Day 18            Sunday, 29th September 2019

OMARAMA – CHRISTCHURCH                                                                                                  (DBB)

Note – Daylight Savings starts on Sunday 29th September at 2am. Before going to bed on Saturday, 28th September, put your clocks/watches FORWARD one-hour.

A day for spectacular sights. We head north to skirt the shore of Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain. Time is available to enjoy an optional scenic flight over the ancient rivers of ice and the West Coast Glaciers (weather permitting – a highly recommended option, extra cost). Travelling to Tekapo we witness the magnificent blue waters of Lake Tekapo. Here we view the Church of the Good Shepherd and the statue of the Collie dog, before travelling the vast Mackenzie Basin, over Burke’s Pass through Fairlie, Geraldine, Ashburton and across the Canterbury Plains into Christchurch.

Dinner at hotel.
Quality Hotel Elms, Christchurch

Day 19            Monday, 30th September 2019

CHRISTCHURCH – SYDNEY/MELBOURNE

Farewell from New Zealand. After breakfast you will be transferred from the hotel to Christchurch International Airport for your flight back home and return to Wagga Wagga.