Natural Wonders of New Zealand Tour

Fly with Qantas & Emirates from the UK airport most convenient for you: choose from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stanstead, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh or Glasgow. Or you may fly directly to Singapore with Singapore Airlines from London Heathrow or Manchester (selected dates). Regardless of which airline or airport you choose, there will be no extra cost involved.

Touch down in the city state of Singapore for our two-night stopover and transfer to the four-star M Hotel City Centre. Occupying a great location in Singapore city centre, our hotel offers a warm welcome and a range of services alongside comfortable, contemporary accommodation.

Alternative stopover
We have based days 2-4 of this itinerary on a stopover in Singapore. If you are flying with Qantas & Emirates, you may choose to stop in Bangkok or Dubai for the same price. Your stopover includes transfers, accommodation, daily breakfast and a city sightseeing tour. Flight timings will vary and will be advised at the time of booking.

Singapore is a lively, fascinating city where east meets west, where historic buildings from its colonial past sit alongside gleaming skyscrapers and bustling markets. Enjoy a morning tour of this wonderful city, with stops at the historic Civic District, Thian Hock Keng Temple, Merlion Park with its views across Marina Bay, and Singapore’s Botanical Gardens, showcasing spectacular tropical flora set in stunning verdant landscape. The remainder of our day is free to spend at leisure.

Enjoy free time in Singapore until we depart for the airport and our evening flight to Auckland. Perhaps explore the impressive Gardens by the Bay or enjoy high tea at Raffles.

If flying with Qantas & Emirates, your flight will involve a transit stop in Australia. Land in Auckland and transfer to the centrally-located Airedale Boutique Suites, where we spend our first two nights in New Zealand. At the hotel, we meet our local Coach Captain, who will be our driver and guide during our time on New Zealand’s North Island.

This morning, we take an orientation tour of the city. Known as the ‘City of Sails’, Auckland is New Zealand’s most populous city, with a beautiful waterside setting and a landscape dotted with volcanic hills. We drive along the stunning coastline of the famous Waitemata Harbour. In the distance see Rangitoto Island, a dormant volcano, dominating the horizon. Our afternoon is free to spend as we please. Perhaps take a trip to the top of Sky Tower; the panoramic views from the tallest building in the southern hemisphere are truly breathtaking.

Leaving Auckland via the striking Waitemata Harbour Bridge we head north, and the cityscape gives way to rolling pastures as we enter the Waipoua Kauri Forest Reserve. Here we stop to view Tane Mahuta, otherwise known as ‘God of the Forest’, a giant example of a kauri tree. Our destination is the beautiful Bay of Islands and on arrival we head to our home for the next three nights, the Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands, located in the pretty seaside town of Paihia.

Tour Highlight

Visiting this stunning area would not be complete without a cruise around the Bay of Islands. After a leisurely breakfast, we board our catamaran for a fabulous cruise, via Red Head Passage, Cape Brett and Piercy Island, to the famous ‘Hole in the Rock’. In these world-famous sheltered waters whales, dolphins, seals and schools of fish are frequently seen. Our cruise continues to the scenic Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island, where we enjoy a barbecue lunch. Our afternoon is at leisure, with the opportunity to explore the island on one of the numerous walking tracks. The island is teeming with birdlife and incredible views. Alternatively, you may prefer to enjoy a swim in the bay or relax on the beach. Later, we return to our hotel.

On today’s Freedom Day, there is the option to join a wonderful excursion to Cape Reinga, at the northernmost tip of New Zealand. Here, the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean, and the area has a deep spiritual significance to the Maori people. They believe Cape Reinga is the place where Maori spirits return to their traditional homeland, Hawaiiki-A-Nui, via the roots of an ancient and still-standing pohutukawa tree. Today’s tour will include breathtaking coastal landscapes, the Te Paki sand dunes and a drive along Ninety Mile Beach. The beach is actually 55 miles long but was named thus by early European settlers because they knew their horses could travel up to 30 miles in a day, and the journey along the beach took them three days!

This morning we leave the Bay of Islands and travel via Auckland to the geothermal region of Rotorua, at the heart of New Zealand’s rich Māori culture. Our next two nights are spent at the four-star Distinction Hotel Rotorua and later this evening we attend a concert of traditional Māori song and dance, which will include the legendary, fearsome Haka.

Rotorua is well known for its spectacular geothermal activity and this morning, we join an excursion to Wai-O Tapu, considered to be New Zealand’s most colourful and diverse geothermal wonder. Sculptured by volcanic activity and thousands of years in the making, we view spouting geysers, steaming vents, boiling lakes, bubbling mud pools and colourful sinter terraces. Following a visit to spectacular Huka Falls and Lake Taupo, we travel to the Wairakei Terraces, where we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the mineral-rich, naturally-heated thermal pools. We complete our day with a visit to the National Kiwi Hatchery where we learn about the conservation project and the unique kiwi.

Included meals:

Breakfast

We leave North Island today and take a short flight to Christchurch. On arrival, we meet our new Coach Captain, who will be our driver and guide during our time on New Zealand’s South Island. We enjoy a brief sightseeing tour of the city before checking in to the  Distinction Hotel, at the heart of Cathedral Square.

Today we embark on one of the most stunning drives in New Zealand as we head towards the imposing Southern Alps. We climb the mighty Southern Alps, where at every turn, spectacular views of the chiselled alpine landscape take our breath away. From Arthur’s Pass, we make the spectacular descent of the western side of the Southern Alps. Our travels continue southbound taking us alongside striking wild scree-scarred terrain, with the forests of Crimson Rata and Kahikatea. We continue past Lakes Lanthe and Mapourika before entering Westland National Park and reaching the Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier for our next two nights.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Following breakfast, we discover the immense beauty of New Zealand’s West Coast and one of the region’s true gems – Lake Mapourika. We explore the lake’s spectacular beauty with either a scenic cruise or a guided kayak tour. The Jurassic rainforest-fringed shoreline is a landscape photographer’s dream, with spectacular panoramic views of glaciers and the Southern Alps. As we navigate the lake, keep watch for curious native birdlife, and we may spot one of the region’s legendary locals – the White Heron. In the afternoon, for those that so wish, we shall drive into the valley of Franz Josef Glacier, where we will have the opportunity to walk through the rainforest and enjoy views of the steep glacial valley. Weather permitting, we may also take an optional scenic helicopter flight (at an additional cost) over the glacier and the awe-inspiring Alpine region.

Enjoy beautiful scenery as we travel across the single-lane Haast River Bridge and via Clarke Bluff along one of the most exciting scenic roads ever built, the Haast Pass. We pass the peaceful shores of Lakes Wanaka and Hawea as we enter South Island’s Central Otago region, and travel via Lake Dunstan, a man-made lake and reservoir formed on the Clutha River as a result of the construction of the Clyde Dam. Later today we reach the lively lakeside town of Queenstown, and our home for the next two nights, the Copthorne Hotel or the Heritage Hotel.

Situated on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by the Remarkables mountain range, Queenstown sits in an enviable location and offers a wide variety of activities to suit every taste. Today has been left free for you to choose how you spend your day. For a relaxing experience, join the Queenstown’s wine trail for an enjoyable day of wine tasting and sightseeing. Or take a leisurely cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the vintage steamboat TSS Earnslaw. For something a little more adventurous, try a jet boat ride along the glacier-fed Dart River or a four-wheel drive adventure along the famous Skippers Road.

This morning, we visit the nearby historic mining town of Arrowtown, a charmingly quirky gold rush village nestled beside the sparkling Arrow River. At its heart is Buckingham Street, a row of heritage buildings and quaint tea rooms that stretch into a tree-lined avenue of well-preserved miners’ cottages. We travel onwards through high country landscapes to the lakeside town of Te Anau, gateway to the spectacular Fiordland National Park. We spend the next three nights at the Distinction Luxmore Hotel, Te Anau. Tonight, there is the opportunity (at an additional cost), to visit the magical Te Anau glow-worm caves.

We Recommend – TSS Earnslaw

Enjoy a leisurely cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the vintage steamboat TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Homestead.

Tour Highlight

This morning, we embark on a stunning scenic drive into the heart of Fiordland National Park, encountering soaring cliffs, ancient rainforest, vast lakes and snowy mountains. Keen walkers may be familiar with the Milford Track. At 32-miles long, it is New Zealand’s most-famous walking trail. Today, we enjoy a six mile walk along a section of the Milford Track, in the company of an expert nature guide, who will point out unique native fauna and flora whilst sharing fascinating stories about the rich history of the area. Later, we embark our fabulous cruise on Milford Sound. Witness towering cliffs and peaks, including the iconic and much-photographed Mitre Peak, rising more than a kilometre from the sea. Waterfalls cascade into the fiord and luxuriant rain forest clings to sheer rock faces. Later we return to Te Anau.

Tour Highlight

The Kepler Track showcases the best of the Fiordland region, and today we can choose one of the following two options to experience a section of this beautiful track. The first option begins with a jet boat ride along the majestic Waiau River. At Lake Manapouri we join a three and a half mile nature walk along part of the picturesque Kepler Track to Rainbow Reach. Our expert guide will share incredible insights and lead us through the native forest, and tree-lined beaches of this well-maintained (and mostly flat) trail. Keen ramblers have the opportunity to extend this walk by a further six miles. Our second option on the Kepler Track is available at an additional cost of £195 per person, and begins with a spectacular helicopter flight from Te Anau, to Mount Luxmore. Accompanied by our knowledgeable nature guide, we learn about the area’s flora and fauna. Enjoy the panoramic views as we descend a well-formed section of the Kepler Track. After approximately four miles of walking, we arrive at Brod Bay, where our awaiting boat will take us across the lake to the town of Te Anau.

Should you prefer a more relaxing experience today, there is an opportunity to join an unguided full day excursion to Doubtful Sound, with its magnificent waterfalls and wonderful wildlife. Sometimes called the ‘Sound of Silence’, Doubtful Sound is the deepest and second longest of South Island’s fiords. This scenic excursion includes a cruise across Lake Manapouri, to a waiting coach which will transfer guests over Wilmot Pass to join their cruise on Doubtful Sound.

Included meals:

Breakfast

Say goodbye to Fiordland as our morning journey travels through lush pastoral scenery and the rural towns of Mossburn, Lumsden and Gore. En route, we see Balclutha, and its distinctive arched concrete bridge. Our destination today is Dunedin, South Island’s second largest city. Known as the ‘Edinburgh of the South’, on arrival, we enjoy a sightseeing tour of Dunedin’s, lovingly-restored Victorian and Edwardian buildings, neo-Gothic churches, town hall, opulent theatres, and other 19th century buildings. We enjoy the beautifully-landscaped flora of Dunedin Botanical Gardens before we reach our hotel, the Southern Cross Hotel, where we spend the next two nights.

A morning at leisure to spend as we please. In the afternoon we travel across the quaint communities and rural farms of the beautiful Otago Peninsula to visit the Royal Albatross Colony. We visit The Observatory, where, from behind tinted glass, we look out over the nesting sites. Watch as the parent birds interact with their chicks and soar around the headland. Following a scenic cruise along the rugged coastline, we return to Dunedin.

Included meals:

Breakfast

This morning, we head north from Dunedin to Christchurch. En route, we stop at Hampden Beach to view the Moeraki Boulders, huge spherical boulders scattered along the beach. Geological curiosities, created about 65 million years ago, each boulder weighs several tonnes and is up to two metres in diameter. More poetically, Maori legend has it that the boulders are gourds washed ashore from the great voyaging canoe Araiteuru, when it was wrecked upon landfall in New Zealand hundreds of years ago. Our next stop is Oamaru, which boasts some of New Zealand’s best-preserved Victorian Streets before we arrive at the Distinction Hotel in Christchurch for our final night in New Zealand.

Our time exploring the Natural Wonders of New Zealand comes to an end this morning when we transfer to Christchurch Airport. Your flight will either connect via Australia and Dubai, if flying with Qantas & Emirates, or Singapore if flying with Singapore Airlines.

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Breakfast is served shortly before we land, after a holiday of a lifetime in New Zealand.