Day 01 – Arrive Christchurch
Welcome to New Zealand! A Tours representative will greet you at the airport. As your first nights’ accommodation in Ashburton, your Coach Captain will arrive at the airport at 4.30 pm to transfer you to your first night's accommodation. (You will need to arrive and clear customs by this time).
Overnight accommodation: 1 Night – Hotel Ashburton
Day 02 – Ashburton / Mt Cook / Omarama
View the Church of the Good Shepherd and the Collie Dog memorial. Visit Mt Cook National Park and the Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Centre. Travel around Lake Pukaki to Twizel and Omarama. (B,D)
Overnight accommodation: 1 Night – Heritage Gateway Hotel
Day 03 – Omarama / Dunedin
Early arrival into Dunedin allows the choice of excellent optional activities. We recommend that you visit the Octagon in the city centre, or why not take a tour of the famous Speight’s Brewery. This evening prior to dinner you will be treated to a traditional Scottish Haggis Ceremony, complete with piper, address to the Haggis, and gift. (B,D)
Overnight accommodation: 1 Night – Cargills Hotel
Day 04 – Dunedin / Te Anau
Visit historic Larnach Castle on the Otago Peninsula, before setting off to the agricultural towns of Gore and Lumsden before arriving at the shores of Lake Te Anau. (B,D)
Overnight accommodation: 2 Nights – Distinction Luxmore Hotel
Day 05 – Milford Sound Day Trip
A launch cruise takes you to the open sea and shows such highlights as the Bowen and Stirling Falls. Enjoy the natural beauty of the magnificent Milford Sound. Walk into the rainforest to visit The Chasm, a spectacular waterfall. (B,D)
Overnight accommodation: Distinction Luxmore Hotel
Day 06 – Te Anau / Queenstown
This morning we drive north to Kingston and around the shores of Lake Wakatipu to picturesque Queenstown. This evening, cruise across the lake aboard the steamship TSS Earnslaw, the ‘Lady of the Lake’, for dinner in the Colonel’s Homestead at Walter Peak High Country Farm. (B,D)
Overnight accommodation: 2 Nights – Rydges Hotel
Day 07 – Queenstown
A day to explore this alpine resort at your leisure. You can either sit back and relax or your Coach Captain can assist with any optional activities you would like to do. We recommend the world famous Shotover Jet Boat ride, take a Gondola to the Skyline above or enjoy a tour to the goldmining area of Skippers Canyon. (B,D)
Overnight accommodation: 4 star - Rydges Hotel
Day 08 – Queenstown / Haast Pass / Fox Glacier
Pass picturesque Lake Hayes on to an area steeped in fascinating history relating to early settlement and the goldmining era, to Lake Wanaka. Pass Lake Hawea and the upper reaches of Lake Wanaka to Makarora into Mt Aspiring and Westland National Parks. Drive north along the coast to the glacier region. (B,D)
Overnight accommodation: 1 Night – 3 and a half star - Heartland Hotel Fox Glacier
Day 09 – Fox Glacier / Christchurch
Head north along the coast to visit a Greenstone (Jade) gallery and watch craftsmen cutting and polishing giant boulders to create fine jewellery. Cross the Otira Gorge and Arthurs Pass to the Canterbury Plains and into Christchurch. (B,D)
Overnight accommodation: 1 Night – 3 and a half star - Sudima Hotel
Day 10 – Christchurch / Home
Today is goodbye to all your new found friends before you make your homeward journey. You will be transferred to Christchurch Airport to join your flight home. (B)
