For a holiday with a difference, join our special autumn tour to the southern South Island. Highlights include an overnight Doubtful Sound wilderness cruise, a Milford Sound overnight cruise, an excursion to Stewart Island plus the Caitlins and Queenstown sightseeing including a Walter Peak Dinner Cruise.
SAT 23 NOV – AUCKLAND/DUNEDIN D
Depart Auckland on Air NZ 679 at 9.05am, arrive in Dunedin at 11.00am. Enjoy a delightful Haggis ceremony. Dinner is included. Stay Southern Cross Hotel (2 nights)
SUN 24 NOV – DUNEDIN SIGHTSEEING B,L,D
Our tour includes New Zealand’s castle - Larnach. Explore its beautiful gardens and the historic interior then enjoy a delectable included lunch. After lunch a visit of the Olveston Historic Home. Designed by acclaimed English architect Sir Ernest George, Olveston, it was built as a family home furnished with fine art, furniture and artefacts purchased from all around the world.
MON 25 NOV – DUNEDIN/CATLINS/INVERCARGILL B,D
Depart Dunedin and travel to Invercargill via the Catlins for sightseeing. This wild coastal corner is one of the most unsung of the South Island. Stay Kelvin Hotel (2 nights).
TUE 26 NOV – STEWART ISLAND EXCURSION B,L,D
Get off the beaten track and discover New Zealand’s third island - unspoilt, tranquil and stunning. Ferry across to Stewart Island where you spend the day sightseeing including Village & Bays Tour and Ulva Island. Ferry back to Bluff and transfer to Invercargill.
WED 27 NOV – INVERCARGILL/TE ANAU B,D
Travel via the Southern Scenic route to Te Anau, the main base for the glacier-carved wilderness that is Fiordland National Park. Stay Distinction Hotel Te Anau (2 nights).
THU 28 NOV – DOUBTFUL SOUND CRUISE B,L,D
Experience the spectacular, remote wilderness of Doubtful Sound on our guided day trip. Journey across Lake Manapouri, over the breathtaking Wilmot Pass and into the heart of Fiordland National Park. This is a must-do for nature lovers and explorers alike. Includes a 3 hour cruise through Doubtful Sound, including lunch.
FRI 29 NOV– TE ANAU/MILFORD SOUND B,D
A morning Te Anau Glowworm Caves excursion. This underground world is astonishingly beautiful. By geological standards, the caves are very young (12,000 years). A twisting network of limestone passages filled with sculpted rock, whirlpools and a roaring underground waterfall. Afterwards travel via the Scenic Alpine route to Milford Sound. Spend the night aboard the iconic Milford Mariner and wake up to dawn in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The cruise style is relaxed, allowing plenty of time to view the fiord’s spectacular waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and wildlife.
SAT 30 NOV – MILFORD SOUND/QUEENSTOWN B,D
Disembark the cruise, travel to Queenstown via Te Anau and along the shores of lake Wakatipu. Afternoon at leisure.
Stay Novotel Hotel Queenstown (2 nights).
SUN 01 DEC – QUEENSTOWN SIGHTSEEING B, D
A half day sightseeing tour includes Coronet Peak and Arrowtown. Visit Gibbston Valley for wine tasting where they have been handcrafting premium wines for more than three decades. Afternoon is at leisure followed by a dining experience like no other. Cruise across Lake Whakatipu and discover Queenstown’s incomparable fine dining destination - Walter Peak High Country Farm. Once at the lakeside Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant savour the delicious aromas as our chef has the best of local produce sizzling away on the grill.
MON 02 DEC – QUEENSTOWN/AUCKLAND B
Enjoy a leisurely morning with a trip up the Gondola before we transfer to the airport. Depart Queenstown on Air Zealand at 2.15pm, arrive Auckland 4.05pm.
