Twin Island Tableau
| From Christchurch to Auckland |
16 days |
View Prices |
Highlights:
- Dunedin's Scottish heritage and wildlife
- Optional country farmstay on a traditional sheep farm
- Iconic Milford or Doubtful Sounds
- Queenstown, NZ's premier alpine resort
- Fox & Franz Josef glaciers, the spectacular Southern Alps
- Nelson's beaches, Abel Tasman National Park, arts & crafts
- Rotorua's mud pools, geysers, Maori culture
- Glowworms, limestone caves at Waitomo
- Christchurch, Wellington & Auckland
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Your tour will be organised over the dates you require.
All tour itineraries may be amended for any duration to suit you.
Tours are suitable for 1-4 persons and children 12 years and over.
We will help you have the best self drive vacation possible!
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrive Christchurch
Welcome to the 'Garden City'.
You will be met by our representative on arrival and receive your travel documents before transferring to your central city accommodation.
The South Island's largest city, Christchurch is exceptionally beautiful with its stunning parks and gardens, the Avon River meandering through the city centre and its dramatic harbour within the flooded crater of an extinct volcano.
Take a punt ride, enjoy walks around the city, visit the Arts Centre boutique craft shops, experience life on the southern continent at the International Antarctic Centre and be entertained at the Court Theatre or brilliant Art Gallery.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 2 - Christchurch - Dunedin
(approx 5:00 hours driving time)
Your rental vehicle will be delivered this morning.
Cross the edge of the sun bleached Canterbury Plains with its extensive farmlands and crop fields, passing delightful country towns and villages.
Call into Oamaru and visit the old port quarter with its fascinating preserved colonial white stone buildings. Stop at the beach settlement at Moeraki and investigate the unusual smooth spherical rocks scattered along the beach.
Arriving in Dunedin, you will experience the city's distinctive Scottish heritage. Visit Dunedin Museum with its outstanding natural history displays, wander through the Victorian Railway Station with its Royal Doulton mosaic floors and indulge yourself at the Cadbury Chocolate factory or historic Speights Brewery. Discover colonial history at classical Olveston House and Larnach Castle.
Drive to nearby Otago Peninsula and enjoy the delight of the world's majestic ocean wanderers at the Royal Albatross Centre. New Zealand fur seals, the rare yellow-eyed penguin, blue penguins as well as an abundance of other birdlife make this "the finest example of eco-tourism in the world" - Sir David Bellamy.
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 3 - Dunedin - optional Country Farmstay or Te Anau
(approx 4:00 hours driving time)
Travel through the lush sheep and dairy lands of Otago and Southland enroute to your optional country farmstay or the township of Te Anau, picturesquely sited on Lake Te Anau.
A country farmstay will allow you the opportunity to enjoy traditional New Zealand hospitality and experience life on a typical South Island farm.
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 4 - optional Country Farmstay - Te Anau - Milford - Te Anau
(approx 5:30 hours driving time)
Farewell your farm hosts and drive to Te Anau, then deep into the Fiordland National Park with its primeval beech forests and mirror lakes. Emerge from the carved Homer Tunnel into spectacular Milford Sound where mountains rise vertically from the sea floor 1.2 kilometres into the sky.
Take a cruise and view hanging valleys, plunging waterfalls and captivating wildlife surrounded by sheer mile-high mountain walls, before returning to Te Anau.
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 5 - Te Anau - Queenstown
(approx 2:45 hours driving time)
At the head of Lake Wakatipu look out for the historic train - the Kingston Flyer, before following the lake shore below the jagged Remarkable Mountains into Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world.
This alpine town offers an amazing range of attractions including canyon jet boat rides, mountain biking, bungy jumping, helicopter flights, horse treks and 4WD expeditions.
There are also more passive pastimes - wilderness safaris, historic steamer lake cruises, gondola cableway, superb golf courses, gardens, boutique pinot noir wineries, as well as the quaint gold-mining town of Arrowtown.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 6 - Queenstown
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 7 - Queenstown - Glacier Country
(approx 5:45 hours driving time)
Journey past photographic Lake Hayes to Wanaka, before driving above the lake edge of dramatic Lake Hawea crossing the isthmus and following the upper reaches of Lake Wanaka over the Haast Pass into the ancient rainforests of the timeless West Coast.
With bush clad mountains on one side and the Tasman Sea on the other, you enter the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
This is home to two ice-age glaciers, Fox and Franz Josef, which grind their way from the high snowfields of the Southern Alps through the rainforests almost to sea level. Take a guided walk onto the glacier or scenic helicopter flight.
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 8 - Glacier Country - Hokitika
(approx 3:00 hours driving time)
The scenery is dramatic and ever changing as you travel north through primeval forests, across racing torrents and past serene, bush clad lakes.
Formerly an 1860's gold rush setlement, Hokitika still has the feel of a frontier town, where you can find your own treasures of gold and jewellery in the cheerful shops.
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 9 - Hokitika - Punakaiki - Nelson
(approx 5:00 hours driving time)
Follow the Tasman Sea coast and visit the pancake rocks and blow holes at Punakaiki, before heading through the rugged Buller Gorge and forested mountain scenery.
The Nelson region with its Mediterranean-type climate, lies between the northern fringe of the Southern Alps with its deep lakes and tumbling rivers and the great sweep of sun-drenched beaches.
Explore the Abel Tasman National Park, the boutique vineyards, orchards and market gardens which abound. The Saturday Market showcases many of the hundreds of artists and artisans of the area.
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 10 - Nelson
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 11 - Nelson - Picton - Wellington
(approx 5:10 hours driving time & ferry)
Drive through the Nelson forests to Havelock at the head of the Pelorus Sound. Feast on local mussels for which the area is renowned and uncover treasures in the art, craft and collectables shops.
Follow the Queen Charlotte Drive around the beautiful coastline of one of Marlborough's legendary sounds to Picton.
This afternoon board your ferry cruise to the North Island for the start of a whole new adventure.
Wellington is New Zealand's capital city with its unique parliament building, known as The Beehive. Visit Te Papa Tongarewa the spectacular national museum for an insight into New Zealand culture and psyche. Take in the views of the magnificent harbour ringed by hills from the top of the Cable Car.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 12 - Wellington
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 13 - Wellington - Taupo - Rotorua
(approx 6:30 hours driving time)
Enjoy the drive northwards along the sea coast before rising onto the central plateau and the Tongariro National Park with its live volcanoes and sparkling Lake Taupo.
Stop at Huka Falls and see the mighty Waikato River rage between narrow rock walls. Steam arises around you as you travel through the Wairakei geothermal area to Rotorua.
The Rotorua region is alive with bubbling mud pools, boiling lakes, shooting geysers and beautiful lakes. Visit a marae and learn about ancient Maori history and customs, participate in a traditional Maori concert, enjoy a lake cruise.
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 14 - Rotorua
Activity: Evening Maori Cultural Experience including Hangi (Dinner)
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Day 15 - Rotorua - Waitomo - Auckland
(approx 6:00 hours driving time)
Continue your journey to Auckland New Zealand's largest and most cosmopolitan city, via the Waitomo Caves where you can take a subterranean boat excursion to see the glowworms amongst the sculpted limestone caves.
'The City of Sails' is spread around 48 dormant volcanoes. With its scenic harbours and beaches, Auckland is host to a huge range of water sports especially around the islands of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park.
Relax on a harbour cruise or ferry ride to delightful Devonport, visit eclectic Viaduct Basin site of the America's Cup village, enjoy the amazing views and Auckland skyline from atop the Sky Tower.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 16 - Auckland
Last minute shopping is definitely on the agenda. A visit to Parnell's boutiques will delight, before you return your rental vehicle and catch your departure flight.
Tour Price (per person)
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| Style |
Quality |
Superior |
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Share Twin
(NZ$) |
Single
(NZ$) |
Share Twin
(NZ$) |
Single
(NZ$) |
| Car - Compact |
POA |
$6026 |
POA |
$8887 |
| Car - Intermediate |
$3316 |
$6185 |
$4824 |
$9042 |
| Car - Full Size |
$3548 |
POA |
$5056 |
POA |
| 4WD - Intermediate |
$3592 |
POA |
$5100 |
POA |
Prices are valid to 31 May 2011.
Whats Included:
- Meet & Greet and transfer to hotel on arrival
- Automatic compact, intermediate, full size car or intermediate 4WD
- Quality style - Quality Bed & Breakfasts/mid-range hotels
- Superior style - Superior Bed & Breakfasts/superior class hotels
- Optional country farmstay
- Cook Strait ferry crossing
- Evening Maori cultural experience with hangi (dinner)
- New Zealand touring information - distances, times and directions, map
Prices are in New Zealand dollars and include 15% GST (Government Goods & Services Tax). Click Here for an online currency converter to convert prices to your own currency (approximate only).
POA - Price on application.
Prices are available for three and four persons travelling together in an automatic full size car, intermediate 4WD or people mover/minivan. Please enquire.
A revision fee of NZ$40 per amended itinerary day is charged for any part of the itinerary which you require to be changed. Additional days in the arrival and departure cities do not incurr a revision fee.
Optional country farmstay dinner - NZ$60 per person, additional charge.
1 June 2011 - 31 May 2012 prices provided on request.
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