Southern Spirit

You’ll have time at leisure this afternoon before a Welcome Reception with your Travel Director and fellow travellers

See how Christchurch has rebuilt itself after the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Later, travel over the fertile Canterbury Plains to soak up spectacular scenery. You’ll view the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd. Your day finishes in the heart of the Mackenzie Country at Omarama.

Your day begins with a visit to the Waitaki Hydro Power Scheme and the monumental spillway of the Benmore Dam. Next, travel to the historic town of Oamaru, with its tree-lined streets and celebrated white limestone buildings. Continue to Dunedin.

Travel this morning over the Devil’s Staircase before descending to serene Lake Wakatipu. Drive through the towering beeches and rainforest, catching glimpses of glaciers and soaring mountain ranges. Continue through the hand-hewn Homer Tunnel before arriving in Milford Sound for your overnight cruise. This unforgettable journey takes in cascading waterfalls, hanging glacial valleys, and the sheer pinnacle of Mitre Peak.

Depart this morning for the town of Te Anau. Cruise to the western shores of Lake Te Anau to the entry of the famous Glowworm Caves to meet your guide. Deep inside you’ll be taken by small boat into a silent hidden grotto inhabited by thousands of glowworms. Later, travel on to New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown.

Today is free for you to explore exciting Queenstown at your own pace. Plan your own day, or you may like to choose one of our optional experiences, including riding the Shotover Jet boat, joining a tour of the region’s popular wineries or enjoying a popular minibus excursion through rugged Skippers Canyon. This evening, consider a cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the iconic vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw for a gourmet barbecue dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm.

Enjoy another full day in Queenstown to tailor your own action-packed agenda.

Your destination today is the wild west coast of the South Island. Stop to visit the gold-mining settlement of Arrowtown, where more than 70 original buildings from the gold-rush era are faithfully preserved. Sample luscious stone fruits in Cromwell, and enjoy the serenity of the region’s vivid blue lakes, the most famous of which is tranquil Lake Wanaka. Drive over spectacular Haast Pass, passing the 96-metre Thunder Creek Falls and stopping for a leisurely rainforest walk on your way to the extraordinary Franz Josef Glacier. (Overnight stay: Scenic Franz Josef Glacier, Graham Wing, Franz Josef.)

Travel on to Hokitika, home of New Zealand’s famous greenstone. Pounamu (its Māori name) is of great cultural significance in Māori culture and is prized for its strength, durability and beauty. Continue to Punakaiki to view the intriguing Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. You’ll spend the night in an eco-friendly resort right on the waterfront.

The Heritage Highway leads you through scenic wilderness to the plunging Buller Gorge and pristine Kahurangi National Park.

On this day at leisure, you’ll have the option to journey to the top of the South Island and embarking on a scenic cruise in the Abel Tasman National Park. Or you may prefer to take a short bushwalk, relax in sunny Nelson or explore the town’s many art and craft galleries.

Visit the seaside village of Picton and cruise on tranquil Queen Charlotte Sound before heading across Cook Strait to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital. Enjoy a city sights tour, then visit the Maori Cultural icon Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand, where you’ll explore New Zealand’s nature, art, history and cultural heritage.

Celebrated as the country’s creative and culinary capital, Wellington is nestled between two of New Zealand’s finest wine regions. Today is yours to explore the city at your own pace. Celebrate your holiday at a Farewell Dinner with your new-found friends.

Your holiday comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Your special packed lunch today won’t only be wholesome, it will also feed a Kiwi child who may otherwise go without, through the charity ‘Eat My Lunch’.