Southern Adventure - 11 Day South Island Small Group Tour

Whale Watching, Akaroa, and the TranzAlpine Train
Travel to Kaikoura and experience the thrill of seeing whales up-close. Every Whale-watch tour is unique & sightings vary from day to day. Giant sperm whales are the star of the show and are year round residents. You may also encounter Fur seals, pods of Dusky dolphins, Albatross plus other whale species depending on the season. A short drive from Christchurch is the quaint seaside village of Akaroa, a beautiful town that was once home to the early French settlers of the 1840’s. Sample New Zealand cheeses at a local factory & enjoy a wildlife cruise of the harbour. The award-winning TranzAlpine train departs from Christchurch and will take you deep into the heart of the South Island on a coast-to-coast excursion through the some of New Zealand’s most extreme scenery.

Milford Sound, Mt Cook and Tasman Glacier
Drive through the Eglinton Valley & the famous, hand-strewn Homer Tunnel to the stunning fiord of Milford Sound. Enjoy an informative nature cruise before boarding your light aircraft for a spectacular scenic flight back to Queenstown (weather permitting). Travel north through the historic gold-mining village of Arrowtown & the spectacular Crown Range to the world heritage listed Mt Cook National Park. Ski-plane and helicopter flightseeing tours are available subject to weather conditions. The highlight of your stay here is a unique glacial expedition by MAC boat on Lake Tasman. On occasions you may even see the release of icebergs from the 5km melting ice-face of the Tasman Glacier into the murky waters of this glacial lake, an amazing phenomenon to behold! To be able to pluck ice away from a floating iceberg with your bare hands and taste a delight so fresh is a rare and memorable experience for most. Your journey ends where it began, in the Garden City of Christchurch, a city alive with colour, atmosphere and world class attractions.

Your Small Group Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Christchurch
‘Haere Mai’ … welcome to New Zealand

On arrival you will be met by our representative & transferred by limousine to your city hotel. Christchurch is the nation’s second largest city and because of its extensive gardens and the Avon River meandering though it, is regarded as the most English of New Zealand cities.
Stay Hotel Grand Chancellor

Day 2 Kaikoura Whale-watch adventure (B)
Spend your day getting close to nature. Travel by train through the rolling hill country of North Canterbury to Kaikoura, where mountains meet the sea. This area is renowned for the variety of marine mammals that can be seen, not least of all giant Sperm Whales & the acrobatic Dusky Dolphin. You’ll often see other whale species, seals & the Royal Albatross. Return to Christchurch by coach, stopping en-route at a leading vineyard where a wine tasting has been arranged for your pleasure.
Stay Hotel Grand Chancellor

Day 3 Akaroa day tour (B,L)
This morning, travel east over the Banks Peninsula to the quaint village of Akaroa, a beautiful, unspoilt French whaling depot home to the early French settlers of the 1840’s. The French heritage is still reflected in the street names & the architecture of its buildings. Visit the cheese factory at Barrys Bay & sample some fine New Zealand cheese and following lunch, enjoy a wildlife cruise exploring the delights of the harbour and sighting dolphins, penguins & seals.
Stay Hotel Grand Chancellor

Day 4 Spectacular Tranz Alpine Train, Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers (B)
The Tranz Alpine is described as "The Great New Zealand Rail Adventure" and is rated as one of the top six scenic train journeys in the world. After crossing the huge and fertile patchwork farmlands of the Canterbury Plains, the Tranz Alpine winds its way over massive viaducts, through spectacular river gorges and the stunning Waimakariri River valley. It tracks its way up and across the spectacular Southern Alps via the alpine village of Arthur’s Pass situated 737 metres above sea level. Here your Tour Host will meet you & you then travel along the dramatic West Coast, steeped in history dating back to the gold rush era of the 1800's, to the township of Fox Glacier for our overnight stay.
Stay Te Weheka Inn

Day 5 Haast, Lake Wanaka & Queenstown (B)
There is the opportunity to experience an optional scenic flight over this remarkable region (subject to weather conditions) before our departure this morning. Today, view incredible scenery as you travel past the untouched native forests and pristine lakes of the World Heritage Westland National Park and Haast Pass. We then travel over the magnificent Southern Alps to the Southern Lakes District. Time to wander around the popular lakeside townships of Hawea and Wanaka before travelling to the beautiful alpine resort of Queenstown, New Zealand's premier holiday destination.
Stay Heritage Queenstown

Day 6 & 7 Explore Queenstown & suurounds (B)
Enjoy two full days to experience this magnificent resort. Surrounded by majestic mountains, Queenstown boasts adventure activities in all forms, from extreme to relaxed exploration. Here you can take a thrilling jet boat ride, pan for gold, raft the white water rapids, take a wine trail, fish for trout, play golf or 4WD sheer canyons. There are numerous activities from which to choose and your Tour Host will be pleased to offer advice and help you in your selection.
Stay Heritage Queenstown

Day 8 Milford Sound Nature Cruise & Fly (B)
Today, journey by coach along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and through rolling countryside to Te Anau. Then continue along the Milford Road through the Eglinton Valley & the famous, hand-strewn Homer Tunnel to the Sound itself. Here you board a purpose-built vessel, designed along the lines of a traditional trading scow, for an extended 2 ½ hour nature cruise the full length Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea. This magnificent glacier-carved fjord is home to the famous, mile-high Mitre Peak and you will view spectacular waterfalls, rainforests, mountains and wildlife whilst enjoying an extensive commentary from the on-board nature guide. After disembarking from the cruise, board your light aircraft for a spectacular scenic flight back to Queenstown (weather permitting). You’ll marvel at the awesome alpine scenery, flying over waterfalls, mountains & rainforests on this never-to-be-forgotten experience.
Stay Heritage Queenstown

Day 9 Arrowtown, Mt Cook National Park (B,D)
Set beneath the rugged Crown Range is Arrowtown, a fascinating collection of mining cottages with an atmosphere straight out of last century. Enjoy some time to stroll through this historic village located beside the Arrow River, once a haven for the gold prospectors of the 1860’s. Later, we travel through the towns of Omarama & Twizel before driving up the western side of Lake Pukaki to the Mt Cook National Park, a World Heritage listed site. Mt Cook is Australasia's highest mountain at 3764 metres. The park covers over 70,000 hectares of breathtaking alpine scenery and is also home to the Tasman Glacier, the longest in the Southern hemisphere (optional Ski-plane & helicopter flights are available subject to weather conditions).
Stay Mt Cook Hermitage – Aoraki Wing

Day 10 Tasman Glacier, Lake Tekapo, Christchurch (B)
Experience the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s largest, in the most unique way possible. An experienced guide will whisk you away in a stable MAC Boat to explore the melting ice-face of the Tasman Glacier where you will also get to touch & taste 400-year old icebergs that have been carved into the murky waters of the lake. Later we visit beautiful Lake Tekapo and view the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd, built of local stone and oak in 1935. Leaving the High Country, cross the vast Canterbury Plains to the 'Garden City' of Christchurch.
Stay Hotel Grand Chancellor

Day 11 Depart Christchurch (B)
Sadly, your holiday is at an end and you will be transferred to Christchurch airport today for your onward flight. Here, we bid you ‘Haere Ra’, a fond farewell and hope you leave with many happy memories of your stay in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

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 What's Included

Departure Dates

Tour Prices
Per Person in NZ$