Heritage Expeditions - Unseen Fiordland & Stewart Island Itinerary

Please make your way to the designated hotel in Invercargill, where you will spend the first night of the expedition, or join the 3:00pm or 6:00pm Queenstown transfers from a designated meeting point to Invercargill.

This evening there will be an informal get-together at the hotel for dinner; an excellent opportunity to meet fellow adventurers on your voyage and some of our expedition team.

Accommodation: Heritage Expeditions - Heritage Adventurer - 5 Nights

Today enjoy breakfast in the hotel restaurant before travelling to Stewart Island where we will be embarking the ship.

New Zealand’s third island is well off the usual beaten tourist track. It is a wonderfully tranquil place; the scenery of untouched bushland is stunning.

Enjoy exploring Ulva Island which is rich in history and wildlife, being a predatorfree island from 1997 the bird song and wildlife is some of the best.

Some of the wildlife you may get to see while walking the tracks on Ulva Island include Stewart Island Robin, Stewart Island Weka, South Island Kaka, Kereru (wood pigeon), Mohua (yellowhead), Red Crowned Parakeet, Fantail, Bellbird, Tui and the possibility of Southern Brown Kiwi.

There are many more species that may also be seen, our knowledgeable expedition guides will be listening for bird calls and keeping a close watch in overhead canopies and the surrounding shrubs to identify further species.

There is an opportunity to explore Stewart Island’s quirky town centre Oban in Halfmoon Bay where a drink with a view can be enjoyed at the iconic South Sea Hotel.

Board Heritage Adventurer and settle into your stateroom or suite and familiarise yourself with the ship.

You are invited to join the expedition team in the Observation Lounge and up on the Observation Deck as we set our course to Fiordland.

You have three days to explore the incredible wilderness of fiords in the south-west corner of the South Island. This is an area rich in history, majestic scenery and abundant in wildlife.

Fiordland was well known to local Maori people, with the demigod Tu-te-raki-whanoa being said to have used his adze, Te Hamo, to carve out the region’s fiords. Captain Cook and his crew landed here on HMS Resolution in 1773, they were the first Europeans to visit Fiordland, subsequently spending five weeks in Dusky Sound. Cook’s records of his discovery and maps attracted sealers and whalers not long after who then formed the first European settlements of New Zealand, historically this region is very important and shaped the future of the country. From the middle of the 19th Century this unexplored interior Fiordland coastline attracted the attention of those in search of hidden greenstone or New Zealand jade, and surveyors seeking to understand this region further.

Fiordland’s West Coast is only accessible by sea, making it the most remote region of New Zealand’s mainland. Waterfalls, streams, rivers and fiords are enveloped with misty veils that come and go, revealing steep gradients of mountain peaks and sheltered valleys. A rugged terrain, the thickly forested floors are covered with ferns, lichens and mosses.

Bottlenose Dolphins, Fiordland Crested Penguins and Little Penguins are all residents of the fiords; during your time here you will look out for them. The schedule gives you the flexibility to visit as much as possible, areas that are planned to visit during your time in Fiordland include Doubtful, Dusky and Milford Sounds, Acheron Passage, Astronomer’s Point and Pickersgill Harbour. The final plan will be determined by the weather. The Captain and Expedition Leader will work hard to make the best use of your time in this incredible region of New Zealand, including areas that even few New Zealanders have visited.

The isolation of Fiordland has been beneficial because its beauty remains unspoiled and its historic sites undisturbed. During your time in Dusky Sound there will be the opportunity to experience an unforgettable helicopter flight through the Sound swooping down alongside Cooper Island and Cook Channel with a landing on Mt Pender where spectacular vistas across constellations of islands stretching into the horizon and dotting the winding fiords can be enjoyed.

On the fifth night, enjoy a farewell and celebratory dinner with newfound friends with time to reflect on a wealth of new experiences and recap on what amazing wildlife, plant life, landscapes and history you have enjoyed.

Early this morning you will arrive in the Port of Bluff.

After a final breakfast, bid farewell to your fellow voyagers and take a complimentary coach transfer to either Invercargill or Queenstown Airports.

In case of unexpected delays due to weather and/or port operations we ask you not to book any onward travel until after midday from Invercargill and after 3pm from Queenstown.

Please Note: During the voyage, circumstances may make it necessary or desirable to deviate from the proposed itinerary. This can include poor weather and opportunities for making unplanned excursions. Your Expedition Leader will keep you fully informed.

This tour offers a variety of activities and excursions. Your personal interests will determine which of these you wish to join. Please note that some activities and excursions will run at similar times, and it will not be possible to participate in both. Accordingly, refunds for excursions and missed landings are not available. Voyages are planned and scheduled pending final regulatory approval.

Price Excludes: All items of a personal nature, laundry, domestic flights, extensions and travel insurance.