NZ's Sensational South: 11 day luxury coach tour

Welcome to Wellington

After settling into your hotel, you'll have time to explore Wellington independently. This evening, meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception at your hotel.

Renowned for its eclectic, arty atmosphere, Wellington is a real kiwi cultural treat and numerous galleries and character-filled shops line its colourful streets. The Museum of New Zealand 'Te Papa' is full of national treasures and sits beside the water in the downtown area of the city centre - well worth a visit. Wellington is also famous for having some New Zealand's best restaurants - gourmet dining experiences here are truly world-class. Culture, cuisine and scenic beauty abound in New Zealand’s iconic capital.

Accommodation: Wellington - 2 Nights

Accommodation:

Novotel Wellington

The 4.5 Star Novotel Wellington is located in the heart of the CBD. Enjoy Harbour views of the city in our luxury rooms designed with splashes of colour and comfort. A selection of modern spacious rooms with en suite bath/shower, ergonomic work area, LCD TV with pay movies and WiFi internet access, hair dryer, minibar, tea/coffee

Wellington at Leisure

The day is yours to enjoy, you are at the heart of all the action, a short walk to the waterfront, Te Papa National Museum and all the eateries and boutique breweries that Wellington is famous for.

Wellington is also the spiritual home of "The Lord of Rings" where you can visit Weta Workshop and see how all the props are made or drop into the Embassy theatre which hosted the world premiere back in 2003.

Here are some sightseeing and activity suggestions while in Wellington:

National Museum - Te Papa	Visit Cuba Street	Weta Workshop Tour
Zealandia Wildlife Reserve	Wellington Cable Car	Carter Observatory

Meals: Breakfast

Inter-Island Cruise - Blenheim

Savour a morning to yourself - take a look around Wellington or just relax. A visit to the National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa, offers wonderful insights into the nation’s colourful history and there are some truly world class collections on display. Waving goodbye to the North Island, we board the ferry for the crossing of Cook Straight. Tranquility and beauty define the cruise into Queen Charlotte Sound and the gorgeous seaside town of Picton, where we first set foot on South Island soil. We stop in Blenheim for tour of the city before arriving at our destination - the premier wine region of Marlborough.

Dinner: visit one of the Marlborough region’s famous wineries, Hans Herzog Estate, for a tasting and 3-course Highlight Dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Accommodation: Blenheim - 2 Nights

Accommodation:

Scenic Hotel Marlborough - Blenheim

The Scenic Hotel Marlborough is only a few minutes walk from the centre of Blenheim. It offers guests the ultimate in modern comfort and service and puts some of New Zealand's finest food and wine virtually on the doorstep.

Blenheim at Leisure: 'Included Sightseeing Experiences'

Today indulge your adventurous side, selecting one of the 'Included Choice Sightseeing Experiences' on offer to you in Blenheim.

Choice from one of these included experiences:

Indulge in a half-day winery tour
Greenshell Mussel Cruise into magnificent Marlborough Sounds

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner with Wine

Blenheim – Christchurch

Travel to Kaikoura, where sperm whales can often be seen not far from shore. Travel along the Pacific Ocean coast and across the colourful Canterbury Plains to Christchurch. See how Christchurch is rebuilding after the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, and pop into the incredible Transitional Cathedral in Latimer Square, the world’s only cathedral made substantially of cardboard.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night

Accommodation:

Distinction Hotel Christchurch

The Distinction Hotel is a brand new hotel opening in 2019 in the revitalised heart of Christchurch and Cathedral Square. Centrally located and a short stroll to the Botanical Gardens, New Regent Street, the Arts Centre, and Avon River. This luxury Christchurch hotel offers 179 elegant, air-conditioned hotel rooms including 3 floors of brand new Superior Rooms and Suites.

Christchurch – Mt Cook

Enjoy some warm Kiwi hospitality at Morelea, the home of Angie and Stan Taylor, indulge in a Be My Guest barbecue lunch and hear about a lifetime spent farming in New Zealand. You’ll also get to witness Angie preparing her famous dessert pavlova. From here it’s on towards the spectacular Southern Alps and then alongside majestic Lake Pukaki, before arriving in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park to see Mt. Cook, the highest mountain in Australasia. Tonight, enjoy dinner with a breathtaking mountain view.

Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest lunch & Dinner with wine

Accommodation: Tekapo - 2 Nights

Accommodation:

The Hermitage - Aoraki/Mount Cook

A stunning destination surrounded by the silent splendor of the Southern Alps and with spectacular views of Aoraki/Mount Cook and the surrounding National Park World Heritage area. There is a selection of properties within the Terrace Road campus from Hotel to Chalet and Mountainview Motels - all budgets and standards can be catered for.

Mt Cook

First up, you’ll experience the melting ice face and icebergs of eerie, magical Tasman Glacier, New Zealand's largest, on a gently paced one-hour cruise guided by a local expert, against an awesome backdrop of New Zealand's highest and most spectacular mountains. Later, you will have time to enjoy your surroundings back at the Hermitage. A stargazing optional experience is available after dinner.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner with Wine

Mt Cook – Te Anau

Today is another scenic day, travelling over the Lindis Pass through Central Otago. Visit Cromwell, next to pristine Lake Dunstan, and taste delicious stone fruit at a local orchard, then stop at the perfectly restored gold-mining settlement of Arrowtown. The town’s beautiful tree-lined avenues and 19thcentury wooden buildings feel like a movie set. Afterwards, make your way to Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park. This afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to try jet boating down the majestic Waiau River, to the serene Lake Manapouri, stepping into ancient beech forests and learning all about this unique location.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner with wine

Accommodation: Te Anau - 1 Night

Accommodation:

Distinction Hotel Te Anau & Villas

Located on the Te Anau lake front, a short stroll from the Te Anau town centre, Distinction Te Anau Hotel and Villas is perfectly situated for you to make the most of this beautiful area. The rooms are very comfortable and the hotel has all the facilities you would expect from a property of this standard.Distinction Te Anua Hotel and Villas, offering chic, elegant accommodation. This 4 Star hotel is surrounded by extensive landscaped gardens where you can enjoy the spectacular view of Lake Te Anua and the Fiordland ranges.

Te Anau – Queenstown

Leaving Te Anau, you will take the scenic journey through the forests, flats and meadows of Fiordland National Park and out to Milford Sound. You will stop at Mirror Lakes where the stunning mountain scenery is perfectly reflected in the waters, then on to rough-hewn Homer Tunnel, and after, to one of the world’s most dramatic alpine drives, down through the Cleddau Valley and its impressive Chasm. Then it’s on to cruise the waters of the unmissable Milford Sound. Your cruise will take in the Bowen and Stirling Falls plummeting from glacial hanging valleys sharply into the sea, and sheer Mitre Peak, rising from the fiord’s depths. Finally, you will travel on to the adventure capital, Queenstown. An orientation tour around Lake Wakatipu takes you into the city before arriving at your hotel.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: Queenstown - 2 Nights

Accommodation:

Millennium Hotel Queenstown

Millennium Hotel Queenstown is only minutes from Queenstown central shopping, entertainment and outdoor activities and offers a peaceful haven from the variety of activities in this lively city. With many guest rooms and suites to choose from the centre boasts a gym, sauna, spa, bar and restaurant, feature contemporary city-inspired designed. Many of our rooms also offer scenic views of the city and mountains, providing the perfect backdrop to your journey.

Queenstown Included Choice

Choose an Included Choice sightseeing experience today: venture out on a scenic tour visiting the many filming locations of the Lord of the Rings, or cruise Lake Wakatipu aboard New Zealand’s oldest steamship, TSS Earnslaw, to Walter Peak High Country Farm, for a gourmet Barbecue lunch at the Colonel’s Homestead. This evening, join your Travel Director for dinner at The Boatshed, set in the historic New Zealand Railway Shipping Office built in 1936. Restored and relocated to its lakeside setting, The Boatshed, with its spectacular views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables is the perfect for your exclusive Farewell Dinner.

Meals: Breakfast & Farewell dinner

Farewell Queenstown

Farewell your fellow travellers when your holiday comes to an end this morning after breakfast. You will be transferred to Queenstown Airport for your onward flight.

Meals: Breakfast

Note

Tour Inclusion :

Sightseeing Highlights

Learn about life on a New Zealand sheep farm in Tekapo, then be treated to a Kiwi barbecue lunch.
Join a local expert for an opportunity to view New Zealand's longest glacier: the Tasman in Mt. Cook.
A local expert delivers in-depth insights into the key attractions and hidden gems of Wellington, New Zealand's capital.
Your visit to Fiordland National Park will contribute to protecting New Zealand wilderness and native birdlife in the area.