Sample Tours

While each of our tours is customized to fit your needs, desires and interests here are some examples of possible tour itineraries:

All of our tours begin in Christchurch and end in Akaroa with transfer to Christchurch Airport for departure..

Top of the South - 10 days - ∈3200pp*

optional activities are at additional cost.

Day 1 - Christchurch

arrive Christchurch airport. Time permitting, a casual tour of Christchurch. Stunning drive over the mountain through Dyers Pass to the Governor’s Bay Hotel, a classic Kiwi pub with 4 seaview rooms sharing a large balcony overlooking Lyttleton Harbour. The highly rated restaurant has exceptional dinners in a relaxed atmosphere.

Day 2 - Kaikoura

Continental style breakfast at the hotel and pick up at 9 am. Travel to Kaikoura. Walk the Pacific Coast south of Kaikoura and possibly meet a seal or two. Casual sightseeing around town. Stay at privately owned apartment The view of the ocean and mountains from this locale is breathtaking. Dinner on your own in town.

Day 3 - Kaikoura

The morning is open for optional activities such as whale watching, albatross watching, helicopter sightseeing, swimming with dolphins or seals. In the afternoon a 2-3 hours fishing trip. If you do not wish to fish (or sea conditions are too rough) we visit the peninsula seal colony and take a walk along the peninsula with views over the Pacific Ocean. Dinner will be prepared by erika and daan from the day’s catch.

Day 4 - Nelson

After breakfast we visit the Ohau Point Seal Colony and the Ohau Stream waterfall on the way to Nelson with a spectacular drive along the Queen Charlotte Highway from Picton to Havelock. In Nelson after lunch. Swimming at beautiful Tahunanui Beach and/or an afternoon to walk around and explore Nelson. After dinner a short drive to Mapua where we stay at Mapua Cottages with spectacular views of Tasman Bay.

Day 5 - Abel Tasman National Park-Golden Bay

We begin the morning at Kaiteriteri where a water taxi will transport us to Onetahuti (Tonga Roadstead) with stunning views of the Abel Tasman landscape along the way. Then an easy one hour walk along the Abel Tasman track takes us to Awaroa. At Awaroa you can hike up to a viewpoint which gives a panoramic view of Abel Tasman. The water taxi returns us to Kaiteriteri after lunch where we explore this magnificent beach on foot before we make the spectacular drive over Takaka Hill to Golden Bay. Depending on arrival time there may be time to explore Takaka before dinner in town. Once more we will stay at a privately owned holiday home.

Day 6 - Golden Bay

The morning begins with a 45 minute drive to Cape Farewell, the northernmost point on the South Island. From here there are two optional activities:

Farewell Spit Lighthouse bus tour - 4 hours
Wharariki Beach horse trek - 3 hours

If the optional activities are not chosen, we drive another 10 minutes to the Wharariki Beach carpark. A spectacular 20 minute walk over the hills to the sand dunes of Wharariki. We will spend about 1.5 to 2 hours on this breathtaking and expansive beach and have a picnic lunch. On the drive back to Takaka we will visit the Rosy Glow Chocolate Shop in Collingwood to sample some delicious handmade chocolates and then proceed on to the Mussel Inn for dinner. Time permitting we will take a walk around Pupu Springs before dinner. Pupu Springs discharges around 14,000 litres of unbelievably clear water per second.

Day 7 - Golden Bay

After breakfast we head to Wainui Falls for 2 hours round trip walk. On the way back we stop at the Grove in Clifton and walk through some amazing and unusual rock formations. Some time is available midday to take a bit of a walk around Takaka. In the afternoon we go to Bencarri Animal Park where you can feed the eels and then to Anatoki Salmon Farm to catch our dinner.Dinner will be a real Kiwi BBQ at the home of one of our friends.featuring the salmon we catch

Day 8 - Punakaiki

After breakfast we head for Punakaiki through the scenic Buller Gorge area. The Paparoa Coast drive to Punakaiki is one of the most scenic in New Zealand. At Punakaiki we take a walking tour of the famous Pancake Rocks. After dinner we take a sunset walk on Truman Beach

Day 9 - Akaroa

After breakfast we head down the coast to view the rugged West Coast landscape. We proceed on to Arthur’s Pass for lunch and a visit with the keas, the world’s only alpine parrot. After lunch we visit the unusual giant limestone formations of Castle Hill before moving on to Akaroa, arriving around dinner time after a spectacular drive around the rim of this extinct volcano.

Day 10 - Akaroa

Plenty of time to walk around Akaroa, checking out the history of this once-French settlement. In the afternoon your choice of a sailing tour of the harbour or a dolphin watch cruise (which may be upgraded to swimming with the dolphins at extra cost).

Day 11 - depart for Christchurch airport minimum 4 hours before flight time

 

Southland - 16 days - ∈4900pp*

 

 

*double occupancy