New Zealand: Active South Island

Get a Lay of the Land

Set off with your private guide from The George Hotel on a walking tour of beautiful Christchurch, famous for being New Zealand’s ”Garden City”. Stroll through the city’s Botanic Gardens, rich in vibrant flora and featuring a collection of the country’s most exotic plants. Stroll along the Avon River, running through the city center, before admiring the glass architecture of the Christchurch Art Gallery, known as Te Puna o Waiwhetū and home to a unique collection of contemporary exhibitions. Reflect at the Bridge of Remembrance, a war memorial dedicated to those who fought in WWII, and the Canterbury Earthquake Memorial, honoring those who perished in the devastating and historic earthquake of 2011. You’ll also stroll by the Christchurch Transitional Cathedral, also known as the Cardboard Cathedral due to its re-build out of cardboard post-earthquake. The cathedral, renovated by world-renowned architect Shigeru Ban, now serves as a symbol of the city’s resilience. During today’s walking tour, your guide will discuss dining options, street art, and other points of interest en route. The tour concludes finishes at your central hotel.

Nurtured by Nature

The Banks Peninsula was formed following the violent eruption of two volcanoes. A crater nurses the picturesque harbor of Akaroa with many smaller bays indenting the coastline. Sighted by Captain Cook in 1770, the Peninsula was then inhabited by Maori. In 1840, French settlers arrived at Akaroa, which had just been claimed under the Treaty of Waitangi by the English. The charm of this old French town with incredible scenery has ensured Akaroa’s position as a must-see destination. Visit Barry’s Bay Cheese Factory for cheese tasting, then stroll past quaint colonial-style buildings and wander through the charming 150-year-old French harborside village of Akaroa with its museum of settlers’ history, craft shops and studios, cafes, and wine bars. Afterward, take part in an eco-marine adventure, swimming with Hector’s dolphins, the smallest and rarest marine dolphins on the planet. This tour departs at 8:30 am and takes approximately nine hours and 30 minutes to complete, and operates with a maximum of eight guests.

Breathe the Mountain Air

Journey across the rich agricultural belt of the Canterbury Plains to Springfield to take photos of the mountains rising above you while board the famed TranzAlpine train. The voyage through the gorge is spectacular and leads to the massifs of the Southern Alps and Arthur’s Pass. Having arrived at Arthur’s Pass village, join your guide on an adventure that best suits your interests. The first option is the set off to view the Waimakariri River and its unique braided river system. To do so, you’ll follow the old stagecoach route, viewing the spectacular Otira Gorge – a testament to the road builders of the 1860s and the route taken by the Maori in their quest for greenstone – along the way before arriving at the Cave Stream where a thread of water has carved a circular tunnel through an area of limestone cliffs, gorges, and craggy outcrops. The area was featured in the film adaptation of CS Lewis’s The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, making it a site of particular interest for nature enthusiasts who also enjoy a good movie. Alternatively, set off with your guide to visit the incredible Castle Hill rocks, unique weather-worn rain outcrops of limestone widely regarded as sacred by the Maori. These incredible formations are simply mesmerizing, made all the more impressive by the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Following your privately guided adventure in Arthur’s Pass, you’ll return to Christchurch via Porter’s Pass and the Canterbury Plains. Please note: The weather is extreme and unpredictable. In order to ensure an enjoyable experience, please wear a wind- and water-proof jacket, sweater, breathable hiking gear, comfortable hiking shoes, and hat, as well as a day pack with room for water, snacks, camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, and lip balm.

Starry Night

You will be privately transferred from Christchurch to Mount Cook by a professional driver. The approximate travel duration is four hours.

Mount Cook is far from the city lights and therefore has some of the darkest skies in New Zealand – perfect for viewing the night sky! Begin with an introduction and orientation in the Theatre Planetarium using a special live Digital Sky presentation highlighting unique features in the southern sky. The informative astronomy guides then take you on a short drive (transport provided) to an outdoor stargazing site for spectacular views of that southern sky. Using the naked eye, high-powered binoculars, and state-of-the-art telescopes, you will tour the Milky Way and beyond. Unleash your imagination as you explore our neighborhood in the universe including the Southern Cross, star clusters, planets, moons, and distant galaxies.

Take to the Trails

Today you’ll set out on a guided group tour of Hooker Valley, a land of breathtaking views and host to some of New Zealand’s highest and most enthralling peaks. A knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide will tell you all about the unique flora and fauna of the region as well as the local history while you trek through this amazing landscape. Departing from The Hermitage Hotel, you’ll head to the White Horse Hill camping ground. The journey takes in the poignant Alpine Memorial and passes over the turbulent Hooker River twice by swing-bridge to unsurpassed vistas of Aoraki Mount Cook’s south face and the surrounding glaciers and mountains. Covering a beautiful stretch of the Hooker Valley that spans roughly 3 miles (4.5 kilometers) along a well-maintained track, please be sure to wear appropriate hiking gear, and also be sure to bring your camera to capture the spectacular scenery.

Enjoy a memorable and amazing up-close encounter with the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s largest glacier. Explore, learn and discover the ever-changing glacial landscape as you journey across the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake in a custom-built MAC Boat alongside an experienced guide. With the effects of global warming and other climatic processes taking their toll on New Zealand glaciers, it is obvious that their retreat is imminent. Now approximately 17 miles (27 kilometers) long and 1965 feet (600 meters) deep, the Tasman Glacier is melting and calving at an increasing rate. In recent years the Tasman Glacier has changed from a ’melting’ to a ’calving and melting’ terminus, resulting in a terminal lake that is rapidly increasing in size. This results in icebergs of every shape and size imaginable periodically tearing away from the terminal face of the glacier into the rapidly growing lake below. On either side of the Terminal Lake, lateral moraines rear up almost 665 feet (200 meters) to remind us of the scale and grandeur that the glacier has reached in previous times – the last ice age finishing in just 1890.

A Change of Scenery

You will be privately transferred from Mount Cook to Queenstown by a professional driver. The approximate travel time is three hours and 30 minutes.

Chasing Waterfalls

Today’s excursion begins with a lakeside drive from Queenstown through the lush greens of Southland’s alpine farming country to reach the dazzling scenery of the Fiordland. With your private guide leading the way, pass along the shores of New Zealand’s second-largest lake, Te Anau, to reach spectacular Milford Sound. With extraordinary vistas around each bend, your guide will bring you to a few hidden gems often overlooked by visitors; obscured waterfalls, placid lakes, and snow-capped peaks revealed through short walks through native bush. Later, you’ll arrive at the Milford Sound harborfront and board a cruise vessel with like-minded travelers, setting out on a relaxing 90-minute navigation through the fiord, a land largely unchanged since Captain Cook’s arrival in the late 18th century. After coasting through this land of towering mountains, ancient rainforests, and mesmerizing waters, the ship will return to the pier in Milford Sound, at which time you’ll transfer to the local airstrip for a panoramic return-flight to Queenstown. Please note: The weather is highly unpredictable in Milford Sound, and as a result, your panoramic return flight may be canceled. In this situation, you will return to Queenstown via private transfer.

Rock and Roll

Take part in the world-famous Dart River Wilderness Safari. The tour includes a jetboat ride, a short guided bushwalk, and a backroad adventure in a 4-wheel drive coach. Always dress warmly, wear comfortable walking shoes/boots and bring eyewear (sunglasses or prescription glasses). Bring a sun hat and sunscreen in summer and a warm hat and gloves in winter. Approximately 45 minutes are allowed for refreshments prior to the coach departing Glenorchy for Queenstown. The trip starts at 7.40 a.m. (weather permitting) and takes 6 hours. Upon completion of your tour, you will be returned to Queenstown.

Until Next Time…

A private vehicle will provide a transfer between the airport and your hotel.