: because trip highlights can be subject to change, please contact one of our trip specialists to discuss the specifics as they will pertain to your trip.
DAY 1 | ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND
Touch down at the Auckland International Airport then catch your connecting flight to Christchurch. Next it�s south by rental car to the wilds of the New Zealand countryside. Be sure to stop by the International Antarctic Centre, a research center dedicated to understanding the impact of global warming on the Southern Hemisphere. Then, drive through the southern Canterbury Plains framed by the Southern Alps. With a landscape dotted with the farming towns of Ashburton and Oamaru, the Scottish ancestry of the area comes through in the old stone buildings. Next, move on to Dunedin, a old university town and tonight�s homebase. Stay in the quaint and quiet Nisbet Cottage near the Otago Peninsula and Dunedin City. Warm your pedal weary feet by the open fireplace in the guest lounge or catch the day�s last rays on the sundeck. [B]
DAY 2 | AROUND AND AROUND DUNEDIN
In the morning, take breakfast and if time allows, go on the Sunrise Penguin walk to see these yellow-eyed always birds in dawn�s first light. Then, drive to Otago Peninsula along the Otago Harbor. Be among the marine life�seals, penguins and sea birds. Take a detour to The Royal Albatross Center at Taiaroa Head, the only place in the world where albatross nest on the mainland. More marine life exploration awaits at the New Zealand Marine Studies Center. Take a nature cruise along the harbor. Head back inland to the Dunedin City art galleries, studios and craft shops. The city center pays tribute to Robert Burns, Scotland�s most famous poet. Get a taste of the New Zealand of old and tour historic Olveston House and the other charming stone structures that make up this university town. Return to Nisbet Cottage. [B]
DAY 3 | FROM DUNEDIN TO TE ANAU
Today, drive west through green, rolling countryside, passing the old goldmining towns and verdant farmlands of the south. The destination is Lake Te Anau known as the gateway to Fiordland National Park. This coastal town of Te Anau boasts the largest lake in the South Island. Covered in mountains, Fiordland National Park spans open-air fields and forests. Take guided hikes and nature walks. Stay in the Fiordland Lodge�traditional sun-dried log cabins of recycled timber�overlooking the lake. The lodge offers other special programs such as excursions to Milford and Doubtful Sound coined by Captain Cook, golf tours, kayaking and alpine nature walks; take your pick. [B]
DAY 4 | THE DOUBTFUL SOUND
In the morning, take a boat across Lake Manapouri, through Wilmot Pass, then on to Doubtful Sound. The sound, named by Captain Cook, was a bit too snug for his circumnavigating outlook. He was �doubtful� of when the winds and sea would be favorable for him to set sail so he did not stay long. Hence, the unusual name, Doubtful Sound. Move from the water to the serenity of thick rainforest, rushing waterfalls and forested valleys rich with wildlife in the Fiordland�s World Heritage Park. Depending upon availability, spend the night on board The Navigator surrounded by this spectacular scenery. Take off in a kayak, paddling these cool waters to wind down the day. [B,D]
DAY 5 | ALPINE BLISS: QUEENSTOWN
Leave the early morning tranquility of Doubtful Sound. Then, return over Wilmot Pass to Lake Manapouri and Te Anau. Drive north to Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown, a picturesque alpine resort. Tour Queenstown this afternoon. Shop at your leisure, cruise on the SS Earnslaw or catch a gondola. Then take a flying leap. Yes, New Zealand is where it all started�bungee jumping. Go to Kawarau Bridge, just 15 minutes from town, Kawarau Bridge has seen mile-high thrill seekers forever. Shops and restaurants are nearby tonight�s lodgings, Browns Boutique Hotel, owned by longtime Queenstown residents Nigel and Bridget Brown. You�ll have your own balcony to take in the fresh night air. Meals are served in the fine dining room or alfresco in the courtyard. [B]
DAY 6 | THE GREEN SCENE: LAKE MOERAKI WILDERNESS
Roll through the Crown Range and head into the hills towards the historic and colorful Cardrona Hotel, a quaint building with goldmining memorabilia and artifacts of the old farming days. Later, pass alongside mountain-rimmed Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. Next, it�s over the river and through the woods. Before heading to the lush, primeval rainforest of the South Westland World Heritage Park, visit (or �call� as they say in New Zealand) the Haast Pass Information Center. Stop for short walks through Haast Pass� dramatic mountain beech forests, waterfalls, and rivers. With grand displays of local flora and fauna, get acquainted with the green scene so you can spot flowers as go by. Tucked between the Tasman Sea and the lake, head to the West Coast and Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge. Fresh flowers and fruit greet you when you enter your room. The lodge offers guided nature walks in the rainforest and the use of bikes and canoes to continue your personal quest of this mountainous area. And in the evening, keep an eye out for the glow worms. These native worms glow at night! [B,D]
DAY 7 | ANOTHER DAY AT THE LAKE
With the lodge�s guides, take advantage of all it has to offer. Explore the pristine lakes and rivers and learn about the rugged nature of this scenic area where the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin can be seen in season (July to December). Stroll along the Tasman Sea and through the rainforest. Canoe the dune lakes among a floating forest with black swans, fernbird and shags, a bird that dives into the water to catch fish. Close by is Monro beach where you can spot penguins. Return to Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge in the evening. [B,L,D]
DAY 8 | MEET FRANZ JOSEF
The vast open space of the landscape absorbs you as you drive along the coast to Fox Glacier, continuing on to Franz Joseph Glacier. Glide over the glacier or hike the trails nearby. Perhaps, paddle a kayak to see Kotuku, the rare white heron at Okarito lagoon. Stay overnight at the Punga Grove Lodge on the edge of the rainforest. Franz Josef town, with a population just over 300 and home to the eponymous glacier, has a variety of restaurants just a short stroll away. [B]
DAY 9 | ARTHUR�S PASS
In the morning, drive north to the greenstone (a beautiful nephrite jade) factories in Hokitika before turning east towards Arthur�s Pass National Park. Otira�s dramatic highway passes the towering mountains of Arthur�s Pass. You�ll stay at Arthur�s Pass Wilderness Lodge with glorious snow-capped vistas in the background. The Lodge holds complimentary guided walks daily through the beech forests where you can spy native birdlife, tiptoe through wetlands, and wind down the evening with some star gazing. Head to the lake for some trout fishing (equipment provided) or explore the grounds by mountain bike. [B,D]
DAY 10 | ON TO CHRISTCHURCH AND DEPARTURE
After a home-cooked breakfast at the lodge, continue to Christchurch through never-ending pastoral settings. Finally, return your rental car at the Christchurch Airport and catch your connecting flight home. [B]
