G Adventures - 16 Day NZ South Island Encompassed Itinerary

Join your welcome meeting this evening for the opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group. Opt to head to your CEO’s favourite local spot for dinner together before enjoying a social evening of bar games, music, and singing.

There are no planned activities during the day, so check into the hotel and explore the city.

Check out New Zealand's National Museum, a must-see with great displays of historical Maori artifacts and relatively modern exhibits such as the motorbike that was built in a shed and won the world championships. Afterwards, opt for a night out on the town. Wellington has an abundance of nightlife, bars, cafes and restaurants all located on and around the entertainment district of Courtenay Place.

Accommodation: Wellington - 1 Night (or similar)

Don't forget those cameras before hopping on the morning ferry to cross the Cook Strait. Pro tip: make sure you stand outside and marvel at the views of the Marlborough Sounds at the tip of the South Island. Then drive past lush native forests, beautiful clear waters, blue skies, and golden sands as the group travels to Abel Tasman National Park.

Catch a morning ferry and cross the scenic Cook Strait. Make sure to stand outside and enjoy the views of the Marlborough Sounds at the top of the South Island. Disembark and transfer to Abel Tasman National Park, well-known for its stunning white sand beaches.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Marahau - 2 Nights (or similar)

Catch an Aqua Taxi from your accommodation in Marahau up to Anchorage. Walk back to Marahau at your own pace, and make stops along the way at some of the world's most scenic golden sand beaches to relax in the sun.

Picture this: birdsong ringing from the treetops as you wander through the undergrowth stumbling upon occasional waterfalls nestled in the midst of the forest. You take a dip in one of the refreshing pools before finding your way to pristine coastline and turquoise bays where you can soak up the sun and relax in the sand.

This is the kind of day that awaits you in Abel Tasman NP, you are free to explore the golden beaches and winding waterways any way you’d like! So have fun, build a sand castle for us, and let the adventures continue!

Meals: Breakfast

It’s off to Westport today! Breathe in the fresh air and soak in the beautiful views as the group heads south down the coast of black-sand beaches. Make a (very cool) pit stop to a seal colony in Cape Foulwind and watch these majestic animals in their habitat before continuing on to Westport for the evening. Once you arrive grab a beer, talk to some locals, and discover the true charm of this coal mining town.

Seal Colony Visit
Stop by a viewing platform over a New Zealand fur seal colony at Cape Foulwind. Female seals will live in the same colony for the duration of their lives, whereas male seals move around more. The males visit the Cape Foulwind colony between late November and mid-January for mating season. All seasons offer plenty of activity to check out, from mating to the raising of baby pups and feeding out at sea.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Westport - 1 Night (or similar)

Continue on a scenic drive south along the coast to Punakaiki; think pancake rocks and blowholes (man, those are two random things we never thought would be in the same sentence). As a special spot full of local secrets, Punakaiki is a great place to hop out of the bus, stretch those legs, and appreciate the strange beauty nature can create.

Continue following the coastal road towards Franz Josef arriving at a unique wilderness lodge set in the rainforest for the night.

Pancake Rocks Trek
Walk along a loop trail with informative signs detailing how the 'Pancake Rocks' were formed millions of years ago. When the trail reaches the coast, there are many lookouts for photo stops and beautiful views of the coast, the rocks and the blowholes found along the area

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Franz Josef Village - 2 Nights (or similar)

Enjoy a free day in Franz Josef. Today is all yours to spend as you please! From hiking to kayaking and walking on a glacier, there’s bound to be something you’ll want to check off that bucket list.

If your goal is to make actual contact with the glacier then try a heli-hike or guided ice walk. Or you could let nature be your guide and lose yourself in the rainforests, lakes, and waterfalls that surround Franz Josef... the choice is yours!

There's plenty to see and do in Franz Josef, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like a glacial hike, quad biking, and a helicopter hike. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!

Excursions available in and around the Franz Josef area:

Meals: Breakfast 

Hit the road to the adventure capital of the world — Queenstown. Sit back, relax and gaze out the window as you drive away from Glacier Country and wind through lush forests back to the coast and into the mountains over Haast Pass. The photo opportunities will seem endless (make sure those cameras are charged.) Then gear up and get ready because the adrenaline is going to be pumping the next few days.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Queenstown - 3 Nights (or similar)

Let’s put it this way, if you’re the sort of person that loves adventure mixed with adrenaline all while exploring one of the most scenic places in the country, then Queenstown is for you!

Gear up for a free day that is sure to leave you breathless. Opt to be a dare devil and get ready to have those hearts pumping with some adrenaline-filled options like jet boating, bungee jumping, or skydiving.

Please note - in the winter months (early/mid June to early/mid October) skiing and snowboarding in the Southern Alps is a highlight for any visitor. Most of the optional activities are also available, ask your CEO which ones are in season.

Meals: Breakfast

Let your breathing return to normal today as the group heads out for a visit to Fiordland National Park. After arriving, soak up the chill vibes on a boat cruise through one of the most iconic places in New Zealand — Milford Sound. Grab your camera and be ready to shoot stunning photos of waterfalls, mountains stretching up to the sky and down to the sea and then search for dolphins and seals. This place is any artist's dream! Marvel at the views of one of the wettest places on Earth before we make our way back to Queenstown for the night.

Meals: Breakfast
 

Gear up for round two of free time in Queenstown that is sure to leave you breathless. Choose to be a dare devil and get ready to have those hearts pumping with some adrenaline-filled options like jet boating, bungee jumping, mountain biking or skydiving or simply take in the breathtaking scenery and vibrant atmosphere as you find restaurants to try and cafes to wind down and relax.

Meals: Breakfast

Depart Queenstown and travel to Aoraki/Mt Cook National park. Once in the park enjoy free time for hiking and visiting the Sir Edmund Hillary Visitors Centre. Afterwards, travel to Lake Tekapo where we will be staying for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Tekapo - 2 Nights (or similar)

Start the day with a relaxing 21km bike ride along the canals with stunning mountain views. Spend the rest of the day exploring Tekapo on your own. Opt to visit the hot springs, relax on the shores of Lake Tekapo, or hike to the Mt John Observatory and check out the incredible Dark Sky Reserve.

Lake Tekapo Bike Ride
Set out on a 21km ride in Lake Tekapo. Pedal along a flat, quiet, sealed country back road pass by the canals, and soak in the grand mountain views while getting a bit of exercise.

Meals: Breakfast

Scoot on up to Christchurch to explore the South Island’s largest city and one of the places in New Zealand with the strongest English influences. Enjoy free time to explore and see what the nightlife is all about with your travel tribe, and grab some shut eye in a converted jailhouse to finish the evening.​

Some suggested excursions if you have time.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night (or similar)

The road to kaikoura has impressive coastal views, roaring surf, rocky bays dotted with fur seals sunbathing on rocks. The township of Kaikoura is a great place for lunch, take the opportunity to join an excursion to get up close and personal with dolphins, seals, whales and other sea creatures.

Optional Activity: Hiking - Free
Set off along the hiking trail to take in the beautiful scenery along the Kaikoura Peninsula walkway.

Option Activity: Whale Watching
Follow in the path of Paikea, the Maori "whale rider", and set out in search of Giant Sperm Whales as they spray and dive their way through the waters off Kaikoura.

Optional Activity: Scenic Flight
Take a 30-minute flight and set off to search for whales, dolphins, and other marine life. On land, you'll see Maori sites, Kaikoura town and New Zealand's southern fur seals.

Optional Activity: Dolphin Tour
Hop aboard a boat and head out to the open seas to search for wild dusky dolphins. If we come upon them, depending on conditions, most groups have 20-40 minutes of swim time with the dolphins.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Kaikoura - 1 Night (or similar)

Reminisce and reflect on your time in New Zealand as you and the group travel to Picton to catch a ferry back to Wellington. Watch the majestic scenery of this country unfold before you and simply appreciate the moment (we know you’re probably already making plans to return.) Once back in the city grab some grub with your travel crew and let the good times roll for one last night out together in New Zealand.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Wellington - 1 Night (or similar)

"Haere rā" Goodbye! and Bon Voyage!

We know you will enjoy the 'New Zealand South Island Encompassed Adventure Tour' and our promise to you is to make your travels through New Zealand as hassle-free and hospitable as possible - ensuring that today you leave with a memory card full of photos, and huge smiles on your faces when recalling your time in New Zealand! Have a great homeward journey, farewell and hope to see you again soon in Aotearoa, New Zealand. 

Meals: Breakfast

Solo Travellers
No extra fee for Solo Travelers—same gender roommate will be provided or pay extra for your own room. Please note that if you have booked the "My Own Room" option for this tour, you will receive your own single accommodation for all night stops, with the following exceptions: Night 9 (Doubtful Sound Cruise)

Itinerary Variations:
The provider strives to improve trip itineraries. If improvements can be made, or if circumstances beyond their control make changes necessary, the provider reserves the right to vary itineraries and to make substitutions.