AAT Kings - New Zealand Uncovered Itinerary

AAT Kings - New Zealand Uncovered Itinerary
1

Welcome to Auckland

‘Haere Mai’ … Welcome to New Zealand

Relax you are now officially on holiday and everything has been taken care of! Auckland is the kind of place you could lose yourself in for a couple of weeks. Arrive at your leisure and explore new waterfront precincts, or just ready yourself to meet fellow travellers at dinner.

Meals: Dinner with Wine

Flights to arrive by 4.00pm into Auckland Airport

Accommodation:  Auckland - 2 Nights

Auckland View
Accommodation:

Horizon by SkyCity is a 5-star hotel located in the heart of Auckland CBD and directly connected to the New Zealand International Convention Centre and the SkyCity precinct. Get lost in views of the city and while inside, hints of Aotearoa can be found in every corner of your spacious room, from locally crafted furnishings, through to fresh New Zealand milk in the fridge. Experience vibrant entertainment, attractions and award winning dining.

Horizon by SkyCity

2

Auckland Sightseeing Tour

A little bit of leisure, a little bit of culture – today is one of those days. Peek behind the scenes of maritime racing history on the New Zealand Maritime Museum’s America’s Cup Tour. Your Travel Director then takes you around the city, pausing at Bastion Point for epic photo opportunities.

Meals: Breakfast

Auckland

3

Auckland – Rotorua

Leave Auckland behind and journey into the countryside for an exclusive family-style Be My Guest lunch in the Red Barn on a working dairy farm. Expect country banter and farm-to-table fare prepared with a lot of love. The next hot spot – in every sense of the word – on your NZ holiday is Rotorua. Visit Te Puia  to see and support Maori artisans at work, then continue your Rotorua tour at the steamy Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, a staggering valley where geysers pop and thermal springs jettison skywards.

Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest Lunch 

Accommodation: Rotorua - 2 Nights

This 4.5 star deluxe property is perfectly situated next to mystical Lake Rotorua and is just a brief stroll from the City centre, close to many restaurants and bars. The hotel offers world class residential style accommodation that is suitable for those travelling on business and for leisure. Restaurant Nikau offers a good range of evening menu choices, from the Restaurant's famous Nikau Burger to fine dining options, while the Brassiere Poolside Restaurant is the perfect place to start your day with an alfresco style breakfast beside the geothermal heated pool.
Millenium Hotel Rotorua

4

Rotorua Free Time

Today, choose your own adventure. We have plenty of ideas for the paths you might follow. Tonight, dive deep into Maori culture at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience, an important hub keeping tradition, art and music alive. Oh, and exciting Māori cuisine. Enjoy forest kai horotai (seasonal canapés) and chef choice aperitif, followed by a seasonal three-course dinner.

Meals: Breakfast & Highlight Dinner

Te Pā Tū shares a 4-hour evening feasts

5

Rotorua - Wellington

Say goodbye to Rotorua and hello to the raging rapids of Huka Falls, where 220,000 litres of water barrel over this massive waterfall every second. Your outlook then unfolds into the dreamy landscape of Lake Taupo. Traverse the volcanic Central Plateau to NZ’s cool little capital of Wellington.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Wellington - 2 Nights

Centrally located downtown with a stunning Harbour vista is Rydges Wellington. The hotel offers 280 rooms with modern facilities including free WiFi. There are also 19 apartment-style suites for longer stays. 


6

Wellington

Your day in Wellington should – must – begin with a coffee. The city is known for its ubercool cafés and with coffee in hand you will head out on city sights tour to take in highlights such as its iconic cable car, parliament, and Mt. Victoria. Your tour ends at Te Papa, the national Museum of New Zealand, where you may choose to visit the groundbreaking exhibitions on offer. Later you may decide on an optional tour. Lord of the Rings fans will rejoice with a special tour and visit to Weta Workshop. Or choose to visit Zealandia's ecosanctuary restoring 225 hectares of forest. Tonight, there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from. Ask us for recommendations or explore at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast

 

Wellington

7

Wellington – Kaikoura

This morning cruise the Cook Strait into tranquil Queen Charlotte Sound and continue to Kaikoura, a marine life haven. On arrival be treated to a biodiversity talk from Sabrina Leucht, founder of Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust, and learn about the work the trust is doing towards Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. Tonight, dine at Hiku, which celebrates what Kaikōura is all about - kai moana and dramatic sea and mountain scapes.

 Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Accommodation: Kaikoura - 1 Night

InterIslander
Accommodation:
With its superb location on the shoreline close to town, Sudima Kaikoura is blessed with stunning views of both the mountains and sea. It also puts the hotel within easy walking distance of Kaikoura’s activities, shops, restaurants, and bars. This state-of-the-art waterfront hotel has a 4.5 star rating with an outstanding in-house restaurant, a bar and conference facilities.
Sudima Kaikoura

8

Kaikoura – Christchurch

Enjoy a relaxed start this morning or sign up for one of several optional wildlife experiences available. Take a scenic flight for a bird’s-eye view,  get up close to dolphins by boat or kayak, or sample tasty crayfish at waterside fish-and-chip shops. Follow the coast and Canterbury Plains to Christchurch, home to innovative architecture, art institutions and restaurants. 

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night

Christchurch City
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.
Distinction Hotel Christchurch

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Christchurch – Twizel

From its cardboard-crafted Cathedral to its gold-clad central library, Christchurch has well and truly rebuilt itself since the 2010/11 earthquakes. Travel over the patchwork countryside of the Canterbury Plains to soak up some spectacular sightseeing. But South Island locals still cherish a simple life, as you’ll discover over a Be My Guest afternoon tea with retired farmers Angie and Stan Taylor at their home Morelea on the edge of Lake Tekapo. Here a magical scene of turquoise blue water contrasts with a stunning backdrop of mountains cloaked in a veil of golden tussock grass. Adding to the superb photo opportunities,

Later, view the little stone-hewn Church of the Good Shepherd on your way to Twizel.

Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest Afternoon Tea, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Tekapo - 1 Night

Tekapo
The MacKenzie Country Hotel, Twizel, is located very in the heart of the historic MacKenzie Basin. The hotel offers 108 spacious guestrooms including 80 standard rooms and 28 deluxe rooms; all offer shower over bath ensuites with surrounding views of the spectacular Ben Ohau Ranges and Mount Cook. Enjoy a meal in the restaurant or bar by choosing from the hearty menus revealing local cuisine accompanied by a range of New Zealand wines.
MacKenzie Country Hotel

10

Twizel to Dunedin via Oamaru

Oamaru has a rich history and proud heritage, the town center is graced by some of New Zealand's best 19th century architecture and is enriched by passionate and perhaps quirky locals. Explore the shops, galleries and traditional crafts within some of the Southern Hemisphere's most complete Victorian streetscapes, before landing in Dunedin.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation Dunedin - 1 Night

Dunedin City
The Scenic Hotel Southern Cross is Dunedin's largest and most established hotel. Located in the heart of Dunedin, this hotel has been extensively refurbished and now provides guests with modern style, exquisite quality, convenience and exceptional service. Your every comfort is well provided for, with 178 attractive rooms and suites, extensive hotel facilities.
Scenic Hotel Southern Cross - Dunedin

11

Dunedin – Te Anau

From sheep farms to rugged mountains, today is one of contrasts. Venture into Fiordland National Park toward the South Island’s largest lake and the lakeside town of Te Anau - gateway to Fiordland. You'll experience the thrill of jet boating on scenic Lake Manapouri, home to Pomona Island, where native birds are under threat - and this experience is helping to protect them through a community-based conservation project.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Te Anau - 1 Night

 

Te Anau
Located to make the most of this beautiful area on the Te Anau lake front, a short stroll from the Te Anau town centre. Distinction Te Anua Hotel and Villas, offers chic, elegant and comfortable room options. 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.
Distinction Hotel Te Anau & Villas

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Cruise on the Majestic Milford Sound - Cloned

Welcome to one of the most scenic locations in the world. A majestic World Heritage Site, Milford Sound has been described as the '8th natural wonder of the world' and the journey along the amazing Milford Road is just as awe-inspiring as the destination. You'll enjoy plenty of photo opportunities along this spectacular highway that cuts through an unimaginable cathedral of imposing mountain peaks, mirror lakes and bottomless valleys decorated in rainforests, waterfalls and glaciers. 

At Milford Sound we embark on a cruise you will never forget. An otherworldly landscape plunges into the Tasman Sea and unique wildlife abounds in the deep waters of the fiord. Our destination for tonight is the fairytale town of Queenstown, set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. On arrival we finish our day full of highlights with an orientation tour.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Queenstown - 2 Nights

Milford Sound

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.

Millennium Hotel Queenstown

13

TSS Earnslaw Cruise & Gourmet BBQ Dinner

Adrenaline-junkies may wish to get some perspective on a tour of the gorges of Skippers Canyon. Gourmand at heart? Perhaps a Central Otago wine tour? (Both own expense). Your day ends on a dreamy TSS Earnslaw cruise across Lake Wakatipu, landing at Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue Highlight Dinner at the Colonel’s Homestead.

Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Queenstown & Lake Wakatipu

14

Queenstown - Franz Josef

The adventure continues, and this morning Central Otago's rich pioneer gold rush history comes alive in the picturesque village of Arrowtown. Set beside a beautiful clear flowing river, this charming town has some great historical sites, boutique shops, and delightful cafés. Following the road to Cromwell, the fabulous scenery keeps on coming and during the stone fruit season, you can pick up bags of delicious cherries, apricots, and nectarines at any of the roadside stalls. For a slice of paradise, we drive past a trio of fantastic lakes including Lake Dunstan, Hawea and Wanaka before traversing the Haast Pass to  Franz Josef /Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere - the world's most accessible glacier, which is ideally explored on an optional helicopter flight – you may be able to land and walk across the ice-fall.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Franz Josef - 1 Night

Franz Josef Glacier Country
Situated on the very edge of the Westland World Heritage Park, the Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier will welcome you in true New Zealand style. The Hotel makes the most of its alpine location and is only moments from spectacular Franz Josef Glacier. Featuring patios or balconies, the simple, warmly decorated rooms and suites include free Wi-Fi, TVs and mini-fridges, plus tea and coffee making facilities. Suites add living areas and quality rooms with balcony views.
Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier

15

Franz Josef – Punakaiki & Pancake Rocks

Explore the small but lively Franz Josef/Waiau village before venturing to Hokitika, home of New Zealand's native jade greenstone. Then steel yourself for the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes of Punakaiki, a sliver of South Island geology that is as humbling as it is awe-inspiring. After a spectacular day, spend the night at an eco-friendly, waterfront resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation Punakaiki - 1 Night

Punakaiki
Surrounded by the Paparoa National Park and with stunning views of the Tasman Sea, Scenic Hotel Punakaiki is in a great location. The resort is situated only 300m from the famous Punakaiki Blowholes and has been designed in harmony with the local environment.  Evenings are spent relaxing in a standard resort room with views of the sea or an Eco Suite with rainforest and distant seaviews.

 
Scenic Hotel Punakaiki

16

Punakaiki - Christchurch

Venture into the Ponaumu Pathway. Embark on a unique self-guided journey, as you make your way through this extraordinary storytelling experience born from a collaboration with the Weta Workshop. We’ve got you sorted for lunch at legendary Monteith’s Brewery. Then all aboard for the scenic TranzAlpine train back to Christchurch, through tunnels and over viaducts, with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell Dinner

Accommodation Christchurch - 1 Night

Arthurs Pass
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.
Distinction Hotel Christchurch

17

 Farewell from Christchurch

"Haere rā" Goodbye! and Bon Voyage!

How many travel highs can you pack into a holiday? This itinerary has certainly pushed the boundaries. Now all you have to do is go home and sort through all those photos.

Meals: Breakfast

Flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport

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. 

Christchurch Avon River

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What Elizabeth says about this tour: If you're looking for a quintessential luxury coach tour of the whole of New Zealand, then look no further. From the working farm visits, Maori cultural experiences, geysers and glaciers, rainforests and majestic mountains this popular journey has it all. A mix of adventure and relaxation with opportunities to pick and choose your activities. A Professional Coach Director and premium accommodation give added comfort.
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