Inspiring Journeys - The 19 day Long White Cloud Itinerary

‘Haere Mai’ … Welcome to New Zealand!

Upon arrival in Christchurch you will be met by a tour representative and transferred to your hotel. Depending what time you arrive you will then have some time to explore before meeting your travel director and fellow companions for dinner and a welcome drink.

Some suggested excursions if you have time:

Flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night 

All aboard the famous TranzAlpine train, rated as one of the world’s great scenic railway journeys. Travel across the Canterbury Plains through the Southern Alps, an unforgettable trip. Re-join your coach at Arthur’s Pass and travel to Hokitika to meet a local artisan for a jewelry carving demonstration. Continue to Franz Josef Glacier for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Franz Josef - 2 Nights

After a relaxed start of the day, this morning you will explore Franz Josef/Waiau, where a local guide explains the history behind the imposing Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere. 

Together with the Fox Glacier 20 km (13 Miles) to the south, it is a unique in the fact that it descends from the Southern Alps to just 200 metres above sea level amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest. The glacier is currently 12 kilometres (8 miles) long and terminates 19 km (11mi) from the Tasman Sea. The glacier exhibits a cyclic pattern of advance and retreat, driven by differences between the volume of meltwater at the foot of the glacier and volume of snowfall feeding the neve.

Meals: Breakfast

Today you get to feel the wind in your hair with a jetboat ride on the Haast River at Haast Pass followed by a lunch stop at Makarora, and later visit the historic gold-mining village of Arrowtown, before a chance to relax in Queenstown. Surrounded by majestic mountains and nestled on the shores of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu, the surrounding scenery is breathtaking.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Queenstown - 3 Nights

Enjoy Queenstown your way! Perhaps join a wine tour and taste some of Central Otago’s world-renowned Pinot Noir.

Recommended Queenstown Excursions:

Meals: Breakfast

Make the most of your extended stay in Queenstown. Perhaps take a peaceful cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard New Zealand’s oldest steamship, the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station. Tonight, enjoy a Local Dining Experience in one of Queenstown’s most exclusive restaurants

Meals: Breakfast, Local Dining Experience

Travel south along Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau, which is nestled on the shores of the South Island’s largest lake. Stop for lunch at a local farm, where you will hear stories of life on the land and meet a cuddly animal or two. Continue through the rainforest of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Fiordland National Park, sighting glaciers, and mountain ranges en route to the amazing Mirror Lake before driving through the hand-hewn Homer Tunnel.

Spend the night aboard the iconic Milford Mariner and wake up in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The cruise style is relaxed, allowing plenty of time to view the fiord’s spectacular waterfalls, rainforest, mountains, and diverse wildlife such as seals, penguins, and dolphins. Hear from the specialist nature guide on board or choose to explore the shoreline by kayak or small boat.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Milford Mariner - 1 Night

Leave Fiordland National Park and journey to Invercargill. A city obsessed with motoring history, there are tributes to speed legends across town, from Burt Munro to Bill Richardson and his shed full of classic vehicles. Enjoy a tour of the largest private collection of its type in the world.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Invercargill - 2 Nights

This morning, embark on a journey from the rainforests of pristine Fiordland National Park, through to Invercargill. Board a ferry at Bluff and cruise to the pristine Stewart Island. Later, join a leisurely cruise around Paterson Inlet and see diverse flora and birdlife, before returning to Invercargill for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine

Enjoy a relaxed start in Invercargill before departing for Dunedin. Visit Dunedin Craft Distillers, the first distillery in Aotearoa New Zealand and one of only a handful worldwide, to produce botanical spirits from surplus bread and bakery products that would otherwise go to landfill. Discover how owners, Jenny McDonald and Sue Stockwell do it, on a ‘Bread to Bottle Tour’ which takes you through the process used to turn bread into spirits. Venture just next door for a special chocolate tasting journey at OCHO Chocolate.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Today travel up the east coast through Oamaru and back to the Garden City of Christchurch. New Zealand’s second-largest city and the gateway to the South Island, Christchurch sits on the very edge of the Canterbury Plains and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. The city itself has bounced back after a series of major earthquakes, and has shown its resiliency with a number of new and exciting developments popping up everywhere.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night

Travel along the rugged Pacific Ocean coast to Kaikoura, famous for its whales (optional whale-watching flight is available). See New Zealand’s fur seals at Ohau Point, then travel to the seaside town of Picton. Cruise Queen Charlotte Sound and across Cook Strait to Wellington for a sightseeing tour of New Zealand's capital city.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Accommodation: Wellington - 2 Nights

Today see Wellington your way. Why not visit the Weta Cave, home of the creative wizards behind The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Perhaps visit the urban ecosanctuary of Zealandia/Te Māra a Tāne, or Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand.

Suggested activities in and around Wellington:

Meals: Breakfast

Travel through the dairy farming land of Manawatu to Napier. The sunny, scenic Hawke’s Bay, the region brims with colourful natural attractions. Famous for its vineyards, the area produces some of the world's top red wines. A combination of the staggering yields from these fertile soils and high sunshine hours make the Hawke’s Bay the country's second largest grape producer. As you would expect, touring the vineyards here is a terrific pleasure - the estates are immaculate, the wines superb and the gourmet dining experiences exceptional. Enjoy a Local Dining Experience at Craggy Range winery.

Meals: Breakfast, Local Dining Experience

Accommodation: Porters Boutique Hotel - 2 Nights

After a leisurely start this morning join a local guide for a city tour. You'll see the pervasive Art Deco flavor - as the city of Napier was rebuilt following the devasting 1931 earthquake. This evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

 

Continue your journey to Rotorua, where this afternoon, armed with a packed lunch, you'll join a local guide for a cultural walking eco-tour to discover the jurassic Whirinaki Forest.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Rotorua - 2 Nights

Ascending to the breathtaking Redwoods Treewalk, enjoy an elevated bird’s eye view of the 115-year old redwood giants.  At the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa, passionate conservationists reveal how they are saving the kiwi population, one incubated egg at a time.Tonight, visit Te Pā Tū Māori Experience. Tū Te Rā is a celebration of the abundant harvest of this season, and explores concepts, rituals, and stories of ancient Māori warfare and peace in a feast of culture and cuisine. Enjoy a seasonal canapé and complementary chef choice aperitif, and a seasonal three-course dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Local Dining Experience

Make your way to the famous Caveworld Waitomo for an exclusive 5-star Eco Glowworm experience in Footwhistle Cave. Later, travel to Auckland. This evening, toast your tour at a Celebration Dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Celebration Dinner

Accommodation: Auckland - 1 Night

Haere rā and Bon Voyage!

Your holiday concludes this morning after breakfast. You will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight. Have a great homeward journey, farewell and hope to see you again soon!

Meals: Breakfast

Flights to depart anytime from Auckland 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.