Holiday Schedule
Day 01 - Christchurch Day 02 - Christchurch – Mt Cook – Queenstown Day 03 - Queenstown Day 04 - Queenstown – Milford Sound – Queenstown Day 05 - Queenstown – Dunedin Day 06 - Dunedin Day 07 - Dunedin – ChristchurchDay 08 - Depart Christchurch
Christchurch
Day 01
“Kia Ora” and Welcome to New Zealand!
On arrival at Christchurch Airport you will be met by a Green Realm Travel representative, who will assist you to your private transfer to your hotel.
Christchurch – Mt Cook – Queenstown
Day 02
Full cooked buffet breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant this morning before you board your luxury coach and travel across the patchwork quilts Canterbury Plains. Continue through this windswept plateau of rolling tussock country, via the townships of Geraldine and Fairlie, to Lake Tekapo, a turquoise glacial lake. A stop is made at the lake’s edge to look at the simple stone Church of the Good Shepherd and nearby, the bronze sheep dog. Proceed to the southernmost tip of Lake Pukaki, where you continue to Mt Cook and enjoy a set menu style lunch at the Hermitage Hotel. After lunch, you will depart Mt Cook retracing your route along the shoreline of Lake Pukaki to Highway 8. Travel further south to the small towns of Twizel and Omarama by crossing the high plains of the Mackenzie Country. From here, cross the Lindis Pass – this links Mt Cook and the Mackenzie Country with northern Central Otago. From Cromwell, travel through the Kawarau gorge before arriving into Queenstown, where you will be taken directly to your accommodation for the night at the Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa. You will be delighted over your table d’hote style dinner in your hotel restaurant this evening.
Queenstown
Day 03
Full cooked breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant this morning. Today is at your own leisure and you may wish to participate in one of the many optional activity available in the area. Later in the evening, you will stroll to a well known local restaurant situated on the steamer wharf on the lakefront area. Here you will enjoy a set menu style dinner.
Queenstown – Milford Sound – Queenstown
Day 04
Full cooked breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant this morning before you set off on this memorable day! Board the luxury coach and depart Queenstown for a day of unsurpassed scenery, beginning with a drive along the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Continue through lush farmlands to Te Anau, the Gateway to the Fiordland National Park. Travel on through the beech forests of the Eglinton Valley before entering the Hollyford Valley, and descending through the Homer Tunnel into Milford Sound. During your journey there is time for photo stops and short walks along the way. On arrival, enjoy a one and a half hour lunch cruise on Milford Sound, including the hidden mouth of the Sound, towering Mitre Peak and the cascading Stirling Falls. At the end of the cruise, reboard your luxury coach and retrace your route to Queenstown or as an optional activity you have the opportunity to fly out of Milford Sound on a fixed wing aircraft to Queenstown. This will be one of the most memorable experiences of your life as you fly over the Fiords and marvel at the suspended lakes and waterfalls as well as the world famous Milford Track. A 3table d’hote style dinner will be served in your hotel restaurant this evening.
Queenstown – Dunedin
Day 05
After a full cooked breakfast you will board your luxury coach and travel south of Queenstown to the city of Invercargill, before travelling via the spectacular Caitlin’s coastal road to the city of Dunedin. On arrival into Dunedin, you will be taken directly to the Scenic Circle Southern Cross Hotel. Later in the evening you will be transferred to a local restaurant to enjoy a set menu style dinner.
Dunedin
Day 06
Full cooked breakfast will be served in the hotel restaurant this morning before you board the luxury coach for a full day tour of Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula. The tour will feature:
- Drive past some of the historical buildings including the university
- Guided tour of the Cadbury Chocolate factory
- Visit to the Dunedin Railway Station, which is known for its unusual architecturally designed building
- Guided tour of one of the oldest beer breweries in New Zealand, with a beer tasting at the end of the tour at the Heritage Brewery Bar
- Lunch at a local establishment
- Scenic drive from Dunedin city to the Otago Peninsula which is around 30kms distance
- A guided tour of Larnach Castle
- Guided tour of Penguin Place. View the colony for close up viewing of the beautiful birds. Covered trenches and observation huts will hide guests so the penguins will not be frightened away
To end the evening back in Dunedin to enjoy dinner in a local restaurant .
Dunedin – Christchurch
Day 07
After this mornings full cooked breakfast you board your luxury coach for your journey to Christchurch. Travel to Moeraki for a few minutes walk through regenerating native shrubland and along the beach to see the Moeraki Boulders, a geological curiosity formed on the sea floor some 60 million years ago. After your stop, continue through the coastal town of Oamaru, which is well-known for its white stone buildings. Finally, travel across the braided Rakaia River and drive through the vast Canterbury Plains to Christchurch. On arrival in Christchurch, you will check into your accommodation for the night – Heritage Christchurch to then enjoy a set menu style dinner in a well known local restaurant.
Depart Christchurch
Day 08
After waking in the picturesque town of Chirstchurch a full cooked breakfast will be served at your hotel restaurant, before being transferred by limousine from your hotel to the Christchurch Airport.