8 Day Southern Highlights Tour

8 Days and 7 Nights.

An all inclusive tour of the Southern South Island.

Itinerary 24

Feel free to use our travellers help freephone or to check in with us on your arrival at anytime on 0508 2 86877

An 8 day/7 night Adventure starting from Christchurch. Your tour heads into the Southern Alps, the wild West Coast, takes in the Alpine resort of Queenstown and the rugged and beautiful scenery of Otago.

Highlights: Guided walk on an advancing Glacier, Tranz-Alpine Train Journey, Jungle Boat Cruise, Dragons Cave Rafting, Hot Rock White Water Rafting on the Wanganui River, Alpine Thermal Hot Pools, Scenic Alpine Helicopter Flight, Guided Rainforest Ecology Walk, Paparoa Limestone National Park and Pancake Rocks options.

Accommodation - a twin or double share basis using Midrange Hotel and Motel accommodation. If you want your own room or are travelling alone there is an extra single supplement.
(See below for costs).

Day 1

Arrive into Christchurch, our representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your accommodation in Christchurch and give you all your travel vouchers and tickets. Their phone number in Christchurch is 0800 366 999 (Shuttle-4-You) but they will be there waiting for you at the airport.

Relax with your own free time for the rest of the day in New Zealand’s Garden City. Your hosts tonight will advise you of things to do in the city. I recommend a trip around the city on the old tram with a glass of wine and a visit to the Antarctic Centre. If you have any problems give us a call.

Accommodation: Christchurch Hotel

Day 2

8:00am You will be collected from your accommodation for transfer to the Christchurch Railway Station.

8:30am Check-in at the rail ticket counter.

9:00am Tranz-Alpine Train departs to our Wild West Coast. Leaving from Christchurch, crossing the huge and fertile patchwork farmlands of the Canterbury Plains, the Tranz-Alpine winds its way over massive viaducts, through spectacular gorges and river valleys, before tracking across the country’s greatest mountain range, the Southern Alps. Following rivers and skirting lakes, it descends through lush rainforest to the Tasman Sea and the town of Greymouth. Make sure you have had lunch and used the toilet on the train before getting to Greymouth as your afternoon tour leaves from the Rail Station in Greymouth.

1:25pm You will be met at the Greymouth Railway Station by one of the team from the Wild West Adventure Company. S/he will be standing near the baggage claim area wearing a grey cowboy hat and holding a card with your name on it. We will take your luggage with us and transfer you to your accommodation after your afternoon tour.

This afternoon you will be going for a Jungle Boat Cruise.

A relaxing cruise on which you paddle & drift (boats have engines if you do not want to paddle) amongst the giants of NZ’s rain forests following the route of ‘Te Ara Pounamu’-the greenstone pathway. This is part of the trail used by ancient Maori greenstone jade traders on their way to the West Coast jade fields.

This gentle flat water float trip through some of the worlds most hauntingly beautiful rainforest scenery teaches you how we preserve the delicate balance between one of natures oldest ecosystems and today’s modern use of this environment. Here you can experience absolute silence which is only broken by the occasional birdcall.

You’ll Enjoy a cup of Manuka Bush tea, glass of wine or fruit juice as you learn about the life and legends of the native Maori People.

Have fun trying some traditional Maori flax weaving (which you take with you) as you drift the forest or stop off for an intimate forest walk during the cruise.

Touch the silence while drifting by this prehistoric world of huge podocarp rainforest trees with some of the areas bird life. The dark waters are tinged with tannin from the rainforest giving you an eerie feeling of timelessness and spirituality. You will leave with a sense of rejuvenation from your visit with nature today.

The whole trip from Greymouth return is about 3 hours.

5:00pm Return to Greymouth. Accommodation

Day 3

9:00am Morning Tour to the Paparoa National Park

We travel from Greymouth north along the stunning Coast Road to Punakaiki, being the Maori word for "food basket" and the home of the fascinating Pancake Rocks.

As near as possible to high tide take a stroll around the Pancake Rocks Walkway to see the unique rock structures layered here 30 million years ago. Watch also for the roaring Geysers that heave their way from the Ocean floor up out through the Rock Blowholes.

Take time also to view the award winning audio visual show at the Visitors Centre and to browse around some of New Zealand’s finest craft displays.

Options you can do with your guide on the tour are:

(1) Take a short easy interpretative Rain Forest walk where you will learn about the ecology of NZ’s temperate flora and how the local Maori people gained their food and medicine from the forest.

(2) Beach combing for NZ Jade. This wild landscape is the home of NZ’s Pounamu-the jade greenstone treasured by the Maori people.

Walk along a secluded beach beside the thundering Tasman Sea surf in a search for your own souvenir piece of this treasured gemstone.

(3) Myths and Legends Cavern Tour. Step into a forgotten world of caves misted with time and ancient maori legends. You will be led through the mysterious regions between oral history and myth. Follow the footsteps of Maori warriors and the early European explorers as you learn about maori underworld legends as you explore this historic site.

(4) Self guided Gentle Canoe Trip-small own extra cost. Paddle gently up the Pororari Limestone Gorge on a river of crystal clear water into one of this countries most scenic and awe-inspiring canyon landforms. Suitable for the beginner and more experienced alike.

We return to Greymouth by 1:00pm in time to relax with lunch before an afternoon adventure

2:00pm.

You choose which tour you would like to do this afternoon.

Either a visit to an 1860’s Gold Rush town called Shantytown or Dragons Cave Rafting

The Dragons Cave Rafting starts with a 30 minute rainforest walk to the Taniwha Caves. Take a leisurely walk down the main chambers to examine the enchanting limestone formations and get a close view of glow-worms with their silken threads; or take a more adventurous route and gear up into wet suits, helmets and headlamps to float through passages. Experience the splendour and roar as you slide down underground waterfalls and tackle subterranean lakes lit only by the sparkle of hundreds of glow-worms. Like floating through the milky-way galaxy. This living cave offers opportunities for a look down "The Throat" or cuddle through the "Love Tunnel" and a wild ride down the Natural Rock Hydroslide.

You’ll also get a pleasure spa package after your adventure where

• you’ll relax in a spa for as long as you want

• you’ll enjoy a delicious glass of NZ wine or beer with your spa

• you’ll be refreshed with a huge muffin and hot tea/coffee/chocolate, as much as you can drink

• and you’ll be able to say hello to Mum or brag to your friends with unlimited internet use at the cave rafting Base

A Shantytown visit includes a ride on a steam train, panning for gold and experiencing an 1860’s goldrush town in action.

Accommodation: Greymouth

Day 4

7:45am Today we head South visiting the Bushmans Centre and onto Hot Rock White water Rafting.

• You’ll have your partner the happiest ever when doing this love adventure combo

• You’ll romance together in natural riverside hot spas

• You’ll love delicious glasses of champagne

• You’ll be awed by beautiful alpine & rainforest scenery

• You’ll get the level of raft fun you want by choosing the grade of white water you need

• You can choose smaller rafts with more bounce if you want or take a larger raft if you want to be more sedate!

• You’ll have a very happy partner while soaking up the heat together in hotpools with a glass of champagne among stunning mountain peaks and forests with some great rafting.

When you include all this with a guided walk combo you’ve got yourself your happy partner PLUS its all at a very reasonable combo price!

This adventure is ideal for couples wanting to add some special romance to their holiday or for singles wanting to meet a travel partner. Friendships are often made here that last a lifetime!

Your adventure today starts with a guided one and a half hour walk along an alpine valley with beautiful views passing through stunning rain forests.

We supply you with all the gear you’ll need including foot wear for the trail which in places is rough underfoot.

• You’ll learn about rainforest ecology & medicines on the way to the start of your action rafting adventure.

• You’ll enjoy your lunch in this World Heritage wilderness setting before gearing up to go on the river.

• We make sure you’ll be confident on the river with full pre-trip safety training and you’ll get the amount of fun you want by running all the rapids or by taking a more sedate route.

• You can also get more bounce by choosing a smaller raft.

• To top off a great rafting trip you’ll enjoy champagne and cuddles in the hot spas right where you get off the river!

• You get 1 ¼ hours ‘on-the-river’ with 3 x grade 3 rapids & 10 grade 2 rapids.

This river is a grade three braided river, which means that some rafts can take a more gentle route while others can run the rapids. What we like about the trip is that it has natural hot pools at both ends of the rafting! It’s a great way to top off a rafting trip by soaking in the hot pools with lunch and a glass of wine. Picture yourself lying in the luxuriously warm water holding a glass of champagne while gazing up at the awesome snow covered peaks. People make friendships here that last a lifetime.

Our company has a range of boat sizes so that you can choose your own "fun factor". For adventurers, smaller boats on this grade 3 river gives an exhilarating experience while for those people who are more tentative about their rafting the larger rafts will give you more confidence while still having a fun adventure.

Accommodation: Fox Glacier

Day 5

8:30am Check-in at the Alpine Guides Building on the Main Road. You are in a small village so things are easy to find and you will see their base building as a natural wood two storey building which is well sign posted.

You are booked onto a helihike that departs at 10:30am but it is worth checking in much earlier to see if the weather is going to allow the helicopter to fly today. They may want to change your flight time earlier to make use of a break in the weather.

This morning at Fox Glacier you take a half day guided glacier walk. This is known as a helihike because you will be flying to the glacier neve, (near the top) by helicopter for a frolic around the ice caves and lakes found in this pristine area. The famous West Coast Glacier is accessible to visitors, with a walkway to within metres of the imposing ice face. With nailed boots and an alpenstock you will be guided onto the ice to view the amazing crevasses, ice cliffs and caves. Take in the spectacular view of the ice masses, as they crawl down the mountains towards the lush fringes of native forest.

After lunch you will visit one of the world’s most beautiful lakes, Lake Matheson which mirrors the stunning scenery surrounding it, reflecting the peaks of Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman in its tranquil waters. To do the full walk takes about 2 hours.

Accommodation: Fox Glacier

Day 6

8:25am Check in to the Alpine Guides building by 8:25am for your Intercity Coach which departs for Queenstown at 8:45am.

Travel on through the spectacular West Coast scenery. This is a land of contrasts with majestic mountains on one side of the road and a rugged untamed coast on the other. View penguins and seals that are resident to this coast line.(seasonal) Visit thundering waterfalls at the Haast Pass area. Finish the day in Queenstown.

Accommodation: Queenstown.

Day 7 A free day in the Alpine resort town of Queenstown. The town is situated next to Lake Wakatipu which provides stunning backdrops to a town with everything you could ever need from a holiday destination. Queenstown is a compact leisure paradise with all activities in easy reach of the town centre. It has a reputation as an adventure capital with a huge selection of breathtaking activities. Whether it’s jumping off bridges, flying from mountains, surfing the boiling rapids or powering through canyons by high-speed jet boat there’s plenty on offer to use up that excess adrenaline. Beautiful long walks, interesting cultural history and back-country four-wheel drive treks. Activities done today are at your own extra expense. Queenstown has a great night life with many night clubs and local bars.

We advise that you make yourself familiar with the place to report to for your Milford Sound trip tomorrow.

7:00pm This evening we have arranged for an interesting evening with a Maori Concert Party and traditional Hangi Feast for dinner tonight. Check-in at 1 Memorial Street in Queenstown by 7:00pm for dinner tonight.

Accommodation: Queenstown.

Day 8

9:45 am check-in at the Intercity Coach Depot called "the Station" on the corner of Shotover & Camp Streets, Queenstown.

Depart time is 10:00am

Today you will travel by coach on through the rugged and beautiful scenery of Otago with its great rock stacks, across the Canterbury plains and back to Christchurch arriving at 6:15pm.

Your tour finishes on arrival in Christchurch. Your tour price does not include accommodation tonight but we can arrange this for you if you wish

Includes all transport, accommodation, 1 lunch, 1 special dinner and activities specified in the itinerary.

Cancellations: Tours paid for and cancelled within 30 days of or during travel will not be refunded under any circumstances. We recommend you have travel insurance & can arrange this for you.

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