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13 Day North and South Island NZ - Flexi Touring
Experience the best New Zealand has to offer. Have your accommodation and transport to be pre-booked for you.
Day 1: Arrive Auckland
Transfer from airport included to your first nights’ accommodation Day 2: AUCKLAND - ROTORUA VIA WAITOMO Today you leave Auckland stopping at Mt Eden a dormant volcano and the highest point of Auckland City with a huge 50 metre deep crater. The view for Mt Eden is spectacular and on a clear day you can see from coast to coast across the City. The Magic Bus heads out of Auckland towards Rotorua travelling through the Waikato, a dairy-farming district and onto Waitomo. In Waitomo you can go into the caves and look at the glowing lights of the Glowworms. Your driver can book different activities on your behalf in Waitomo, from entrance to the caves to a ‘drop through’, abseil through the glowworms. You leave Waitomo in the afternoon to head to tonight’s over night stop in Rotorua. Day 3: ROTORUA - TAUPO Today you go for a drive around Rotorua to see the Lake and Government Gardens before heading on to check out Wai-O-Tapu thermal reserve home of geysers, hot pools and boiling mud, make sure you go into the park it’s well worth it. Heading onto Taupo you stop at Huka Falls on the Waikato River a waterfall throwing over 200,000 litres of water a second. If you feel like an adrenalin rush go for a jet boat ride guaranteed to clear your head and get the blood pumping, or sit and watch the boat as it powers down the river and turns at speed. You arrive into Taupo mid- afternoon and there are lots of options here from skydiving for a thrill or fishing if you want a peaceful afternoon and the chance to catch your dinner. Day 4: TAUPO - WELLINGTON
After a drive alongside Lake Taupo which is the size of Singapore the Magic Bus heads into ‘Lord ofthe Rings’ country. You travel down the desert road home to Mt Doom or Tongariro as it was known before LOTR with its emerald lakes, hot pools, steaming vents and crater lakes used to full effect in Mordor. The New Zealand Army has its training base at Waiouru, which is on the way to Wellington and you may get to see some tanks manoeuvring through the town. As you arrive into Wellington you go for a drive up Mt Victoria for a view across New Zealand’s capital city, home to the aptly named ‘Beehive’ building that houses our government. Day 5: WELLINGTON - NELSON
Today you make your way to the ferry terminal to cross to the South Island. The ferry journey is included in the pass and your voucher is in your document pack. Check-in is at 8.30am for a 8.45am departure. You join the Magic Bus outside the ferry terminal in Picton at 1pm to head through vineyards, orchards, and hop fields towards the ‘sunshine capital’ of New Zealand. Nelson is known for its arts community, so make sure you check out some galleries this afternoon. Day 6: NELSON TO GREYMOUTH
Today is the start of some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, as you travel down the rugged West Coast towards Greymouth travelling over the Hope Saddle and through Buller Gorge. After driving alongside the Paparoa National Park you stop off for a walk along the Truman Track. The track takes you through amazing native rain forest to towering sandstone cliffs then heads on down a staircase to a pebble beach, which has some fantastic caverns and blowholes. Next stop is the Punakaiki pancake rocks where you can check out the pancake rocks and even eat a stack of pancakes whilst watching the blowholes explode.Make sure you head to the Monteiths brewery tonight for a tour of the 150-year-old brewery, with a self-service beer bar you’re guaranteed a good nights sleep. Day 7: GREYMOUTH - FRANZ JOSEF
After leaving Greymouth at 8am the day is reasonably short arriving into Franz Josef at about 12.30 in time to do one of the many activities available. The half-day Glacier hike is very popular and can be arranged through your driver. We stop off at Hokitika to have a look at some traditional greenstone art at the town’s carving centre and then it’s on to Ross an old gold mining town. You can pan for gold and maybe you’ll get to take some home! Day 8: FRANZ JOSEF - QUEENSTOWN
There is an early start this morning as you head down the last stretch of the West Coast to Queenstown where you arrive in the late afternoon. First stop is Lake Matheson, known as the ‘Mirror Lake’ for its crystal clear waters where you can see reflections of the Southern Alps and Mt Cook. Heading on into the Central Otago region the landscape changes from dense forest to vast plateaus, with picturesque stops at Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka. Towards the end of the day you stop off at the world’s first commercial bungy site, the 42m high Kawerau Bridge where you can jump off or just watch others jump before heading into Queenstown and your next two nights accommodation. Day 9: IN QUEENSTOWN
Spend the day trying out some of the huge range of activities on offer in, ‘the adventure capital of the world’ or take a day trip into the majestic Milford Sound where you can cruise the fiords while taking in the stunning flora & fauna. Day 10: QUEENSTOWN - DUNEDIN
On the way to Dunedin you drive through many towns founded as gold miner’s settlements in the late 1800’s and past the huge, Clyde Dam Hydroelectric power station built in the 1980’s. Today’s journey is reasonably short arriving into Dunedin in the early afternoon. You have time to go onthe much-recommended Elm Wildlife tour, try some chocolate on the Cadbury’s chocolate factory tour, some local beer on the Speight’s Brewery tour or just relax at your hostel. Day 11: DUNEDIN - TEKAPO
First stop today is the world’s steepest street, Baldwin Street in south Dunedin, go for a stroll up the hill or if you’re really fit try to run to the top. After leaving Dunedin we drive up the coast stopping at the Maoraki Boulders, huge round rock formations on the seashore. Next you head inland to Omarama where you can have a good look around a typical New Zealand farming town and have a good hearty lunch at the local pub. After lunch we head onto Lake Tekapo and head off the main highway to drive by the many crystal clear dams in the Waitaki Valley. You get to walk across a dam and get a real idea of the huge volume of water they hold. After a brief stop in Twizel today’s journey ends in the beautiful lakeside settlement of Tekapo home to the idyllic Church of the Good Shepherd and hundreds of picture perfect views. Day 12: TEKAPO - CHRISTCHURCH
It’s a quick drive through stunning scenery and onto Christchurch today. Travel through Fairlie and Geraldine before heading out onto the Canterbury Plains, the largest flat area of land in New Zealand and a huge contrast to yesterday’s scenery. You arrive into Christchurch early this afternoon so make sure you have a good look around the South Island’s largest and most cosmopolitan city. Day 13: End Christchurch afternoon
Please note: New Zealand Flexi -Touring packages are not ‘fully guided, group tours’.These itineraries include transport (no guide will travel on the coach, but you will be met by hostel staff at each stop and transferred to your accommodation), YHA accommodation and optional activities (operated by local guides who are experts in their area). Everything is pre-booked for you and you are provided with details of each segment, so you do not have to worry about a thing! The advantage of Flexi-touring is that it is tailored to each person’s requirements, departs daily and you are not paying high costs to have a guide sitting on a coach with you.YHA membership will be required to be paid as a local payment $A35 on your first night stay. Late Booking Fees: If booking within 7 days prior to departure late booking fees may apply. Trip Information
Starts In: Auckland
Ends In: Christchurch Duration: 12 Days. Departs: Regular departures Group Size: Open Transport: Coach Accommodation: Dorm Activity: North and South Island Highlights Ages: Open Tour Code: MNSNZ Operator Code: MNSNZ Countries Visited
New Zealand
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