SATURDAY 18th UK/Hong Kong
Meet your travelling companions in the executive lounge prior to your scheduled flight to Hong Kong.
SUNDAY 19th Hong Kong
On arrival in Hong Kong, we transfer to our hotel for a two night stay. Enjoy a welcome drink this evening.
MONDAY 20th Hong Kong
You are free to relax or join our optional excursions. This morning we have included a sightseeing tour of Hong Kong Island which includes Victoria Peak for its superb views, Repulse Bay and Aberdeen, famous for its floating community. You can also choose to take an optional excursion over the Pearl River to Macau. A ride on the Star Ferry is must to view the city from a spectacular vantage point. Alternatively stroll through the busy streets, shop for bargains and soak up the atmosphere.
TUESDAY 21st Hong Kong/Auckland
We transfer to the airport for our flight to Auckland, New Zealand.
WEDNESDAY 22nd Auckland
We arrive in Auckland and continue to our hotel for a two night stay. You are at leisure to rest and relax after your flight, before we meet up for a welcome drink and dinner this evening.
THURSDAY 23rd Auckland
The city of Auckland is the largest in New Zealand, situated on North Island in the spectacular Gulf of Hauraki. After our included city tour, you are free to explore the ‘City of Sails’.
CHRISTMAS EVE Rotorua
The warm, emerald green North Island was shaped originally by the fire of volcanoes, and evidence of this remains in the thermal springs surrounding Rotorua, which is our destination today. En route we will travel through Ngaruawahia, home of the late Maori Queen, and Hamilton, to the world-famous Waitomo Caves for a guided tour of the amazing glow worm grotto. You can take an optional flight by either float plane or helicopter over Mount Tarawera Volcano. We continue to Rotorua for a two night stay.
CHRISTMAS DAY Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve
This morning we visit the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve to view the extraordinary boiling mud pools and spouting geysers. This afternoon you can join us on an optional excursion to the Agrodome to see a display of working sheep dogs and a visit to Rainbow Springs to view the rare flightless Kiwi bird, the national emblem of New Zealand. Alternatively you can relax in one of the thermal baths in Rotorua. This evening we attend a Maori Concert and Hangi; a meal cooked in centuries-old fashion by underground steam.
BOXING DAY Wellington
We drive south through the Wairakei Valley, past the spectacular Huka Falls to stunningly beautiful Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest freshwater lake, then continue to Wellington, New Zealand’s wonderful capital city, which enjoys a beautiful setting on the southern tip of North Island. We tour the city before reaching our hotel for an overnight stay.
MONDAY 27th Blenheim
Today we sail from North Island to South Island through the picturesque Cook Strait to Picton and drive on to our hotel in Blenheim for an overnight stay. The town is in Marlborough Province, renowned the world over for its fine foods and wine, including the award-winning Sauvignon Blanc. This evening we will be treated to dinner, including wine.
South Island is sparsely populated and provides a complete escape from modern living. Here amongst the grandeur of snow-capped peaks, still fjords and rugged coastline we find a welcome and a generosity to strangers that has disappeared elsewhere.
TUESDAY 28th Christchurch
Today we drive along the Kaikoura coast to the delightful city of Christchurch, often called the most English city outside England. En route (subject to the season) we may be lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy some whale watching. We enjoy a sightseeing tour of Christchurch before reaching our hotel for an overnight stay.
WEDNESDAY 29th The Fox Glacier
Today we take the Tranz Alpine Express on a spectacular journey into the Southern Alps. This is the highlight of any visit to New Zealand and we have included it in your holiday price. All the way from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, the South Island’s highest railway station, we will be delighted by the contrasting scenery of the snow-capped Southern Alps and majestic gorges. At Arthur’s Pass we rejoin our coach and continue south to the magnificent scenery and glaciers of the Franz Josef and Fox Glacier regions. There will be an opportunity to join a twin glacier helicopter flight with a landing on the glacier, before continuing to our hotel near the Fox Glacier for an overnight stay.
THURSDAY 30th Queenstown
Today we continue through Westland National Park and along one of the most exciting and scenic roads ever built. We cross Clark Bluff and the Haast River Bridge before continuing to Queenstown for a three night stay.
NEW YEAR’S EVE Milford Sound
We visit Milford Sound today, one of the most beautiful locations in New Zealand. The tour takes us to Te Anau, the gateway to Fjordland National Park. We then continue through the lush beech forests of the Eglinton Valley and the eroded glacial canyons of the Hollyford Valley, before arriving at Milford Sound itself. There will be a cruise (weather permitting) on the Sound before returning by coach.
NEW YEAR’S DAY Queenstown
Explore Queenstown at your leisure or take an optional excursion; ride on a jet boat, cruise on Lake Wakatipu or take a gondola ride for spectacular views over Queenstown.
SUNDAY 2nd JANUARY 2011 Mount Cook & Omarama
We take a scenic drive to Mount Cook, at 12,000ft the highest peak in New Zealand and famed for its pristine symmetry. Optional scenic flights will be available before we continue to Omarama for an overnight stay.
MONDAY 3rd Christchurch
This morning we cross Burkes Pass and continue to Lake Tekapo. We continue across the Canterbury Plains and return to Christchurch for a two night stay.
TUESDAY 4th Christchurch
Today you are free to explore Christchurch and finish any last minute shopping. We will meet up for a farewell drink and dinner tonight.
WEDNESDAY 5th & THURSDAY 6th Christchurch/UK
Transfer to the airport for your return scheduled flight and arrive in the UK the next day.