Your journey to the Islands of New Zealand kicks off in Queenstown (flights to arrive prior to 4pm). The evening is free for you to enjoy one of its many lakefront restaurants and bars. Why not try some of the famous New Zealand lamb with a Pinot Noir from the local Otago wine region?
Get a taste of country life combined with good old fashioned southern hospitality as you meet a ‘Southern Girl’ local farmer at Real Country on this Be My Guest experience. Have demonstrations of Horse communication and Working sheep dog mustering. Try your hand at a Stock whip cracking lesson, and feed and interact with the friendly farm animals. For every guest, we donate funds to The Fairlight Foundation, Advancing Women in Agriculture. After this fun insight into the real New Zealand, you'll be ready for a scenic afternoon. Jump right in travelling to the historic gold mining heritage of Arrowtown. Learn the town’s history when in 1862 thousands flocked to Arrowtown to strike it rich in gold mining. Stroll through town admiring the dozens of buildings from the gold rush era and more recently restored historic cottages, churches, and new boutiques and shops. Don’t miss the Chinese Settlement at the edge of the Arrow River made of restored shelters and buildings originally constructed in 1868. For the next part of your adventure, it’s all aboard the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw heading across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner, piled high with local delicacies. After dinner at this historic homestead, learn about life on the farm watching the sheep dogs in action before the scenic cruise back to your Queenstown hotel.
Say ‘good morning’ to Queenstown with a full day of ways to play in this adventure capital. How about an Optional Experience of a thrilling, adrenalin-rush jet boat ride with Skippers Jet on an excursion through Skippers Canyon? If you’re looking for another type of adventure, consider a journey through the rainforest of World Heritage Fiordland National Park for an unforgettable cruise on heritage listed national park Milford Sound/Piopiotahi past sheer cliffs, white-capped peaks, and waterfalls. This stunning landscape showcases the beauty of New Zealand. Or tempt your taste buds on a wine tour of the Otago region renowned for Pinot Noir, and other local varieties. You’ll visit and tour three premium boutique vineyards and enjoy a wine paired platter lunch. However you explore, there’s plenty of adventure to be had and shared with your travel mates after a full day.
With fond memories of your time in Queenstown and its surrounds, it's a change of scene today departing Queenstown and flying north to Auckland, the ‘City of Sails.’ On arrival, you'll board your coach for the drive to Rotorua, the cultural capital, where you will be immersed in Maori history and culture.
Begin at the National Kiwi Hatchery to learn everything about New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Watch kiwi eggs being incubated, the hatching process, and newly hatched kiwi chicks. Your Local Specialist will tell you all about their kiwi bird breeding programme, 'Operation Nest Egg' and how your visit contributes to it. Today’s visit to the Maori Village of Ohinemutu, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, offers an authentic insight into one of Rotorua’s most historic Māori communities. Welcomed through the traditional Whakatau process, guests experience warm manaakitanga (hospitality) as local hosts share geothermal sites, whakapapa (ancestral) stories, and the cultural and spiritual life of the village. Highlights include a visit to St. Faith’s Church and scenic moments that support local livelihoods and the preservation of this living heritage. This evening, embark on the Te Po experience at Te Puia. Learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a spellbinding cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. View one of New Zealand's geothermal wonderlands, the Pohutu Geyser, followed by a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine.
Wander among the towering Californian Redwoods on the award-winning Redwoods Treewalk, crossing a series of suspended bridges high above the forest floor, then join a guided tour eco-cave experience where thousands of glowworms illuminate the darkness in a mesmerising natural display. On arrival in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), enjoy a city sights tour including views of the Auckland Domain, and Auckland War Memorial Museum, the charming streets of Parnell, and the city’s twin harbours. This evening, share the stories of your New Zealand Panorama tour at dinner with your Travel Director and companions at The Grill, celebrating Aotearoa's culinary treasures.
Savour your last morning of your New Zealand tour over a delicious breakfast with your travel mates. Then bid farewell as you are transferred to the Auckland Airport for your onward flight (flights to depart anytime).
