• Hosted by Peter Hillary (son of Sir Edmund Hillary)
• 15 Nights in luxury accommodation (5-star)
• 15x Breakfasts, 11x Lunches & 13x Sumptuous Dinners
• Regular Cocktail Hours with Peter Hillary
• Luxury Business Class Coach Travel
• Christchurch Tram & TranzAlpine Train Journey
• Punakaiki Pancake Rocks – Self Guided
• Pounamu Pathway Cultural Immersion Tour
• West Coast Treetop Walk
• Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Flight
• Haast Jetboat River Safari
• Mt Aspiring Station Homestead Visit
• Cruise Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw
• Walter Peak Homestead & Queenstown Gondola
• Milford Sound Return Flights & Premium Cruise
• Dinner with the ex-mayor of Queenstown
• The Mainlander Train Journey Invercargill to Dunedin
• Guest Speaker at Dunedin Dinner – History Professor
• Kingston Flyer Historic Train Excursion
• Bill Richardson Transport World
• Taieri Gorge Train Journey
• Albatross Colony & Fort Taiaroa Tour
• The Mainlander Train Journey Dunedin to Oamaru
• Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre at Aoraki Mt Cook
• Tasman Glacier Flights & Explorer Cruise
• International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch
• Akaroa Nature Cruise
• Hinewai Private Nature Reserve
• Presentation by botanist Hugh Wilson.
• Coastal Pacific Scenic Train in Scenic Plus Class
• Kaikōura Whale Watch Cruise
• Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre
• Wine Tasting & Farewell at Allan Scotts Winery
• Flight to Auckland

Itinerary

Day 1 Christchurch

Registration to meet your host Peter Hillary, your fellow “explorers” and your tour guides is from 2:30pm – 5:00pm at Distinction Hotel followed by a welcome dinner.

Day 2 Christchurch – Greymouth – Punakaiki

Your journey begins with transport from your hotel by luxury coach to the Christchurch Railway Station, where the iconic TranzAlpine awaits. You will be seated in “Scenic Plus” seats which is a premium onboard dining experience. Often regarded to be one of the world’s great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes. The journey is 223 kilometres one-way, taking almost five hours. You will see epic vistas, traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, and cross the Southern Alps, via Arthur’s Pass. A luxury coach awaits in Greymouth to escort you to the village of Punakaiki – home to the “Pancake Rocks” and blowholes, along an absolutely spectacular coastline.

Day 3 Punakaiki – Ross – Franz Josef

Wake up to travel south to experience the “Pounamu Pathway” – an immersive and unique Māori cultural experience created by world-renowned “Weta Workshops” following which enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Tree Top Walkway – an exhilarating treetop adventure among temperate rainforest giants then journey to the beautiful glacial township of Franz Josef to explore the glacier via helicopter.

Day 4 Franz Josef – Haast – Wanaka

Leaving Franz Josef, and travelling down the spectacular West Coast, we encounter the mighty Haast River on a Jetboat Safari and journey into the heart of Te Wāhipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area to experience a close-up encounter with this untouched landscape and its remarkable natural features. We then travel over the Haast Pass, journeying through large tracts of native rain forest and over the Southern Alps. This remote area has a ruggedly beautiful landscape of vast rainforests, gushing waterfalls and snow-capped mountains. Continuing through Makarora on the border of Mount Aspiring World Heritage Park, we pass by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. The journey pauses for a night in beautiful Wanaka.

Day 5 Wanaka – Queenstown

Enjoy a unique and intimate experience at an iconic high-country farm at Mt Aspiring Station homestead with the Aspinalls, family friends of The Hillarys. The adventure playground of Queenstown then awaits! Cap off a special day as we take in a lake cruise on board the historic TSS Earnslaw, the 1912 Edwardian steamboat, which takes us across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet BBQ dinner.

Day 6 Queenstown

A Queenstown highlight is a return flight to the nearby attraction of Milford to enjoy a premium cruise of the “eighth wonder of the world” The Milford Sound where we take in some of the most spectacular natural scenery to be viewed anywhere in the world. The cruise around the fiord enables you to experience its wonders up close and see landmarks like Mitre Peak and amazing wildlife, such as dolphins and seals. Cruise the inner most reaches of Milford Sound to the open Tasman Sea and back. A one-day itinerary with return flights is enough to see all the beautiful views along the way, and get back to Queenstown in time for dinner with a well known local guest speaker.

Day 7 Queenstown

Unwind during a well-deserved day of leisure in Queenstown followed by an evening Gondola ride all the way up to Stratosfare Restaurant for dinner, taking in majestic panoramic views of The Remarkables Mountain Range and Lake Wakatipu below.

Day 8 Queenstown – Invercargill – Dunedin

Departing Queenstown, we continue to the village of Kingston which is nestled on the southernmost end of Lake Wakatipu. Here, the iconic Kingston Flyer Steam Train awaits to take you on a memorable journey between Kingston & Fairlight. Then southward to Invercargill and the Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill which features over 300 classic vehicles and then we board the recently re-established train from Invercargill to Dunedin. This is a rail experience that is exclusive to our tours – “The Mainlander” which weaves it way through rolling hills and lush scenic rural landscapes that the deep south is renowned for.

Day 9 Dunedin

In the morning, we explore the remote Taieri Gorge by Dunedin Rail over river gorges, weaving our way through a myriad of historic tunnels and guide you to the historic Wingatui Viaduct, a marvel of 1880s construction that remains the largest wrought iron structure in New Zealand. That afternoon we take in a visit to the Taiaroa Head Albatross Colony, the hidden underground Fort Taiaroa and the worlds’ only Armstrong Disappearing Gun. Later we enjoy the company of a well-known local historian at dinner.

Day 10 Dunedin – Oamaru – Aoraki Mt Cook

Departing from Dunedin by rail on The Mainlander, we continue to hug the coast towards Oamaru. We then detour inland via Waitaki Valley & Omarama by coach and onwards towards the spectacular Aoraki Mt Cook. Here, we find the home of the tallest mountain in New Zealand, where Sir Edmund Hillary developed his climbing skills in preparation for the conquest of Mt Everest. Recognised as part of the Te Wāhipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area, the National Park is a breath-taking environment of glaciers, terminal lakes, turbulent rivers and Australasia’s tallest peak, the mighty Aoraki Mt Cook soaring above at 3,724 metres.

Day 11 Aoraki Mt Cook

During your stay enjoy a visit to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, which is a tribute to New Zealand’s global icon as well as discovering New Zealand’s colourful transport, climbing and hotel history. Morning activities include the awe-inspiring Tasman Glacier by helicopter and ski plane, with expert pilots navigating their way over the glacial lake, passing soaring mountain tops over NZ’s longest glacier – the 600-metre thick, Tasman Glacier. The afternoon adventures continue with glacier explorer cruise and then our nightly cocktail hour briefing and storytelling by Peter Hillary.

Day 12 Aoraki Mt Cook – Christchurch

A morning departure from the hotel leaving Aoraki Mt Cook by coach, we journey back to the coast via Tekapo, Geraldine and Rakaia on the way to Christchurch. On arrival in Christchurch we visit The International Antarctic Centre and experience a taste of this unique and breathtaking continent – just like the explorers before you.

Day 13 Christchurch – Akaroa – Christchurch