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This 'active' 14 day – 13 nights holiday of New Zealand’s spectacular North & South Islands is aimed at those adventurers who seek a challenge, yet require a degree of comfort at the end of the day. The tour is designed for you to see and actively participate in a number of activities pitched at the beginner/intermediate level.
Over 14 days we will take you sailing, caving, native bird watching, rafting, jet boating, sea kayaking, glacier walking, hiking, drop you on an active volcano and introduce you to the Maori culture! Plus lots more!
Don't fret about not being able to do the activities; our multi-activity holidays are pitched at the beginner to intermediate. If you want to give something a miss, then that's fine as well - some activities have alternative options. For example you have the option of rafting on grade 4 rapids or drifting down a scenic gorge with grade 1-2 rapids.
Does this sound like the adventure vacation for you? To find out more, follow the links to daily tour notes.
"It was great to have a small group, a knowledgeable and accommodating guide and a comfortable bus." – Caroline Tustian, Oxford, U.K.
Tour Activities
As we all know, all good things do eventually come to an end! Still, its hard to imagine a better way of spending it than with a local farming family on their farm, situated near the small rural town of Fairlie. Here enjoy the ambience of being on a real working farm, meet the animals, and perhaps help out in the shearing shed or feeding out.
Mt Cook/ Aorangi is our highest mountain at 3754 metres. It dominates the skyline of the park. We hike up the Hooker valley to the west, beneath the ice cliffs of Mt Sefton, to the glacial lake which has formed at the foot of the Hooker Glacier.
- as well as some of the worlds best Pinot Noirs There has to be one day off on your holiday, and this is it! Queenstown has not earned the reputation as the Adventure Capital of New Zealand without good reason! Choose from the extensive adventure menu on tap; from Bungy jumping off the original 42m Kawarau Bridge, or the knee trembling, mouth so dry I can't spit, 135m Nevis jump, to down hill Mt Biking, paragliding, hangliding, fly by wire, ..... you see what we mean, and we have only scratched the surface of whats available! Or if you want, you can just relax in the coffee shops, catching up on your post cards or take a wine tour and taste some of New Zealand's best Pinot Noir's.
What better way to enjoy the remote, rugged scenery of the Southern Alps than by jet boat? From where the river ends at the Tasman sea, to the turn around point, our purpose built jetboat is the perfect vehicle to enjoy the surrounding mountains and the rolling, tumbling rapids.
Do you want ice with that? Experience walking on 1000 year old ice as it races to the sea. This is a 4 hour round trip starting from the glacier snout and hiking through the surrounding rainforest before descending onto the ice with our guide. We stay clear of any big holes and have a fun time looking for hobbits and other rare creatures.
Underworld rafting is an oppportunity to enjoy the thrill of caving with a float trip down the underground river until it emerges into the surrounding rainforest. Complete with wet suit and headlamp this is an awesome way to explore an underground wonderland.
From the lodge we have a number of choices. A full days walking on the Queen Charlotte Sound walkway around the coast or the shorter half day option. Of course the chance to sit on the deck and sunbath and swim can be seen by some as an attractive choice as well!
Tomorrow we also do a half day sea kayak tour in the shelter of the sound
No better way to enjoy the crossing between the two islands. Once clear of Cook Strait we enter the sheltered waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound, home to our next two nights adventures. Picton at the end of the sound is our destinaton before boarding a second water taxi and being whisked up to our waiting lodge.
Visit NZ's National Museum, Te Papa and explore one of Wellington’s boutique breweries to savour a stunning crop of local and imported beers. We also visit within the city boundary one of the most exciting 'island' conservation endeavours. Surrounded by a 3 meter predator proof fence the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary provides a full morning exploring the tracks and the wildlife.
If you enjoyed the scenery of the Lord of the Rings movie you will appreciate the huge canyons carved in the mudstone of the central North Island. The grade three rapids are fun and definitely enough to keep you excited with guides providing instructions.
We visit a living culture as your local host takes you through Whakarewarewa village where the local people have utilised the geothermal waters for daily cooking, bathing and living for over 300 years. Taste the local foods cooked in the boiling hot pools and steam vents while you experience living history as your guide explains to you the traditions of the village and teaches you how to play Maori musical instruments.
49 kms off-shore is a smoking, hissing island, the preverbal weak point in the earths crust. Complete with hard hat and packed lunch we have a day long exploratory trip on this bundle of excitement and its lunar like landscape. There also an opportunity to see dolphins and sometimes whales as you journey in your comfortable purpose built launch.
Auckland is called the City of Sails and this 1.5 hours cruise shows you why! The Waitemata Harbour provides some wonderful views of Auckland city and used to be where we showed off our Americas Cup prowess, but now we don't talk about that!
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