A quick blast through the South Island if you're short of time but would still like to experience New Zealand’s wilderness in style. Do incredible hikes and ride mountain bikes into outrageously beautiful mountain landscapes. Then fly by bush plane to a remote valley, stay overnight, trek to the confluence of two alpine rivers and travel out by jet boat out in time to cycle down the Haast Pass.
The Tui is our shortest South Island trip. It's a very action-packed, adventure-oriented itinerary that works well if you are looking for an incredible adventure vacation but don't have a lot of time to see our country, or as part of a longer trip to New Zealand. You can fly from home on a Friday evening, sleep on the plane, and you can be back at work by Monday, 10 days later. We always offer plenty of choices for activities, but remember, it's your holiday so nothing is compulsory! Anyone in reasonable shape can do the activities we offer. You'll see some great parts of New Zealand but we won't pretend you're going to see it all. The Tui trip is about quality not quantity!
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: Sunday - Arrive and hiking in Arthur's Pass
The Tui trip starts in Christchurch, which is the main city and airport in the South Island. You'll need to be in Christchurch by 9am or so, then we'll meet you and head to the Southern Alps. We'll get straight into it with a hike in Arthur's Pass to the Devils Punchbowl. We then head down the coast to the beautiful seaside village of Okarito, one of the best kept secrets of the West Coast that's all but untouched due to it being 10 miles down a one-way road from an obscure highway turnoff. There are no shops, no restaurants, no traffic and a population of only 31 people. Because of the condensed nature of the Tui , we get much of the driving out of the way on the first day of the trip.
As an option, you can miss out most of the first day's driving by meeting us that afternoon in the West Coast town of Hokitika, a short 30-minute flight from Christchurch, and we'll pick you up on the way through. In the evening we'll head out to listen for New Zealand's most famous bird, the rare and elusive kiwi. You'll almost never see a kiwi as they are nocturnal and very shy, but they have a very distinctive call and it's great fun to go out and listen for them. And the sunsets around here are definitely not to be missed.
Accommodation: Okarito Beach House, Okarito; off-the-beaten-path, isolated and comfortable. Included: (L), (D).
Day 2: Monday - Hiking near Franz Josef Glacier
Just south of Okarito there are two formidable glaciers descending from the mountains to the sea. In terms of scenery, this place is just off the chart, and we'll spend most of the day hiking at Franz Josef Glacier. We'll hike up through the rainforest to either Roberts Point or Alex Knob, both of which give great views of the terminal face, lower reaches and lateral moraine of the Franz Josef Glacier. We only do these hikes in good weather, as the rocks get very slippery in the rain. If it's raining, we'll do a shorter walk to the terminal face of the Fox Glacier and hike around Lake Matheson.
Heli-hike option (add US$220 + tax):
A less strenuous, but outrageously scenic option today is to heli-hike on Franz Josef Glacier itself. After being fitted with crampons, ice axes and so on, you'll board a modern turbine helicopter and fly towards the highest peaks of the Southern Alps, landing on the glacier at 4,000 feet above sea level. Led by specialist glacier guides, you'll hike through the grand ice formations of the glacier, checking out its crevasses, seracs and tunnels – no previous experience required!
The constant movement of the glacier means every day is different, so your guides will cut steps in the ice, and make sure you make the most of the conditions. At the end of your hike on the ice, you'll take another helicopter ride out of the mountains, and back to civilization. Heli-hikers generally return a little earlier, so we all rendezvous at a local café, and head south. From Franz Josef we head down the coast to Haast, an isolated West Coast hamlet, where we'll be having the quintessential Kiwi dinner – fish and chips! Accommodation: Heritage Park Motel, Haast. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 3: Tuesday - Fly into Mt. Aspiring National Park
This morning we'll drive to Makarora, on the eastern side of Mt. Aspiring National Park. We'll start with a dramatic scenic flight alongside the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps to a remote alpine valley. We'll land on a backcountry airstrip near one of New Zealand's most isolated mountain huts. You can hike up the trail to Lake Crucible for great views of this glacial valley while dinner is whipped up back at the hut.
Tonight you'll be served a candle-lit dinner in one of the most glorious places in the world. This is the only night on the Tui where accommodations are a little more basic, with sleeping bags required, but we'll be back in civilization the next day so it's worth the adventure. If you'd prefer to camp out under the stars, we'll provide you with tents and so on. Accommodation: Remote wilderness hut, Mt. Aspiring National Park - incredible. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 4: Wednesday - Hiking through Siberia Valley & jet boat trip
After an early start, we spend the morning hiking for about three hours to the Forks, at the head of the Wilkin River, where we will be met by a jet boat for a wild ride back to Makarora. This sets us up nicely for the beautiful drive down past Lake Hawea to lunch on the shores of Lake Wanaka. We'll then cross the mountains at Cardrona Saddle where you will enjoy spectacular views of the Wakatipu basin, before heading through to Lake Te Anau. We'll arrive by mid afternoon so you can relax and enjoy the surroundings, or take the bikes out to explore the countryside towards Lake Manapouri, where we'll spend the evening. Accommodation: Lake Manapouri Inn, Manapouri. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 5: Thursday - Cycling Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys & hiking Routeburn Track
This morning we'll head down through Te Anau towards Milford Sound. You'll be fitted with a 21-speed front-suspension specialized mountain bike for a spectacular ride through the legendary Eglinton Valley to The Divide. We maintain plenty of flexibility – keen cyclists can start early and cover 50 miles or more before they are picked up. Moderately keen cyclists can be picked up anytime along the way. If cycling is not at the top of your list, you can skip it and just enjoy the scenery. After collecting our cyclists, we'll hike part of the famous Routeburn Track up to Key Summit. The Routeburn is one of the best-known hiking tracks in New Zealand, and we do the best part of the track.
There are unbelievable views overlooking the Hollyford Valley, Lake Marion and Mt. Christina. Then it's a short haul through the Homer Tunnel and through the Alps where we'll descend over 3000 feet into Milford Sound. The scenery here is fantastic! The lush rainforest carpets the lower slopes of the mountains and gives way to the massively steep glacier-carved slopes and waterfalls of the Darren Range. Once we get to Milford Sound, we'll stay at Milford Lodge, a relaxed base for hikers and paddlers. Accommodation: Milford Lodge, Milford Sound. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 6: Friday - Sea kayaking in Milford Sound
Milford Sound, rated the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling, is breathtaking. Sheer rock walls plunge thousands of feet to the sea, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Most people see Milford Sound from the deck of a cruise ship but we've got a better way - gliding along the water in a sea kayak, causing minimum disruption to the seals and dolphins, which are very friendly and often eager to visit. This is an awesome trip, run by specialist kayak outfitters, and it's equally suitable for beginners and experts alike. When you get back from your morning's paddle, we'll head to Queenstown for our last couple of days together. Accommodation: Queenstown apartments, Queenstown. Included: (B), (L).
Day 7: Saturday - Free day in Queenstown or local hikes
This is a free day with no activities scheduled, although we'll certainly help with suggestions and guiding, if you like. Queenstown, where our company is based, is a great place to spend a couple of days. You'll find all the comforts of civilization: massage therapists, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, window-shopping and adrenaline pumping activities! You'll also find some incredible optional activities here such as biking, hang gliding, hiking, whitewater rafting, jet boating, skydiving, horse trekking, fishing and wine tours – it's all here! Your guides can help you during the trip to book any of these optional activities. Queenstown is not a big place – the population is about 8000 – but there's plenty to do! Or, you can do nothing if you prefer, and just soak up the atmosphere. Accommodation: Queenstown apartments. Included: (B), (D).
Day 8: Sunday - Depart for home
Well, it's almost time to go home. You'll have the morning free in Queenstown, before taking an afternoon flight back to Auckland or Christchurch in order to catch the evening international flights. We can drop you off for flights before noon today or, if you would like us to, arrange a shuttle if you're staying longer. This will have been a very intense week, and you'll be buzzing with excitement but feeling relaxed and refreshed as well! Included: (B).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:
- All guiding services.
- Comfortable accommodation for the entire period you are with us.
- All your meals, except in Queenstown where we've found people prefer to check out the wide range of restaurants. Alcohol is not generally included, although we do spring for a few drinks here and there!
- All hiking, cycling, and kayaking described in the itinerary, except the optional extra activities. There are many optional activities available at extra cost, particularly in Franz Josef and Queenstown. None of these activities are compulsory.
Not included: This is your holiday, and we are serious about not nickel-and-diming you! You'll have a few meals and drinks to cover, extra activities if you choose them. The trip does not include NZ taxes of 12.5%.
Also see tour packages in:
Australia and Oceania
New Zealand
Hiking & Trekking
Bicycle Touring
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