Highlights of New Zealand - Superior

Depart London Heathrow by Air New Zealand to Auckland.

In flight.

On arrival in Auckland you will be met and transferred to the Stamford Plaza, in a superior room for 2 nights. New Zealand’s spectacular ‘City of Sails’ is an enchanting mix of modern lifestyle, Maori culture and stunning location and the rest of the day is free to explore Auckland’s beautiful harbour front and parklands at your leisure.

Full day at leisure, to explore Auckland. Surely one of the most spectacularly located cities anywhere, New Zealand’s largest city provides a spectacular setting for a day’s sightseeing. Enjoy a morning or afternoon tour of the city, take in its fascinating heritage amongst the exhibits of its impressive museum, or indulge in some retail therapy. You can take a cruise of the harbour, or observe the panoramic views from the Sky Tower and, if you are feeling really adventurous, join a guided 1½ hour climb of the harbour bridge. We would be happy to arrange any sightseeing tours that you may require.

This morning transfer to the Hertz city depot to collect your rental vehicle. Heading south you drive to Rotorua (approx. 234 km) and enter the sacred Maori lands and sulphur rich landscapes of New Zealand’s most active thermal area. Stay for 2 nights at the Duxton Hotel Okawa Bay in a lakeview superior room.

A free day to explore Rotorua. Settled during the 14th century and a region traditionally revered by the Maori, Rotorua is littered with a seemingly endless collection of steaming hot springs, spurting geysers and bubbling mud pools. Be sure to visit one of the region’s thermal reserves, like the Wai-o-tapu (Sacred Waters) Thermal Wonderland, home to the famous Champagne Pool and the Lady Knox Spouting Geyser, which erupts daily at 1015hrs. Alternatively you could visit the town’s impressive Museum of Art and History, explore the area on foot or pamper yourself at the Polynesian Spa, which has been dispensing its rejuvenating waters since the 1880s. Another option is a scenic flight by floatplane or helicopter over Whakaari (White Island), renowned still as New Zealand’s most active volcano. We would be happy to arrange any sightseeing activities that you may require.

Make your way to Rotorua Airport today and return your rental car to the Hertz Counter. Fly from Rotorua to Queenstown, one of New Zealand’s most visually stunning regions and most popular year round destinations. On arrival at you will be met and transferred to the Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa for a 3 night stay in an executive room. Spend the remainder of the day at your own leisure.

Two full days at your own leisure. Nestling in Queenstown Bay, midway along the eastern shores of the sparkling blue waters of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown lies in the stunning shadow of the towering Remarkable Mountains range. Whilst the town’s spectacular natural beauty presents the perfect setting to relax and enjoy the surrounding area. You can perhaps take in some of its exceptional walking opportunities, or some genteel sightseeing from its Skyline Gondola. It is also renowned as New Zealand’s ‘adrenaline-activity capital’. You can try you hand at any number of exhilarating activities, including sky diving, jet boating, hang gliding, paragliding, rock climbing, kayaking, sailing and horse riding. For the serious adrenaline junkie you could try the terrifying Nevis High-wire bungy jump, a 134 metre high plunge over the Nevis River.

There is an option during your stay to take a tour to the captivating landscapes of Milford Sound, renowned for its ‘out-of-the-world’ scenery of pristine, shimmering waters and meandering fjords, set before the imposing heights of Mitre Peak (1692 metres). You can choose from a popular coach tour that travels via Te Anau and includes a scenic cruise of the momentous sound, or opt for a tour that includes a return scenic flight back to Queenstown, affording an altogether different view of this stunning region. Alternatively you might like to join a full day excursion to Doubtful Sound which is appreciably quieter but no less spectacular than its more famous neighbour, Milford Sound. We will be happy to arrange any sightseeing trips you may require.

Today you will be transferred to Queenstown Airport for your flight to Christchurch, New Zealand’s beautiful and charming ‘Garden City’, which for many is its most quintessentially ‘English’ of cities Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to the Charlotte Jane in a Deluxe Room for 2 nights.

Spend the full day at your leisure in and around Christchurch. An engaging mix of modern style and colonial elegance, Christchurch is one of New Zealand’s most enchanting of cities. Originally built to evoke the image of an England of landed gentry and rural idyll it presents an abundance of options. You might wish to join a city tour, or punt down the picturesque River Avon. Further afield you can join a day’s tour to Arthur’s Pass aboard the famous TranzAlpine Express train, one of the world’s ‘Great’ rail adventures, or perhaps enjoy a whale watching boat trip off the spectacular Kaikoura coast.

Depart Christchurch on your Air New Zealand flight via Auckland for London.

Arrive at London Heathrow.