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11 Days - Hidden Gold of the South

Dunedin 2 nights, Fiordland National Park 1 night, Arrowtown 2 nights, Wanaka 2 nights, Christchurch 2 nights
11 days

From

$ 3,615

per person

Operated By Wendy Wu
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About the trip

Discover the hidden gold of New Zealand’s spectacular South Island. Journey from the Otago Peninsula where wildlife abounds, to moody Fiordland National Park for a breath-taking overnight cruise. Explore adrenaline seeking Queenstown, charming Arrowtown with its gold rush history, and tranquil Lake Wanaka. Head up to Aoraki Mt Cook National Park for a visit to the Tasman Glacier terminus, and finish the tour near Christchurch with Hector’s dolphins and ecclectic art in French-inspired Akaroa…plus so much more!

Meals
All meals included
Max. Group Size
29
Guide Languages
English

Highlights

  • Larnach Castle & the Lan Yuan Chinese Gardens in Dunedin
  • Blue Penguins at dusk, Otago Peninsula
  • Fiordland National Park overnight cruise
  • Arrowtown’s Gold Rush history
  • Skippers Canyon 4WD safari
  • Mt Difficulty wine tasting & lunch
  • Wanaka's Mou Waho Island cruise & nature walk
  • Mt Cook’s Hermitage Hotel & surrounds
  • Tasman Glacial Lake to terminus exploration
  • Lake Tekapo & Christchurch site-seeing
  • A dolphin & wildlife experience in Akaroa Harbour
  • Mosaic Gardens at The Giant’s House

Meals

All meals included

Accommodation

3.5 - 4 star

Included in the price

Dunedin

  • Lan Yuan Chinese Gardens
  • Larnach Castle
  • Blue Penguins at dusk

Fiordland National Park

  • Fiordland National Park Overnight cruise

Arrowtown

  • Lakes District Museum & Chinese Settlement
  • Skippers Canyon 4WD safari

Wanaka

  • Mou Waho Island cruise & nature walk

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  • Glacier Explorers tour
  • Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre Museum

Christchurch

  • Dolphin & Nature Cruise
  • The Giant’s House mosaic gardens
  • Lake Tekapo Church of the Good Shepherd

Day-wise Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive In Dunedin

  • On arrival at Dunedin Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After checking in, take the time to wander around the city visiting its iconic train station, numerous museums and art galleries, or perhaps you are keen for some shopping! Later, a Welcome briefing will be held prior to Dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.
  • Meals – Dinner
  • Destination Information - Dunedin – Famous for being one of the best preserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the Southern Hemisphere. Also known as the ’ Edinburgh of New Zealand ‘ due to its Scottish heritage. Dunedin is also home to rare New Zealand wildlife such as the yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals, sea lions, little blue penguins, and the Northern Royal Albatross.
  • Destination Information - Larnach Castle – Much loved by the locals, it was built in 1871 by William Larnach, a merchant and politician of Scottish heritage. Boasting a 3,000 square foot ballroom and a tower offering sweeping views of the Otago Peninsula.

Day 2: Dunedin - Larnach Castle & Otago Peninsula

  • This morning walk to the Lan Yuan Chinese Gardens for a guided tour of this culturally unique facility. Afterwards, we head out to Larnach Castle for a guided tour followed by lunch in the castle’s Ballroom Cafe.Tonight, on the Peninsula at dusk, we will bear witness to the brave little blue penguins coming ashore to find their nests - but not before a casual Dinner along the dramatic waterfront of St Clair Beach.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Destination Information - Otago Peninsula – Renowned for its spectacular views, the peninsula is part of the crater wall of a large, long-extinct volcano.
  • Destination Information - Dunedin Chinese Garden – Located in the heart of the city and using Chinese materials crafted by a team of artisans and craftsmen from Dunedin’s Sister City Shanghai.

Day 3: Dunedin – Fiordland National Park

  • Rise early, pack your overnight bag and drive towards Fiordland National Park, stopping briefly in Gore along the way. Depending on availability, our overnight cruise will either be in Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound. Both just as magnificent as the other! If Doubtful Sound, we will grab our picnic lunches before boarding a smaller boat which crosses the waters of Lake Manapouri. A coach will then take us up and over the Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove where we will board The Navigator. If Milford Sound, we will lunch in the small lakeside village of Te Anau before driving further into the National Park to meet our overnight vessel, the Milford Mariner. This evening after our activities on-board, a buffet dinner will be a served. Overnight cruise in Fiordland National Park.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Destination Information - Fiordland National Park – Considered to be one of New Zealand’s most remarkable, dramatic, and beautiful national parks. Home to stunning fjords, spectacular waterfalls and snow capped peaks. Covering an area of over 1.2 million hectares and established as a National Park in 1952.

Day 4: Fiordland National Park – Gibbston Valley

  • After breakfast, enjoy the rest of the morning exploring other parts of either Doubtful Sound or Milford Soundbefore returning to our respective starting point and driving to our lunch spot at the Five Rivers Café & Art Gallery. Later, we will continue the scenic journey along Lake Wakatipu to our luxurious accommodation for the next two nights. This evening, we will enjoy a dinner and a glass of wine produced from the area.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Destination Information - Gibbston Valley – located 25-minute drive from Queenstown, Gibbston valley is known as the Valley of the Vines and is home to some of the region’s oldest vineyards nestled between ruggedly beautiful schist mountains.

Day 5: Arrowtown - Skippers Canyon & Queenstown

  • This morning, take an exciting 4WD safari tour through Skippers Canyon, visiting the famous suspension bridge, the original Skippers Township and a chance to try your luck panning for gold. No doubt this will be a huge highlight! Lunch today will be in Arrowtown at a café set in historic stables on the Village Green. You will also enjoy some free time to relax or explore Arrowtown’s quaint shops and scenic walking trails. This evening, we drive to Queenstown for a stroll along the stunning waterfront and have dinner in our favourite Asian-fusion restaurant.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Destination Information - Skippers Canyon – Offering stunning scenery and a long gold mining history, the canyon was carved out by the Shotover River which was made famous in the 1860’s gold rush. The single-lane suspension bridge is one of the highest and most spectacular in New Zealand and is suspended by only 14 wire cables.
  • Destination Information - Arrowtown – A picturesque settlement sitting alongside the gold-bearing Arrow River. The town was established in 1862 during the height of the Otago Gold Rush. The settlement grew quickly as pioneers constructed cottages, shops, hotels and churches - more than 60 of which can still be seen today. A special highlight is the Chinese settlement at the edge of the river. Built by Chinese miners from 1868, this area of restored shelters and buildings paints a picture of earlier times.

Day 6: Arrowtown - Bannockburn – Wanaka

  • After breakfast this morning, re-live the Gold Rush and take a fascinating guided tour of the Lakes District Museum & Chinese Settlement in Arrowtown. We willthen drive the scenic country roads, passing many vineyards along the way, to Bannockburn for a platter style lunch and wine tastings at dramatic Mt Difficulty. Later, we will continue driving to Lake Wanaka in time to check-in to our hotel. Enjoy dinner tonight in the Township and consider walking back to the hotel afterward along the serene lakefront.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Destination Information - Wanaka – A year-round destination located in the Southern Alps of New Zealand and renowned not only for its outdoor adventures but its vibrant mix of restaurants, cafes, shops and plenty of areas to relax and take in the amazing scenery.

Day 7: Wanaka – Mount Cook

  • This morning we will meet our vessel on the Wanaka waterfront and cruise to Mou Waho Island for a challenging and guided nature walk. Here you can see first-hand results of conservation efforts including the rare flightless Buff Weka (extinct on the mainland since 1920) and the Mountain Stone Weta. After lunch back in Wanaka, we will drive to Mount Cook with a brief stop en-route at Omarama. Check-in to the famous Hermitage Hotel, located within the National Park itself, and enjoy dinner in one of their exclusive restaurants tonight.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Destination Information - Mount Cook –New Zealand’s highest mountain reaching 3,754 metres and home to the largest glacier –the mighty Tasman Glacier. It is also home to the darkest skies in the world with the region recently recognised as an International Dark Sky Reserve - the largest of its type in the world.

Day 8: Mount Cook - Tasman Glacier Terminis & Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Museum & Planetarium

  • After a hearty breakfast, join the Glacier Explorers tour which includes a moderate 40 minute alpine walk through the National Park, plus a boat ride amongst icebergs of all shapes and sizes, to view the Tasman Glacier ice face. Enjoy lunch back at the Hermitage, and afterward use your free time to visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre Museum and Digital Dome Planetarium within the hotel’s complex. Dinner tonight will again be at the Hermitage.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Destination Information - Mount Cook National Park – An awe-inspiring expanse of untouched alpine landscape covering an area of more 700km. Established as a National Park in 1953 with the 19 peaks over 3,000 metres high.

Day 9: Mt Cook - Lake Tekapo – Christchurch

  • After breakfast and a last glimpse of Mt Cook, drive to Lake Tekapo for a stop at the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd, Sheep Dog Memorial and the new suspension bridge over the glacier fed turquoise waters. Lunch will be a bit further down the road in Geraldine. Once arriving in our final destination of the tour, Christchurch, we will have a short city tour of the CBD and its iconic places both pre and post earthquake. Dinner will be on trendy Victoria Street this evening.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Destination Information - Lake Tekapo – Located in the heart of the Mackenzie Region and famous for its crystalclear glacier lake and dramatic mountain backdrop. It is also part of the International Dark Sky Reserve and home to one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand, the Church of the Good Shepherd which was built in 1935 for the pioneer families of the Mackenzie Region.
  • Destination Information - Christchurch – The largest city of the South Island and known for its English heritage. Renowned for its beautiful botanic gardens, glorious Art Centre, the Riverside Markets and lively hot spots on Oxford terrace, it is a city of exploration. The central city is a combination of cutting-edge architecture alongside some of the oldest buildings in New Zealand.

Day 10: Christchurch – Akaroa – Christchurch

  • Enjoy an early breakfast before driving along picturesque Banks Peninsula to the French colonial township of Akaroa, stopping briefly at Little River Café & Gallery on the way. In Akaroa, we will embark on a Dolphin & Nature Cruise like no other and hopefully see the world’s smallest (and friendliest) Hector's dolphins. Lunch is on the waterfront, followed by a walk through the quirky mosaic gardens at The Giant’s House before returning to Christchurch. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner.
  • Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 11: Depart Christchurch

  • Any time before your flight home today is free at leisure. You will be transferred from your Hotel to Christchurch Airport according to the departure time of your onward flight.
  • Meals – Breakfast

Exclusions

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  • Personal expenditure e.g. drinks, optional excursions or shows, insurance of any kind, tipping, early check in or late check out and other items not specified on the itinerary.

Terms and Conditions

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  • CANCELLATION BY YOU Group Tours: Cancellations must be made in writing to Wendy Wu Tours and are subject to the following cancellation charges (Cancellations are also dependent upon other additional charges imposed for air/rail/cruise tickets as referred to below) from the date the written cancellation is received.
  • More than 75 days prior to departure; deposit put in credit
  • Between 74 and 59 days prior to departure; 25% of total cost
  • Between 58 and 46 days prior to departure; 50% of total cost
  • 45 days or less prior to departure 100% of total cost
  • Any ‘no show’; 100% of total cost Airfare, Cruise & Rail Tickets. If airline, cruise and rail tickets have been issued, the rules of the fare airfare will determine cancellation and/or amendment charges. Note that it is often the case the air, cruise and rail tickets once issued are non-refundable. You agree that these cancellation charges are reasonable, represent a genuine pre-estimate of our loss and are required to protect our legitimate business interests. For group departures, a transfer of a confirmed booking to another departure date is deemed to be a cancellation of the original booking. Following the commencement of your tour, no refunds will be made for any services which you choose not to use or which you cannot use for any reason other than a reason within our control. Regrettably, cancellation charges and fees cannot be waived. Please note that employees of any overseas or domestic company or staff of Wendy Wu Tours outside New Zealand are not authorised to give any guarantees or agreements to customers in respect of refunds or any other matters. Please note Special Groups, Short Stays, Extensions & Tailormade tours may have differing cancellation fees, these will be communicated in writing at time of booking.
  • For full terms and conditions visit: www.wendywutours.co.nz/before-you-go/booking-conditions/

Starting From

$ 3,615

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