SOUTHERN NATURE AND WILDLIFE - 8 days / 7 nights
(Accommodation: 1 night Christchurch / 2 nights Dunedin / 3 nights Queenstown / 1 night Christchurch )
Day 1: Arrive Christchurch: Welcome to Christchurch - the “Garden City”. You are met on arrival and transferred to your accommodation. Christchurch has a vibrant city centre with numerous bars, cafes and excellent boutique shopping. Make time to explore Christchurch ’s many attractions, most of which are easily accessible by foot, tram and bus.
Day 2: Christchurch - Dunedin: Your rental car will be delivered to your accommodation this morning. Cross the fertile Canterbury Plains to the seaside settlement of Timaru. Before reaching Oamaru, pass the 45th Parallel, halfway between the Equator and the South Pole. Continue through Palmerston - former gateway to the goldfields, before reaching Dunedin City at the head of the Otago Harbour . It is often called the ' Edinburgh of the South' and during the gold rush era of the late 19th century, was the main banking centre for this very wealthy province.
Day 3: Dunedin - Albatross Colony / Yellow Eyed Penguin Conservation Project / Cruise to Taiaroa Headlands
 Today you will join a tour that will highlight the nature wonders of this region. Travel along the Otago Peninsula to the rugged Taiaroa Head. The headland is the only accessible mainland nesting site for the Royal Albatross. With a wing span up to 3 metres and a flying speed of over 100 kilometres per hour, this is a truly majestic bird with an intriguing lifestyle – but you ill learn more of that when your get there.
After a visit to the Royal Albatross Colony, you will travel to Penguin Place, home of the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Conservation Project. This private conservation effort is aimed at saving the world’s rarest penguin from extinction. With a guide, visit a unique system of hides, tracks and tunnels to gain first hand information and some fantastic photographic opportunities of these wonderful birds roosting sometimes less than 1 metre away!
You next enjoy a guided cruise to Taiaroa Headlands, home for nine species of nesting seabirds including Royal Albatross, and the fur seal breeding colony, before returning to Dunedin.
Day 4: Dunedin City Sightseeing - Queenstown: This morning you will enjoy a sightseeing tour of Dunedin City before departing for Queenstown. Travel by train into countryside inaccessible by road, across viaducts spanning the Taieri River and through tunnels carved through the hillside as you wind through the beautiful, remote scenery of the Taieri Gorge. Then traverse the "real outback" high country by coach to Queenstown. Nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu Queenstown is a year-round alpine resort that caters for all interests. It enjoys a magnificent setting amid steep mountain ranges and pockets of native bush with the jagged peaks of the Remarkables Range rising from the lake.
 Day 5: Queenstown - Doubtful Sound tour: A day of natural wonder. Travel by scenic coach to Lake Te Anau and onto Manapouri where you board your cruise across to the West Arm of the lake. Here you board your coach and travel through dense rainforest. Once at Deep Cove board the catamaran for a 3 hours cruise of beautiful Doubtful Sound. On board there are excellent views of waterfalls, rainforest and mountains, and if sighted, there is a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins and fur seals basking on the rocks. Also rare Fiordland crested penguins are sometimes encountered on a seasonal basis. A visit is also possible to the Underground Power station (subject to operational procedures).
Day 6: Queenstown - Day at leisure: A free day to enjoy the many activities available in this region which include jet-boating excursions, golf, bungy jumping, paragliding, gold panning in old gold-mines, cruises on Lake Wakatipu, or simply relaxing beside the lakeside or shopping.
Day 7: Queenstown - Christchurch: Journey north through tussock country and past alpine lakes to Mount Cook National Park. Continue over the patch worked Canterbury Plains to Christchurch - the Garden City. Christchurch has a vibrant city centre with numerous bars, cafes and excellent boutique shopping. Make time to explore Christchurch ’s many attractions, most of which are easily accessible by foot, tram and bus. Your rental car will be collected this evening.
Day 8: Depart Christchurch: A departure transfer is provided to Christchurch International Airport .
This itinerary can also be booked in reverse or as an extended or shortened version. Please contact us with your individual request.
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