New Zealand is Lord of Rings country - home to some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. Throw in the friendliest, most welcoming people you could ever meet plus great activities and you have the classic lifetime trip. Highlights include walking on a glacier that tumbles into a rain forest, sea-kayaking turquoise waters to golden sand beaches, sailing in the Bay of Islands and jet boating through the Southern Alps World Heritage area. However nothing is more memorable than our stay on the Maori tribal homeland. We are greeted with ceremony and warmth, treated with generosity and kindness and we leave as family. New Zealanders will open their homes and their hearts to you. Canyon Calling ensures you experience all of New Zealand including the beauty of the volcanoes, beaches, geysers and Alps. A trip to “Godzone” with Canyon Calling and your New Zealand Guide is the most special of experiences.
Thurs
Fly from Los Angeles on Qantas flight 26 departing 8.30pm or Air New Zealand flight 5 departing at 9.30pm and lose Friday to the International Date Line.
Sat
Qantas 6.30am arrival or Air New Zealand 7.15am arrival in Auckland where your Kiwi Guide will meet you in the arrivals hall. Load our van and drive 50 miles north to Waipu where you can sleep and catch up on jet lag at a beautiful country lodge. Lunch and dinner at the lodge.
Sun
Enjoy a wonderfully relaxing sail in the Bay of Islands on a 50’ yacht. You can take the helm or sit back and relax. We’ll lunch at an unspoiled anchorage and swim in crystal clear waters. Maybe we’ll see dolphins. Stop in at the tiny community of Russell, New Zealand’s first town. Gravestones and musket holes in historic buildings tell tales of less tranquil times in New Zealand history. Visit the park where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the Maori people and European settlers. Check into our lodging for a two-night stay. Dinner in Paihia.
Mon
Journey to the top of New Zealand! At Cape Reinga we’ll see the broiling waters where the two oceans meet. Traveling in an air-conditioned dune-rider we’ll travel 90-Mile Beach taking a break to toboggan down sand dunes and stroll on the beach. A cool forest walk will bring us to giant Kauri trees and our evening meal will be at an ocean-side fresh fish restaurant.
Tue
Pakiri Beach is our morning destination for horse riding. We’ll ride through the dunes and pohutukawa glades to this gorgeous, deserted coast. Riding along the beach and into the shallows is an exhilarating experience. After lunch we’ll drive through Auckland then east to the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula and stay in the seaside town of Tairua.
Wed
Morning takes us on a short drive up the coast and a hike down to Cathedral Cove for swimming and relaxing on this beautiful beach. Drive south through coastal communities and past kiwi-fruit farms to Omarumutu Marae, a Maori homeland near Opotiki. We are welcomed onto the marae in a moving, traditional ceremony. We sleep comfortably and communally in the whare. Children may dance and sing for us. Our stay on the marae is a highlight of the tour.
Thur
A short drive this morning to the Rangitaki River for a wonderful white water rafting trip on mostly grade 3 rapids with a float section through idyllic native forest. After lunch see boiling mud pools and at a thermal reserve, walk to small geysers and silica terraces. Then onto Lake Taupo with a stop at thundering Huka Falls on our way to thermal hot pools for a pre-dinner soak. Enjoy a BBQ dinner poolside then a short drive to our motel in Turangi for a two-night stay.
Fri
Early start for a short hop to the trailhead of the Tongariro Crossing. Known as “the finest one-day hike in NZ” this 8–10 hour hike takes us around the conical volcano Ngauruhoe and across craters of extinct Mt. Tongariro. Look upon amazing views of emerald lakes and gaping vents from previous eruptions. The hike is challenging but the views are so spectacular you’ll find the challenge worth the effort – promise! Soak in our hot pool while dinner is prepared.
Sat
Drive south to the capital city of Wellington which may remind you of San Francisco with a scenic harbor and houses clinging to steep hills. Lunch in a New Zealand home. Short tour of Wellington and explore Te Papa, the National Museum of New Zealand. Catch the Inter-Island Ferry to the South Island, a scenic trip through the Marlborough Sounds. Dinner on your own on the ferry. Overnight in the sea-side town of Picton.
Sun
An early start today for a scenic drive across to Nelson then onto Marehau. This is our day for sea-kayaking the emerald seas and golden beaches of Abel Tasman National Park. Kayak on crystal clear water around the shoreline and across to islands. Relax on the beach and swim while lunch is prepared. If there’s an afternoon sea breeze, we’ll hoist our sails and take the easy way back! There’s time for showers before driving to Murchison for dinner then through the Buller Gorge to Westport.
Mon
Our road south is squeezed between the Southern Alps and a stunning coastline, often compared with California’s Big Sur. At Punakiki we’ll walk out to the limestone pancake formations and if we’re in luck, the sea will send blowholes into the air. Further down the coast is Hokitika, re-known for the best greenstone in NZ. Nowhere in the world at this latitude have glaciers advanced so close to the sea. At 3pm we’ll climb the fast-moving and ever-changing Franz Josef Glacier. See incredible ice formations and walk beside walls of blue ice. Dinner is “Blue Ice” pizza! A short drive brings us to the town of Fox near sunset for lodging with views of Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain.
Tue
Lake Matheson at 6am has a stunning reflection of Mount Cook and anyone up for an early start will be treated to great photos. Breakfast near the lake. After lunch we’ll travel over the Alps through Haast Pass and lunch beside Lake Wanaka. Then it’s a short hop over the spectacular Crown Range to Queenstown, New Zealand’s most beautiful city. After checking into our Motor Lodge for a three-night stay there’ll be time to make bookings for activities you have planned for your day off tomorrow. Late afternoon we’ll sail on the historic steam ship Earnslaw across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Farm where we’ll see a sheep-dog round-up a flock of sheep and also a shearing demonstration. After a wonderful dinner at the historic homestead, join in a piano sing-a-long on our way back to Queenstown.
Wed
Day off!! Queenstown is the launching point for trips to world re-known Milford Sound by bus or plane. Queenstown has a host of activities for travelers – tandem paragliding, horse riding, wine tours, historic Arrowtown, Lake Te Anu to see glowworm caves, gondola ride, luging and you can even jump off Kawerau bridge, the original bungy site! Dinner on your own this evening.
Thur
Our all day expedition begins with a scenic ride to Glenorchy where we’re outfitted for our expedition. We board a jet boat and experience a thrilling and very scenic ride up the Dart River. The views of the Alps and glaciers in this World Heritage site will long be remembered. We inflate our kayaks then paddle in twos down the river until we get to Rock Burn Chasm, just off the main river. You may remember this turquoise water from Lord of the Rings. Paddling through this wonderland is a tour highlight. Eat dinner at a pub in Queenstown.
Fri
An early start for our drive through Mackenzie Country to Christchurch. The highlight will hopefully be views of Mt Cook (Aoraki) across the glacial waters of Lake Pukaki. We’ll lunch at Lake Tekapo, visit the Church of the Good Shepherd and see the beloved memorial to the high county sheep dog. Tonight we have a comfy historic home all to ourselves. It’s a perfect place to relax and reflect on our journey through Aotearoa. Our hosts prepare a beautiful meal for our final dinner together.
Sat
After a hearty breakfast we drive into Christchurch - the most English city outside of England! Visit the Cathedral and the Suffragette Memorial (women’s right to vote was the first in the world!) Shop at the Arts Center. Farewell lunch at a great vegetarian restaurant. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Auckland. Bus to the International Terminal for return flights to LAX – QF25 departing 5.40pm or NZ2 at 7.30pm.
Sat
STILL! Arrive LAX. This is the day you lost on the flight over! Allow two hours to clear through immigration, baggage claim and customs when booking connecting flights to your hometown.
