New Zealand Rail & Sail Adventure itinerary
| 2023 | City / Port |
| DAY 1 – 15 OCT | AUCKLAND Fly from Australia to Auckland. Meet & Greet on arrival at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Meet your group this evening for a welcome dinner to mark the start of your NZ adventure! Accommodation: Airedale Suites, Auckland – (D) |
| DAY 2 – 16 OCT | AUCKLAND – WELLINGTON Travel on the Northern Explorer train through the heart of the North Island to Wellington. A highlight will be the climb up the famous Raurimu Spiral, a masterpiece of 19th century railway engineering. See rural towns and villages, volcanoes and sea vistas on this scenic journey. Accommodation: James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel, Wellington – 2 nights (B,D) |
| DAY 3 – 17 OCT | WELLINGTON Enjoy lunch at Martinborough with time to explore this beautiful town at leisure. – (B,L) |
| DAY 4 – 18 OCT | WELLINGTON – BLENHEIM Journey across the Cook Strait to Picton on the Interislander. Board the little narrow-gauge Riverside Railway from Brayshaw to Omaka. Visit the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre home to a collection of military aircraft from both World Wars including Sir Peter Jackson’s own WW1 aircraft and artefact collection. Accommodation: Scenic Marlborough – (B,D) |
| DAY 5 – 19 OCT | BLENHEIM – CHRISTCHURCH Enjoy a picturesque drive to Christchurch stopping at Waikari for a ride on the historic Weka Pass Railway. Travel through stunning limestone formations and see the exceptional beauty of the Waikari and Waipara areas. This evening’s dine on the Christchurch Tramway Restaurant, a colonial-style dining tram, incorporating fine food with city sightseeing on the reconstructed, historic tram network. Accommodation: Rydges Latimer Hotel – 2 nights – (B,D) |
| DAY 6 – 20 OCT | CHIRSTCHURCH You city sightseeing tour will include visit the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, the national museum for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and New Zealand military aviation. While here we enjoy a fully-guided ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour delving into the collections areas. – (B) |
| DAY 7 – 21 OCT |
CHRISTCHURCH – FRANZ JOSEF Accommodation: Heartland Hotel Haast – (B,D) |
| DAY 8 – 22 OCT | FRANZ JOSEF – QUEENSTOWN Today we enjoy a day of ever-changing spectacular coastal, rainforest, and alpine scenery. Accommodation: Copthorne Hotel & Resort Lakefront – 2 nights – (B,D) |
| DAY 9 – 23 OCT | QUEENSTOWN Enjoy your time in this beautiful setting or join a plethora of optional sightseeing activities for adventure and nature lovers. Extra cost for optional excursions. This evening, join a steamship cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a delicious BBQ dinner and an entertaining farm experience. – (B,D) |
| DAY 10 – 24 OCT | QUEENSTOWN – MILFORD SOUND / TE ANAU Another spectacularly scenic day awaits on the drive to Milford Sound. Here, enjoy a cruise surrounded by majestic beauty. Accommodation: Distinction Luxmore Hotel, Te Anau – (B,L,D) |
| DAY 11 – 25 OCT | TE ANAU – DUNEDIN Travel through some of New Zealand’s most populated sheep country to Dunedin – “the Edinburgh of the South”. On arrival, enjoy a tour of Larnach Castle, built in 1871 with a unique collection of New Zealand antiques, furniture and vast grounds. Accommodation: The Victoria Hotel – (B) |
| DAY 12 – 26 OCT | DUNEDIN – CHRISTCHURCH Today we return to Christchurch with stops at Oamaru, famous for some of New Zealand’s best 19th century architecture. Visit Whitestone City in the Victorian precinct and continue to the Pleasant Point Railway. Enjoy a ride on the impressive little steam train and this evening, join your group for a lovely dinner. Accommodation: Rydges Latimer Hotel – (B,D) |
| DAY 13 – 16 27 – 30 OCT |
CHRISTCHURCH – AUCKLAND Transfer to the airport for your economy flight to Auckland. On arrival transfer to your hotel for a 3 night stay. Enjoy Auckland at your leisure exploring the city or joining one of the many sightseeing tours for further discoveries.Accommodation: M Social Hotel – 3 nights – (B) |
| Day 16 – 30 OCT | AUCKLAND – BOARD MAJESTIC PRINCESS: 5 NIGHT CRUISE AUCKLAND to SYDNEY This afternoon, make your way to Auckland’s cruise terminal to embark on the next stage of your journey, a wonderful cruise further exploring New Zealand’s North Island with stops in Tauranga and the beautiful Bay of Islands. – (D) |
| Day 17- 31 OCT | TAURANGA Tauranga is a bustling port, an agricultural and timber center and a popular seaside resort. It is also the gateway to Rotorua – a geothermal wonderland that is the heart of Maori culture. – (B,L,D) |
| Day 18 – 1 NOV | BAY OF ISLANDS The birthplace of modern New Zealand. Here the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, establishing British rule and granting the native inhabitants equal status. Rich in legend and mystery, the Bay of Islands has age-old ties to the Maori and to whalers, missionaries and New Zealand’s early settlers. It is also a place of spectacular beauty, broad vistas and beaches. – (B,L,D) |
| Day 19 – 20 2 – 3 NOV |
At Sea – (B,L,D) |
| Day 21 – 4 NOV | SYDNEY Early Morning arrival to celebrate the end of your epic adventure! – (B) |
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