Experience a colourful kaleidoscope of New Zealand life. Discover breathtaking backroad places, country hospitality, stunning gardens and delectable vineyards.

A close encounter of the marine kind off Kaikoura.

Share the good times (included in tour cost):

• Dine out in the country at gracious Waitomo Hotel.
  
• Slip into the glow worm spectacular of Waitomo Caves.
  
• Enjoy the thermal exuberance of Orakei Korako.
  
• Experience a Maori concert, their culture and legends.
  
• Taste the fine wine of premier vineyards in Hawkes Bay,
  
• Martinborough, Marlborough, Canterbury * and Central Otago. *
  
• City sightsee in Auckland, Napier, Wellington and Christchurch.*
  
• Visit magnificent gardens in Wairarapa, Canterbury* and Otago.*
  
• Whiz out from Picton by launch to our water's edge retreat.
  
• Step into nature and unwind for two nights.
  
• Breakfast with bubbles at celebrated Cellier Le Brun.
  
• Enjoy country hospitality and lunch in a lovely Canterbury farm
  homestead set in beautiful gardens.*
  
• Stay on a high country sheep station in dream scenery, spectacular
  gardens and views to Mt Cook.*
  
• Dine on top of the world at Waiorau Snow Farm Lodge. *
  
• Walk in the great outdoors in Mt Cook and Westland World Heritage
  Parks, Mt Aspiring and Arthur's Pass National Parks.*

* Highlights included on Decidedly Southern tour.

Optional extra nights' accommodation immediately before and after
your tours can be arranged.

Included meals are marked: (B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner Choose your tour dates 14 days Decidedly Different Islands Tour Code: DD14 $NZ3,500.00 pp share twin Single supp. $574.00 Start Auckland - finish Christchurch 2001 January *7-20, *18-31, 28-10 February *8-21, 19-4 Mar March *2-15, 12-25, *23-5 Apr April 3-16, *14-27, 24-7 May May 5-18, 16-29, 27-9 Jun June 6-19, 29-12 July July 20-2 Aug September 1-14, 12-25, 23-6 October 3-16, 14-27, 25-7 November 5-18, 15-28, 26-9 December 7-20 *Tour visits Orakei Korako, but overnights in Rotorua	Day 1: Auckland - Waitomo (D) Relax as we tour Auckland city's sights. Then stop for coffee in a woodland garden. Rolling Waikato farmland leads to Waitomo. Lush bush, breathtaking glow worm caves. Celebrate our first night at Waitomo Hotel. Day 2: Waitomo - Orakei Korako (B, D) By pine forests and lakes to Rotorua. Experience Maori culture and take in the geyser city's many sights. Escape to Orakei Korako our remote thermal hideaway. A special dinner then perhaps soak in hot pools under bright stars. Day 3: Orakei Korako - Napier (B) Huka Falls, Lake Taupo and over the ranges to Napier. Art Deco lives! So many options: gannet-watch at Cape Kidnappers, visit the artists' colony at Te Awanga or walk the Art Deco trail. The wine is fine too. Our hotel, The Masonic, is by the ocean. Day 4: Napier - Martinborough (B) More great vineyards, beautiful farmlands and gardens. A renowned bird sanctuary. Taste the pinot noir that put picturesque Martinborough on the map. Tonight we stay in bed & breakfast country guesthouses.
Sightsee by helicopter over Lake Wanaka. Day 5: Martinborough - Queen Charlotte Sound (B) Over the ranges to Wellington, the capital - stunning harbour and controversial Te Papa, the national museum. Ferry across Cook Strait and cruise up beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton. Our artistic retreat, Lazyfish Guest House, is just a charter launch ride away. Day 6: Queen Charlotte Sound (B, L, D) Lie back in a hammock, take a spa, walk the tracks around the lodge. Explore the sound by charter launch if you wish. Ecotour to Motuara Island or idyllic Ship Cove, Captain Cook's favourite, and walk along the famous Queen Charlotte track. Dine in at the lodge. Day 7: Queen Charlotte Sound - Kaikoura (B) Bound for Picton and a bubbling breakfast among the vines at Cellier Le Brun in the heart of Marlborough wine country. Blenheim vineyards, gardens and galleries lead to the coast. And powerful seascapes. Famed for whale watching. Kaikoura offers close encounters of the marine kind. Enjoy The Old Convent's friendly ambience tonight.
* Decidedly Southern passengers' tour starts in central Christchurch at 11am on Day 8.
7 days Decidedly Southern Tour Code: DS7 $NZ1,870.00 pp share twin Single supp. $464.00 Start and finish Christchurch 2001 January 3-9, 14-20, 25-31 February 4-10, 15-21, 26-4 March 9-15, 19-25, 30-5 Apr April 10-16, 21-27 May 1-7, 12-18, 23-29 June 3-9, 14-19 July 6-12, 27-2 Aug September 8-14, 19-25, 30-6 October 10-16, 21-27 November 1-7, 12-18, 22-28 December 3-9, 14-20	Day 8: Kaikoura - Lake Pukaki (B, L) Down to Christchurch where we welcome Decidedly Southern MoaTrekkers. Further south get to know each other over a special lunch in a heritage farm homestead set in beautiful gardens. Country hospitality is fantastic. And there's more. Beyond Lake Tekapo we head into the landscape to stay on a high country sheep station by Lake Pukaki and close to Mt Cook. Day 9: Lake Pukaki - Clyde (B) Time to stroll the station's stunning gardens. Sweeping vistas and lakes of milky turquoise. Walk alpine trails in Mt Cook National Park. The tawny tussock hills of Lindis Pass lead to Lake Dunstan and Clyde, a funky gem. Café crawl this old goldmining town tonight. Dunstan House.
Day 10: Clyde - Queenstown (B) Explore Central Otago's craggy moonscape. Travel Bannockburn's gold and wine trails. Wind through the Kawarau Gorge and skirt Lake Hayes to leafy, old world Arrowtown. But you can't fight the lure of Queenstown. Stroll out from our hotel, the A-Line Scenic Circle, to the restaurants and lake. Day 11: Queenstown (B) Sightsee at your leisure - so many possibilities. Take optional excursions to Milford Sound, cruise Lake Wakatipu or ride a jet boat. Bungy jump where it all started. Or wander the shops and breathe in the view. Day 12: Queenstown - Waiorau (B, D) Head over Crown Range and into the hills to colourful Cardrona Hotel. It's all about attitude and altitude as our midicoach climbs high up the mountainside to Snow Farm Lodge where an entrepreneurial couple have the international motor industry and cross-country skiers hot-footing it to their door. Dine on top of the world tonight in a stark and beautiful landscape. Steam and morning mist at Orakei Korako. Day 13: Waiorau - Franz Josef (B) Next stop Lake Wanaka and Wanaka's air museum. It's famous. A superb garden above Lake Hawea. Mountain beeches, waterfalls and rivers of Haast Pass give way to lush West Coast rainforest. Walk to picture postcard Lake Matheson at Fox. Overnight in pretty Franz Josef - Punga Lodge. Day 14: Franz Josef - Christchurch (B) Heaps of options. An early flight or hike on the Franz Josef Glacier; see kotuku, the rare white heron, at Okarito. Catch the West Coasters' spirit at Pukekura Bushman's Centre and greenstone in Hokitika. Otira's dramatic highway leads to Arthur's Pass alpine village. Cross the plains to Christchurch where your tour ends.

Decidedly Different Islands | Decidedly Southern
Taste Temptations Wine & Food Odyssey | New Zealand Wine & Food Tours