Contrasts of New Zealand
Contrasts of New Zealand
Contrasts of New Zealand
10 Days Starting in Auckland, New Zealand and ending in Christchurch, New Zealand
Visiting: Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Lake Tekapo, Christchurch
Tour operator:
Tour code:
IZANB24
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Cultural, Foodie and Wine Tours, Gardens & Nature Tours, Wildlife Tours
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on a captivating journey through New Zealand with the "Contrasts of New Zealand" tour, where cultural immersion meets breathtaking landscapes. Begin your adventure in Auckland, exploring its vibrant harborside precincts before delving into the geothermal wonders of Rotorua. Experience the rich Maori culture at Te Pa Tu Maori Experience and witness conservation efforts at the National Kiwi Hatchery. Journey through the stunning South Island, from the adventure capital of Queenstown to the serene beauty of Lake Tekapo. Cruise the majestic Milford Sound and savor local flavors at a Canterbury vineyard. With premium accommodations and expert guides, this tour offers a seamless blend of nature, culture, and relaxation, ensuring an unforgettable New Zealand experience.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome To Auckland
Location: Auckland
Accommodation Name: Horizon by SkyCity Auckland
Meals Included: Dinner
New Zealand’s largest city is also one of its prettiest, as you’ll discover exploring at your leisure. Arrive early to linger in its hip harbourside precincts, where galleries and design-driven stores await. You’ll have worked up an appetite by the time you meet your fellow travel companions for a Welcome Reception and dinner at The Grill. Start your Auckland tour on a high, we say.
Day 2: Auckland
Location: Auckland
Accommodation Name: Horizon by SkyCity Auckland
If you didn’t get your city bearings yesterday, you will on an Auckland tour today. Have your camera poised as you reach Mission Bay, a dreamy waterside suburb where the blues patchwork to the horizon. Click! Then get snap happy once again at Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, offering epic vistas over Auckland and its harbours. Click, click, click! Want some tips on how to spend your free afternoon in New Zealand’s largest city? How about going behind the scenes of the All Blacks, arguably the world’s most legendary rugby team?
Day 3: Auckland - Rotorua
Location: Rotorua
Accommodation Name: Millennium Hotel Rotorua
Meals Included: Dinner
You could be forgiven for thinking Rotorua’s landscapes are a sci-fi movie set. Mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. The surrounding forest is a fertile habitat for New Zealand’s national bird, being protected and bred at the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa. The cute-as-a-button, cotton-ball kiwi is under threat in the wild; at the hatchery, passionate conservationists reveal how they are saving the population, one incubated egg at a time. Tonight, dive deep into Indigenous culture and traditions at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience. Enjoy a forest kai horotai (seasonal canapés) and chef choice aperitif, followed by a seasonal three-course dinner.
Day 4: Rotorua - Auckland - Queenstown
Location: Queenstown
Accommodation Name: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown
Meals Included: Breakfast
Leave Auckland behind and journey into the countryside for an exclusive family-style Be My Guest experience in the Red Barn on a working dairy farm. Over your farm to table morning tea prepared by the onsite chef, get a feel for country life as you're invited to roll up your sleeves and make your own butter - butter churners, tiny mason jars and all! The feel-good vibes that endure will follow you all the way to Queenstown, the self-proclaimed adventure capital of New Zealand. It makes perfect sense – there are ski fields, white-water river and bridges strapped with bungy cords wherever you turn. And then there’s the dining scene; Queenstown is home to some of the country’s most awarded restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for bulging burgers or lakeside tapas, ask us for recommendations on this leg of your Queenstown New Zealand tour.
Day 5: Milford Sound/Piopiotahi Cruise
Location: Milford Sound
Accommodation Name: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown
Meals Included: Lunch
Bring your stamina and sense of adventure – things get a little wild today. Nature rules as you skirt Queenstown’s gleaming Lake Wakatipu, and traverse the Devil’s Staircase to Te Anau, the alpine gateway to UNESCO World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park. Once you’ve paused to admire the drama at Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat, Hollyford Valley lookout and Cleddau Valley, you’ll begin to understand why Rudyard Kipling called this the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. You haven’t even seen Bowen Falls or Milford Sound/Piopiotahi yet… Onboard your nature cruise, enjoy commentary from your eagle-eyed Naturalist guide, who not only narrates on the immense geological history of the Fjord, but will point out fur seals and dolphins should they choose to come out to play. The cruise includes a delicious picnic lunch.
Day 6: Queenstown Free Time
Location: Queenstown
Accommodation Name: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown
Meals Included: Dinner
Take today’s Queenstown New Zealand tour at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on a high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Prefer to be able to talk (and drink wine) while you cruise? Glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a guided farm tour, including morning or afternoon tea, in a dreamy alpine setting (both own expense). Wherever you wander, be sure to save space for tonight’s Highlight Dinner at Postmasters Café, a historic Arrowtown cottage replete with picket fence and Instagrammable gardens.
Day 7: Queenstown - Lake Tekapo
Location: Lake Tekapo
Accommodation Name: Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo
Whether pinot noir grapes or cherries, things grow well in the fertile Central Otago region of the South Island. Get a taste for the area’s plump stone fruit at the stall of a local orchard. Mountain drama is your backdrop en route to Lake Tekapo, with water so turquoise it looks like a Renaissance painting. This part of the country is ravishing and remote; the lack of light pollution means dazzling Southern Hemisphere stargazing at UNESCO World Heritage listed Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. It may be a late night, but tonight's star gazing experience at a purpose-built observation crater with expert astronomy guides is bound to be a highlight. If there was ever a NZ experience that put life in perspective, this is it.
Day 8: Lake Tekapo - Christchurch
Location: Christchurch
Accommodation Name: Distinction Christchurch Hotel
The Canterbury region of the east coast is a rustic union of grassy plains, mirror-like lakes and snow-capped mountains, the kind of landscape that you might see on postcards. Arrive into the beautiful English city of Christchurch for a guided visit. The city is not only rebuilding itself after the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes, but is changing the way architects think about design. Case in point the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library.
Day 9: Christchurch
Location: Christchurch
Accommodation Name: Distinction Christchurch Hotel
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Travel north through rolling countryside to Hurunui Hills, a hill country farm in North Canterbury. Enjoy warm Kiwi hospitality with the Bamford Family, who have been farming at Hurunui since 1884 with six generations focused on producing premium Merino sheep, wool and Angus cattle. Soak up stunning scenery while enjoying morning tea, meet the farm animals & discover what it is like to live off the land on this unique By My Guest experience. Continue to a local vineyard, Waipara Springs Winery, where it's time to relax and enjoy a platter-style lunch among the vines. A big day leads to a big evening joining your Travel Director and travel mates for a celebratory Farewell Dinner featuring produce from the Canterbury region.
Day 10: Farewell From Christchurch
Location: Christchurch
You’ve travelled hundreds of kilometres across two islands, likely taken thousands of photos, and made countless memories and new friends. The only thing left to do is plan your next trip to New Zealand.
What's Included
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Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
The tour includes a specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide to ensure a smooth and informative journey.
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1 UNESCO World Heritage Site – Te Wahipounamu inc. Fiordland National Park
The tour includes a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Te Wahipounamu, including Fiordland National Park.
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Centrally located premium 4 and 5 hotels
Accommodation in centrally located premium 4 and 5-star hotels is included for your comfort.
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Internal-vacation flights included
Internal flights during the vacation, such as from Auckland to Queenstown, are included in the holiday price.
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Return airport to hotel transfers
Return transfers from the airport to the hotel are included in the holiday package.
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Milford Sound/Piopiotahi Cruise
The tour includes a Milford Sound/Piopiotahi Cruise with commentary from a Naturalist guide and a picnic lunch.
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Guided visit to Christchurch
A guided visit to the city of Christchurch is included, showcasing its architectural innovations.
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Morning tea on a Sheep and Cattle Farm
Enjoy morning tea on a Sheep and Cattle Farm in the Hurunui Hills as part of the tour.
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Te Pa Tu Maori Experience
Experience Maori culture at Te Pa Tu Maori Experience, celebrating art, tradition, and cuisine.
What's Not Included
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Flights to and from the start/end of your trip
Flights to and from the start and end of your trip are not included in the trip price.
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Personal items and expenses
Personal items and expenses such as souvenirs, additional meals, and drinks are not included.
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Optional activities
Optional activities such as high-octane jet boat rides or guided farm tours are at your own expense.
Mode of Transport
Internal-vacation flights included. Day 1 – flights to arrive by 4.00pm into Auckland Airport. Day 10 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport. Internal-holiday flights: Day 4 – Auckland to Queenstown. Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price.
Accommodation
Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort. The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes: Day 1 - The Grand by SkyCity, Auckland. Day 4 - Millennium Hotel, Queenstown. Day 7 - Peppers Bluewater Resort, Lake Tekapo. Day 8 - Distinction Christchurch Hotel.
Check out our Q&As
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What cultural experiences are included in the tour?
The tour includes cultural experiences such as the Te Pa Tu Maori Experience and the Te Po Maori Experience at Te Puia, where you can celebrate Maori art, tradition, and cuisine.
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What kind of wildlife can I expect to see during the tour?
During the tour, you may see New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi, at the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa. Additionally, on the Milford Sound/Piopiotahi Cruise, you might spot fur seals and dolphins.
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What is the level of physical fitness required for this tour?
A low level of fitness is required for this tour.
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Are there any unique dining experiences included in the tour?
Yes, the tour includes unique dining experiences such as a farm to table morning tea at a working dairy farm and a Highlight Dinner at Postmasters Café in Arrowtown.
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What kind of accommodation is provided during the tour?
The tour provides centrally located premium 4 and 5-star hotels, including The Grand by SkyCity in Auckland, Millennium Hotel in Queenstown, Peppers Bluewater Resort in Lake Tekapo, and Distinction Christchurch Hotel.
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Are internal flights included in the tour package?
Yes, internal flights are included in the tour package, such as the flight from Auckland to Queenstown on Day 4.
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What kind of natural landscapes will I see on the tour?
You will see a variety of natural landscapes including the bubbling geysers of Rotorua, the dramatic scenery of Fiordland National Park, the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, and the stunning views of the Canterbury region.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
The beauty of taking a holiday with us is you’ll have the opportunity to meet and travel with people from all over the globe.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
It is important to adhere to departure times while on tour for the comfort of everyone on-board, and to make sure no one misses out on the planned experiences. The coach will not be able to wait for you, and in some instances, if you miss a departure time you will need to make your own way to the next destination to re-join the tour.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
AAT Kings operated Guided Holidays have competitive single supplement rates available if you prefer to confirm your own room. Or we can match you to share with a guest of the same gender at no extra cost. If we fail to match you, we will accommodate you in a single room at no extra cost.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Over 100 years
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
We will email your documents to you approximately four weeks before your departure date provided you have completed your pre trip registration using the My Travel Portal. If you’ve booked through a travel agent, your documents will be emailed directly to your agent.
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Low Deposit
AAT Kings requires a minimum deposit of 100 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of aat kings charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.