(Click a region for more details) |
EDMR 1.3 litre manual hatchback, 3 door, power steering, front wheel drive (Nissan Micra or similar).
CDAR 1.8 litre automatic sedan or liftback, 5 door, power steering, central locking, front wheel drive (Mitsubishi Lancer or similar).
IDAR 2 litre automatic sedan, 4 door, power steering, central locking, front wheel drive (Mitsubishi Diamante or similar).
Other car types are available. Please call for further details.
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| Outline Itinerary [1/2] >> |
| Day 1: |
Christchurch-Kaikoura (183 km)
On arrival in Christchurch, collect your rental vehicle and drive north to Napenape Coastal Reserve and St. Anne’s lagoon. Continue to Kaikoura, a pretty seaside town, famed for its whale and dolphin trips. Overnight in Kaikoura. Farm/homestay |
| Day 2: |
Kaikoura-Hanmer Springs (133 km)
Morning boat trip to see sperm whales, which congregate in
the deep water just offshore. You may also spot dusky dolphins
and other marine species. Afternoon drive into the mountains
to Hanmer Springs, where you can relax in a geothermal pool
or take one of several nature walks in the area. Overnight
stay at Greenacres Motel. |
| Day 3: |
Hanmer Springs-Greymouth (206 km)
Drive to the Lewis Pass National Reserve and take the Tarn
Trail, which offers opportunities for birding and some unusual
flora. Continue to the West Coast and the mining town of
Greymouth. Overnight at the Charles Court Motel. For those
travelling between April and November, you can visit the
black petrel colony tonight. |
| Day 4: |
Greymouth-Fox Glacier (200 km)
Drive south into Westland National Park, where fragile rainforests
survive on a narrow strip of land between the Southern Alps
and Tasman Sea. Between November and February you will visit
the white heron colony on Okarito Lagoon. At Fox, you can
walk to the snout of the glacier and visit Lake Matheson,
with the summits of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman mirrored in its
tranquil waters. Overnight stay at the A1 Fox Glacier Motel. |
| Day 5: |
Fox Glacier-Wanaka (260 km)
Continue south along the West Coast, stopping off to explore
Munro’s Beach, a breeding site for Fiordland Crested
Penguins. Ship’s Creek and Thunder Creek Falls are
among the many other secrets of this stunning region. Continue
over Haast Pass to Lake Wanaka. Homestay. |
| Day 6: |
Wanaka-Te Anau (273 km)
Drive through the dry country of Central Otago to Queenstown
en route to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park.
Visit the information centre and wildlife park. Homestay. |
| Day 7: |
Milford Sound
Take the spectacular drive through the Eglinton and Hollyford
Valleys to Milford Sound. Join a cruise along the length
of the Sound to the Tasman Sea, admiring waterfalls, seals
and the distinctive Mitre Peak. Homestay. |
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| © Penguin Place |
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Northland