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DAY 1 - DEPARTURE Direct overnight flight to Singapore.


DAY 2 - ARRIVAL IN SINGAPORE On arrival, transfer to the four-star Swissotel Merchant Court, with breakfast, well-located next to the many restaurants of Clarke Quay. This exciting stop-over allows time to relax and adjust to the time difference between flights. It also offers the opportunity to explore Singapore’s unique blend of Indian, Chinese and Malay influences. Enjoy a tour of the riverfront area and spend time in the beautiful botanic gardens, of which the Orchid enclosure is an outstanding feature.


DAY 3 - FREE DAY & FLY TO AUCKLAND Today is at leisure to further explore all the attractions of Singapore. In the evening we take the Singapore Airlines overnight flight to Auckland.


DAY 4 - ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND Arrive in Auckland around midday, transferring to the four-star Rendezvous Grand, well-located for all the city’s attractions. The rest of the day is at leisure.


DAY 5 - AUCKLAND Your sightseeing tour of the ‘City of Sails’ includes the panoramic views from Bastion Point, trendy Parnell Village, the lovely bays of the waterfront drive and the vibrant Viaduct Harbour area. We also visit the Auckland Museum for an excellent introduction to the artistic legacy and cultures of the Pacific peoples. Your afternoon is free to explore further.


DAY 6 - BAY OF ISLANDS Departing Auckland we travel north over the Auckland Harbour Bridge along the Hibiscus Coast to view giant Kauri trees at the Parry Kauri Park. In the afternoon we reach Paihia in the beautiful Bay of Islands, where you’ll take a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty House, where in 1840 Maori Chiefs and British settlers signed the Treaty of Waitangi, the basis of the future governance of New Zealand. Our hotel for two nights is the four-star Scenic, with breakfast.


DAY 7 - BAY OF ISLANDS CRUISE This morning we see the Bay of Islands in the best way possible via a fascinating boat cruise meandering around the idyllic beaches of the islands that make this area so popular. There’s an excellent chance of seeing wild dolphins which are common here. Continue on to Cape Brett and the famous ‘Hole in the Rock’ where, conditions permitting, the boat will sail slowly through it before stopping off at the lovely Urupukapuka Island for a swim or short walk up to the wonderful lookout point from where there’s a marvellous panoramic view. Our boat drops us at the historic little town of Russell, New Zealand’s first European settlement and just a 10-minute ferry trip from Paihia. Your afternoon is at leisure.


DAY 8 - HOME STAY This morning we leave the Bay of Islands travelling south through rolling forested hills and lush farmland to the Cambridge region, south of Auckland. Here you will have the unique experience of staying at a number of local homesteads (max. four guests per farm), including a home-cooked dinner and lively conversation.


DAY 9 - ROTORUA Saying goodbye to our hospitable hosts, we take the short drive to the thermal wonderland of Rotorua, with its bubbling mud pools, gushing geysers and beautifully-coloured hot springs created by the hot, mineral-rich waters. We visit Te Puia – where


our local Maori guide explains traditional Maori arts and crafts and we’ll view the famous Pohutu Geyser. This evening you’ll enjoy a visit to the Tamaki Maori Village, a recreation of a typical Maori forest community, where you’ll be treated to an evening of ceremonial rituals, storytelling and intriguing insights into Maori life, ending with a powerful cultural performance, before a traditional Hangi buffet dinner (Maori feast) cooked the traditional way in an earth oven. Our hotel is the four-star Distinction, with breakfast.


DAY 10 - NAPIER Departing Rotorua we stop at Huka Falls to marvel as the mighty Waikato River thunders through its narrow canyon. Then it’s on to Napier, known as the Art Deco capital of the world. On arrival we meet our local guides and take a fascinating walking tour of these beautiful Art Deco buildings. Our hotel is the excellent four-star superior Scenic Hotel Te Pania, with breakfast.


DAY 11 - WELLINGTON Continuing south to Wellington we stay a night in New Zealand’s capital city, staying at the four-star James Cook Chancellor Hotel, with breakfast. Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Wellington with free time to explore the vibrant waterfront and beautiful gardens. We also visit Te Papa, New Zealand’s outstanding National Museum, to learn about the shaping of its land, the spirit of its diverse peoples, its unique wildlife and landscapes.


DAY 12 - NELSON Today, we cruise to South Island, across the Cook Strait by Interislander ferry, through the picturesque Queen Charlotte Sound and into Picton. We stop for some wine tasting in Marlborough before our final destination, Nelson, New Zealand’s sunshine town, with its many art and craft galleries, and relaxed atmosphere. Our hotel for two nights is the excellent four-star Trailways, with breakfast


DAY 13 - ABEL TASMAN CRUISE This morning we join a catamaran cruise along the stunning shoreline of Abel Tasman National Park. En route we view the famous Split Apple Rock, a fur seal colony and the park’s famed golden beaches and crystal-clear waters. The more adventurous can go ashore at Apple Tree Bay and walk a short 7km-section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track to Anchorage (approx. 2hrs walk). This walk has stunning views of Tasman Bay through native bush. The track requires a reasonable level of fitness. Our boat will collect the walkers at Anchorage on its return down the coast. A packed lunch is included today. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure in Nelson.


DAY 14 - CHRISTCHURCH Travelling south over the Lewis Pass we pause at the lovely alpine village of Hanmer Springs for a lunch stop before arriving at the ‘garden city’ of Christchurch. Since the earthquake of 2011, the city’s rebuilding programme is in full swing and there will be an opportunity to visit to the Re-Start Mall, the ‘Cardboard Cathedral’ and the Botanic Gardens. We stay at the three-star superior Quality Hotel Elms, with breakfast.


DAY 15 - TRANZALPINE TRAIN & HELICOPTER FLIGHT Today, we traverse the Southern Alps aboard the world-famous TranzAlpine train to Arthurs Pass. From your panoramic carriage you’ll see the farmland of the Canterbury Plains give way to the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, crossing numerous bridges and viaducts en route. At Arthurs Pass, we are met by


our coach for the journey along the West Coast, south through forests and farmland, with views of the Alps to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west, to the village of Franz Josef. This afternoon prepare yourself for what will be one of your trip’s highlights! On arrival you will experience this magnificent glacial alpine environment with a 20-minute scenic helicopter flight. Follow steep, scarred ridges, through a mountain pass revealing superb views of the surrounding peaks. Enjoy an amazing alpine landing where you’ll be able to step out of the helicopter into year-round snow. Our hotel tonight is the four-star Scenic, with breakfast.


DAY 16 - QUEENSTOWN We travel through the wilderness which forms part of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, with some of the world’s most dramatic forest and mountain scenery. We cross over the Haast Pass to the popular Lake Wanaka and then to the beautiful year-round resort of Queenstown where our hotel for two nights is the four-star Copthorne Lakefront Resort, with breakfast.


DAY 17 - FREE DAY Nestled below the rugged Remarkable Mountains, Queenstown enjoys an exceptionally scenic setting and is known as the ‘adventure capital of the world’. Today is at leisure to enjoy all that this resort has to offer. Experience the thrill of a jet-boat ride along the Shotover River, a 4x4 safari, helicopter trips, guided walks, a cruise across Lake Wakatipu on the 100-year old vintage steamboat TSS Earnslaw, or ride the Skyline Gondola high above Queenstown for superb views of the area – the choices are almost endless!


DAY 18 - MILFORD SOUND Leaving Queenstown we skirt Lake Wakatipu’s shores, travelling through the Homer Tunnel into the spectacular Cleddau valley and famous Milford Sound. A boat trip on the deep fjord waters between sheer granite cliffs rising thousands of feet affords wonderful views of mile-high Mitre Peak and the 500ft Stirling Falls. There is a good chance of seeing dolphins, fur seals or penguins. A packed lunch is included today. Our hotel in Te Anau is the four-star Distinction Luxmore, with breakfast.


DAY 19 - OMARAMA Today, we travel back north and visit Arrowtown, a township with a colourful history of a rough frontier gold-mining boomtown. Nowadays, its main street is lined with excellent art galleries, cafés and boutiques. We continue through the Kawarau Gorge, cross the distinctive Central Otago countryside and over the dramatic Lindis Pass to the Mackenzie Basin. Your overnight hotel is the simple three-star Heritage Gateway in the small rural community of Omarama.


DAY 20 - MOUNT COOK A day with some spectacular sights. We head north alongside the azure glacier-fed Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook, at 12,316ft New Zealand’s highest mountain and surrounded by jagged snow-covered peaks. There’s time for short walks in the spectacular Hooker Valley, visiting the Edmund Hilary Alpine Centre (entrance fee), or for an optional helicopter flight over the spectacular West Coast glaciers. We continue to Lake Tekapo and visit the Church of the Good Shepherd, before crossing back to the Canterbury Plains into ChristChurch to the Quality Hotel Elms, with breakfast.


DAY 21 - RETURN FLIGHT Farewell to New Zealand. Transfer to the airport for your flight home via Singapore.


DAY 22 Arrive back in the UK.


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