DESCRIPTION:

Encounter a New Zealand that few get to experience. This is an intimate, off the beaten track look at what New Zealand is famous for: its natural beauty. This program offers it all – nature, culture, mountains, charming cities, and remote hideaways.

Begin exploration in the “Garden City” of New Zealand, Christchurch. Then travel to majestic Mount Cook, the highest mountain in the Southern Alps. Take ski planes to Tasman Glacier then fly to Queenstown, on Lake Wakatipu. Marvel at the fjords in Milford Sound then spend a few days on a quiet lake, visiting resident – and rare – Fiordland Crested Penguins on the nearby shore, kayaking, and experiencing the best of New Zealand’s outdoors. In Marlborough Sounds discover secluded bays and waterways, before we travel on to the Art-Deco city of Wellington. The Te Papa Museum here is an ideal primer on the Maori culture before visiting Rotorua, the historic home of the Maori people. Further north, in the Bay of Isles, learn more about the modern history of the Maori people. Conclude in Auckland, home to sailboats, scenery, and great restaurants.

CONSIDER:

For groups of 15+, consider traveling by private vintage DC-3 airplane. It enables you to quickly and easily access remote destinations otherwise too difficult to see in just one trip. Plus, no airport lines or waiting around, and champagne service en route, make this method of travel smooth and exciting.

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS & ADD-ONS:

Visit the remote Chatham Islands, visited by fewer than 1500 travelers per year. Likened by some to the Shetland Isles off of Scotland, its barren landscape possesses a hauntingly beautiful quality, its inhabitants are mostly fishermen and farmers, and it will seem as though we have stepped back several decades in time. Walk along stunning beaches looking for fossils and through forests viewing the island’s unique ecosystem, visit a seal colony, and learn about the Moriori people who pre-dated the Maori.