New Zealand Adventure Tours – New Zealand Bike Tours – Hiking New Zealand Vacations
If New Zealand is on your list of places to see 
(and it should be), this is the way to see it! ACTIVE NZ gets 5 stars.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH:
GUIDE OF THE MONTH:
Mark Banham
News and Reviews
We've been running family trips for over ten years now, so we know what goes into a great family adventure vacation! On our Peru trip you'll explore Machu Picchu, go wildlife spotting in the Amazon jungle and stay with a local Quechua family on Amantani Island on the world's highest navigable lake. We'll take care of all the details - all you and your family have to do is show up and have an amazing time. Visit our South America website To find out more!
Judith Gordon (Georgia, USA) December 2001 Manuka
Printable Itinerary (PDF)
Child (15 and under): US$1999 + tax
Currency Converter
We maintain plenty of options for all ages and parents are often pleasantly surprised when their teenagers and younger children enjoy the trip at least as much as they do! Our family guides have lots of experience guiding children and adults alike – such as Christiaan (or Lofty as he is more affectionately known) who has been teaching kayaking, climbing and teambuilding skills to Kiwi kids for years and is now one of our main Kea guides. New Zealand is a safe destination, and the Kea family trip is an awesome adventure for the whole family. To enjoy all the activities children should be nine years or older, but with notice we can often take families with younger children too.
"It was most definitely a trip of lifetime. I had so much fun it was hard to leave." - Sammy Horowitz (USA) Dec 2008 KeaMost people leave the Northern Hemisphere on a Sunday evening, arriving in Auckland early Tuesday morning. You’ll lose a day crossing the dateline – but you get it back on the way home! You’ll take a short flight to Christchurch in the South Island arriving by around 10am and we’ll meet your family either in central Christchurch, or at the airport. Our first port of call is Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, where you’ll get a great introduction the wildlife of a country that has been isolated from the rest of the world for over 80 million years! You’ll experience many of New Zealand’s creatures first hand – Willowbank is unique in that you can enter a lot of the animal enclosures and even pat some of the more friendly critters! You can see tuatara lizards, the elusive kiwi, wallabies (small kangaroos), and of course the namesake of our trip – the kea – our cheeky mountain parrot. After an afternoon exploring, we’ll head south and inland to Methven.
ACCOMMODATION: Methven Lodge, Methven (L,D)
Wednesday - Jet boat the Rakaia Gorge and star-gazing
After a hearty breakfast and relaxed start to the morning, we have an adventure planned that will knock your socks off! You’ll head out on a thrilling jet boat ride through the winding Rakaia Gorge. Jet boats are fast and manoeuvrable and were originally invented by New Zealander William Hamilton, to navigate our narrow shallow rivers. You’ll be jetting down rapids, braided river sections and through shallow water less than a foot deep in places. This fun, yet safe, activity is suitable for the whole family. From Methven, we’ll travel a short distance south to Peel Forest to hike through ancient podocarp forest dense with many varieties of ferns. The fern is New Zealand’s national symbol worn by many of our athletes, including our famous rugby team – the All Blacks. After lunch, we’ll travel inland to Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, and Lake Pukaki – an unworldly turquoise-blue coloured glacial lake. In less than 48 hours we’ve travelled from New Zealand’s second largest city into the heart of the wilderness. Tonight, the wide open spaces, regular clear evenings and lack of artificial light gives us the perfect opportunity to gaze at the Southern Hemisphere’s constellations, including the Southern Cross and Orion’s Belt. Lofty particularly enjoys teaching the kids a bit of basic southern astronomy, and he’ll really bring the sky alive.
ACCOMMODATION: Glentanner Lodgings, Mt Cook (B,L,D)
Thursday - Hike Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park
This morning we’ll take a short drive to Mt Cook village at the head of Lake Pukaki. We have a few hikes to choose from in this area and our favourite is the stunning and little-known day hike (weather permitting) to the main ridge above Mueller Glacier. It’s a tough slog, but it’s a real achievement for the whole family to share and you’ll remember the view of the Mueller Glacier and the surrounding peaks of the Main Divide forever! Of course, nothing’s mandatory and we always have plenty of options, so there are easier hikes available too. The weather conditions are very important in this area, as it is a true alpine climate that sometimes has sudden weather shifts. If we aren’t able to do the Mueller hike, we’ll take an impressive hike up the Hooker Valley to a glacial lake at the base of Hooker Glacier, complete with icebergs!
ACCOMMODATION: Glentanner lodgings (B,L,D)
Friday - Rafting near Queenstown
Today we’ll head through the mountains to Queenstown. We’ll stop along the way for the best ice creams in the whole of New Zealand – you’ll soon find out why! We’ll then continue on through fruit orchards and vineyards before arriving in Queenstown for a family rafting trip in Skippers Canyon. Set in a deep, beautiful, rose-lined schist gorge, it’s a spectacular trip – perfect for the whole family. We’ll have the next few days in Queenstown, so you’ll have plenty of time to wander about and explore while you’re here, and you’ll find all sorts of options to keep you and the kids busy.
The Kea trip operates year around, with minor changes for the New Zealand winter. From June to September, rather than rafting we continue on to Queenstown and jump aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw steamship for a cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station. At Walter Peak you’ll have a chance to learn about farming and what life was like for the pioneers on this remote station. The views back across Lake Wakatipu to Queenstown are amazing too.
Saturday - Free day in Queenstown
ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND is based in Queenstown for a good reason - it’s the adventure capital of New Zealand! You’ll find all the comforts of civilization here, and plenty of family entertainment: lakeside walks, gondola and luge rides, restaurants and cinemas. There are also some more adventurous activities such as bungy jumping, horse trekking, skydiving and fishing too - it’s all here! Queenstown is not a big place - the population is about 8000 - so if you decide to take a break it’s the perfect place to relax and just soak up the atmosphere. Your time in Queenstown also offers the perfect opportunity to take a day trip or overnight excursion to the world famous Milford Sound, in Fiordland National Park. At the time of booking, or up until one month before your trip let us know if you would like to do either of these options and we’ll be happy to arrange this for you.
A great winter option (June to September) for the family is to spend a couple of days skiing or snowboarding at one of three local ski areas: Coronet Peak, the Remarkables and Cardrona. If you would like to go skiing while you are here, let us know and we will be happy to organize this for you! (Skiing option includes transport, lift pass and equipment rental and is about US$100 per adult, slightly less for children). ACCOMMODATION: Queenstown apartments (B)
Sunday - Explore Queenstown
Today you can check out more of the amazing scenery and history of the area with your guide, or you can do your own thing with your family. This is also a great chance for parents to have some time on their own while we look after the kids. We’ll take a short drive to the historic village of Arrowtown and explore an old Chinese goldmining area. Chinese immigrants travelled to New Zealand during the gold rush, and like many New Zealand pioneering stories, theirs is one of adversity and adaptation. You can try your hand at gold panning – in 2006 a man found a gold nugget worth $15,000 in this area, so you never know your luck! After lunch, we have a couple of options including a hike up Queenstown Hill, cycling around the lake front or even a game of frisbee golf in the Queenstown Botanical Gardens.
ACCOMMODATION: Queenstown apartments (B,L)
Monday - Start Mt Aspiring National Park and Wanaka options
This morning we’ll leave Queenstown and head over the Crown Range to Wanaka. At the time of booking, you have the choice of one of two different 2-day/1-night options – a backpacking trip in Mt Aspiring National Park, or an overnight stay at Wanaka – a small alpine village on the shores of Lake Wanaka. After lunch, we head off for our various activities.
Monday to Tuesday - Multiday options continued
Mt Aspiring National Park Option
Monday (continued) - Overnight hike in Mt. Aspiring National Park
After leaving Wanaka we’ll venture up the Matukituki Valley and hike two to three hours into Mt. Aspiring National Park, to reach our home for the evening – a mountain hut nestled in the valley. The track meanders through a World Heritage Area with majestic peaks, fresh mountain streams and natural beech forest. Everyone will carry a pack, but it won’t weigh much more than a regular day pack. You’ll be carrying a sleeping bag, a few spare clothes and some food – no need for any more than that, and we can provide tents and camping gear if you want to camp under the stars. Mt. Aspiring Hut is a spacious and modern mountain hut, albeit in the middle of nowhere, and the scenery is off the charts with Mt. Aspiring looming 10,000 feet above you. For such a short walk, it’s amazing how far you’ll feel from civilisation! Your guide will whip up dinner in the backcountry kitchen, while you and the kids relax in front of the fireplace and play cards or tell tall stories! To minimise our impact on this beautiful but fragile environment, we limit availability on this option.
ACCOMMODATION: Mt. Aspiring Hut (B,L,D)
Tuesday Hike to trailhead
We have a leisurely start today, enjoying breakfast and a cuppa while admiring the view, before hiking back to the trailhead. Along the way we might encounter the cheeky kea again – this time in its natural habitat – and though we don’t feed them, you’ll find they come really close in the hope you’ll throw some chocolate their way!
Wanaka Option
Monday (continued) - Explore Wanaka
Wanaka is a charming country town set on the edge of our fourth largest lake and surrounded by an amphitheatre of mountains. There are great walking trails and biking tracks in the area as well as options like indoor climbing (suitable for beginners and experts), jet boating or a visit to the famed Fighter Pilots Museum, home to an amazing collection of old fighter planes. Your time in Wanaka is also a great chance to just soak up the atmosphere, whether you’re skipping stones on the lake’s edge or relaxing by the fire at the lodge.
ACCOMMODATION: Wanaka Lodge, Wanaka (B,L,D)
Tuesday - Relax at Wanaka
After a relaxed breakfast you’ll have the morning to do your own thing before meeting up with the rest of the group.
After regrouping at Wanaka we’ll head to Puzzling World for a run around one of the world’s largest modern mazes with over a mile of passageways. Kids of all ages really enjoy trying to beat our wily guides through the labyrinth! Tonight we spend the evening in a lovely family-style homestead in Makarora, and share stories about our experiences over the last couple of days.
ACCOMMODATION: The Homestead, Makarora (B,L,D)
Wednesday - Explore West Coast forests and beaches, discover glow worms
This morning we’ll travel over Haast Pass to the wild West Coast, stopping on a deserted West Coast beach to stretch our legs and look out for friendly dolphins that often pass by this area. A little further north takes us to Lake Matheson for a short walk where you will be rewarded with awesome vistas of the Southern Alps stretching away to Mt. Cook in the distance. This afternoon we’ll get settled into our accommodations in Franz Josef, where we’ll be staying for the next two nights. After dark we can head out with flashlights for a short night walk to look for the native glow worm – and to listen for some of New Zealand’s nocturnal birdlife, such as the Morepork.
ACCOMMODATION: Franz Josef Lodgings, Franz Josef (B,L,D)
Thursday - Kayak Lake Mapourika, explore Franz Josef Glacier
It’s an early start this morning for our kayaking trip on Lake Mapourika. This ancient lake was formed during the last ice age and its tranquility provides a great introduction to kayaking. This is an awesome trip, run by specialist kayak outfitters, and it’s equally suitable for beginners or experts alike. After lunch back in Franz Josef, we’ll take a hike up to the terminal face of the Franz Josef Glacier for some breathtaking views. Franz Josef Glacier is one of the steepest and fastest moving glaciers in the world, and is unique in that it descends right down through the lush rainforest, almost to sea-level, from its névé high in the Southern Alps.
An outrageously scenic option today after your kayaking is to heli-hike on Franz Josef Glacier itself. After being fitted with crampons, ice axes and so on, you’ll board a modern turbine helicopter and fly towards the highest peaks of the Southern Alps, landing on the glacier at 4,000 feet above sea level. Led by specialist glacier guides, you’ll hike through the grand ice formations of the glacier, checking out its crevasses, seracs and tunnels – no previous experience required! The constant movement of the glacier means every day is different, so your guides will cut steps in the ice, and make sure you make the most of the conditions. At the end of your hike on the ice, you’ll take another helicopter ride out of the mountains, and back to civilisation.
The heli-hike is extremely popular, so we offer advance reservations with the helicopter operators and guiding company. At the time of booking, or up until one month before your trip, you can reserve a space on the heli-hike, and we’ll make sure a spot is held for you. You can leave your decision until you’re actually on your trip, and we’ll get you a spot if it’s available.
After we’ve finished our various activities, we’ll rendezvous at our accommodations for the night.
ACCOMMODATION: Franz Josef Lodgings (B,L,D)
Friday - Bushman's Centre and free time in Hokitika
Today we’ll head further up the coast to the Bushman’s Centre – a ‘living museum’ that combines an inter-active history of the West Coast’s early settlers with the chance to introduce the kids to brush-tail possums. We’ll then continue to Hokitika, where you can spend a little time checking out the local art galleries and pounamu carving workshops (‘pounamu’ is Maori for jade). The beach here is also a great place for playing games or making sculptures out of the driftwood and rocks washed up on the beach.
ACCOMMODATION: Hokitika beachfront lodging, Hokitika (B,L,D)
Saturday - Farm show and hike Castle Hill Basin
This morning, we’ll head to the start of our last hike together, to the top of Flock Hill near Cave Stream in the Southern Alps. It’s a bit of a climb, but it’s worth every step as we arrive at an eerie limestone landscape where much of the movie ‘Narnia – the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ was filmed. After lunch, we’ll head to the small farming community of Springfield at the foothills of the mountains, where we’ll check out a working New Zealand high-country sheep farm. We’ll watch highly trained huntaway dogs rounding up stock and see a live sheep shearing demonstration. All the kids (young and old!) will have the chance to join in and give sheep shearing a go. This afternoon, we head to Flock Hill Station – a stunning location for our final night together.
ACCOMMODATION: Flock Hill Lodge, Flock Hill (B,L,D)
Sunday - Depart for home
In the morning we’ll travel back to Christchurch, where we started our adventure 13 days ago. We’ll arrive by lunchtime, so any international flights after 2pm are ideal, and we can make 1pm domestic flights with a little notice. International flights from Auckland usually leave early evening, so if you’re heading back to North America, you’ll get home some time on Sunday, even though you left on Sunday evening! Flights back to Europe, of course, take a little longer. Your family will be refreshed, invigorated, and have lasting memories of the exercise, adventures, great food, rest and fun times you’ll have had with us in New Zealand! (B,L)
