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Tui - Queenstown: Complete itinerary

Hiking the Routeburn Track · Cycling in the Eglinton Valley & Hollyford Valleys
Kayaking on Milford Sound · Scenic mountain flight to Siberia Hut · Jet Boat Ride
Hiking at Mount Aspiring National Park & Franz Josef Glacier

Sunday - Arrive and Cycling in the Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys

Most people leave the Northern hemisphere on a Saturday evening and arrive in Auckland early on Monday morning. You’ll lose a day to the dateline – but you get it back on the way home! You’ll immediately take the short flight to Queenstown in the South Island where we’ll meet you. You’ll need to arrive in Queenstown by 12noon and then we’ll head down through Te Anau towards Milford Sound. After lunch, we’re straight into it! Depending on where you’re coming from, you’ll probably find jetlag is no big deal. For instance, it’s a 12-hour direct overnight flight from the West Coast of the USA to Auckland and there’s only a 3 hour time difference between New Zealand and US Pacific time. If you’re coming from further afield, what better way to start your New Zealand adventure!
You’ll be fitted with a 21-speed front-suspension Specialized mountain bike for a spectacular ride through the legendary Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys to The Divide. We maintain plenty of flexibility - keen cyclists can start early and cover 50 miles or more throughout the day. Moderately keen cyclists can be picked up anytime along the way, for a shorter ride. If cycling is not your thing, you can skip it and just enjoy the scenery - like all our activities, the cycling is completely optional. 
Then it’s a short haul through the Homer Tunnel and through the Alps where we’ll descend over 3000 feet into Milford Sound. The scenery here is fantastic! The lush rainforest carpets the lower slopes of the mountains and gives way to the massively steep glacier-carved slopes and waterfalls of the Darren Range. Once we get to Milford Sound, we’ll stay at Milford Lodge, a relaxed base for hikers and paddlers.

ACCOMMODATION:       Milford Lodge, Milford Sound (L,D)

Monday - Sea kayaking in Milford Sound and hiking the Routeburn Track

Milford Sound, rated the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling, is breathtaking. Sheer rock walls plunge thousands of feet to the sea, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Most people see Milford Sound from the deck of a cruise ship but we’ve got a better way - gliding along the water in a sea kayak, causing minimum disruption to the seals and dolphins, which are very friendly and often eager to visit. This is an awesome trip, run by specialist kayak outfitters, and it’s equally suitable for beginners and experts alike. When you get back from your morning’s paddle, we’ll start heading back up the road to Manapouri.

On the way, we’ll hike part of the famous Routeburn Track up to Key Summit. The Routeburn is one of the best-known hiking tracks in New Zealand, and we do the best part of the track. There are unbelievable views overlooking the Hollyford Valley, Lake Marion and Mt. Christina.

ACCOMMODATION:       Lake Manapouri Inn, Manapouri (B,L,D)       

Tuesday - Queenstown and a local hike

Today we’ll travel from Manapouri back to Queenstown in the morning and then the rest of the day is up to you! You can either head out around Lake Wakatipu to 12 Mile Delta with your guides to hike the Sam Summers Track. The area was heavily mined for gold until the 1930’s and there are still many relics to be seen along the way. Or if you’d prefer, we can drop you off in town on the way and you can check out the town and participate in one of the many awesome activities on offer in the area.

ACCOMMODATION:       Queenstown apartments (B,L)       

Wednesday - Free day in Queenstown

This is a free day with no activities scheduled, although we’ll certainly help with suggestions and guiding, if you like. Queenstown, where ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND is based, is a great place to spend a couple of days. You’ll find all the comforts of civilization: massage therapists, restaurants, sidewalk cafés, window-shopping and adrenaline pumping activities! You’ll also find some incredible optional activities here such as biking, hang gliding, hiking, whitewater rafting, jet boating, skydiving, horse trekking, fishing and wine tours - it’s all here! Your guides can help you during the trip to book any of these optional activities. Queenstown is not a big place - the population is about 8000 - but there’s plenty to do! Or, you can do nothing if you prefer, and just soak up the atmosphere.

ACCOMMODATION:       Queenstown apartments (B)          

Thursday - Start Mt. Aspiring National Park options

This morning we’ll drive to Makarora, on the eastern side of Mt. Aspiring National Park. At the time of booking, you have the choice of two different 2-day/1-night options - a backpacking trip in Mt. Aspiring National Park, or an overnight stay in the small farming village of Makarora. After lunch, we head off for our various activities:

SIBERIA VALLEY WILDERNESS OPTION IN MT. ASPIRING NATIONAL PARK Thursday (continued) - Scenic flight, hike Lake Crucible If you like the idea of staying in one of New Zealand’s most isolated mountain huts, then this option’s for you! We’ll start with a dramatic scenic flight alongside the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps to the remote Siberia Valley airstrip. You can hike up the trail to Lake Crucible for great views of this glacial valley while dinner is whipped up back at the hut. Tonight you’ll be served a candle-lit dinner in one of the most glorious places in the world. This is also one of the few backcountry huts where you have the opportunity to chat with a resident hut ranger from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. The rangers are often keen for a yarn around the camp fire, and can offer further insight into the flora and fauna of Mt. Aspiring National Park. This is the only night on the Tui where accommodations are a little more basic, but we’ll be back in civilization the next day. You don’t have to carry a very heavy pack - our guides are pretty tough and they’ll carry the lion’s share of the load. You’ll be carrying a sleeping bag, a few spare clothes and some food - no need for any more than that, although we’ll provide tents and so on if you’d prefer to camp out under the stars. To minimize our impact on this beautiful but fragile environment, we limit availability on this option. ACCOMMODATION: Remote wilderness area, Mt. Aspiring National Park - incredible! (B,L,D)	MAKARORA ADVENTURE OPTION IN MT. ASPIRING NATIONAL PARK Thursday (continued) - Scenic flight If you prefer more comfortable accommodation than a mountain hut, then we’ve got just the thing for you! We’ll start with a dramatic scenic flight alongside the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps, such as Mt. Aspiring, one of New Zealand’s highest summits. After landing down back in Makarora, you’ll have the remainder of the afternoon to kick back, relax and soak up the mountain views beyond this sleepy village. Tonight we’ll be dining at a classic kiwi pub, where you’ll have a chance to meet some of the locals.  ACCOMMODATION: Makarora Wilderness Resort, Makarora(B,L,D)
Friday - Hike Siberia Valley, jet boat After an early start, we spend the morning hiking to The Forks, at the head of the Wilkin River, where we will be met by a jet boat for an exhilarating ride back to Makarora, where we’ll hook up with the rest of the group before carrying on to Franz Josef.	Friday - Jet boat Wilkin River After a relaxed start, we’ll take a thrilling jet boat ride up the Wilkin River, into the heart of Mt. Aspiring National Park, before hooking up with the rest of the group in Makarora and carrying on to Franz Josef.

Friday (continued) - Finish Mt. Aspiring National Park options

After an early start, we spend the morning hiking for about three hours to the Forks, at the head of the Wilkin River, where we will be met by a jet boat for a wild ride back to Makarora. This sets us up nicely for the beautiful drive up the coast towards settlement of Franz Josef and into glacier country!

ACCOMMODATION:       Franz Josef accommodations, Franz Josef (B,L,D)

Saturday - Hiking at Franz Josef Glacier

Just up the road from Franz Josef township there are two formidable glaciers descending from the mountains to the sea. In terms of scenery, this place is just off the chart, and we’ll spend most of the day hiking at Franz Josef Glacier. We’ll hike up through the rainforest to either Roberts Point or Alex Knob, both of which give great views of the terminal face, lower reaches and lateral moraine of the Franz Josef Glacier. We only do these hikes in good weather, as the rocks get very slippery in the rain. If it’s raining, we’ll do a shorter walk to the terminal face of the Fox Glacier and hike around Lake Matheson.

Heli-hikers generally return a little earlier, so we all rendezvous at a local café, and head north. From Franz Josef we head up the coast and inland through Arthur’s Pass. This afternoon, we head over the Southern Alps to Flock Hill Station - a stunning location for our final night together.

ACCOMMODATION:       Flock Hill Lodge, Flock Hill (B,L,D)

Sunday - Hiking in Arthur’s Pass and Depart for home

We’ll get in one last hike before heading back in to Christchurch to the Castle Hill Basin. We follow Cave Stream for a short distance before heading up to the Landon saddle, and onwards to the top of Landon Hill. This is a superb viewpoint for the Craigieburn and Torlesse Ranges and the limestone landscape of Castle Hill Basin, where much of the recent film “Narnia - the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was made. Then, after lunch, we’ll have a short drive back to Christchurch to arrive in time for your flights to Auckland and back home. We can drop you off at the airport or, if you would like us to, arrange extra accommodation if you’re staying longer. This will have been a very intense week, and you’ll be buzzing with excitement but feeling relaxed and refreshed as well! See the itinerary for the Kauri trip if you want to take a few more days to see the North Island as well. Or check out our ACTIVE AUSTRALIA itineraries if you've got another week or so and want to visit Australia, fondly known as New Zealand's "West Island". (B)

IMPORTANT DETAILS

ACCOMMODATIONS: Most of the accommodation on the Tui is of a very high standard. In some of the more remote places it's less luxurious, but worth it for the character and scenery!

If you are staying a few extra days in Christchurch after your trip, click here to take a look at our Christchurch information page which has a list of a few selected hotels and B&B's in and around Christchurch.

RECOMMENDED FLIGHTS: If you’re flying in on the first day of the trip, or out on the last day, we recommend arriving in Queenstown by approximately 11.50am on the first Sunday, and departing from Christchurch after 3pm (domestic flights) or 4pm (international flights) on the last Sunday.

PICK-UP INFORMATION: On the first day of the trip we can either pick you up from the Station Building in Queenstown at 11.30am or at the Queenstown airport in front of the information desk at 12noon.

DROP OFF INFORMATION: On the last day of the trip we can drop you off at the Christchurch airport in time for the flights above, or anywhere in central Christchurch.

FITNESS: We incorporate plenty of adventure activities and our focus is on getting you out of the vehicle, out of stress-mode, and into the scenery! Like all our trips, you don't need to be young or really fit - but this trip is all about action and pace, and it's definitely not designed for couch potatoes. Every one of the days on the trip will be unforgettable. We manage the level of commitment to suit your experience and we have an impeccable safety record. We hold all relevant government transport and outdoor guiding licenses and our staff are highly trained and experienced.

EXPERIENCE: You don't have to have any outdoor experience at all to enjoy the Tui . We offer trips that allow you to make the most of New Zealand's incredible outdoor environment. Our highly trained experienced guides will look after you! You won't be carrying a heavy pack and you don't need to have ever been in a sea kayak to enjoy kayaking Milford Sound. You don't need to be a serious cyclist to enjoy some of the rides we have available either. In fact, we have so many options available that you don't need to ride at all if you'd rather hike, fish, or just laze around! All we ask is that you be energetic and in reasonable shape - and we guarantee you'll have an incredible time on the Tui.

FLEXIBILITY:  Because of the off-the-beaten-path and non-commercial nature of some of our accommodations on this trip, we sometimes need to change a night stop. For instance, every now and then the Okarito Beach House is booked out. We try to make as few changes as possible, but we ask that you know we retain the flexibility to make sure your trip is as good as it can be.

INCLUDED: The trip fare is US$1999 + 12.5% NZ government taxes. We quote all prices in US dollars, so our guests from all over the world can more easily relate prices to their own currencies. The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:

• All guiding services. We have two guides per trip, a lead guide/driver and a co-guide who is responsible for meals and accommodations. This means we can really make sure you have a great time! We operate with small groups and we don't hesitate to offer a second departure when our trips start getting full. (Click here to read what our previous clients have said about their guides)
• Comfortable accommodation for the entire period you are with us. We can also organize accommodation for you if you want to arrive earlier or leave later.
• Transport as required, in comfortable vehicles, aircraft, jet boats, and whatever else is required.
• All your meals, except in Queenstown where we've found people prefer to check out the wide range of restaurants. Alcohol is not generally included, although we do spring for a few drinks here and there!
• All hiking, cycling, and kayaking described in the itinerary, except optional extra activities. We have estimated the rates for optional extra activities operated by local activity operators in US dollars, including all required equipment, but these rates may vary according to the USD/NZD exchange rate of the day. There are many optional activities available at extra cost, particularly in Queenstown. None of these activities are compulsory, and nor will your trip seem less awesome if you do the cheap or free options. Although some people enjoy sampling hang gliding, bungy jumping, jet boating, skydiving, and so on, others prefer to focus more on the hiking, paddling and cycling, which is of course the reason you're coming to New Zealand in the first place!

NOT INCLUDED: This is your holiday, and we are serious about not nickel-and-diming you! You'll have a few meals and drinks to cover, extra activities if you choose them, and you'll probably feel like tipping your guides at the end of a fabulous time, but you won't be pulling out your wallet every few minutes on your ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND trip!

Itinerary valid through April 2007

If you have any questions, feel free to , or call us at 1.800.661.9073

If you have questions about getting down to New Zealand, basic questions about our trips, how to pack, what to do with extra time in the country, or have general questions about New Zealand, click here to read answers to frequently asked questions.