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Wildlife and Wilderness continued
Details and prices
Your accommodation
· 3 nights in the Coromandel at Kuaotunu Bay Lodge or Colleith Lodge* · 2 nights in Rotorua at Accolades* · 2 nights in Tongariro NP at Chateau Tongariro
Mitre Peak, Milford Sound
· 2 nights in Wellington at Lampton Heights* or upgrade to Greenmantle Estate for £150*
Day 17
Lake Moeraki
Although not quite as adrenaline-driven as Queenstown, lakeside Wanaka is a hub of activities, with hiking, canyoning, climbing, mountain biking, sailing and skydiving. Our most popular trips include fantastic walking options such as the Rob Roy Glacier hike in Mount Aspiring National Park, which peaks above the tree line at a mountain cirque set in an amphitheatre of hanging glaciers. It's a full day out and can either be guided (£89) or tackled on your own. A sedentary alternative is a flight over the Mount Aspiring World Heritage Site and along the full length of Milford Sound, including a landing and a cruise out to the Tasman Sea (£203). You'll be staying at River Run, a stylish lodge just outside town in 42 acres of countryside and close to the confluence of three rivers.
· 2 nights in Abel Tasman National Park at Awaroa Lodge · 2 nights in Kaikoura at Hapuku Lodge* · 2 nights in Arthur's Pass at Wilderness Lodge, incl dinner* or upgrade to Grasmere Lodge for £244 incl. dinner* · 1 night in Franz Joseph at Franz Joseph Country Retreat* · 1 night at Lake Moeraki at Wilderness Lodge, including dinner* · 3 nights in Wanaka at River Run*
*includes breakfast Coromandel Rotorua Tongariro NP Abel Tasman NP Arthur's Pass Franz Josef Lake Moeraki Wanaka Wellington
On your drive south you'll need to feed your camera shutter with Lake Matheson, famously known for the reflection of Mount Cook in the mirror-like stillness of the waters. But you will also find it hard to match the unique natural setting of the Wilderness Lodge, your port of call for the night on Lake Moeraki. Landscaped in a lakeside clearing and surrounded by 1,000-year-old rainforest trees, it makes an ideal stopover on the way to Wanaka. Those who want an active afternoon can paddle a canoe on the lake or river, go birding or hike through the ancient forests.
Days 18, 19 and 20
Wanaka
Kaikoura
From Moeraki you'll slice through the spine of peaks at Haast Pass and drop down into Wanaka. On the way you might like to take time out for a `Siberia Experience', a popular trip which begins with a scenic flight, with close-up views of Mount Aspiring. You'll touch down in the Siberia Valley and take a hike through gorgeous scenery, following a stream through the meadows before climbing through a beech forest over a craggy saddle and down into the Wilkin river valley. There, you'll be met by jet boat for an awesome 30min ride back (£127).
What's included
Want to add a few days?
You could add a few nights in Queenstown before flying home, or continue driving south and take an overnight cruise on the immense Doubtful Sound on board the Fiordland Navigator, a replica of a traditional trading vessel (£227). Or consider our `Southern Belle' itinerary on the next page.
Accommodation as above, 18 days' car hire, domestic flight from Wellington to Nelson, return light aircraft flight to Awaroa Lodge. Tours are optional at approximate prices shown.
Guideline price per person, based on two sharing
Low season (Apr - Sep) High season (Oct - Mar) £1940 £2186
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