Southern Explorer (12 Days)

Rated as one of the top six scenic train journeys in the world, the famous TranzAlpine Express will take you deep into the heartland of the South Island...a coast to coast journey through some of the worlds most extreme and beautiful scenery. This rail trip is 223.8 kilometres long and takes just four and a half hours. There are 19 tunnels, and 4 viaducts, the highest being the Staircase standing at 73 metres.

The TranzAlpine includes an open air viewing carriage where all your senses are awakened with the clean, fresh, mountain air. This service also includes a fully licensed café car and professional Train Managers who provide informative commentary to ensure a totally unique experience.

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes: The heaving swells of the Tasman Sea have shaped the coastline of the West Coast for millions of year and nowhere is the effect more striking than at Punakaiki. These rocks are a series of stratified limestone stacks which have been eroded to give the effect of giant piles of neatly stacked pancakes. Another prominent feature are the blowholes that, at high tide or in heavy weather, regularly throw up columns of dazzling spray high out of the blowholes – Best seen after wonderful westerly storms when the sun is reasserting itself.

Choose one of the two options listed below:

White Water Rafting, Whataroa: Often Described as 'New Zealand's Grand Canyon', the West Coast's awesome granite gorges provide you with New Zealand's longest and most challenging canyoned white water. Raft guides from other parts of New Zealand that are looking for a challenge come and do this trip. Three years ago the World Kayaking Championships were held in these gorges as they are rated amongst the world's classiest white water.

A twelve hour day starts with an awesome helicopter trip into the mountain gorges and then at least 4 hours of challenging whitewater back to the road. Depending on water levels you will experience approx 6 grade 5 rapids, 4 grade 4 and 12 grade 3 rapids however you do get extensive raft and safety training at the head of the river before commencing your 6 hour descent. A high energy wilderness lunch is supplied.

With 6 hours on the river and over 21 rapids this trip provides one of the best value grade 5 rafting expeditions you will find.

Kayaking, Okarito Lagoon: Take a guided tour to visit New Zealands largest unmodified estuarine lagoon - home to more than 70 bird species, including the beautiful Kotuku (white heron). At Okarito lagoon, on the west coast of the South Island, there’s a huge area of shallow open water and tidal flats just waiting to be explored. It’s the perfect location for sheltered water kayaking, and there is plenty to see as you paddle along.

The lagoon is surrounded by lush native rainforest, above which rise the towering snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps. The area is an important feeding ground for thousands of wading birds that seem relatively unruffled by the wide-eyed people drifting quietly by in kayaks. The kotuku (white heron) is very rare here, as New Zealand is at the edge of the bird’s climatic and geographic range. Each year adult kotuku come from all over New Zealand to the country’s only breeding area on the Waitangiroto River. The Okarito lagoon is their main feeding ground and the permanent home for some of the population.

The Franz Josef is a glacier located in Westland National Park and together with Fox Glacier 20 klm's to the south is unique in the fact that the glacier face descends to just 200 metres above sea level amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest.

Your full day glacier excursion takes you into superb scenery deep in the heart of the glacier. The excellent step-cutting skills of your guide allows you to travel through the most spectacular and challenging glacier terrain imaginable. With a total of 5-6 hours on the ice you could find yourself squeezing through tight blue crevasses or sliding through ice caves and shuffling down near vertical walls of ice. Afterwards soak and relax in the fabulous Glacier Hot Pools.

Leaving Franz Josef thismorning we head south past Lake Paringa and Bruce Bay following the coast south to the southern most pass through the Southern Alps, Haast Pass.

Haast is surrounded by a landscape of rainforest unchanged for thousands of years, wetlands, sand dunes and surf-pounded beaches that form part of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, so designated because South Westland and Fiordland have some of the most dramatic forest and mountain scenery and natural resources in the world. This is the area where the film ‘The Piano’ was set; Haast is a town truly on the edge of the wilderness.

Choose one of the two options listed:

Canyonning Niger Stream: Located in the gorgeous Matukituki Valley near Lake Wanaka are several world class canyons, the most popular of which is the Niger Stream Canyon. Niger Stream is a beautiful canyon and descending means several abseils and jumps big and small. No experience is required, groups are small so your guide can pitch the trip at your level. An awesome back to nature experience with lots of fun and excitment in a unique and fabulous setting.

Hiking Rob Roy Glacier: The experience begins with a one hour drive along the beautiful Matukituki Valley into the national park. At the roads end, the track follows the Rob Roy Stream through beech forest - enjoy waterfalls and the luxuriant understorey of ferns and mosses. At the tree line, the  forest gives way to alpine vegatation and spectacular views of the hanging glaciers beneath Mount Rob Roy. From your safe viewing point you can watch and listen for avalanches. The walk to the viewing point is mostly uphill, but the incline is gradual. If you eat lunch at the viewing point, be aware that kea (mountain parrots) can be very persistent - turn you back for a second, and they'll steal your lunch.

We leave Wanaka thismorning for the one hour drive to Queenstown but we'll make the required stop en-route at Bungy Central.

Queenstown is not only the Southern Hemisphere's premier four season lake and alpine resort but is also New Zealand’s adventure capital and the home to the world’s first commercial bungy jump site. The Kawarau Bridge Bungy is located 20 minutes drive from Queenstown above the historic Kawarau River. At 43 metres, it offers extensive Bungy Jump menus like; tandem, harness, and foot-tie Bungy Jumps not forgetting of course the popular ‘water touch’ option. If you’ve never jumped off a bridge before, The Kawarau Bridge Bungy ‘The Home of Bungy’ is the perfect place to do it.

We leave Queenstown thismorning for our scenic trip through to Milford Sound. The Milford Road (between TeAnau and Milford) is New Zealand’s most remote highway providing access to spectacular mountain valleys. Travel from Te Anau  to the forested Eglinton Valley, through the Homer Tunnel and out into breath-taking Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is one of New Zealand's most spectacular sea kayaking destinations! The way to really experience the magnificence of this world famous fiord is at water level from a sea kayak. Paddle beneath towering granite overhangs, waterfalls, the Pembroke Glacier - Stare up at Mitre Peak, glacier scarred rock walls that rise 1200 meters (3937 feet) vertically from the sea and waterfalls that tumble from hanging valleys and crash into the sound far below – don’t get too close! You will be accompanied by Fur seals, the rare Fiordland Crested Penguins and the playful dolphins both Bottlenose & Dusky that frequent the fiord.

Depart from the Milford Sound wharf in the late afternoon and cruise the full length of Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea accompanied by a specialist nature guide. The cruise style is relaxed, allowing plenty of time to view the fiord’s spectacular waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and wildlife. The Milford Mariner then anchors in a sheltered cove, where you can join the nature guide and explore in the vessel’s tender craft (small boat) and kayaks.

As evening falls, enjoy a lavish carvery buffet in the dining saloon. Then relax in the company of fellow travellers or indulge in some star-gazing before retiring to your private cabin.

Wake up to the majesty of Milford Sound, fill your lungs with the sweet air that can only be tasted this far from civilization. After a hearty cooked breakfast we embark on the return journey to Te Anau. Keep a lookout for wildlife, especially fur seals basking on the rocks, dolphins playing in our wake and if you are really lucky you will spot a colony of the rare sulfur crested penguin hopping around the rocks.

We return back to Queenstown via Milford Road, a world heritage highway.

Free day to do as many (or as few) of the activities on offer in Queenstown.

Here is a selection of the many activities available in Queenstown.

Sunrise Balloons offer a once in a life time hot air ballooning trip. Queenstown, is the most spectacular place to fly in a hot air balloon! We fly in a valley near beautiful Lake Wakatipu and the Shotover River surrounded by mountains up to 2400 metres high. We have views of Coronet Peak and The Remarkables ski areas, Mount Aspiring in the Southern Alps and Mount Tutoko in Fiordland National Park. We also see Lake Wakatipu, Lake Hayes, the Shotover and Kawarau rivers. Get a birds eye view of some of the filming locations used in "Lord of the Rings" - The Ford Of Bruinen; Dimrill Dale; The Gates of Argonath; The Pillars Of The Kings. Also visible is Mount Earnslaw, one of the great mountains seen in Isengard. After your flight indulge in a champagne style breakfast served at the landing site.

Our 10 day Southern Explorer Adventure finishes today in Queenstown, the 12 day Southern Explorer Adventure continues tomorrow to Aoraki Mt Cook National Park and Christchurch.

You may choose to terminate your tour in Queenstown (Christchurch to Queenstown 10 Days).

Our drive thismorning takes us back through the Kawarau Gorge to Cromwell, then we follow the shores of a man-made lake, Lake Dunstan to Lindis Pass. We travel to Lake Pukaki and onto Aoraki Mt Cook National Park which incorporates New Zealands highest mountains. Unlike Mt Cook, Mt Tasman (2nd highest Mt in NZ) sits on the South Islands main divide. The Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s longest glacier, winds its way down beside the Southern Alps for nearly 30km before culminating in the 18 square km terminal lake. The transition from glacier to lake produces impressive icebergs on a regular basis.

Choose one of the two options listed:

Glacier Explorers: Experience the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake and its icebergs, in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. A unique guided experience departing Aoraki/Mount Cook village by bus to the beautiful Tasman Valley followed by a 1/2hr gentle alpine walk. Board our MAC boat, and explore the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake, where you will discover the ever-changing ice face of the Glacier and icebergs, making each trip different from the last due to changing winds and currents.  Knowledgeable guides, enhance your experience with their expertise and passion for this amazing alpine environment.  Have you ever been alongside, discovered or touched an iceberg?

Glacier Sea-Kayak: This trip is an adventure for the kayaker with some previous experience and provides an opportunity to see the other side of the Main Divide by kayak. Launch into the trip of a lifetime as you push away from shore to explore the wonders of nature’s creation. A safety boat remains on standby at all times.

We make the drive back to Christchurch in approx 3 1/2 hours where our Southern Explorer Adventure terminates with your airport transfer this afternoon. If you are staying longer in Christchurch here is a selection of some of the many activities available: