Day 1
Kia Ora! Welcome to New Zealand!! Your guide welcomes you at the Auckland airport and takes you to your central hotel. In the evening the entire group is welcomed and you are given information about the tour. During the dinner that follows, you will get to know the other members of the tour party.

Day 2
You go on a Sightseeing tour through Auckland before driving towards Coromandel, where you visit a beautiful garden setting, the Raparaura Water Gardens. This morning you will drive to Coromandel with its isolated and wild romantic coastal and hilly countryside. You go for a 35 minute walk to the world famous Cathedral Cove, a grotto within the chalk cliffs. Afterwards you visit a beach with unique hot springs; at low tide you can dig your own private hot water pool in the sand.

Day 3
On your way to Rotorua you stop at Mt. Maunganui where you visit a Kiwi fruit orchard and learn about the importance of the famous fruit for New Zealand. In Rotorua, famous for its Maori culture and geothermal attractions, you go on a sightseeing tour alongside the lake and visit impressive buildings such as the old bathhouse "in Tudor style" as well as the Maori village Ohinematu with its traditional Tamatekapua Marae or Meeting House. It was built in 1887 and is one of the most famous Maraes in New Zealand. Opposite the Marae is the famous Anglican Saint Faith Church. You also visit a cemetery where the graves are above ground level because of the region's geothermic activity and the hot Polynesian Pools.

Day 4
In the morning you drive to the Waimangu Valley, near Rotorua. It is one of the most interesting and active thermal areas worldwide. You visit a geothermal park with geysers, bubbling mud pools, steam vents and craters of boiling mineral waters. Next stop is Lake Rotomahana to visit the remains of the pink and white terraced pools, once a world wonder before being destroyed in 1886 by the Mt. Tarawera eruption. Afterwards you visit Lake Okareka and the vividly coloured blue/green Crater Lake before continuing on to Lake Tarawera. The afternoon is free time, an opportunity for you to visit some of many attractions Rotorua has to offer, eg. the Polynesian Thermal pools. In the evening you are welcomed onto the Marae where you will experience a welcoming ceremony, traditional Maori songs (waiata), dancing and the traditional Maori feast, the Hangi.

Day 5
You travel towards Lake Taupo, taking your time to enjoy spectacular views of the volcanic landscape and of Lake Taupo. You have a picnic on the shore of Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. A hot stream invites you to take a swim before walking for about 45 minutes alongside the Waikato River to get to the magnificent foaming Huka waterfall. You drive to the Tongariro National Park, the second oldest National Park in New Zealand. On a clear day it's worth going on a scenic flight over this magnificent volcano landscape with Mt. Ruapehu (2797 m) being the highest volcano in the country. Here in this spectacular region you'll find some of the casting scenes from the "Lord of the Rings."

Day 6
You drive along the Wanganui River towards Wellington. 100 km before you reach Wellington you stop to enjoy this untouched region and have a picnic at the beach next to the wild Tasman Sea. You explore Wellington, the World's Southernmost capital city, visiting the Beehive (Parliament buildings) and other important places before enjoying the stunning sea, mountain and city views from the summit of Mt. Victoria. Te Papa, the new National Museum, is worth a visit. You will learn in a vivid way about the history of New Zealand and about Nature and Culture. If you'd like you can also take a walk in the Botanical Gardens or have a look around the centre of Wellington.

Day 7
You board the ferry in the Wellington harbour and cross over to Picton and the South Island. The ferry trip passes some incredibly breathtaking scenery. The Fiord landscape provides plenty of photo opportunities including Dolphins that often accompany the ferry between the Islands. Afterwards you enjoy a wine tasting in Marlborough, the main wine-growing region of the South Island. The region is famous for its Sauvignon Blanc. Through Blenheim you get to the Wairau Valley where you stay the night on a farm. In the evening you enjoy dinner in the company of your hosts.

Day 8
Before breakfast those who are keen can help feed the animals. Afterwards you are rewarded with a hearty breakfast before you learn a lot about the training of sheep dogs. You can watch the sheep being shorn and you can help bake bread. You have the afternoon off.

Day 9
Your next stop is the Nelson Lakes National Park, with its Alpine Vegetation Zone being as high as 2100 m. You take a walk along the beautiful Lake Rotoiti that is one of the main attractions of the National Park. After a further one hour drive, you enjoy a 'Scones and Tea' picnic lunch at the historic Tophouse Cafe.

You then keep going southward through Nelson's hinterland. You visit where the first German settlers lived. In the middle of this former settlement you visit a Protestant and Lutheran Church and cemetery. Just before you reach Nelson, you go horse riding. You might recognize some of the horses, as they have been part of the "Lord of the Rings" movies. Passing Nelson, you reach today's destination - Motueka.

Day 10
You visit the Abel Tasman National Park. The Dutch sailor Abel Tasman was the first European to discover the New Zealand coastline in 1642. With a Catamaran you sail alongside the coastline of the National Park with its characteristic golden sandy beaches, idyllic lagoons, interesting rock formations and native bush with Nikau palms. Enjoy some of the most beautiful natural scenery in New Zealand. With a little bit of luck you get to see Dolphins, Seals and Penguins. You can also combine the boat tour with different length walks in the National Park.

Day 11
You leave the Nelson region and follow Buller Gorge southward until you reach the West coast. You stop near Westport at Cape Foulwind where the Lighthouse sits on top of the 72 m high cliffs. Next stop is Punakaiki.

Punakaiki, part of the Paparoa National Park, is famous for its Pancake Rocks. These bizarre limestone formations have developed over the past 30 million years. At high tide you watch the great spectacle of the blowholes caused by the surf crashing into the limestone cliffs, forcing jets of water up through fissures in the rock.

Afterwards you continue southward until arriving in Greymouth where you finish the day with a bonfire on the beach.

Day 12
You keep going towards Hokitika, a small town full of life! Here you can visit a Gold Smith's Studio and a Jade Studio where New Zealand jade is transformed into beautiful jewelry. You can also visit a Tannery. A great variety of flora and fauna, massive rainforest, Nikau palms, lagoons, lakes and rivers - all characteristics of the West coast landscape. Next stop is a secret thermal pool.

Where else in the world do you find glaciers that end in the rainforest near the ocean?
You can go on a guided walk or explore the moraine up to the glacier yourself. On a clear sunny day it's worth going on a helicopter ride to enjoy this fantastic landscape. You can even land in the snow if you wish (optional).

Day 13
You drive alongside the rugged West coast, with its rainforest, Nikau Palms, beautiful lagoons, lakes, rivers and the huge variety of flora and fauna. You stop several times to enjoy this beautiful scenery. Haast is our next stop and the destination for today. The Waiatoto River, a crystal clear river, invites you to take an Eco Boat tour through some of the most beautiful scenery in Haast. You head up the river valley for about 17 km using a jet boat. Those who want to even have the opportunity to explore the native bush that can only be reached by boat and therefore is quite original.

Day 14
Driving over the unique Haast Pass, you keep traveling towards Queenstown. You stop near Waterfalls and go for short walks. Continuing the tour you drive alongside Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea until you arrive in Wanaka. You take a break to enjoy the magnificent views over Lake Wanaka, which is surrounded by the Southern Alps. The highest pass, the Crown Range - a spectacular alpine route - takes you to Queenstown, the capital for the adventurous.

Day 15
Queenstown is New Zealand's party city and offers a wide range of adventurous activities. The city is situated next to Lake Wakatipu, which is, with 292 km2, the third largest in the country. It's also one of the most beautiful places.

Today is your day off and you can participate in all the exciting activities that Queenstown has to offer. Your Guide is happy to give advice and even make arrangements. Are you keen to go Wild Water Rafting, Bungy Jumping or maybe Paragliding? Or do you fancy a relaxed boat trip on Lake Wakatipu or alternatively ride the Gondola up the hill to enjoy the magnificent views? You can also visit one of the casting scenes of "Lord of the Rings" at Glenorchy.

Day 16
Today you have the opportunity to go on a bus tour to the famous Milford Sound within the Fiordland National Park. Discover the most magnificent landscape in the country. On your way you stop alongside the Mirror Lakes and admire the beautiful reflections. Afterwards you keep going northwards through the Eglinton Valley to the Divide, the starting point for many world famous tracks, i.e. the Routeburn Track. From here you enjoy the wonderful view over the Hollyford Valley. Driving through the famous Homer Tunnel, you reach Milford Sound. On a boat trip through the Sound and out onto the ocean you may be lucky and encounter Seals and Dolphins. Marvel at the fascinating Mitre Peak (1694m) with its dramatic scenery that protrudes above the Milford Sound. You stay the night in Te Anau.

Day 17
You leave Te Anau and drive towards Catlins. Catlins is an isolated untouched region of special beauty. You can expect magnificent natural scenery with a mixture of long beaches, high cliffs and native bush. You also visit Porpoise Bay and take a walk along the beach. With a little bit of luck you even get to see Seals. On low tide you even have the opportunity to have a look around a 160-year-old fossilized forest. Sometimes you can also watch Hector's Dolphins playing in the waves only meters from the beach.

Day 18
Next stop is Nugget Point where huge cliffs are home to a Seal colony. You take a long walk along the beautiful sandy beaches and watch the Seals. You then keep going towards Dunedin. Dunedin, the 'Edinburgh of the South,' with its beautiful historic buildings such as the train station and Otago University, has a distinctive Scottish flair. For bird lovers the Otago Peninsula Native Reserve offers the most accessible colony of Royal Albatrosses for viewing. This excursion is optional.

Day 19
On your way northward to Oamaru, you stop alongside the Pacific Ocean taking a break to visit the Moeraki Boulders. These huge concentric secretions lie scattered underneath the cliffs and strewn across the beach, weighing up to several tonnes and measuring in at 2m in diameter. They form an impressive sight. In Oamaru you have a look around the historic white limestone buildings that are more than 100 years old. In the evening you stay at the beach to watch the little blue penguins returning to their nests behind the quay wall. With a bit of luck you might even get to see the rare Yellow Eye Penguins.

Day 20
Christchurch is called the 'Garden City' of New Zealand and makes a British impression with all its Victorian style buildings. A Sightseeing Tour takes you to the Arts Centre and to the Cathedral. Afterwards you have time to go shopping or to have a look around the Botanical Gardens. Tonight you enjoy your last evening meal together, reflecting on the good times of the last 3 weeks.

Day 21
After breakfast you end the tour of New Zealand. We hope that you had 3 unforgettable weeks and many wonderful memories. Your guide will bring you to the airport or will assist you with other travel arrangements. We wish you a good flight home. Goodbye! 'Ka kite ano.'