| New Zealand Vacation Package: Touch of Aviation Day 1 Christchurch Upon arrival at Christchurch International Airport, your guide will meet and take you to your accommodation. There you'll have a chance to rest before your adventure begins and, if time allows, a short sightseeing trip of the city with Christchurch Tramways. Day 2 Christchurch to Franz Josef Departing Christchurch, we take the Tranzalpine train and travel across the Canterbury Plains and then through the spectacular gorges and viaducts of the Southern Alps. We journey through native beech forest and lake country until we reach Greymouth on the South Island's rugged West Coast. From Greymouth we visit Shantytown, situated in lush native rainforest. You can take a ride on a steam train or even try your hand at gold panning! We then journey down the coast to our accommodation at Franz Josef township. Day 3 Franz Josef to Wanaka Weather permitting, you will have the opportunity to take a flight over two glaciers and fly around New Zealand's tallest mountain, Aoraki (Mt. Cook), to land on the snow. A grand opportunity for photos. After that, we travel through the Haast Pass to Wanaka, where we will spend our third night. Day 4 Wanaka to Queenstown We then visit the New Zealand Fighter Pilots' Museum at Wanaka Airport before heading into Arrowtown. We visit a winery and take a tour through the vineyard. Here you may sample the local wines with a meal in their restaurant, try the local vine-smoked venison or the Benmore salmon to name but two delicacies. A once-thriving gold mining town, Arrowtown reflects the past with many of the original shops and cottages still in use. That evening we journey to Queenstown for our fourth night. Day 5 Queenstown Today there's a free day in Queenstown, New Zealand's adventure capital. Some of the many activities include white-water rafting, jet-boating, paragliding, tandem sky-diving, bungee jumping, exciting luge rides and much, much more. Alternatively, you can relax and soak up the beautiful surroundings or splash out at one of Queenstown's many boutiques. All activities on your free day is at your own expence as it is not included in the price of the tour. Once more, we spend the night in Queenstown. Day 6 Queenstown to Te Anau We journey over spectacular alpine roads to the heart of beautiful Fiordland, Milford Sound. We take a cruise on a launch and explore the outer fiord with a nature guide and friendly crew. We'll spend the night in tranquil Te Anau. Day 7 Te Anau to Gore We journey to Lake Hauroko where we take a jet boat across the lake and then down the Wairaurahiri river to the immaculate south coast. Later, you'll enjoy a helicopter ride along the Humpridge Range to the mighty Percy Burn Viaduct, then a BBQ at Waitutu Lodge before returning to our accommodation in serene and tranquil Gore, trout fishing capital of New Zealand. Day 8 Gore to Omarama From Gore we travel to Mandeville where we don leather helmets and take to the skies in a Tiger Moth. We'll also take a look at the aircraft restoration work in progress. From there we travel to Omarama, site of the 1995 World Gliding Championships, where we have the opportunity to go gliding in some of the best conditions the world has to offer. We spend the night in Omarama. Day 9 Omarama to Methven From North Otago, we travel through to Methven via the inland route to Christchurch. On the way we stop at Lake Tekapo. The Church of the Good Shepherd, a memorial to the early pastoralists, stands on the southern shore and nearby is the famous sheepdog statue, acknowledging the debt owed by the farmers of the time to these hard-working animals. Here, we'll also take a look at the Mt. Cook Salmon Farm. After Lake Tekapo it's on to Methven, where we'll spend the night. Day 10 Methven to Christchurch After an early start, we take off in a hot air balloon for a bird's eye view of the grand Canterbury Plains. We'll also toast our journey in style with a champagne breakfast. Our tour comes to a close in Christchurch with a visit to the Wigram Airforce Museum, spending your final evening with us in Christchurch. Price: NZ$8414-00 per person twin share. (minimum 2, maximum 4 passengers). The price includes: 10 nights accommodation Bed and Breakfast. 1 Champagne Breakfast 1 Lunch on Fiord Cruise 1 BBQ Lunch 1 Dinner Tramways Activities included in the price: Scenic Tramway tour of Christchurch City, Tranz Alpine train journey through the Southern Alps to Greymouth, Shantytown Gold Mining Village, Mt Cook Ski Plane Flight, Entrance to New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum Wanaka, Wine Tour, Milford Sound Cruise, Humpridge Jet Boat and Helicopter Tour, Flight in a Tiger Moth, Visit to Mt Cook Salmon Farm, Hot Air Ballooning and Entrance fee Wigram Airforce Museum. Travel in a Luxury Coach with air conditioning, CD and DVD for your entertainment. Contact us to enquire about your Touch of Aviation Tour with Jasper's Tours. Click Flickr for more pics www.jasperstours.com |