South Pacific >
THE SOUNDS OF NEW ZEALAND
day-by-day itinerary [Back]
Day 1
Our flight from Canada will take us to beautiful Queenstown. Bordered
by Lake Whakatipu and surrounded by mountains it is the centre
for all types of adventure activities. If time permits we may
explore the city before checking into our hotel for our first
night stay. With Queenstown being a destination for many International
tourists, there are several great restaurants to choose from.
Day 2 B
We have time this morning for more activities in and around Queenstown.
Whether it is mountain biking, white water rafting, hiking up
a mountain with astonishing panoramic views or just relaxing,
the choice is yours. In the afternoon we will drive 170 km south
to the township of Te Anau where tomorrow we start our sea kayaking
experience. We will be guests at a local hotel for the night.
Day 3 B / L / D
For the next 3 days, our wilderness seakayaking experience will
take us into one of the most remote areas of New Zealand. We will
visit the largest National Park of the country: Fiordland National
Park with its Doubtful Sound. We will explore some of the remote
waterways and arms of this fiord with its typical “U”
shaped valleys. Early in the morning we will be taken by motorboat
30 km across Lake Manapouri to its West Arm. Once on shore, 4WD
vehicles will take us 24 km over the Wilmont Pass and down into
Deep Cove, the first bay of Doubtful Sound. By mid morning we
will be ready to dip our paddles in the water. Penguins, seals
and the occasional bottlenose dolphin sighting will be part of
our first day of paddling on our way to the first camp somewhere
deep in Hall Arm. Pitching tents in a small forest camp and cooking
dinners within this pristine wilderness area will enhance our
senses. It is in this quiet remote place that you will be lulled
to sleep with the sounds of kiwi birds, morepork owls and bush
wekas.
Day 4 B / L / D
Our wake up call this morning will likely be birdcalls from the
ancient podocarp forest close to our campsite. Today we will explore
more coastline, islands and flora. Again we should look out for
the dolphins. We will see the steep cliffs of the valleys scarred
by some typical tree avalanches which have left the naked rocks
visible underneath. You will be part of this unique, raw and powerful
place once again, an experience you will never forget. Depending
on the weather conditions we will again camp overnight in the
same spot as the night before.
Day 5 B / L
Our last day in Hall Arm will present similar highlights as the
previous day, another great day out in the wilderness of this
fiord. We will have paddled about 5 hours per day while out here.
Our return trip to civilization will be late afternoon, leaving
Deep Cove; one of the most pristine areas you have ever visited.
By approximately 7 pm we should be back in Te Anau, where we check
into the same hotel as on day two.
Day 6 B
We drive back to Queenstown this morning and fly to Christchurch.
We then drive towards the Alps of the South Island. Over some
alpine passes and the flat Canterbury plains we will reach the
outskirts of the tiny village of Arthur’s Pass. The journey
takes about 2 hours as we climb roughly 900 m from sea level in
Christchurch. Our hotel for this night overlooks a river and surrounding
mountains.
Day 7 B
Depending on the fitness of the group and weather permitting we
will hike one of the lovely treks in the area. The walk can vary
between 2-8 hours. The alpine hikes obviously present the best
views of Arthur’s Pass National Park. It is surely one of
the most spectacular and highest parks in the country. Tomorrow
we will continue on the same road, crossing the alpine fault down
to the West Coast. Tonight, we will be welcomed again at the same
hotel as the previous night.
Day 8 B
Today’s drive is shorter as we drive further west and down
the park towards the West Coast into the town of Greymouth. From
there we continue along the beautiful coast up north to Punakaiki,
a small settlement that is well known for the “pancake rocks”.
These rocks were formed by sedimentation and include hard and
soft rock layers, mainly sand/mud- and limestone. We will walk
along the coast and up a limestone rainforest valley. Our hotel
for this night overlooks the beach with its pounding surf of the
Tasman Sea.
Day 9 B
We continue up north along the West Coast. Once past the small
town of Westport, it is only about 100 km to our final destination
for today: Karamea. We plan to do one of the nicest day walks
on the South Island tomorrow. This walk is part of the Heaphy
Trek and meanders along the West Coast with its Nikau Palms, the
white beaches with its driftwood and the pounding surf of the
Tasman Sea. We will be staying in a hotel called The Last Resort.
Day 10 B
Today we will walk part of the Heaphy Trek, unquestionably one
of the most beautiful walks on the island. It is the final segment
of the well-known trek and remains along the edge of the bush
most of the way with perhaps a detour to the edge of the beach
to check out driftwood designs shaped by the sea. We will cross
some bridges along the way near Kohaihai River and the Heaphy
Hut. Although the total length one way is 15 km, we may decide
at mid point to turn around and wonder back to our starting point.
We overnight at the Last Resort again.
Day 11 B
Our drive from Karamea to Picton today is about 400 km. We pass
again Westport then drive inland through the Buller Gorge to Murchison.
The direct route takes us to Blenheim and onto Picton, within
the Marlborough Sounds, a tiny but important port for ferry connections
to the North Island. This town is tomorrow’s starting point
for the second seakayaking expedition of this trip. We will stay
at a hotel in Picton this evening.
Day 12 + 13 B / L / D
Day 14 B / L
Today we leave Picton by water taxi to Ship Cove in the outer-sound
of the Queen Charlotte Sound where we will pack our boats for
the first day's adventure. Marlborough Sounds is where we will
spend the next three days kayaking and taking in the spectacular
tranquil and peaceful environment.
It is from here that we will pack our kayak and paddle in and
out of the many coves and inlets, around bush clad shorelines
and exploring the many interesting spots along the way. Over the
three days we will have the opportunity to explore Motuara Island,
home to the endangered South Island Saddleback and South Island
Robin. We will explore the marine reserve around Long Island,
some of Captain Cook’s favourite spots, the gun emplacement
on Blumine Island just to name a few. Before paddling back to
Picton on day 14, we check into our hotel in Picton.
Each night we will camp at a different campsite (weather permitting)
and the guide will cook you a delicious 3-course dinner while
you enjoy the sunset. You may have time to do some fishing for
your dinner or pick some mussels as an entrée.
Day 15 B
On our last day you will be transferred to Blenheim to fly to
Christchurch in order to catch the connecting flight to Auckland
or directly to Canada.
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