8D Southern Explorer

On arrival, collect your rental vehicle and self-drive to your accommodation.

Christchurch is set between the deep blue Pacific Ocean and the mighty snow-capped Southern Alps. This is a vibrant, ever-changing city with inner city parks and gardens delightfully interwoven by the meandering Avon River. Enjoy admission to the International Antarctic Centre today or tomorrow for an icy insight into this astounding continent.

Optional: Christchurch Tram Dinner

Depart across the Canterbury Plains, a fertile patchwork made with every shade of green, through the spectacular scenery of Arthurs Pass National Park and on to the West Coast. New Zealand’s rugged West Coast is a wild and untamed place known for its rivers, rainforests, glaciers and geological treasures. Here, mighty rivers of solid white ice, relics of the world’s last ice-age, tumble down the rocky valleys.

A temperate climate at a low altitude make Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers among the most convenient to visit in the world. Steep valleys bear scars from where glaciers have retreated and advanced over millennia and here, the ice age is still underway.

Christchurch - Glacier Region: 240-380km (approx 3.5-5hrs)

Travel through wilderness towns, waterfalls and river scenery on today’s scenic journey to Queenstown. We recommend stopping for a break, and to stretch the legs, at Makarora’s Blue Pools.

After settling in at your Queenstown accommodation, make your way to the Skyline Base for a Gondola Ride to the top of Bob’s Peak and enjoy some spectacular panoramic views high above Queenstown. You might also like to add some Luge rides to your bucket list for some extra fun.

Glacier Region - Queenstown: 350km (approx 4hrs 35mins)

Optional: Skyline Luge Rides or Onsen Hot Pools

Magnificent vistas and majestic mountains dominate this compact alpine resort town and with such an expansive natural physical environment it is not surprising that Queenstown has been described as the Adventure Capital of the World. Today is a free day to add some of the endless optional activities on offer

Optional: Shotover Jet or Bungy Jump

Fiordland is one of the world’s last great wildernesses. Today's stunning journey takes you past mirror lakes, spectacular waterfalls and water-sculpted rocks. Venture into Milford Sound, a New Zealand treasure carved by ice age glaciers and famously described as the eighth wonder of the world. After a big day out, reflect on memories of a lifetime on your return to Queenstown.

Queenstown - Milford: 287km (approx 3hrs 50mins) each way

Today’s journey takes you to a scenic wonderland with golden tussocks, snow-capped mountains and turquoise lakes. Hug the shores of beautiful Lake Pukaki to a rugged land of ice and rock, home to Aoraki Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain.

Queenstown – Tekapo/Mt Cook: 256-266km (approx 3hrs 15mins)

Be sure to stop for a while at Lake Tekapo where the ‘Church of the Good Shepherd’ takes pride of place against the backdrop of a vivid blue glacier-fed lake. Then continue north east where braided rivers and familiar plains will signal your arrival back into Christchurch.

Tekapo/Mt Cook - Christchurch: 230-330km (approx 3-4hrs)

Arrangements conclude today with a departure transfer or return of your rental car.