FOOD &WINE SUPERIOR AKL-CHC - English Great Days

Day notes

Welcome to New Zealand!

You will arrive at the airport and be transferred by a German-speaking transfer to your accommodation in the city center.

In the evening you will enjoy dinner at Auckland's "Sky Tower". This magnificent 328 m high tower is the focal point of this beautiful city. From the top, you'll enjoy an incredible 360° view of ancient volcanoes, sparkling sunlit harbors and much more.

Day notes

Today you will undertake a day trip to Waiheke Island on your own. A short ferry crossing from Auckland harbor will take you there. The island has a temperate climate and ideal growing conditions for wine. Furthermore, various cafes, art galleries and restaurants have settled here. You will go on a gourmet tour of the island with a local guide and visit three wineries and an olive grove in a small group. At one of the wineries you will have a light lunch and enjoy the view over the vines. In the late afternoon, you will take the ferry back to Auckland.

In the evening you will enjoy your dinner at the Orbit Restaurant, located in the Sky Tower.

Day notes

Today you will pick up your rental car and drive to Rotorua. The area around Rotorua is known for boiling mud pools, geysers and boiling lakes. Here you can feel the "pulse of the earth" up close and the smell of sulfur over Rotorua proves that the earth's surface here is only very thin. Even today it can happen that in the front yard of the residents the earth breaks open and a new boiling pond appears.

In the evening you will drive to a marae (Maori gathering place), experience the dances and songs of the Maori, learn more about their customs.

Day notes

Rotorua offers plenty of excursion options for you.

In "Rainbow Springs", a well-kept park area, you will take a walk and see the tuatara, a 200 million year old reptile species, and in a night house the heraldic animal of New Zealand, the flightless kiwi bird. In the newly built Kiwi breeding station "Kiwi Encounter" you can learn a lot of interesting facts about this peculiar bird, which left scientists puzzling for a long time whether it even belongs in the "bird category".

Alternatively, you can join a half-day tour with Kaitiaki Adventures. First, an all-terrain vehicle will take you up to Mt Tawarewa, a volcano best known for the June 10, 1886 eruption. 

This fully guided hiking experience encompasses the unique landscape and history of the region. With unsurpassed scenic vistas and 360-degree panoramic views of the surrounding lakes and volcanoes, this experience is ideal.

Other actions such as "Redwoods Treewalk" or a visit to "Skyline Rotorua" are very popular.  There you can see the gondolas, luge, mountain biking and much more.

Day notes

The journey takes you to Napier today. Napier, located directly on the sea, was completely destroyed during an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in the Art Deco style of the 1920s/30s. Since then, it has been considered the world's best preserved city in this distinctive architectural style.

The Hawkes Bay region had the first commercial grape growing in New Zealand. The riverbed on the Heretaunga Plain produces a variety of fruit wines and the surrounding hillsides excellent wine for premium Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with a typical tropical fruity flavor.

On your own, you will visit the Mission Estate Winery to taste a variety of wines from the region. Afterwards, you will have plenty of time to explore Napier and the surrounding wine region in more detail.

Day notes

You will join a guided "Art Deco Tour". You will visit some of Napier's iconic Art Deco buildings and learn about the people and events that shaped them from your local guide. 

In the afternoon, walk along the beach promenade and visit the aquarium or get products and information on the unpopular introduced Australian marsupial at "Opossum World." Opossum fur and merino wool are strong and durable. Perfect for high quality clothing.

Day notes

Today you will travel to Martinborough. This region has long ceased to be considered backward, and since 1984 has become one of the best wine producing areas. There are 17 boutique wineries in Martinborough. This area has low rainfall and the wine enjoys more sunshine hours and warmth than the rest of the North Island.

Try one of the local restaurants in the pretty "village of Martinborough" and a Pinot Noir, which is particularly good here.

Day notes

Today you will drive to Wellington. Since 1865 Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, so the political center of the country. Worth seeing is therefore the area around the Parliament with the former government buildings, the oldest of which, built in 1876, is considered the second largest wooden building in the world. Across the street is the present-day government building. Architecturally striking is the modern addition, known as the "Beehive" or "Beehive."

Take the bright red city cable car up to the well-tended Botanical Gardens. Stop for a bite to eat at the "Picnic Café," surrounded by trees and adjacent to the Lady Norwood Rose Garden.

Alternatively, stroll along the beautiful harbor promenade and discover well-preserved Victorian architecture in the town. 

Wander Wellington's most colorful street (Cuba Street) and discover quirky cafes, vintage clothing, record stores, art galleries, and get splashed by the famous Bucket Fountain.

Wellington is the coffee capital with some of the best roasters, baristas and cafes on every corner: Evil Twins, Pour & Twist, L'affare, Peoples Coffee and many more. Fidel's is one of many cafes on Cuba Street that stay open late.

Day notes

There's no way around Te Papa, the lavishly appointed National Museum (admission free).

Hannah's Laneway is where you'll find some of Wellington's most popular products: Visit Fix & Fogg for toast and peanut butter like you've never seen it before, Leeds Street Bakery for the best salted caramel cookie you've ever tasted, and Pizza Pomodoro for fresh and full-flavored pizza straight from the wood-fired oven. Visit Golding's Craft Beer Bar for some of the freshest beers in town or the Wellington Chocolate Factory for a bean-to-bar chocolate experience.

Day notes

In the morning you will go on the Interislander ferry. The trip is very impressive and offers very nice photo motifs. First you glide through the Marlborough Sounds, an area of "drowned" valleys formed by the geological subsidence of a low mountain range. Steep ridges still bear witness to the original mountain range, which today jut out as narrow peninsulas between deep inlets. The steep shores have a fjord-like character in places.

Arriving in Picton, join a seafood boat cruise in the afternoon. On the Seafood Odyssea Cruise, relax and enjoy the stunning Marlborough Sounds with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and local seafood such as mussels and salmon.

Continue to Blenheim, also called the "Capital of Wine," on the Marlborough Plain. Viticulture in this region began in the 70's, as "Montana Wines" . The name Montana was first used by the Yugoslavian immigrant Ivan Yukich for the wine he produced in the Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland. Montana is now known by the new name Brancott Estate.

The composition of the soil, high sunshine duration, a long autumn, a cold winter and little rain are excellent conditions for a first-class wine, especially Sauvignon Blanc.

Day notes

In the morning you will explore the Marlborough wine region in more detail. Biking on your own, you'll travel from winery to winery. Spend it relaxing in beanbags, nibbling on cheese boards, enjoying gourmet food and sampling delicious wines.

When viticulture began in 1973, few expected that in less than 20 years this region would become the largest and best-known wine region in New Zealand. The fruity, pungent tendencies of the first wines animated winemakers as well as wine drinkers and sparked a real outbreak in wine growing. Sauvignon Blanc is the most popular variety, with the Chardonnay grape in second place, followed by Pinot Noir and Riesling. Sparkling wine is also very popular.

You will then drive to Kaikoura, your destination for today.

Day notes

In Kaikoura there is the possibility to go whale watching by boat. The Kaikoura coast attracts sperm whales due to warm ocean currents, which find an abundance of food here.

You will continue south to the Canterbury Plain to your next accommodation,

In the afternoon you will be welcomed by a very warm farmer family, who will take you on a farm tour to get an insight into the life and work of the New Zealand rural population. Very impressive is e.g. the rounding up of the cattle and sheep.
Today you will spend the evening in a stylishly furnished farmhouse. With coziness at the open fireplace, the day will end here with a tasty dinner with certainly a lot of conversation with the farmers.

Day notes

Driving south, you will soon experience an impressive change of vegetation. Passing vast farmlands you approach the Southern Alps. The drive goes through the McKenzie Country. Sparse rainfall makes this highland appear as a barren steppe landscape. Vast 'tussock' (native flowering grass) glades carpet the hills, transforming the landscape into a strange-looking, inner-alpine basin landscape.

At Lake Tekapo, the 'Church of the Good Shepherd' is worth visiting, impressive for its remoteness and history.

Day notes

You will drive along the turquoise colored Lake Pukaki, in which the snow-covered peaks of the 3000m high Southern Alps are reflected in good weather. From here it is not far to Aoraki/Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand at 3754m.

The journey continues through the McKenzie Basin to Omarama, the "place of moonlight", with its bizarre silty sandstone rocks, a paradise for glider pilots because of its special thermals.

Sparse rainfall makes this highland appear as a barren steppe landscape. Vast tussock meadows, which cover the hills like a carpet, transform the landscape into a peculiar looking inner alpine basin landscape.

You cross the Lindis Pass (971 m) and reach Central Otago and soon after Queenstown, which is often called the "St. Moritz of the South Seas". Due to its beautiful mountain location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, the small resort town of Queenstown has developed into the popular tourist center of the South Island.  The elongated lake stretches between steeply rising mountain ranges. 

You will spend the rest of today in this scenery. You can take an optional cable car ride to Bob's Peak (Lookout Mountain), for a magnificent view of the adventure capital of New Zealand and the surrounding mountains. There you will also find the Stratosfare Restaurant.

Day notes

From a culinary point of view, Queenstown is also a one-stop shop. There are restaurants and bistros all over town. A particularly big visitor magnet is the snack bar 'Fergburger'. Especially English tourists are drawn here in masses.

In the afternoon you will take a trip on the historic steamship "TSS Earnslaw" and cross Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station. Here you will see a farm tour and have a grilled dinner before returning to Queenstown by steamboat.

Day notes

You will drive to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park. At the entrance to the town, on the shore of the lake, is the Bird Sanctuary/Wildlife Centre, which is well worth seeing. It is home to endangered native birds that are difficult to observe in the wild. The takahe, a flightless rail, was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in a remote mountain range in 1948 and has been strictly protected ever since. Other rare birds can also be found here in large-scale aviaries.

Also, the glowworm cave is a very popular attraction. Experience a mysterious underground world on a guided cave tour past the rushing waters of an underground stream before drifting in silent darkness under the glowing glow of hundreds of glowworms.
 

Day notes

Today another highlight is on the program. You will drive to the Fjordland National Park, New Zealand's largest and at the same time most undeveloped national park. Hardly any landscape embodies the term wilderness better than Fjordland.

In the west, 14 fjords penetrate deep into the primeval forests of a rugged alpine world like overlong ocean tongues. Not far away, snow-covered mountain peaks rise above alpine grass mats to 2700 meters.

On what is arguably New Zealand's most beautiful mountain road to Milford, you'll pass Mirror Lakes and the gloomy Homer Tunnel, and even encounter parrots and keas at one stop. After about 2.5 hours of driving you will reach the landmark of New Zealand and the most beautiful end of the world, Milford Sound. Lush vegetation stands out in front of the reflecting fjord and in the background a huge mountain rises from the earth. Already deeply impressed, you will start a boat trip past huge waterfalls and, with a little luck, encounter seals, penguins and dolphins. Afterwards you drive back to Te Anau.

Day notes

You will travel towards Invercargill on the 'Southern Scenic Route'.  It is New Zealand's southernmost small town, founded by the Scots. Visit Queens Park or Transport World.

Queens Park is a magnificent public park in the heart of Invercargill, covering 80 acres of beautifully maintained gardens and wildlife habitats.

At Transport World, discover the world's largest private automotive museum of its kind. With over 300 classic vehicles, Invercargill Café The Grille to explore, there's something for everyone here.

Perhaps try the 'Fish and Chips' which are particularly delicious in New Zealand today.

Day notes

You will travel along the scenic 'Southern Scenic Route'. The Catlins district offers a wide range of hiking opportunities and many other attractions.

The first highlight is the southernmost point of the South Island, a lighthouse, at 'Waipapa Point', where in 1881 New Zealand's most terrible shipwreck took place. 131 people died when the ship 'Tararua' ran onto a reef here.

In Purpoise Bay, if you are lucky, you can see the very rare Hector's dolphins, which belong to the smallest dolphin species in the world and are found only in New Zealand waters. Sometimes the very rare Yellow-eyed Penguins can also be seen here.

Then at nearby Curio Bay, the tree stumps and fallen logs of a 160 million year old petrified forest can be marveled at when it becomes visible on a rock platform at low tide.

Another lighthouse is located at Nugget Point, which was commissioned in 1870. From here, New Zealand fur seals and sea lions can be seen, as well as elephant seals, and many species of seabirds.

Soon you will leave the Catlins and reach Dunedin.

Dunedin is known as the "Scottish Stronghold" of New Zealand. It was Scots who named their settlement Dunedin in 1847 - the Gaelic name for Edinburgh. Today, the former settlement is considered the world's best preserved Victorian town.

Day notes

Today you will drive along the east coast towards the north. The small settlement of Moeraki invites you to take a break off the main route. Here on the beach are the mysterious stone balls of the 'Moeraki Boulders', which fascinate visitors again and again.

Continuing north along the Pacific coast we reach the limestone town of Oamaru. The town is known for its Victorian architecture, rich history and little blue penguins. The port was vital to Oamaru and surrounding agriculture during the late 19th century. Grain and wool were stored in often elaborate warehouses built from limestone quarried nearby. Many of the well-preserved majestic buildings still stand in the historic district and house a wide variety of curio stores, eateries, etc. Afterwards, continue on to Christchurch.

Day notes

The South Island's largest city is a lively, cosmopolitan place with exciting festivals and theaters, diverse shopping and other attractions.

The Christchurch Art Gallery, one of the CBD's most popular destinations, is a cornucopia of creative treasures. New Zealand art sits alongside international artifacts in a building worth visiting for its architectural value alone.

The Canterbury Museum, proudly located at heritage hotspot Rolleston Ave and Worcester Boulevard, is a must visit. Interactive exhibits, taxidermy, contemporary and iconic art, and an incredible Antarctic collection. Right next door is the Botanical Gardens.

For your last evening, we recommend the following activity. Dine in style in the restored historic streetcar, in an air-conditioned carriage. During a sightseeing tour through the heart of the rebuilt city center, you will experience a unique blend of old and new.

Day notes

Today your New Zealand trip ends.

You will drive to the airport and drop off your rental car to board your onward or homebound flight from there. We wish you a safe journey home.