Land of the Kiwi: New Zealand (June, 2024)

ITINERARY:

Day 1-2 - Departure from the USA for Auckland, New Zealand

Day 3 - Arrival in Auckland

Kia Ora, (welcome) to New Zealand! On arrival into Auckland, meet your Akorn Resident Tour Director in the arrival’s hall and transfer by private coach to your downtown accommodation (Movenpick Hotel). Auckland is a colourful vibrant city, often called the 'city of sails'. Its spectacular setting on sparkling Waitemata Harbour and its major landmarks are the Harbour Bridge, the Sky Tower and Rangitoto Island, the region's youngest volcano. Visitors can enjoy the magnificent harbour, enjoy the many and varied activities of the city or walk and hike in the nearby hills where native flora and fauna abound.

Tonight, join your fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner at Orbit 360 Dining: a revolving restaurant atop the Sky Tower. Enjoy a 3-course dinner as you take in the panoramic views over the “City of Sails”.

Movenpick Hotel Auckland Steeped in Swiss tradition yet unequivocally modern, settle into that sweet spot between luxury and lively at Mövenpick Hotel Auckland offers premium accommodation where every moment is an opportunity for indulgence. Located in the heart of Auckland CBD, at the edge of the waterfront, check-in to the perfect base to explore the iconic city. Savour panoramic harbour or city views, and let your sumptuous surroundings whisk you away.

Movenpick Hotel Auckland 2 nights

Dinner Included

Day 4 - Waiheke Island

Following breakfast, meet your Tour Director in the hotel lobby and take a short walk to the downtown ferry terminal, where you will transfer to Waiheke Island. On arrival, meet your local guide and discover the essence of Waiheke Island, known as ‘New Zealand’s Island of wine’. Indulge in succulent fresh oysters, award-winning olive oil and other locally produced specialty foods, accompanied by wines from some of the Island’s top boutique vineyards. Upon conclusion of your tour, sit back and indulge in a hand selected platter of gourmet foods for lunch. Upon arrival back in the city, you’re at leisure for the rest of the evening. Overnight Movenpick Hotel Auckland.

Breakfast and Lunch Included

Day 5- Auckland to Coromandel

After a leisurely breakfast, meet your group in the hotel lobby and travel by private coach through the picturesque farmland and beautiful seacoast of the coromandel Peninsula. The Coromandel Peninsula is a thin 62-mile long beautiful wilderness area indented with many curving beaches and coves dividing the waters of the Hauraki Gulf from the Pacific Ocean. The Peninsula's European history is steeped in gold mining, logging and kauri gum digging. You can see regenerating kauri forest stands amongst the remote inland forests.

Arrive at Paeroa, a mineral water town where upon arrival, your local guide will meet you at a nearby, quirky café for lunch. After lunch, travel to the historic old gold mines and haunted ghost town. Marvel at the engineering from over 100 years ago and dive deep into the history of the mines themselves including one active gold mine. Then, visit a beautiful natural beach, before arriving at your hotel where your rooms will be ready for immediate check-in.

Grand Mercure Puka Park Resort: The tranquil hideaway of Grand Mercure Puka Park Resort is located at beautiful Pauanui Beach, just two hours' drive from Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton. This idyllic resort is hidden on Mount Pauanui, amid 25 acres of lush native bushland. The 48 romantic chalets are nestled amidst the native forest throughout the resort, each with king bed, luxury amenities and beautiful private deck with a view over the treetops. Superb dining, stunning views and intimate ambiance are on offer at Miha Restaurant. Additional facilities include swimming pool, sauna, gymnasium, tennis and day spa. World-class golf, fishing, diving and beautiful Pauanui Beach are also nearby.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Day 6 - Coromandel Peninsula

Today meet your Tour Director and depart on your full-day tour of the Peninsula’s stunning coastal scenery with its white sand beaches, magnificent cliffs, old Maori Pa (village) sites and offshore islands.

Visit the Coromandel’s most famous scenic attraction, ‘hot water beach’. You will learn about the importance and history of local natural ‘treasures’ including rich gold specimens, crystals, petrified wood and Kauri gum found only on the peninsula.

Next, Take a ride on the Driving Creek Railway! Located on the north-western coast, this narrow-gauge bush and mountain railway is a scenic delight. Stop at the ‘Eyeful Tower’ a unique, awe-inspiring viewpoint which overlooks the entirety of the peninsula. A truly memorable experience.

Lunch today will be served at a local unique café, famous for New Zealand’s green lipped mussels. A celebrated delicacy. After lunch, re-join your coach and return to your hotel in Pauanui Beach, where your evening will be at leisure. Overnight Grand Puka Park Resort.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Day 7 - Coromandel to Rotorura

Today your destination is Rotorua, the cultural hub of New Zealand. Meet your Tour Director in the hotel lobby and transfer by private coach stopping via the world-famous Hobbiton en route.

Visit the Hobbiton Movie Set, the bucolic setting for The Shire that featured in the Peter Jackson directed films, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies. The Hobbit holes, Green Dragon Inn, Mill and other structures created for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films can be viewed and you will see how this beautiful piece of Waikato farmland was transformed into The Shire from Middle-Earth.

Conclude at The Party Marquee, a fully themed, spacious location to enjoy a delicious feast style lunch. Choose from a selection of fresh breads, hot meat dishes, pastas, vegetable dishes, salads, fruit and cakes. Then, continue to your Rotorua lakeside hotel in coromandel for check-in.

Later, re-join your fellow travelers and transfer to Te Puia for an evening cultural experience, feast of cultural storytelling and Maori cuisine.

Enjoy an in-depth experience of the customs and traditions of Maori, with a traditional powhiri (welcoming ceremony), a warrior's challenge and a full kapa haka (performing arts) concert. Following the performance you will indulge in a banquet combining contemporary cuisine with a traditional hangi (earth-cooked oven meal), where kai (food) is steam-cooked by hot rocks in the earth, giving it a delicious smokey flavour. Finally you will be transferred to enjoy the spectacular lighting of the Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley. Wander around the illuminated natural attractions, including the world famous Pohutu geyser which explodes 30 metres high into the air, while enjoying more Maori-inspired delicacies and a hot drink.

Re-join your coach and transfer back to your accommodation.

Novotel Rotorua Lakeside Set on the shores of Lake Rotorua, Novotel Rotorua Lakeside offers stylish, modern accommodation just 10 minutes' walk from Rotorua's city centre. Rooms are spacious and contemporary in design, featuring either lake or city views, and all amenities. With an indoor heated pool, geothermal mineral pools, an on-site sauna and a well-equipped fitness centre, all your relaxation needs are catered for. Adjacent to the property is the Matariki Hangi and Culture Centre which offers nightly Maori cultural performances and a traditional Hangi buffet. Atlas Café & Restaurant offers an extensive range of seasonal fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, while Clarke's Bar is the perfect place to relax and enjoy classic cocktails and local beers, as well as live entertainment on weekends.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.

Day 8 - Rotorura to Christchurch

Following breakfast, meet your Resident Tour Director in the hotel lobby and transfer by private coach to the National Kiwi Hatchery. Enjoy a private 45-minute tour of the National Kiwi Hatchery. This interactive attraction will allow you to learn about the Kiwi, its unique and endearing characteristics, its origins, its habitat and how it lives. Expert guides will take you through the amazing hatchery and answer all your kiwi-questions! Please note that seeing a kiwi bird is not guaranteed.

On conclusion, transfer by private coach to the Rotorua Airport and proceed for check-in. Today, we fly to Christchurch where upon arrival enjoy a relaxed lunch at a local nearby cafe’.

After lunch, enjoy an afternoon sightseeing tour of this fascinating city. Discover the history of this city as you take in the awe-inspiring sights and its surrounds. See firsthand how this beautiful city is recovering from the devastating 2011 earthquake. Then, board a handcrafted, flat-bottomed boat and embark on a leisurely glide along the tranquil Avon River in Christchurch, as a skilled punter in traditional Edwardian attire propels you slowly along the water. Punting on the Avon is an eco-friendly way to relax and enjoy Christchurch from a different perspective as you make your way from the historic Antigua Boat sheds, through the Botanic Gardens.

Upon conclusion, re-join your coach and transfer to your hotel, where your rooms will be available for check-in. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.

Novotel Cathedral Square: Superbly located right in the heart of the city centre, Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square is convenient to some of Christchurch's best attractions - including the lovely Hagley Park and the Avon River - and fantastic fine dining options. The rooms are spacious and stylish, with wonderful views across the city and the restaurant serves excellent New Zealand Cuisine and local wines. There is a fully equipped gym and all the services you would expect from a modern 4-star hotel.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Day 9 - Christchurch to Mount Cook

Rise early and depart with your Resident Tour Director to Aoraki (Mt Cook National Park) stopping at aweinspiring Lake Tekapo en route. Travel for approximately six hours onboard your luxury coach, taking the inland scenic route with views of the rugged alps across the tapestry of the Canterbury plains .

Arrive at Lake Tekapo, the second largest parallel lake running north-south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island of New Zealand. Stop for a photo opportunity and cold refreshment alongside this scenic location before re-joining your coach and arriving in Mount Cook shortly after.

At dusk, meet your fellow travellers and local representative for an evening of spectacular stargazing and a unique moonlit experience. Your knowledgeable guide will lead you on an awe-inspiring and interactive journey through the southern night sky. A unique experience is guaranteed with hundreds of mesmerizing stars, planets, the Moon and satellites constantly moving as our earth orbits in space. Sure, to be a memorable experience!

Hermitage Aoraki Mount Cook Hotel: Nestled beneath the towering peaks of the mighty Southern Alps, the Hermitage is a gateway to an extraordinary alpine wonderland. The UNESCO World Heritage Mount Cook National Park is a breathtaking environment of glaciers, lakes, rivers and the mighty Mount Cook. All rooms are simple and fresh in décor, the highlight the spectacular alpine views from large picture windows. The hotel is fully equipped to pamper guests and provides the perfect base from which to experience this spectacular part of the world.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 10 - Mount Cook - Dunedin

Following breakfast, meet your Resident Tour Director for today’s destination is Dunedin, the wildlife capital of New Zealand. Our drive today is approximately 6-hours and includes stops at local hidden gems, Omarama and Oamaru, en route.

Enjoy the scenic views of Dobson Valley before arriving at our first stop, Hot Tubs Omarama. A healthy eco-friendly day spa nestled between the Mackenzie Basin mountain ranges.

Sit back, relax and soak with a view inside a rustic wooden tub overlooking the stunning natural scenery. Each wooden hot tub is temperature adjusting, cleaned and refilled after each use with natural, pure mountain water. Don’t feel like getting wet? No problem. Treat yourself to a therapeutic massage, relax inside the lodge-style sauna or perhaps even take off on foot to explore the natural mountain sights and trails. The choice is yours!

Then, re-join your fellow travellers and continue-to Omarau, just 2-hours’ drive north of Dunedin. Lunch will be included en route at a local roadside, restaurant. Located on the pacific coast, Otago’s harsh weather conditions create the ideal breeding ground for the world’s smallest penguin, the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor) or (Korora).

Upon arrival at Omarau Blue Penguin Colony, make your way to the grandstand and be seated in the premium viewing zone. Alongside the designated boardwalk, you will enter the breeding colony and walk among the nesting burrows. As the sunsets, experience up close, the little penguins returning to their burrows from a full day at shore. In the premium viewing grandstand, you experience the penguins from only a few metres away! Upon conclusion of your tour, re-join your coach and transfer to your hotel in Dunedin for immediate check-in.

Distinction Dunedin Hotel: Distinction Dunedin Hotel is situated right in the heart of the city, the Distinction Dunedin Hotel is an elegant 4½ star luxury hotel located in the completely renovated 1937 former Chief Post Office in Dunedin. This modern hotel consists of 121 elegant suites and studio rooms with huge televisions, walk in showers and soundproofing. Parcels Restaurant, and the stylish Post Bar are the perfect place for drinks or a meal. Guests also have complimentary access to the on-site club gym at Air Fitness

Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 11 - Dunedin

Today, meet your Resident Tour Director and local representative in the hotel lobby and depart on your full day private wildlife tour of the Otago Peninsula.

Begin the day with a visit to New Zealand's only castle, Larnach Castle. Built 1871 by William Larnach, merchant baron and politician, for his beloved first wife Eliza. It took more than 200 workmen three years to build the Castle shell and master European craftsmen spent a further 12 years embellishing the interior. Larnach spared no expense on his dream home, which features the finest materials from around the world.

After enjoying your packed gourmet lunch, you'll be collected from the front steps of Larnach Castle at 1:15pm.

Enjoy informative commentary and stunning coastal views as you travel around the diverse inlet ecosystems before visiting the Royal Albatross Centre at the tip of the Otago Peninsula. Here you'll be taken up to a viewing observatory above the world's only mainland nesting colony of Northern Royal Albatross. Discover why these impressive birds are so special and learn more about their life. Watch as they soar past on three metre wingspans and interact on the hillside below.

The next stop is a walking tour through a Yellow-eyed Penguin reserve. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the on-site rehab centre before you are taken through regenerating native bushland, along well-kept bush tracks, to different viewing hides scattered around the reserve. This is a great opportunity to potentially see the world's rarest penguin in the wild. You'll likely also spot fur seals and other native birds during the tour.

The tour concludes with a relaxed drive that follows the beautiful Otago Harbour back to Dunedin. You'll travel past quaint harborside communities and arrive at your accommodation just before 6:00pm.

Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 12 - Dunedin - Te Anau

After checking out, meet your Resident Tour Director in the hotel lobby and travel by private coach crosscountry, to the gateway of the Fiordland National Park, Te Anau. Our journey today includes scenic stops and a delicious lunch at a local restaurant en route.

Upon arrival to your hotel in Te Anau, your rooms will be available for immediate check-in and the remainder of the afternoon and evening at leisure. Spend this time exploring the natural wonders of this picturesque little town.

Distinction Luxmore Hotel Te Anau: The Distinction Luxmore Hotel Lake Te Anau is conveniently located right in the heat of town within easy walking distance of world-famous Lake Te Anau. The hotel offers a range of accommodation styles. The 180 fresh, modern rooms are spacious and comfortable with all amenities, and with two on-site restaurants and excellent service, the Distinction Luxmore Hotel is the perfect launching point for exploring the Fiordland National Park.

Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 13 - Te Anau - Queenstown

Following an early breakfast, meet your Resident Tour Director in the hotel lobby and journey over the Devil’s Staircase and along the shores of Lake Wakatipu by private coach, to Te Anau and its lake.

Travel through the rainforest of World Heritage Fiordland National Park, sighting glaciers and mountain ranges. Drive through the hand-hewn Homer Tunnel to the numerous photo opportunities afforded by the Mirror Lake, Pop’s Lookout, Cleddau Valley and the Chasm, Mitre Peak and Bowen Falls before reaching Milford Sound. Enjoy lunch while you cruise on this breathtaking wonder of nature.

On conclusion, disembark the vessel and continue by private coach to your hotel in Queenstown, where your rooms will be available for immediate check-in. The remaining balance of afternoon and evening is at leisure.

Novotel Lakeside Queenstown: Perfectly Positioned on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, treat yourself to tranquillity at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside. Start your day fresh with a breath of mountain air on your balcony and a delicious buffet breakfast in the airy restaurant. Your welcoming room awaits you to soak up Queenstown's natural beauty. Located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in the midst of the local fine dining precinct, Novotel is the ideal base for your Queenstown adventure

Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 14 - Queenstown

Following breakfast, meet your Akorn Tour Director and group in the hotel lobby and depart on a tour of the district, including Arrowtown and a visit to Gibbston valley.

Visit to the picturesque Arrowtown, an old goldmining settlement that retains much of its early character. It was the discovery of gold in Arrowtown which led miners by the thousands into the district and resulted in the formation of settlements adjacent to the gold diggings. From 1869 there was small community of Chinese miners living in Arrowtown.

You then visit the Kawarau Bungy Bridge. If you have heard of Bungy, you've heard of the Kawarau. The world's first and most infamous of bungy! If you choose to take the leap there are a variety of options; topple over backwards, forwards, with another person, spin or somersault.

Next, stop at Gibbston Valley Winery, one of the pioneers of this region’s wine industry for a wine tasting. This small, sophisticated winery, set in spectacular mountain surroundings, has earned an international reputation for Pinot Noir as well as other thriving grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Blanc. Their 2000 Reserve Pinot Noir was named the Champion Pinot Noir of the World! Conclude your visit to Gibbston Valley Winery with an exclusive tasting in New Zealand’s largest wine cave followed by a seasonal lunch including paired wines before returning to Queenstown for an evening at leisure.

Overnight Novotel Lakeside Queenstown

Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 15 - Queenstown

Spend your last two days in New Zealand at leisure. This evening meet your Tour Director in the hotel lobby and transfer by private coach to the Skyline Queenstown. Experience a scenic one-way gondola ride to the top of Bob’s Peak and take in the breathtaking panoramic views. Enjoy a buffet style farewell dinner before transferring back to your hotel. Overnight Queenstown.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 16 - Free day.

Day 17 - Return to USA

Your adventure comes to an end today as you are transferred by private vehicle to the Queenstown International airport to board your international flight home.

Breakfast included