11 Day Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer Autumn

Registration to meet your fellow explorers and tour guides is from 2.30pm – 5pm at Sudima Airport Hotel in Christchurch. Welcome Dinner and Tour Briefing will be held at the hotel restaurant at 6.30pm.

Your journey begins at Rolleston Railway Station, where the iconic Mountaineer Train awaits. Often regarded to be one of the world’s great rail journeys for the scenery through which it passes. You will see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps, and see large tracts of native beech forest. Luxury coaches await at Arthur’s Pass to transport you to Hokitika and then onto your hotel in the ruggedly beautiful Franz Josef.

Leaving Franz Josef, we travel down the West Coast and encounter the mighty Haast River on a Jetboat Safari, then continue through the Haast Pass. This remote area has a ruggedly beautiful landscape of vast rainforests, gushing waterfalls and the snow-capped Southern Alps. Continuing through Makarora on the border of Mount Aspiring World Heritage Park, we pass by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and Lake Dunstan.

The adventure playground of Queenstown then awaits! Cap off a special day as we take in The Remarkables Mountain Range and the view of Lake Wakatipu from the hotel.

Wake up to join a lake cruise on board the historic TSS Earnslaw, the 1912 Edwardian steamboat, which takes us across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet BBQ lunch.

Departing Queenstown, we continue to the village of Kingston which is nestled on southernmost end of Lake Wakatipu. Here, the iconic Kingston Flyer Steam Train awaits to take you on a memorable return journey between Kingston & Fairlight.

Then, we enter the Fiordland National Park district, continuing to traverse the Southern Scenic Route, our journey calls in to visit the Takahe Bird Sanctuary. Takahe are the stars of the show and meeting these prehistoric-looking characters is a ‘must do’ for Fiordland visitors. The sanctuary is a large part of the success of the Takahe Recovery Programme.

Enjoy a day at leisure or there is the option for a day cruise to Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound that offers some of the most spectacular natural scenery to be viewed anywhere in the world. Experience the numerous waterfalls up close and amazing wildlife, such as dolphins and seals. Cruise the inner most reaches of Sound to the open Tasman Sea and back.

Departing Te Anau for Dunedin, via Mandeville a special journey is made to Waimea Plains Railway, which is home of a static display of the historic Rogers K92 Steam Locomotive (the original Kingston Flyer) and we also explore the Croydon Aviation Museum.

In the morning, we explore the remote Taieri Gorge by Dunedin Rail over river gorges, weaving our way through a myriad of historic tunnels and guide you to the historic Wingatui Viaduct, a marvel of 1880s construction that remains the largest wrought iron structure in New Zealand.

An afternoon at leisure is planned or there is the optional excursion visit to Larnach Castle for a decadent high tea & garden tour.

Departing Dunedin by luxury coach, we continue to hug the coast and visit the famed spherical boulders at Moeraki Beach (subject to tides). Then onto Oamaru, where we enjoy lunch in the heritage precinct. Then, a detour inland via Waitaki Valley & Omarama and onwards towards the spectacular Aoraki Mt Cook. Here, we find the home of the tallest mountain in New Zealand, which helped Sir Edmund Hillary to develop his climbing skills in preparation for the conquest of Mt Everest. Recognised as part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area, the National Park is a breath-taking environment of glaciers, terminal lakes, turbulent rivers and Australasia’s tallest peak, the mighty Aoraki Mt Cook soaring above at 3,724 metres.

Enjoy a leisurely morning and then a visit to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, which is a tribute to New Zealand’s global icon as well as discovering New Zealand’s colourful transport, climbing and hotel history. Followed by an afternoon drive to Mueller Lake walk & lookout surrounded by the silent splendour of the Southern Alps. Morning optional activities include a glacier explorer cruise or a scenic helicopter flight with expert pilots navigating their way over the glacial lake, passing soaring mountain tops over NZ’s longest glacier – the 600 metre thick, Tasman Glacier. Guest speaker is a Hillary family representative in the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre Theatre before dinner. The optional Planetarium Show takes place in the theatre after the Hillary presentation.

A morning departure from the hotel leaving Aoraki Mt Cook by coach, we journey back to the coast via Tekapo, Geraldine and Rakaia on the way to Christchurch. On arrival in Christchurch, this brings us to the end of the tour.