Most people leave the Northern Hemisphere on a Saturday evening, arriving in Auckland early Monday morning. You’ll lose a day crossing the dateline – but you get it back on the way home! It’s a short flight from Auckland to Christchurch in the South Island where we’ll meet you. We’ll then head west to Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area in the heart of the Southern Alps. We’ll take a gentle one-hour walk among the imposing limestone tors of Castle Hill, which were once a meeting place for moa hunters of the Ngāi Tahu tribe. The Dalai Lama visited this area and described it as a ‘spiritual center of the universe’. This afternoon, we’ll continue on to the West Coast and the seaside village of Punakaiki, where you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to relax or walk along the beach. Depending on where you’re coming from, you’ll probably find jetlag is no big deal – for instance, it’s a 12 to 13-hour direct overnight flight from Los Angeles to Auckland so you’ll appreciate the gentle start to your New Zealand adventure. Accommodation: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki, Punakaiki. Includes lunch and dinner.
Located within the Paparoa National Park and with stunning views of the Tasman Sea, Scenic Hotel Punakaiki offers comfortable, environmentally friendly accommodation. The resort is situated only 300m from the famous Punakaiki Blowholes. Rooms are spacious and modern ensuring your evenings are spent in comfort.
We’ll spend most of today hiking the Inland Pack Track through temperate rainforest and limestone canyons in the footsteps of the gold miners who established this trail over a century ago. We’ll also follow the Truman Track to a rocky cove and check out the famous Pancake Rocks and blowholes – aptly named limestone formations that have been sculpted through relentless pounding by the Tasman Sea. The Punakaiki coastline is a magnet to marine wildlife, including little blue penguins and Hector’s dolphin (the world’s smallest) that can sometimes be seen close to shore. Accommodation: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki, Punakaiki. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Enjoy a second night at the Scenic Hotel Punakaiki with stunning ocean views.
We’ll travel down the coast to hike the Point Elizabeth track through native coastal forest and flax. The fibers of the flax plant are a traditional resource for Māori, used for weaving a variety of baskets, mats and clothing. Then it’s on to Hokitika where we’ll stretch our legs and check out local art galleries and pounamu-carving workshops (pounamu is Maori for jade). We’ll continue south and stop off in Okarito, a little-known beach community on the coast, for a relaxing hike through lush coastal forest or along the black sand beach. We’ll then carry on down the windswept coast to Franz Josef. Nestled in the rainforest-clad foothills of the Southern Alps, Franz Josef is the heart of New Zealand’s glacier country. After dark, we can head out to look for the eerie lights of Arachnocampa luminosa – the native glowworm – and listen for some of New Zealand’s nocturnal birdlife such as the distinctive hoot of the morepork owl. Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Set amongst six acres of native bush in the heart of Franz Josef township, the Rainforest Retreat offers truly unique, spacious and stylish accommodation. Nestled in the rainforest, a range of accommodation embraces the surrounding environment and offers either forest floor or mid-canopy native bush views.
With some 140 glaciers making their way down from the Southern Alps, this area is fittingly known as glacier country. Few sights equal the spectacle of this giant frozen river (Franz Josef Glacier) imperceptibly grinding its way down through the temperate rainforest to just 250 meters (820 feet) above sea level. We’ll take a morning walk to the historic Tartare Tunnels, and then continue on to Franz Josef Glacier where we’ll walk to an incredible view of the terminal face. From Franz Josef, we’ll travel down the coast through lush rainforest and inland to Makarora, a small village bordering Mt Aspiring National Park, with incredible views of the snow-capped mountains. Accommodation: Wonderland Lodge, Makarora. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Enjoy a peaceful evening in your Wonderland Lodge cabin nestled in the bush, offering privacy and seclusion with nature walks nearby, abundant birdlife and wonderful mountain scenery.
This morning we’ll hike the Rocky Mountain track, a spectacular circuit through an area carved out by ice-age glaciers, with stands of native forest and shrub land. We’ll enjoy lunch after our hike in Wānaka, then it’s a short but dramatic drive over the Cardrona Saddle to Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, our base for the next couple of nights. You’ll have time to explore and plan your free day tomorrow before dinner. You’ll sleep in this beautiful alpine town. Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Queenstown. Includes breakfast and lunch.
The brand-new Holiday Inn Express and Suites Queenstown is located in the prime position on the corner of Stanley and Sydney streets in Queenstown, providing close proximity to the city centre shopping, entertainment and outdoor activities. The hotel features a selection of well-designed hotel room types and suites to cater for all types of travellers.
Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand (if not the world!) and all the comforts of civilisation are packed into this tiny resort town: restaurants galore, stylish lounge bars, day spas, and boutiques. You'll also find incredible optional activities here including horse trekking, a gondola, fishing, winery tours, an historic steamship, bungy jumping, jet boating and skydiving as well as some great hiking opportunities. Or you can just soak up the atmosphere at one of many local cafés. Your guides will happily share their favourite haunts and point you in the right direction for your free day today. This afternoon, there's a pre-departure briefing for the Milford Track Guided Walk if you've chosen that option. Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express, Queenstown. No meals included.
Enjoy a second night at the Holiday Inn Express. With inspiring mountain and lake views, it is your superbly comfortable base from which to explore this vibrant resort town.
Variety is the spice of life and that’s exactly what this option is all about - hike three of New Zealand’s Great Walks and take an overnight cruise, all in five days - it’s unheard of! We kick things off with a relaxed breakfast, and a drive to the lakeside town of Manapouri, where our journey into Doubtful Sound begins. We’ll board a boat for the cruise across Lake Manapouri, before a drive over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove where we’ll board the Fiordland Navigator for our overnight cruise. Doubtful Sound is a large and remote wilderness area, where you’ll have the opportunity to take a kayak out on the water or hop aboard the tender craft for a guided exploration of the fiord, and in the right season, you may catch a glimpse of the rare Fiordland crested penguin. Tonight, you’ll sleep a private room, with ensuite aboard the Fiordland Navigator. Accommodation: Fiordland Navigator, Doubtful Sound. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Enjoy a stress-free and relaxing cruise aboard the Fiordland Navigator, as this three-masted sailboat takes you to some of Fiordland National Park’s most untouched and inspiring scenery.
Onboard facilities are made up of spacious viewing decks, an observation lounge and a dining saloon with a fully licensed bar. Kayaks and a tender craft (small boat) allow you to explore the shoreline while there are plenty of opportunities for wildlife viewing.
You’ll wake in the middle of Doubtful Sound and after breakfast we’ll retrace our journey back to Manapouri. From there we’ll tick off a section of the Kepler Track. Interestingly, the Kepler Track differs from the Routeburn and Milford Tracks in that it didn’t actually evolve from a necessary Māori greenstone trail, but was custom-built for hiking. The section we’ll hike today passes over the control gates at the outlet of Lake Te Anau and meanders through ancient beech and podocarp forest. Accommodation: Distinction Hotel and Villas, Te Anau. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Te Anau is the gateway to the Fiordland National Park and home to the South Island’s largest lake. Situated on the lakefront, the Distinction Hotel and Villas offers chic, elegant accommodation and is only a short stroll from the Te Anau town centre.
It’s worth getting up early to take a photo of Mitre Peak, quite possibly the most photographed mountain in New Zealand, but your challenge is to find a unique angle! After breakfast, we’ll take a short boat ride across Milford Sound to hike from Sandfly Point to the Giant Gates waterfall, a spectacular section of the famed Milford Track. The forest here is lush and rich with mosses and ferns as we follow the Arthur River past Lake Ada. By hiking from the Milford Sound trailhead, we’ll enjoy the track to ourselves, which is a luxury others seldom get. Once we return to the Milford wharf, we’ll board a boat for a two-hour nature cruise to the head of this spectacular fiord. We’ll then leave Milford Sound behind to hike some lesser-known tracks in eastern Fiordland before returning to Te Anau. Accommodation: Distinction Hotel and Villas, Te Anau. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Enjoy your second night at the Distinction Hotel and Villas.
This morning we’ll drive to the Divide, where we’ll hike part of the Routeburn Track, the third of the Great Walks you’ll experience. We hike through beech forest, subalpine shrub land and picturesque alpine tarns, before reaching Key Summit. Here you’ll be standing at the head of three different valleys (the Hollyford, Eglinton and Greenstone), with stunning views over the Great Divide, which separates west and east flowing rivers. Afterwards we’ll head back to Te Anau and head for the Department of Conservation birdlife park. The centre takes care of injured or aging birds that would struggle to survive in the wild - it’s a great opportunity to see some of our rarest birds up close, so don’t forget your camera! Accommodation: Distinction Hotel and Villas, Te Anau. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Enjoy a third night at the Distinction Hotel and Villas in Te Anau.
Today we’ll drive back along the shores of Lake Wakatipu to Queenstown, and take a ride on the gondola to the top of a tree-covered rocky crag, known as Bob’s Peak, to start our alpine hike. We pass through open alpine tussockland to the Ben Lomond saddle and will be rewarded with panoramic views of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by the often snow-covered Southern Alps. For those keen to press on to the top, Ben Lomond’s summit reveals views of Mt. Earnslaw and Mt. Aspiring, two of New Zealand’s highest peaks, and even a glimpse of Aoraki/Mt. Cook on a clear day. Tonight you’ll dine out in Queenstown at one of the many excellent restaurants. Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Queenstown. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The brand-new Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Queenstown is located in the prime position on the corner of Stanley and Sydney streets in Queenstown, providing close proximity to the city centre shopping, entertainment and outdoor activities. The hotel features a selection of well-designed hotel room types and suites to cater for all types of travellers.
After breakfast, we head out around Lake Wakatipu to the Mt. Crichton Scenic Reserve, where we’ll hike the Sam Summers Track. This area was mined for gold until the 1930s and there are still many relics to be seen along the way. After hiking, we’ll continue on to a local winery. This region’s dry and sunny climate is ideal for grape growing and is becoming well known for producing world-class pinot noir and other quality wines. We’ll enjoy a glass or two and then head to Lake Ohau Lodge. Here we’re staying beside a beautiful alpine lake, with stunning views stretching across to Aoraki/Mt. Cook and the Southern Alps - an ideal spot to soak in the hot tub! Accommodation: Lake Ohau Lodge, Lake Ohau. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Nestled against the hills, Lake Ohau Lodge has a special reputation for high country hospitality and contemporary high-country food. From the lodge, enjoy panoramic views overlooking the alpine lake up to the majestic Aoraki/Mt Cook. A restaurant, bar and spa pool will add to your experience of this uniquely Kiwi lodge.
A short distance away is Mt. Cook, named Aoraki or ‘cloud piercer’ by South Island Māori, the highest mountain in New Zealand. Directly opposite Aoraki/Mt. Cook, we have a stunning day hike to the main ridge above Mueller Glacier. This area has a unique alpine environment and includes endemic flora such as the Mt. Cook lily (Ranunculus lyallii), the world’s largest buttercup. Many of our clients have said this is the best hike they’ve ever done and it’s a fine way to finish off a great trip. It’s a bit of a hike, but you’ll remember the view of the glacier and the surrounding peaks forever! The weather conditions are very important in this area, as it’s a true alpine climate notorious for sudden weather shifts. If we aren’t able to do the Mueller Glacier hike, or you’d like to take it a little easier, there’s an impressive hike up to a glacial lake (complete with icebergs!) at the base of the Hooker Glacier. After hiking, we’ll relax at our lodge nestled right in the heart of Aoraki Mt. Cook National Park. Accommodation: Mt Cook Lodgings, Aoraki Mt Cook Village. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This is the last day of your Milford Quest trip and you’ll leave refreshed and invigorated from the good food, exercise, rest, and great times you’ll have had in New Zealand! For a great way to see the North Island too, where you’ll experience Māori culture, and volcanic and geothermal areas, you can combine this trip with the 5-day North Island Adventure (11-day options available; please contact us for information). If you are flying out on the last day of the trip, we recommend departing from Christchurch after 4pm on Sunday. If you’re considering alternative flight times, please check with us. Includes breakfast and lunch.
