South Island Trip, December 2020

• Domestic travel to the start point (normally Wellington)
• Optional activities
• Between-meal snacks
• WiFi, internet use, or laundry costs at holiday parks
• Additional accommodation before and after the trip. Supervised accommodation will be arranged on request in Wellington for any students needing to stop over in Wellington to make connections. The cost is $40 per night.

• Bungy Jump (Kawarau Bridge, Nevis, Ledge) – Queenstown. $205-$275 (Adult), $155-$275 (Child) depending on which jump you choose.
• Ledge Swing – $165 (Adult) $115 (Child), Nevis Swing $220 (Adult) $170 (Child), Canyon Swing $249
• Kawarau Zipride – Queenstown – $50 (Adult) $40 (Child)
• Tandem Paragliding (Skyline or Coronet Peak) – Queenstown – from $205
• Helicopter flight over Queenstown and the Remarkable Mountain Range – prices start from about $270
• Four Wheel drive trips – Lord of the Rings Trails – Half day $195 (Adult) $95 (Child), full day $395 (Adult) $190 (Child)
• Four wheel drive – Skippers Canyon – Half day $195 (Adult) $95 (Child)
• Sky diving – Queenstown: $299 – $459 (depending on the jump altitude which ranges from 9 – 15000ft (2743-4572m).  Additional costs for taking a GoPro or photographer, from $199 – $359 depending on the package.
• Horse-trecking – Queenstown: approximately $100 – $200 for 1.5 – 4 hours (Child rates may be offered)
• Hydro Attack ride in a semi-submersible shark – Queenstown: $134 (early bird), $154 (non-earlybird)
• Paint-ball (group bookings only) – Queenstown: $60 for 200 balls, $80 for 400 balls, $100 for 600 balls
• Swimming with the dolphins in Kaikoura – $180 for a swimmer or $95 as a viewer ($165/$55 for 14 years and under)
• Whale watching in Kaikoura – $150 per person ($60 for 15 years and under)

• Palmerston North (and nearby) students may get a ride to Wellington in the ISENZ van. Students need to be at 29 Meridian Grove at 08:00am for a 8:15am departure. Places in the van are limited, so Russell must be contacted on 021646750 to make this arrangement prior to the trip start date.
• Wellington: Between 11 – 11.00 am (Hotel Waterloo and Backpackers). Airport pick-ups on November 23rd and 24th, 2018
• Ferry departs at about 1.30 pm. We must check in by 12.30pm
• Travel by ferry to Picton over the Cook Strait and through the Marlborough Sounds. Drive by bus to Blenheim.
• Stay over-night at the Blenheim TOP 10 Holiday Park. Phone: 03 578 3667.

Day 2: Nelson, Motueka, Takaka, Pohara

• Travel to Nelson. Free time to explore Nelson city centre. Nelson was one of the first settlements in NZ and is home to Ernest Rutherford, the father of atomic physics.
• Lunch at beautiful Tahunanui Beach.
• Travel to Takaka in the Golden Bay area, stopping in Motueka for a look around and a visit to the European Bakery.
• Visit Pupu Springs the largest fresh-water spring in New Zealand
• Stay two nights at the Pohara Top 10 Holiday Park (Phone: 03 525 9500), situated alongside the beach of Golden Bay

Day 3: Pohara, Abel Tasman National Park

• Sea kayaking in the morning at Tata Beach in the Abel Tasman National Park.
• Lunch back at the holiday park. Native forest walk and visit to Wainui Falls or Rawhiti Caves
• Group activities and games on the beach back at the holiday park before dinner
• After dinner, head down to the beach and watch the sunset while toasting marshmallows on the bonfire

Day 4: Motueka, Murchison, Buller Gorge, Westport

• Travel through Buller Gorge to Westport
• Walk the buller swing bridge across the Buller Gorge
• Stay over-night at Carter’s Beach Holiday Park.

Day 5: Punakaiki, Greymouth, Hokitika, Franz Josef

• Travel down the rugged and beautiful west coast through rain forest
• Stop at Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Shanty Town
• Pan for gold at Shanty Town
• Travel on to Franz Joseph Glacier
• Stay overnight at the Franz Joseph Top 10 Holiday Park.

Day 6: Franz Josef, Fox, Haast Pass, Wanaka

• Visit Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers.
• Continue through the Westland rain forest (a world heritage area)
• Through the Haast Pass to Lakes Hawea and Wanaka. Wanaka is a very popular holiday resort.
• Stop over night at Wanaka at the Top 10 Holiday Park.

Day 7, 8 and 9: Wanaka, Crowwell, Queenstown

• Time in Wanaka. Visit the Maze and Puzzling World.
• Travel on to Cromwell. See the town of Cromwell where the Clyde dam formed a lake, drowning most of this old gold-mining town. Cromwell is also famous for the production of apricots, cherries and Pinot Noir wines.
• Continue into the Kawarau Gorge and stop at the original AJ Hackett bungy. Hackett is the man who invented the bungy jump.
• Arrive in Queenstown. Time to check out optional activities. Optional activity day is Sunday April 22. Group activities include a trip up the Skyline gondola, the Skyline luge and the Shotover Jet
• Remain in Queenstown for three nights at the Lakeland Park Camp. Phone: (03) 442 8809
• Take part in group activities Day 8 and optional activities Day 9.
• There is time for other activities and shopping

Day 10: Te Anau, Milford Sound

• Travel on to on to Te Anau then Milford Sound in Fiordland through very rugged mountain country and on through the Homer tunnel. Scenery through the pass and in the Fiords is very spectacular. It is a designated World Heritage Park.
• Take a boat trip on Milford Sound viewing Mitre Peak, seals, waterfalls and sometimes dolphins.
• Travel back to Lake Te Anau.
• Stop overnight at the Lakeview Holiday Park. Phone: 03 249 7457.

Day 11: Gore, Balclutha, Dunedin

• Travel from Queenstown to Dunedin. Arrive in Dunedin at around 3.00pm
• Spend night at Dunedin at Dunedin Holiday park, Phone: 03 455 4690. Dunedin was once the largest city in New Zealand. It was the first Scottish settlement in NZ and the city has a Scottish character.
• Time in Dunedin to explore the city or visit the Cadbury Chocolate Factory (optional activity).
• Walk or race up Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world.

Day 12: Oamaru, Benmore, Lake Pukaki, Mount Cook Village

• Visit the famous Moeraki Boulders – unusually large, spherical boulders that lie along Koekohe Beach
• Stop for lunch in Oamaru at the Steampunk Playground. Oamaru is a quaint old town known for its white stone Victorian buildings. Visit the Steampunk HQ Museum for a weird, retro-futuristic sci-fi experience like no other!
• Travel inland up the Waitaki Valley and see the huge hydro lakes and dams.
• Continue through Canterbury high country to Mount Cook, stopping for a swim at Lake Pukaki. Mt Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, standing at 3724m. The Maori name for Mount Cook is Aoraki, meaning “cloud piercer”.
• Walk up to the Tasman Lake for views of the Tasman Glacier, if the light permits
• Stay over-night at YHA Aoraki Mount Cook Backpackers. Phone: (03) 435 1820.

Day 13: Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo, Christchurch

• Visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.
• Travel from Mount Cook to Christchurch, stopping for scenic views of Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo overlooked by Mt Cook in the distance. These are glacier lakes renowned for their intense turquoise colour.
• Stop at Lake Tekapo, by the Church of the Good Shepherd, a small, picturesque stone church overlooking the lake.
• Travel onto Christchurch, stopping in Geraldine along the way for lunch.
• Time to explore Christchurch CBD. You will see the evidence of the extensive damage caused by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. 70% of central city buildings were extensively damaged and are still being demolished and re-built.
• Visit the earthquake memorial wall, the Cardboard Cathedral, or explore the unique Re:START container mall, a make-shift shopping centre made from shipping containers
• Stay overnight at the Spencer Beach Holiday Park. Phone: (03) 329 8721

Day 14: Kaikoura

• Travel on to Kaikoura, a beautiful coastal town known for its abundant wildlife, particularly dolphins and sperm whales
• Go swimming with dolphins (or be a spectator) or go whale watching. Both are optional activities.
• Final night dinner and awards ceremony
• Stay over-night in Kaikoura at the Kaikoura Top 10 Holiday Park. Phone: 03 319 5362

Day 15: Picton, Wellington

• Pack up and travel back to Picton
• Lunch in Picton. Time to have a look around Picton before checking in at the ferry terminal.
• Take the afternoon ferry back to Wellington.
• Drop off in Wellington.
• Supervised accommodation will be arranged for those who need to stop-over to make connections, if requested.
• Palmerston students will be returned back home. Times to be given later… but expect evening… as late as 9.00pm.
• The ferry arrives in Wellington at about 6.00pm.

Click here to download Payment Details