Day 10. Napier to Wellington. We were up early for the long journey to Wellington, stopping at Dannevirke for coffee and Paraparaumu for lunch. We arrived in Wellington where we had a brief coach orientation tour which included going to a local lookout point above the city. Time for a rest at the hotel and then walked to the waterfront for dinner with other group members. Day 11. Wellington. Thankfully a slightly later start and went up the nearby cable car to the Botanical Gardens. We were able to stay with the group or to walk at our own pace and choose what we wanted to see. Walked from there down to the waterfront and the excellent Te Papa museum. Had a quiet evening because we had to be up early the next day. Suitcases had to be put out by 10pm because they were travelling by truck whilst we were going on the ferry tomorrow as foot passengers.
Day 12. Wellington to Picton. Up early for the ferry to the South Island. A really enjoyable crossing because the weather got better as we travelled south and we arrived in Picton in sunshine. We were met by our new driver Denis and started the long inland journey to Christchurch. The November 2016 earthquake at Kaikora meant that the coastal road was still closed and the only alternative added over 2 hours to the journey so we arrived in Christchurch in the dark. We were greeted at the hotel with warm cookies which were gratefully received. This was only an overnight stop and we had to be up early to catch the train so not worth unpacking.
Day 13. TranzAlpine train. Caught the 8.15am train so another early start. We were very lucky that the train had reopened whilst we were in NZ because there had been an extensive trackside fire in February and we left the UK thinking that part of our tour had been changed. It was very enjoyable with excellent views and the opportunity to stand in an open-sided observation car.
We left the train at Arthur’s Pass and rejoined the coach for the journey to Franz Josef where we had 3.30 bookings to go on the optional glacier helicopter flights. About half the group, in 3 helicopters, had the flight of a lifetime up to the glacier where the helicopter landed and we got out on to the snow. Plenty of opportunities for photos. In the evening Brian had pre-booked enough tables in a restaurant next to the hotel where we could pay individually for whatever we ordered.
Day 14. Franz Josef to Queenstown. Another long coach journey punctuated by coffee, lunch and photo stops as we drove along the side of Lake Wanaka. We stopped at the town of Wanaka to enjoy ice cream on the beach. Glorious sunshine and scenery.
We arrived at our lakeside hotel on the outskirts of Queenstown mid-afternoon and had a rest before we were taken by coach to the gondola for the optional dinner and stargazing. As it happened the stargazing was cancelled that evening because of the cloud cover and a refund given. However the buffet meal was excellent with lots of choice and the views were good too.
Day 15. Milford Sound included excursion. On the coach at 7am for the long journey to Milford. Plenty of coffee, photo and toilet stops along the way. Stopped near the Homer Tunnel to see if we could find some Kea birds and we successfully photographed one pecking at rubber on a vehicle which they are famous for doing! Arrived in time for the 1.30 sailing and enjoyed a very good packed lunch that was provided as part of the trip. It rained on and off and was very misty but the trip was very good. We arrived back at the hotel at 8.30 and were very grateful that we had been able to pre-order dinner.
Day 16. A free day. Various opportunities today after a more leisurely breakfast. Some went on the Dart Safari, some went with Brian into the town for a jet boat ride and some took the local bus down and wandered around the Saturday craft market where there was live music. I opted to walk from the hotel and took the cycle/footpath along the lake edge, around the gardens and into the town. The weather was glorious and I took a lot of photos and then caught the bus back to the hotel.
In the evening we went into the town and had a ride on the TSS Earnshaw to the Walter Peak High Country Farm where we had an excellent buffet dinner. This was an optional excursion but everyone did it and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the sing song around the piano on the boat back across the lake!
Day 17. Arrowtown and Omarama. We had a welcome extra hour in bed because the clocks changed in NZ. We had a short journey to Arrowtown which had been a Chinese miner’s town. We had a walk round and had expected to see more autumn leaves but the unseasonal warm weather meant very few had changed. We then stopped at a fruit shop where they sold fresh fruit ice cream which we enjoyed whilst admiring the last of the roses in the adjoining garden. We also stopped at Kawarau Bridge to watch the bungy jumpers at the original A J Hackett site. Nobody in the group jumped!
We arrived in Omarama early because the Mt Cook flights had been postponed because of the wind. We were able to purchase a very good buffet dinner in the hotel.
Day 18. The flights were again postponed with a promise to review when we reached Tekapo. We reached the airfield and despite the cloud we were good to go. We had amazing views and it was spectacular when we went up through the cloud and flew around Mt Cook. Those not on the flights had continued in the coach to Tekapo where they had a coffee stop and we rejoined them later.
We arrived in Christchurch mid-afternoon in the pouring rain and a few of us joined Brian for a walking tour of the area hardest hit by the 2011 earthquake. So very sad to see so much destruction still visible. I went on my own to see the Re-Start Mall made up of shipping containers. I rejoined the group at the Museum after a walk through the Botanical Gardens.
We had a very enjoyable included farewell dinner in the hotel as this was the last day.
Day 19. Most of the group left early for the return flight to London (arriving Day 20) although some had opted for a couple of days stopover in Singapore to break the journey. Some left later for the Cook Island add-on and I had an extra night in Christchurch to meet up with family. I returned to the UK on my own the next day also via Singapore.
Hotels were of a good standard with the Singapore Park Regis and the Christchurch Chateau on the Park being particularly good. Both the Auckland and Wellington hotels were in good positions right in the city centre but I wasn’t bothered by street noise. The only hotel I thought was poor was the Heritage Gateway in Omarama. It was little more than a motel with some rooms on the ground floor very close to the nearby street.
All the hotels provided a buffet breakfast with plenty of choice. A couple had laundry facilities which some of our group used but I took a tube of travel wash and managed to get washing dry each time we had more than one night’s stay in a hotel.
All our Singapore Airlines flights were on time and I couldn’t fault the care and attention provided by the flight attendants. I opted to fly Business Class which was expensive but in my case worth every penny to be able to lie flat and sleep during the long flights.
One thing I would recommend for a holiday with this many stops is finding a way of organising your suitcase. I used packing ‘cubes’ that I used to divide my clothes and other possessions so that I didn’t have to unpack each time we stopped.
Conclusion. This was my first group holiday and I had a trip of a lifetime. I was very lucky to share it with like-minded people looked after by Brian Croft who is an excellent, very experienced, very organised tour manager. Our group was very good about timekeeping so there were no waits for stragglers to return to the coach.
We were also blessed with sunny weather for most of the trip!
Thank you Margaret, for a detailed report. I am going to NZ in October, so it is helpful to know.
Dyuti