Duration: 17 Days / 16 Nights
Priced From: $7,665 pp dbl. occ. 
Dates: Jan - Mar /09 

Day 1 Fly USA to Queenstown (Via Auckland or Christchurch)

Please note international air from the USA has not been included in the package price.

Day 2 You cross the International Date Line

The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the earth’s surface that approximately coincides with the 180th meridian line (LONGITUDE), and separates the calendar date. Traveling east across the line takes the traveler back one day, traveling west takes the traveler forward.

Day 3 Arrive Queenstown

Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your accommodation by private vehicle.

Located in Central Otago in a lakeside bay, Queenstown is New Zealand's premier alpine resort. Rich in history and abundance of recreations and a breathtaking natural beauty that lends each season its own distinct complexion, Queenstown has long been the inspiration for artists and nature-lovers from all over the world eager to capture its dramatic beauty.

Day 4 Tour - Milford Sound private helicopter tour

This exclusive trip will have you picked up from your hotel and flown via the famous Milford Track & Sutherland Falls to Milford Sound where we land and allow you to absorb the beauty of Milford. We will then whisk you out to the mouth of the Sound and along the rugged West Coast where you will have the opportunity to view seals in their natural colonies. From the Tasman Sea we will fly inland over glaciers and frozen lakes to one of our secret wilderness sites for some 'Over the Top' hospitality.

A gourmet champagne lunch is included. This trip has been described as an experience of a lifetime and takes in some of the most spectacular scenery in the world (allow 4-6 hours for this excursion).

Days 5-6 At leisure, Queenstown

At your leisure to explore the adventure capital of New Zealand. Set between the towering Remarkable Ranges and the bottomless Lake Wakitipu, Queenstown has it all - bungee jumping, jetboating, rafting, amazing scenic helicopter flights. You may wish to visit Milford or Doubtful Sound or the old gold mining town of Arrowtown.

Day 7 Fly Queenstown to Christchurch

You will be transferred by private vehicle to the airport for your flight to Queenstown. On arrival you will bet met by your driver and taken to your hotel.

Christchurch is the South Island's largest city, beautifully encapsulates the best of what New Zealand has to offer. This is a vibrant city of exciting festivals, art galleries, theatres and great shopping. Award-winning attractions are available within the city and the surrounding countryside. Find out what variety really means; explore our unspoiled corner of the globe, where wilderness, adventure and sophisticated urban living can be found in perfect balance.

Day 8 Tour - Akaroa full day tour

On this amazing tour, visit the extinct volcanoes of Banks Peninsula and view the beautiful harbors & green farmland.  Make photo stops at scenic places and enjoy morning & afternoon teas and a cheese tasting at the Barry's Bay Cheese Factory.

Once at Akaroa, included in your tour is a nature and harbor cruise on the Canterbury Cat. This cruise explores the volcanic harbor and sightings may be made of the world's smallest dolphin - the Hectors Dolphin, NZ Fur Seals and numerous seabirds.

If time allows, stroll through the village and along the waterfront, taking in the quaint French charm which is unique to Akaroa. Lunch is included today, and the return to Christchurch is around 5.30pm.

Day 9 Fly Christchurch to Sydney

Please wait for our driver from 'Limousines of New Zealand' in your hotel lobby for your transfer to Christchurch airport.  Upon arrival into Sydney collect your rental vehicle and commence the leisurely 2 hour drive one of Australia's premier attractions, the Blue Mountains.

Located less than two hour's drive from Sydney, the Blue Mountains offer a natural wonderland of untamed bush, spectacular rock formations and native wildlife. Vast views reach to the horizon, waterfalls plummet to the valleys below and there are numerous lookouts and other places where you can sit alone with nature. All this and more on Sydney's doorstep.

Highlights include picturesque towns and villages with shops, boutiques, art and antique galleries, and cafes. There are activities for all ages and fitness levels from high adventure abseiling, mountain biking or horse riding, to a gentle stroll through the pristine scenery.

Day 10 At leisure, Blue Mountains

At your leisure to explore the beautiful Blue Mountains. Take a tour to the Jenolan Caves or maybe take a walk on the many walking trails through the natural environment that is called the "Mini Grand Canyon".

Day 11 Sydney to Hayman (Via Hamilton Island)

Drive back to Sydney and return your rental vehicle before boarding your flight to Hamilton Island. Upon arrival you will be greeted by a member of the Hayman team who will arrange for the transfer of your luggage from your flight to the connecting launch service.

Sit back, relax and enjoy a glass of bubbling champagne as your luxury cruiser whisks you away to magical Hayman.  Check-in formalities are completed on board enabling you to be escorted directly to your room (if immediately available) upon arrival.  The cruise will take approximately 1 hour.

Days 12-14 At leisure, Hayman

Enjoy the jewel of the Whitsundays. Hayman offers something for everyone. For the more energetic guests, there is tennis [with a pro] and scuba learn-to-dive courses. The Island has an interesting network of hiking trails ranging from easy to more difficult. Hayman has its own charter sailing and motor yachts, and a fully equipped game fishing boat. For a little seclusion, rent your own outboard equipped dingy and motor over to nearby, uninhabited Hook Island.

Pack a picnic lunch, find a deserted beach and live it up! Hayman can arrange day trips by catamaran, seaplane or helicopter to the Outer Reef. If you don't wish to get wet, there are glass bottom boat excursions available over the reef. Highly recommended is a heli or plane flight over the islands of the Whitsunday Group. Let your pilot take you to see the stunningly beautiful Whitehaven Beach with its brilliant silicon sands. Then of course there's Hayman Resort itself. You may just wish to sit by one of the pools with a book, enjoy a cocktail at the pool bar or fall asleep under a palm tree.

Day 15 Hayman to Sydney (Via Hamilton Island)

Bid farewell to Hayman as you cruise back to Hamilton Island for your onward flight to Sydney. On arrival into Sydney you will be met and transferred to your hotel by private vehicle.

Sydney - Australia's premier city is the oldest settlement in Australia, the economic powerhouse of the nation and the country's capital in everything but name. Built on the shores of the stunning Port Jackson, you would have to die and go to heaven before you see a more spectacular setting for a city. It's a vital, self-regarding metropolis, exuding both a devil-may-care urbanity and a slavish obsession with global fads.  The Sydney area was the ancestral home of the Daruk tribe, whose territory extended from Botany Bay to Pittwater.

There are some 2000 Aboriginal rock engraving sites in the Sydney area, and many of Sydney's suburbs have Aboriginal names. The city of Sydney began life as a penal colony in 1788 and for the next 60 years received the unwanted, persecuted and criminal elements of British society. Despite its brutal beginnings, the city's mixture of pragmatic egalitarianism and plain indifference has transformed it into a thriving multicultural society. Sydney now attracts the majority of Australia's immigrants and the city's predominantly Anglo-Irish heritage has been revitalized by large influxes of Italian, Lebanese, Turkish, Greek, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Day 16 Tour - Sydney Harbour luxury cruise

You will be transferred from your city hotel to Darling Harbour this morning. Cruise under the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and alongside the Opera House for some great views of Circular Quay and continue past Mrs Macquaries Chair.  At this point we hoist the sails and turn off the engines (weather permitting) to sail past the wealthy suburbs of Sydney and to look out at the Pacific Ocean.

We drop anchor in a peaceful bay to prepare and enjoy a delicious lunch, before heading back towards Darling Harbour, to arrive at around 3pm.

Day 17 Fly Sydney to USA (Via Auckland)

Transfer by private vehicle to the airport for your departure flight.

Hotels

Christchurch

•  The George

•  Blanket Bay

• Four Seasons Hotel

•  Lilianfels Resort & Spa

• Hayman Island

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