Celebrate a very special festive season in beautiful New Zealand

This is sponsored content for Grand Pacific Tours.

How is this for a magical way to spend a special Christmas Day - stepping on board a vintage steamship to cruise New Zealand's tranquil Lake Wakatipu before disembarking to enjoy a gourmet Christmas lunch and the best of Queenstown high country cuisine at an historic homestead?

The iconic 107-year-old steamship is the TSS Earnslaw - or the Lady of the Lake as locals know her. Commissioned by New Zealand Railways to service the communities around the lake in 1912, to take a trip on her is to embrace the pioneering history of New Zealand's Queenstown region.

Or how about having Christmas dinner floating on spectacular Milford Sound and then doing some stargazing with a glass of bubbly in hand?

These unforgettable experiences for the senses are just some of many you could be having this Christmas as part of the special Festive Season Tours of New Zealand with Grand Pacific Tours - the New Zealand Coach Holiday Specialist that has dedicated years to developing these innovative coach holidays showcasing this special destination.

It may be just a short flight from Australia, but New Zealand feels like a unique world in miniature.

Its diverse landscape will take you from spectacular glaciers, picturesque fiords, and rugged mountains, to vast plains, rolling hillsides, subtropical forest, volcanic plateaus, and coastline as far as the eye can see.

Combine that with New Zealand's reputation as a foodie heaven with its beautiful fresh produce and award-winning wines, and you have a destination not to be missed.

Priding itself on offering a coach touring holiday experience for everyone regardless of your budget and interests, Grand Pacific's Festive Season Tours offer plenty of choice.

Enjoy the 11 Day Festive South Island Tour that encompasses the natural landscapes and attractions of the South Island.

On Christmas Day, travellers board the Milford Mariner for an unforgettable Christmas dinner, cruising through the breathtaking Milford Sound surrounded by spectacular waterfalls, rainforests, mountains and wildlife, followed by stargazing before retiring to their private cabin.

If you'd like a longer holiday, you can opt for the 17 Day Festive Season Tour which includes a memorable trip on board TSS Earnslaw and lunch at the Colonel's Homestead at Walter Peak Station on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.

After a South Island exploration, the tour heads to the North Island where travellers experience the geothermal wonder that is Rotorua.

It is in this uniquely New Zealand place that travellers will see in the new year in a distinctly local way - with a traditional Maori hangi and concert.

From there the tour heads to the sub-tropical Bay of Islands where travellers will cruise to Cape Brett on a luxury catamaran while keeping an eye out for bottlenose and common dolphins.

If you love train travel then you're in for a festive treat with some spectacular train journeys as part of Grand Pacific Tour's experiences.

There's the world-renowned TranzAlpine rail journey that takes you over massive viaducts, river valleys and spectacular gorges as you ascend the Southern Alps.

Or join the Coastal Pacific, a truly spectacular rail journey that follows a thin wedge of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikoura Ranges.

Whatever your mode of transport, Grand Pacific Tours Coach Captains and Tour Leaders will be there to make sure you are looked after like whanau - family.

Visit the Grand Pacific Tours website to find out more about available New Zealand tours. They offer five different styles of touring to suit all budgets and interests: Ultimate Small Group Touring, Affordable Coach Tours, Signature Coach Tours, Cruise & Coach and Special Interest Tours. All Grand Pacific Tours include return airfares, taxes, return airport transfers in New Zealand, coach travel, accommodation, most meals, sightseeing and attractions which means travellers don't have to worry about any hidden extras.

This is sponsored content for Grand Pacific Tours.