It's not that far away but you'll feel like you have been so far and seen so much on a New Zealand tour.
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From Auckland in the north to Dunedin in the south, you can join Travelrite and The Senior for a fully-escorted 16-day tour including rail and coach travel.
In Auckland, the country's largest city, we'll tour the main sights including the Harbor Bridge over Waitemata Harbor, the Sky Tower and Auckland Museum for a Maori cultural performance.
The next morning it's all aboard the Northern Explorer train for the southbound trip to the capital, Wellington. The journey takes us through the five distinct North Island geographical regions including farmland, seascapes, river gorges and volcanic plateaus and mountains.
Wellington is home to the Houses of Parliament, colloquially known as "The Beehive". We'll visit Mount Victoria and travel the cable car to the beautiful Botanical Gardens.
Then it on to the Interislander ferry and across Cook Strait to the South Island.
At Picton, gateway to Marlborough Sound and the Blenheim wine-growing district, we'll have a chance to enjoy some locally-made sauvignon blanc before continuing on to Nelson, known for its sunshine and golden beaches.
Here we will cruise along the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park and past Tonga and Adele islands.
Next on the itinerary is Christchurch via Kaikoura, with the Kaikoura mountain ranges on one side and the Pacific Ocean coastline on the other, a haven for seals and penguins, before passing through rich horticultural and farmland areas of the Canterbury Plains.
In Christchurch, we start the day with a sightseeing tour taking in the city's blend of modern and historical architecture with its beautiful backdrop of parks, gardens, rivers and beaches.
Two days are spent experiencing the Franz Josef Glacier, one of the steepest in New Zealand.
Our group will travel the TranzAlpine Express to Arthur's Pass National Park and at Greymouth board a coach to Franz Josef.
There's the opportunity to take a Glacier Valley Walk and learn about the glacier and its remarkable landscape.
Heading south to Queenstown, we travel through Haast Pass and its ancient rainforests, glaciers and waterfalls.
Situated on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is surrounded by picture perfect snowcapped mountains. There's a night time cruise on the lake aboard the century-old coalfired steamship TSS Earnslaw.
Next up we explore Dunedin, dubbed "Edinburgh of the South", and its meticulously preserved buildings. Later we travel on the spectacular Taieri Gorge Railway into some of New Zealand's most beautiful scenery.
The tour then heads north to Christchurch before the flight home.
The tour, departing March 7, 2024, is priced from $6190 per person twin share, $8180 single.
Details from Travelrite 1800 630 343 or click HERE
