Blending a Otago Central Rail Trail cycling day, the sublimely beautiful Queen Charlotte Hiking Trip along with a magical selection of locations and experiences, this itinerary will suit those who love to celebrate life in the outdoors while staying healthy and deeply connected to the environments of this magnificent country.
A rich array of privately guided, small group and independent touring days will allow you to soak up the beauty, the personalities and the flavour of New Zealand’s awe inspiring South Island.
We fully appreciate that we all need to be flexible in the world of travel right now. You can book with us with complete confidence that you have the flexibility to change your plans if needed.
You can switch to another destination or move your travel dates up to 31 days before you’re due to depart, and we’ll provide you with a travel credit to the value of your original booking.
Use the following itinerary for inspiration. Remember: all days, hotels and activities can be altered to suit your requirements. A Latitude South travel specialist will be happy to advise.
Today, you will arrive into the beautiful southern city of Dunedin, near the southernmost end of New Zealand’s South Island. On arrival, you will collect your late model, automatic rental vehicle.
Your Thrifty Car Rental will be a Toyota Corolla or similar vehicle. Features includes a 1.6-1.8 litre engine, automatic transmission, 4/5 door, air conditioning, Radio/Bluetooth/USB, air bags and central locking. It can accommodate up to four passengers, plus one medium bag and two overnight bags. Your Premium Inclusive Rental includes GPS navigation unit, car hire on unlimited kilometre basis, airport/ferry fees, Stress Free Cover and reduced Accident Damage Excess to zero and Free roadside assistance 24 hours a day.
Following vehicle collection, you will drive into Dunedin City and your comfortable accommodation.
This morning, you will depart Dunedin and travel through the gorgeous and abundant fruit growing region of Central Otago to the charming, historic town of Clyde. When passing through Roxburgh, you must stop at the iconic Jimmy's Bakery for lunch. On arrival in Clyde, you will check-in to your truly beautiful accommodation.
Included meals: Breakfast
Today explore the vast undulating landscapes and fascinating heritage of Central Otago by bicycle. You'll cycle the most spectacular section of the Otago Central Rail Trail, New Zealand's premier cycleway. Following breakfast at Olivers you'll be taken to the picturesque Poolburn Gorge to start your ride. The gentle gradient trail descends from Auripo Road, through the Raggedy Range, following the former railway line from Middlemarch to Clyde.
While enjoying the dramatic scenery you will cycle through two historic train tunnels cut through schist rock and cross the 37 metre high Poolburn Viaduct. Arrive back to Olivers in the pretty town of Clyde and revive yourself in a luxurious bath before venturing out to one of the local restaurants. Your day on the Trail includes a picnic lunch, bike and pannier hire, helmets.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, you will depart Clyde and travel past beautiful Lake Dunstan and settlement of Cromwell, to the small town of Twizel. En route, should you need a coffee or lunch, we recommend Armando's Kitchen in the delightful 'Old Cromwell' precinct - Armando's freshly baked cinnamon scrolls are delectable!
Included meals: Breakfast
This morning, we recommend heading away soon after breakfast in order to get to Hanmer in time to allow for a few hours at the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools.
Best known for its natural hot pools and stunning landscapes, Hanmer is an alpine village 90 minutes' drive from Christchurch. A picturesque destination for adventure, relaxation and indulgence, Hanmer Springs is surrounded by dramatic mountains and towering forests, this charming town has a main street filled with boutique shops, cafes and eateries.
Always ones to encourage your child at heart to come out and play, we highly recommend a few trips down the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools water slide - altogether too much fun!
Included meals: Breakfast
This morning, you will take the short 30-minute drive to Picton where you will park your vehicle and board the water taxi to the Queen Charlotte Track's furthermost point, the beginning of the Walkway at Ship Cove.
The Queen Charlotte Track is one of New Zealand's most iconic walking trails. With its unique blend of spectacular environments, quality accommodation, fine food and wine, and luggage transfers so you walk with a day pack only, it is popular with all ages and abilities. (Please let Latitude South know if you would like your luggage to be transferred between lodgings as this has not yet been included.)
It runs almost the entire length of Queen Charlotte Sound, traversing the ridge between this Sound and the nearby Kenepuru Sound. It is steep in parts but with many rewarding views along its length. At 70km long, most people choose to walk the track over four or five days, although there is the ability to do any combination from one to five days.
The Track is set in a location steeped in both Maori and European history. New Zealand's Department of Conservation manages the track and 53% of it is on public reserve land. The remainder of the track is on council land (27%) and private land (20%). The track relies on the goodwill of these landowners so be sure to respect their land as you cross it.
The track's terrain is undulating with hills ranging from sea level to a maximum of 400 metres. Most of the track is wide and all major streams have been bridged. The surface, being mainly clay soil, is hard and firm in dry conditions but can be slippery when wet. Boots are recommended in Spring and in Autumn but strong walking shoes are fine in the height of summer. Just ask us about current track conditions and we’ll be happy to advise you!
For your walking distances each day, please refer to the track profile image included on this day.
Included meals: Breakfast
Following your last day of walking from Lochmara Lodge to Anakiwa, you will be collected by water taxi for the trip back to Picton. From Picton, you will collect your rental vehicle and commence the drive across the top of the South Island to Marahau, at the edge of Abel Tasman National Park.
Included meals: Breakfast
Following collection from your accommodation, you'll take the exhilarating water taxi ride through the Astrolabe Roadstead into Anchorage. You then leave the golden sand beaches of the coast for a stunning 1.5 hour walk up and further into the Abel Tasman National Park. Along the way your guides will keep you entertained with endless amounts of stories about the history, culture, flora and fauna of the park.
A delicious lunch is served before the action starts.
At the top of the canyon you’ll jump into your rubber suit, crank your harness tight and pop your helmet on. After a clear safety briefing by the guides you enter the truly remote environment of the canyon. You’ll be jumping, sliding, abseiling, scrambling, floating and ziplining through this canyon for about 3.5 hours. The trip finishes with a royal slide into Cleopatras Pool…From the pool it is a 30 minute stroll along the river and the beach back to Anchorage where your water taxi awaits to zip you back to Marahau.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, you will take the water taxi out to spectacular Anchorage Beach for the wonderful hike, along the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, back to Marahau.
The entire walk from Anchorage to Marahau is 12-13km and takes most people 3 to 4 hours and this depends on how many swims you have en route. Whatever walking pace you settle into you will encounter a series of stunning elevated views of the beaches below the track and across to the islands in the Astrolabe.
Included meals: Breakfast
One of the most unique, immersive day trips offered, Eat! Nelson Tasman is about exclusivity, scenery and slowly peeling the lid off of this beautiful region to reveal the most delectable, quintessentially Nelson Tasman gastronomic pleasures.
Following collection from your accommodation, you will take a one and a half hour walk with your guide into one of Nelson City's celebrated native bush settings where your guide will help you identify the northern South Island's beautiful flora and fauna. Following success with 'summiting' The Grampians wilderness reserve, you will have earned the delights that await your discovery today.
Including a special late lunch during which you'll have the opportunity to sit, relax and enjoy the delights by many of the artisan producers you will meet today while relaxing in your spectacular dining location.
Your guide will delight in introducing you to their friends who stand at the helm of this spectacular region's culinary scene. Visits with an otherwise inaccessible olive grove where you'll meet the artisan's behind some of the most delectable olive oil in New Zealand, the fishing port, a local artisan smallgoods (salami & sausage) producer, your guide's favourite cheese specialists and some of the most awe-inspiring environments make this an unforgettable encounter with Nelson Tasman.
If you love getting under the skin of a destination, meeting the people who make the place tick and tasting the foods unique to the region; you'll love Eat! Nelson Tasman. A truly special, totally exclusive experience that allows you to celebrate your time together in our beautiful region in style.
Included meals: Breakfast
Today you will drive to the Nelson Airport (approx. 1-hour) from where you will farewell this spectacular country and board your flight home via Auckland Wellington or Christchurch.
Included meals: Breakfast
This company did an outstanding and amazing job in planning and coordinating our vacation. Every detail was taken care of and everything went smoothly. We could not have asked for a more perfect time. I would use their services again in a heartbeat and have recommended them highly to all of my friends.
My wife and I had an absolutely amazing experience with Latitude South. Claire and Karen went above and beyond to make our Australian vacation excellent and hassle free. Their service and the trip itself exceeded our expectations and the personal touches were greatly appreciated. Without hesitation, we would recommend Latitude South to anyone and would definitely use them again if/when we travel to New Zealand or back to Australia!
What an amazing trip we had to Australia and New Zealand! It was everything we had hoped for and so much more! Every day unfolded with a new adventure or wonder of nature. Latitude South absolutely listen to our desires but also added their own expertise to ensure that each day was seamless and every minute well-spent. Even our down-time was perfectly timed to when we needed to stop, breathe and do laundry.😊 After 4 weeks – 2 each in Australia and New Zealand – we still weren’t ready to head home! Trip of a lifetime and memories of a lifetime indeed! Thank you Karen and Team Latitude South!
This itinerary would cost from $5,400 pp.
Pricing may vary by accommodation choice, group size and time of year.
Accommodation |
All nights in unique deluxe/luxury accommodations, carefully selected for original and boutique charm. |
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Guided excursions |
Private tours and experiences, accompanied by expert guides sharing local insights. |
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Ground transfers |
All airport collections, hotel transfers and all other ground connections in the itinerary. |
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Some meals |
All breakfasts included. Some lunches provided when on excursions, as detailed in the itinerary. |
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Support |
24 hour on-call assistance and comprehensive support throughout your trip. |