Dunedin

Discover the South Island’s immense natural beauty and historic landmarks by driving through unspoiled parkland, exploring gold-rush towns, cruising to Walter Peak and even visiting a glow worm cave.

Day 1 –

Disembark the in ship in Dunedin and meet your guide. Dunedin, the South Island’s second largest city, was settled by a Scottish contingent and as such, the city proudly celebrates its Scottish heritage, fondly being referred to as the Edinburgh of the South. The city has a large number of fine Edwardian stone buildings, including the stunning Railway Station and is also blessed with a generous green belt and beautiful harbor which adds to the city’s appeal. Your tour begins with a drive through this historic and scenic town.

Continuing on from Dunedin, travel through the countryside and past a string of beautiful little towns.

From jaw dropping views and quaint villages to something to tantalize the taste buds, there is just enough time to squeeze in a wine tasting and lunch at one of the local wineries. The Central Otago region has been rated amongst the top three in the world for Pinot Noir as well as being lauded for its Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay varieties.

Next you will visit Arrowtown which is a living historic settlement with many stories to tell. Spend some time in the excellent museum or wandering the tree-lined streets filled with restored cottages and explore gold mining sites.

Leaving Arrowtown, we drive the scenic back road into Queenstown where you may have some free time to explore the town.

In the evening, you will get a taste of just what makes Queenstown so special as you board the TSS Earnslaw, a 112-year-old steamship. Cruise to the Walter Peak Station on the opposite side of the lake to one of New Zealand’s most famous high-country sheep stations. The group will dine on a gourmet barbecue dinner in the original homestead and get a taste of farm life as you watch sheep shearers and sheep dogs in action.

The Earnslaw, fondly dubbed ‘The Lady of the Lake’ will then return you to town for the night.

Overnight in Queenstown, a year-round resort town on the shores of Lake Wakatipu fringed by majestic mountain ranges.

DÍA 2

After breakfast depart for Te Anau following the scenic east side of Lake Whakatipu and passing through the small rural, settlements of Kingston, Garston, Athol and Mossburn.

When we arrive in Te Anau, you will board a boat, this time for a journey across Lake Te Anau, and after arriving at the western shore will go underground where you will enter a magical network of caves lit by hundreds of tiny glow-worms. A picnic lunch will be served as part of this trip.

AVISO: Inside the caves the temperature is a fairly constant 8 - 12º Celsius, so bring a warm sweater or fleece jacket. At the entrance to the caves there is a large rock overhang and bending is required to pass this section.

There are steps and often the walkways are wet, so care is required in the subdued light. For this reason, this tour is not suitable for guests who utilize a wheelchair or for those with walking difficulties.

Photography and video filming are not permitted inside the cave.

Rated amongst the most spectacular drives in the world, the coach trip from Te Anau to Milford Sound will give you a real appreciation of the drama and sheer size of the 1.2 million-hectare Fiordland National Park.

Equally as inspiring is the manmade wonder of The Homer tunnel through which the group will travel. Forging through sheer rock with a gradient of 1 in 10, the project was started in 1935 by five men using only picks and wheelbarrows. Due to the extreme working conditions, avalanches and the intervention of World War 2, the job wasn’t finally finished until 1954.

Finally, the group arrives in Milford Sound and will be whisked by ferry back to the awaiting ship. Guests will re-board the ship via the tender platform.

Programa terrestre paso a paso:

Aviso: el orden de los sitios visitados puede variar para evitar que se llenen demasiado. All program details and the timings indicated below are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change. El equipo de Servicios en Destino le proporcionará los itinerarios finales con los detalles más actualizados una vez que usted esté a bordo del barco. Revise detenidamente el itinerario final para ver si hay más modificaciones.

Día 1

7:45am Depart Port Chalmers for a brief Dunedin city tour

12:45pm Arrive at a vineyard for lunch and tasting

2:30pm Depart for Arrowtown for a short stroll through the town and museum visit

4:00pm Depart for Queenstown

4:35pm Arrive Queenstown hotel to check in and free time

6:30pm Meet in the hotel reception for your transfer to the Steamer Wharf and board TTS Earnslaw

7:00pm Earnslaw cruise to Walter Peak

8:00pm Dinner and sheep and dog demonstration

11:00pm Return to your hotel

Día 2

7:00am Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and check out

8:30am Depart for Te Anau

11:00am Arrive Te Anau

11:15am Board boat and cross the lake to visit the Glow Worm Caves. Picnic lunch on route

2:00pm Depart for Milford Sound

4:30pm Arrive Milford and tender to the ship from Milford Wharf

Pronóstico del tiempo:

En Nueva Zelanda, las estaciones ocurren al revés que en el hemisferio norte. The warmest months are December, January and February, while the coldest are in June, July and August. Regardless, on any given day the weather and temperature can change unexpectedly and sometimes dramatically. You should be prepared for that possibility, particularly if you are engaging in outdoor activities.

Summer in Queenstown means long sunny days and fresh alpine air. The months of December through February are summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Daytime temperatures reach between 20°C and 30°C (68-86 °F) and Queenstown’s 45° south latitude means that dawn is as early as 5am, while dusk settles around 10pm.

Qué debe traer:

Dress is informal and relaxed. In summer, bring a jacket and sweater in case the weather turns cooler or you visit higher altitudes. Puede llover, por lo tanto, incluya un impermeable o un saco liviano. If visiting between May and September, pack warm winter garments and layer your clothing.

Moneda Local:

New Zealand's unit of currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZ$ ). All major credit cards can be used in New Zealand. Se aceptan cheques de viajero en hoteles, en bancos y en algunas tiendas. Encontrará numerosos cajeros automáticos en bancos, en las principales calles de tiendas y en los centros comerciales. Las tarjetas de crédito y débito internacionales funcionan siempre que cuenten con un PIN de cuatro dígitos.

Electricidad:

En Nueva Zelanda, la electricidad es de 230/240 voltios, 50 hertz. Most hotels and motels provide 110 volts ac sockets (rated at 20 watts) for electric razors only. Tenga en cuenta que los tomacorrientes solo aceptan enchufes tipo I de dos o tres clavijas en ángulo (que también se utilizan en Australia), según tengan o no conexión a tierra. Se recomienda traer un adaptador de viaje para dispositivos eléctricos.

Luggage information:

For this overnight, 1 suitcase per person should suffice

Requisitos de documentación y visa:

Guests must take their passports with them on the overland tour.

Dirección de los hoteles:

Crowne Plaza

93 Beach Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand

Teléfono: +64 3-441 0095

* Solo ofrecemos hoteles diferentes en situaciones imprevistas. If similar hotels are required they will be of equal ratings and standards and you will be notified of the change. Si no se le notifican cambios antes de la salida, se alojará en el hotel que figura en este programa.

El programa incluye:

•Accommodation for 1 night at Crowne Plaza (Lake view room)

•Transportation by private vehicle with the services of an experienced English-Speaking driver-guide

•One breakfast, two lunches and one dinner (dinner and lunches include a choice of two glasses of house wine, local beer, soft drinks, bottled water, tea, coffee)

•All transfers, sightseeing and entrance fees as per program

•Local ferry tender back to the ship in Milford Sound

El programa no incluye:

•Wines (other than where included with meals), liquors, mineral waters, morning or afternoon teas, non-filtered coffee, telephone calls, laundry charges or any items of a personal nature

•Meals, other than those shown in the inclusions above

•Items of a personal nature e.g. room service, laundry, phone calls, etc

• Propinas a guías y choferes

Aviso: Los programas terrestres que incluyen numerosos días en la costa incluyen actividades prolongadas y aquellos de duración más corta ofrecen, en general, actividades más moderadas. Sin embargo, cada programa varía y los huéspedes deben estar preparados para lidiar con distintas superficies, entre ellas, pendientes, adoquines, arena y senderos naturales o de grava. Es posible que haya que subir escaleras o escalones. Se les recomienda a los huéspedes que estén en silla de ruedas o que tengan problemas de movilidad que consulten con la línea de cruceros con anticipación para comprobar si alguna parte del programa de excursión no es apta según su situación particular. Ropa adecuada para el clima: se recomienda el uso de sombreros, gafas de sol y calzado bajo y cómodo.

Todos los programas terrestres cuentan con capacidad limitada y están sujetos a disponibilidad. Los programas que no alcanzan la cantidad mínima de participantes requerida están sujetos a cancelación. Los precios publicados también están sujetos a cambios que dependen del aumento de los costos del transporte, de los servicios terrestres o de la fluctuación de la moneda.

Después de la compra, el precio está garantizado y no está sujeto a cambios. Los programas por tierra durante el crucero deben comprarse hasta 60 días antes de la fecha de partida. Las cancelaciones realizadas 60 días o menos antes de la fecha de partida están sujetas a una multa por cancelación del 100%.