• 6 Dinner (D)
• 20 Breakfast (B)

• Christchurch: Southbound trips start in Auckland and end in Christchurch. Northbound trips start in Christchurch and finish in Auckland. They’re both the same itineraries, just in reverse.
• Sydney: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.

• Lake Ohau: Looking out at the peaks of Mt Cook across the glacial waters of Lake Ohau… It was once a dream, but today we’ll make it your reality. (You’re welcome.)
• Lake Tekapo: See the church on the shores of Lake Tekapo with a backdrop of snow-capped peaks – and get that iconic Insta pic too!
• Lake Tekapo: We’ll stop at Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo and Geraldine… and watch happily on as NZ’s astonishing natural beauty takes your breath away.
• Lake Ohau: Drive through one of the South Island’s most iconic landscapes as you cross the Lindis Pass. Linking Central and North Otago, this high-country route is known for its rolling golden tussock hills, wide-open views and dramatic alpine scenery. Camera rolls at the ready.
• Te Anau: Today we’ll visit a local farm in Te Anau to support the Fairlight Foundation, which works to advance women in Agriculture. We’ll learn all about farming, as well as the Fairlight Foundation and the work that they do.
• Milford Sound: Cruise along the glassy waters and get the kind of view people write poems about. You’ll soon see why it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Queenstown: Tuck into an all-you-can-eat pizza feast at Winnies — Queenstown’s iconic spot with ski-lodge vibes, a cosy fireplace, and a roof that opens whether it’s sunny or snowing.
• Queenstown: Check out the epic views of the valley from the world’s first ever (and some would say most famous) bungy jump bridge. You might even witness some epic bungy jumps!
• Wanaka: A lake town with views for days, surrounded by beech forests, alpine lakes, and wilderness glaciers.
• Haast: Ready for some incredible views? We’ll drive through the gorgeous mountains of the Gates of Haast and catch once-in-a-lifetime views of the river below. Seems like Mother nature does have a favourite!
• Hokitika: The South Island is home to Pounamu (greenstone) – so special the island’s even named Te Wai Pounamu, the greenstone waters. In Hokitika, we’ll meet a local Maori guide from the region, who’ll share the history, sacred sites and cultural significance of this treasured stone. Then it’s off to see if we can spot some Pounamu. All of this, while supporting the local trust that keeps the river healthy.
• Arthur’s Pass: Check out the village that has been a haven for mountain climbers for over a century. Better keep your camera ready and eyes peeled – because this is spot where you might be able to get a glimpse of rare alpine parrots AKA Keas.
• Kaikoura: On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, we’ll meet eco-warrior Sabrina Leucht, who has dedicated many years of her life to helping New Zealand’s injured native birds… and is now working to establish the region’s first wildlife hospital.
• Marlborough Sounds: Check out the sunken river valleys of Marlborough Sounds from an iconic Interislander Ferry. You’d wanna get your camera for this one!
• Kaikoura: We’ll take a spectacular drive along the Kaikoura Coast, and pay a visit to a nearby seal colony. Yup, it’s a coastal cuteness overload.
• Ohakune: Tucked just 250m from the Ohakune Mountain Road, Kings Ohakune is peak Kiwiana vibes. We’re talking roaring fireplaces, classic BBQs, hot tubs with epic Mount Ruapehu views and a cosy lodge that’s been welcoming adventurers since 1913. Think: motel-style charm, retro-cute decor, sports on the telly, pool tables, karaoke, darts and local legends repping the Warriors with pride.  
• Mount Ruapehu: It’s not a real carrot, just a statue. But standing at 7.5 metres tall, it still impresses. This famous spot in Ohakune represents all of the carrot farms (and there are plenty here) in town.
• Mount Ruapehu: Today we’ll check out Mt Ruapehu, an active stratovolcano elevated almost 2,800 metres into the air!
• Mount Ruapehu: See even more of the sights made famous by “The Lord of the Rings.”
• Huka Falls: Huka falls is a jaw-jutting display of natural hydro power. Here you’ll see 220,000 litres of water tumble over the waterfall… per second that is(!)
• Rotorua: Wait til you see ’em. Wait til you smell ’em. These geothermic mudpools are a thing to behold.
• Rotorua: On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, we’ll head to National Kiwi Hatchery near Rotorua to learn all about the locals’ efforts to protect New Zealand’s adorable national bird.
• Rotorua: A traditional Maori cultural performance, topped off with a traditional Maori feast… this ought to satisfy even the keenest of culture vultures.
• Auckland: Cameras at the ready folks, the views will be extraordinary here.
• Auckland: With sailboats at every angle, this is a beaut view indeed.
• Whangarei: See the work of the visionary Austrian painter, architect and ecological activist who made New Zealand his spiritual home.  
• Paihia: The Waitangi Treaty Grounds might just be NZ’s most important historical site, marking the place where the British Crown and the Maori people signed their first accords back in 1840.
• Paihia: A dinner of fish ‘n’ chips, enjoyed while overlooking the Bay of Islands in Paihia. Is this heaven? No sir, it’s just salt and vinegar.

Get close to conservation at the National Kiwi Hatchery, learning how rangers incubate eggs, care for chicks and boost survival rates of Aotearoa’s shy national bird. Watch technicians at work and see how science safeguards taonga species.

Hear about predator challenges and the journey from egg to release. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER experience connects you with the people restoring the call of the kiwi to New Zealand forests.

Walk the birthplace of modern Aotearoa on a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Visit the Treaty House, the intricately carved meeting house Te Whare Runanga, and the great waka taua facing Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi (the Bay of Islands).

Included museum entry deepens the story of the 1840 accords between Maori rangatira and the Crown. It’s a powerful encounter with history, identity and nationhood in a serene coastal setting.

Travel the sweeping curves of Lindis Pass, a ribbon of road through rolling gold tussock hills and raw schist outcrops. Windows become frames for painterly South Island vistas as the highway climbs into the high country.

Linking Otago’s dramatic basins, this route showcases the region’s stark beauty and seasonal contrasts — snow-dusted ridgelines in winter, sunlit grasslands in summer — a pure dose of misty mountain passes and cinematic landscapes.

Visit a working Southland property supported by the Fairlight Foundation, where women in agriculture gain practical skills and industry pathways. Meet the team, learn how regenerative practices are applied, and see everyday station life up close.

Hear stories of breaking barriers in rural New Zealand and how your visit helps fund training and mentoring. It’s an uplifting look at local farming culture and the future of women in agriculture across Aotearoa.

Cruise beneath sheer, forest-clad cliffs in UNESCO-listed Milford Sound, gliding past Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls, and sea-carved walls streaked with silver waterfalls. Stand on deck and watch mist drift through the fiord as dolphins surf the bow wake.

Formed by ice over millennia, Piopiotahi is Fiordland at its most elemental. The captain’s commentary brings geology and wildlife to life while you sip tea and savor the scale of this cathedral-like waterway.

Stand at the birthplace of commercial bungy and gaze over the turquoise Kawarau River from the historic Kawarau Bungy Bridge. Feel the tingle as jumpers launch 43 meters into the gorge, their shouts echoing off schist walls.

Hear how A.J. Hackett and Henry van Asch turned a wild idea into a global phenomenon here in 1988. Whether you leap another day, this stop captures the spirit of adventure in Queenstown.

Tuck into a convivial feast at Winnies, Queenstown’s alpine-style pizzeria known for a cozy fire, buzzing chatter and that roof that opens to the stars. Share wood-fired classics and toast the good life in New Zealand’s adventure capital.

Set in the heart of town, this local favorite pairs hearty slices with mountain ambiance. It’s relaxed, social dining — a perfect chance to compare tales from the Southern Alps over generous platters.

Cross the wild West Coast divide on State Highway 6, tracing rainforest, river flats and the dramatic Gates of Haast. Watch for hanging mosses, thundering cascades and steep-sided valleys that reveal the power of glacial forces.

Stops for photos capture waterfalls and emerald pools where the Haast River cleaves the rock. This classic traverse showcases the South Island’s primeval landscapes and the constant conversation between water and stone.

Meet a local guide in Hokitika to learn the story of pounamu (greenstone) — a treasured taonga central to Maori identity. See carvers at work and understand the tikanga (customs) around sourcing and shaping this stone.

Discover how West Coast rivers like the Arahura carry pounamu from the ranges to the sea, and why pieces are gifted to convey mana and connection. It’s a tactile window into culture, craft and place.

Pause amid the peaks at Arthur’s Pass, a classic mountaineers’ outpost in the heart of the Southern Alps. Breathe crisp alpine air, scan the ridgelines, and listen for the raucous calls of the curious kea, the world’s only alpine parrot.

Learn how this high saddle opened West–East travel and forged a century of climbing lore. Keep cameras ready — the misty mountain passes and sweeping viaduct curves deliver superb photo angles.

Sail the iconic Interislander across Cook Strait and into the Marlborough Sounds, where drowned river valleys fold into coves and forested headlands. Find a rail-side perch, breathe the salt air, and watch gannets skim the waves.

As the ship threads Queen Charlotte/Totaranui’s channels, commentary points out historic bays and waymarks. The voyage is more than a transfer — it’s a moving panorama of sunlit inlets and emerald hills.

Join a guided orientation of compact, culture-rich Wellington, passing the Beehive Parliament Buildings, Cuba Street’s murals and the lively waterfront. Get your bearings among laneways known for coffee, craft beer and indie design.

Hear how the capital’s hills and harbor shaped everything from politics to film. Tips for Te Papa, cable car views and food haunts ensure you can dive deeper into creative, windswept Welly later on.

Take in the scale of the Central Plateau with views of Mount Ruapehu, an active stratovolcano rising nearly 2,800 meters. Feel the high-altitude hush, with tussock plains stretching toward the icy crater and neighboring cones.

Guides share stories of eruptions, ski lore and the landscapes that doubled as Middle-earth. On clear days, the serrated ridgelines and snowfields create classic North Island alpine drama.

Stand at the rail as an astonishing 220,000 litres per second roar through the narrow chasm of Huka Falls. Feel the spray on your face and the ground hum with the force of the Waikato River.

Interpretive panels explain how this turquoise torrent shapes Taupo’s hydro story. It’s a short, high-impact stop where nature’s raw energy takes center stage for your camera and senses.

Smell the sulfur and watch the earth breathe in Rotorua’s geothermal fields, where bubbling mudpools, steaming vents and mineral terraces shape an otherworldly scene. Wander boardwalks as plumes rise into the cool air.

Guides explain the volcanic forces of the Taupo Volcanic Zone and the long Maori relationship with these healing waters. It’s a sensory snapshot of fire meeting water beneath your feet.

Race along braided rivers and glassy reaches on a jet boat from Te Anau, skimming toward Fiordland National Park with spray in your face and mountains all around. Your driver threads channels as beech forest and snow-tipped ridges slide by.

Hear tales of early explorers and film shoots while you pause for photos in quiet coves. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable with your team while on tour.

Venture by boat across Lake Te Anau and walk into a limestone world carved by water. Drift through dark caverns where thousands of glowworms stud the ceiling like a private night sky, mirrored in inky water.

Guides explain the glowworms’ lifecycle and the geology of this young, ever-changing cave system. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Answer the call of adrenaline in Queenstown with a classic bungy jump or forest zipline. Freefall toward a turquoise river or soar between trees with alpine views; either way, your heart will be thumping and the grin hard to lose.

Safety briefings, pro guides and epic photo ops included. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable with your Trip Manager.

Glide up the Skyline Gondola to a lofty lookout over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. Watch the light change across jagged ranges, then sit down to a generous dinner at a mountaintop restaurant.

It’s Queenstown in a single frame: glittering water, serrated peaks and convivial dining above it all. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Lift off over rainforest to land on blue ice for a guided heli-hike on Franz Josef Glacier. Strap on crampons and weave among seracs and ice caves glowing a luminous sapphire.

Pilot commentary and glacier guides bring the dynamics of this fast-moving river of ice to life. Weather dependent. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Sit with a Maori master carver to design and shape your own pounamu pendant. Learn tool techniques, sanding and polishing as stories of symbolism — from koru (new life) to mana (prestige) — guide your design.

Take home a taonga (treasure) you’ve made yourself, imbued with meaning and memory. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Step inside a world-first predator-fenced sanctuary to encounter rare species like takahi¯, hihi and ancient tuatara. Stroll forest tracks while guides share inspiring rewilding successes just minutes from the capital.

Birdsong swells as kaka wheel overhead and lake reeds rustle with life. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Ride a scenic slice of Ruapehu country on the Te Mangawhero Trail, tracing forest and river flats under the volcano’s gaze. Gentle gradients and sweeping corners make it accessible yet satisfying.

Expect beech-scented air, birdsong and snapshots of Middle-earth landscapes around every bend. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour; bike and helmet provided.

Greet first light in native forest on an exclusive dawn canopy tour. Sip coffee at altitude as birds wake the valley, then launch along 1200m of ziplines between ancient trees with the day’s first breeze on your face.

Guides weave ecology and conservation into the adventure. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Clip in for an arched bridge climb with sweeping views of the City of Sails and Waitemata Harbour, or amp it up with a classic bungy from beneath the span. Sea breeze, skyline, sailboats — Auckland distilled.

Fully guided with all safety gear and stellar photo angles. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Choose your angle on paradise: soar high on parasail lines above emerald bays and island-studded horizons, or unwind on a catamaran gliding to sheltered coves with time to swim.

Keep watch for seabirds and playful dolphins as the water flashes cobalt to jade. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Treat your senses at Giapo, where gelato becomes art. Sample multi-sensory creations that play with texture, temperature and New Zealand ingredients, presented like tiny sculptures.

This is dessert as theatre — inventive, playful and delicious — a sweet finale to a day in the City of Sails. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Contiki

Explore the turquoise shore of Lake Tekapo and pause at the stone-built Church of the Good Shepherd, framed by the Southern Alps. Stroll the pebbled lakeside, feel the alpine air, and line up the perfect shot of snow-bright peaks reflecting in glacial waters.

Hear how this high country belongs to the vast Mackenzie Basin and the world-renowned Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. By daylight, it’s all clarity and color; by night, the stargazing skies turn crystalline above the lake and chapel.

Drink in mountain-to-lake panoramas at Lake Ohau, where beech forest and the Ben Ohau Range frame distant views toward Aoraki/Mount Cook. Step out on the shoreline, breathe the resin of alpine scrub, and watch clouds slide across glacier-etched peaks.

This quiet corner of Te Waipounamu (South Island) evokes classic high-country life: wide horizons, tawny tussock, big weather. It’s a serene counterpoint to the adrenaline that lies ahead, and a moment to pause for photos and reflection.

Meet conservationist Sabrina Leucht at Kaikoura Wildlife Rescue and hear how a new regional wildlife hospital is taking shape. Learn about native birds you may encounter — from albatross to shearwaters — and the threats they face along this rugged coast.

Your visit supports hands-on care and education efforts. It’s a meaningful stop that pairs spectacular scenery with a grounded look at local conservation in action.

Trace the shoreline north of town where the highway hugs surf and cliffs, and pause to watch New Zealand fur seals basking on wave-splashed rocks. The views sweep from the Seaward Kaikoura Range to the deep-blue Pacific.

Guides share insights into breeding seasons and marine ecology while you photograph these languid locals. It’s a close, respectful look at coastal wildlife against one of Aotearoa’s most dramatic backdrops.

Cast off for an evening on Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s vast volcanic lake, as the light softens over the rim of a supervolcano. Relax on deck, try line fishing with crew guidance, and savor bites as the shoreline turns to silhouette.

Stories of eruptions and Ngati Tuwharetoa guardianship bring context to the waters under your keel. It’s a mellow, golden-hour way to enjoy big sky and caldera horizons.

Experience a hosted evening of Maori performing arts — from haka to poi — followed by a traditional hangi feast slow-cooked in earth ovens. Share stories, songs and kai (food) in a warm, welcoming setting.

Learn the meaning behind carving and weaving, the protocols of manuhiri (guests) and the flavors infused by heated stones. This is culture you can taste, with aromas of smoke, soil and manuka lifting from the table.

Stretch your legs at the yacht-lined Whangarei Marina and admire the playful curves and colourful tiles of the Hundertwasser Art Centre from the waterfront. Its living roof and irregular forms pop against the harbor skyline.

Learn how the Austrian artist-ecologist made New Zealand his spiritual home and championed nature-first design. Even from outside, the building radiates joyful, organic architecture and a sense of place.

Suit up for a tandem skydive over Lake Taupo, freefalling with Tongariro’s volcanic trio on the horizon. The rush gives way to serene canopy time as you float above an immense crater lake.

Professional instructors, photography options and altitude choices make this a customizable thrill. Optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.