Alpine Explorer – Economy Coach Tour

Package Overview

When you embark on your Alpine journey with us you will be visiting a triangle of South Island treasure. From Christchurch through Mt Cook to Queenstown you will experience, literally, the highs and lows of the crispy white peaks of Mt Cook National Park to the pristine beauty of the calm cool waters ofMilford Sound at the lower end of the South Island.

From there we take you across the Southern Alpine ranges, to the West Coast, where you will view the awesome ancient glaciers that seemingly glide down the hills, on route to the gravel beds of the local Waiho and Fox Rivers. The area surrounding the two glaciers is part of Te Wahipounamu, a World Heritage Site park.

Continuing to Greymouth where you will depart for Christchurch on the famous TranzAlpine Express, where you can sit back, relax and take in the stunning scenery while being thrilled by a 240ft climb up the Staircase Viaduct.

This is a trip not to be missed if you want adventure and spectacular scenery.

Other Information

Departure
​Reporting time 7.30 am at the Intercity terminal, 118 Bealey Ave (between Colombo St and Durham St intersections).. Departs at 8.00 am EVERY DAY.
Additional Nights – Available to any destination of your choosing. You can add an extra night for a competitive rate. If you would like to extend your tour, please advise your consultant when making your booking. We definitely recommend that you spend extra nights prior to and after your tour to explore the gateway destinations, as these provide many unique attractions worth going the extra mile for.

Flexible Itineraries
All our New Zealand coach tours can be adapted to your individual specifications. If a tour does not entirely suit you, we can provide a personalised coach touring holiday that fits you like a glove. All you need to do is let us know what you want to do, and we will organise it for you.

Transfers Included
Transfers are included between your accommodation and transport on the Tour. If you need to we can book your pre-tour arrangements or you can make your own way to the Tour departure location.

Daily Departures
The tours operate every day and use routine train, ferry and motor coach services. All hotel, motel accommodation, transportation and essential sightseeing are pre-arranged for you.

Day wise Itinerary

• Day 1 : Christchurch - Mt Cook - Queenstown

  In the morning you will board a Great Sights coach to Mount Cook and Queenstown. Travel through the outskirts of Christchurch to the fertile Canterbury Plains on the way to Geraldine where we stop for morning tea.
  Continue on, travelling through the tussocky Mackenzie country, settled by hardy Scottish immigrants through to Lake Tekapo to view the solitary Church of the Good Shepherd. The monument nearby serves as a memorial to the collie dog who was responsible for herding huge flocks of sheep on the steep farmland surrounding the area.
  Continue along the edge of the azure blue Lake Pukaki to follow the Tasman River to Mt. Cook, the highest mountain in Australasia.
  A break is taken in Mount Cook for you to enjoy a little leisure time in this alpine paradise. Stroll around one of the several marked walking tracks, or take the opportunity to have lunch. A series of flight sightseeing options are available in the Mt. Cook region which covers twelve major glaciers and 200km of New Zealand’s finest alpine scenery, a truly memorable experience.
  Then you will travel back down the Tasman Valley, past Glentanner Park as you head towards Twizel and onto Omarama. A short refreshment stop is made here before continuing on over the Lindis Pass to Tarras. Follow the shores of Lake Dunstan to Cromwell and into the Kawarau Gorge to arrive in Queenstown in the early evening.
• Day 2 : Queenstown - Milford Sound - Queenstown

  In the morning you will board your Great Sights coach to Milford Sound.
  Journey along the edge of Lake Wakatipu, through Kingston and Mossburn in to Te Anau, through the Eglinton Valley to the Mirror Lakes, before following the “Avenue of the Disappearing Mountain”, past Cascade Creek and Lake Gunn and on to The Divide. Proceed through the Hollyford Valley to the Homer Tunnel, a man-made tunnel cut out of the rock wall, to emerge into the Cleddau Valley, and on to Milford Sound.
  Join your Milford Sound Cruise to explore the wonder of this majestic fiord while your buffet lunch is served on board. Cruise past Mitre Peak one of the highest mountains in the world which rises directly from the ocean floor. View Stirling and Bowen Falls as your cruise takes you out to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean, passing the lonely lighthouse at the mouth of the sound. Spot seals and watch out for dolphins who surf the bow wave of the boat.
  After your cruise, re-board your coach to enjoy the scenery as you return to Queenstown.
  Note: An optional scenic return flight to Queenstown is available which can be organised with the Coach driver on the day of your cruise.
• Day 3 : Queenstown

  Today is completely at your leisure to enjoy the many sights of this alpine resort situated on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown offers something for everyone – you can enjoy the quiet beauty and tranquillity of this mountain retreat and enjoy several walking trails in the town area. For sheer excitement there is white-water rafting, helicopter rides, the famous jet boats and bungy jumping to pump your adrenalin. There are cruises on the lake, visits to high country sheep stations. You can visit nearby Arrowtown where the main street has been preserved since the 1860’s gold rush days and you can try your luck and pan for gold in the adjacent Shotover River.
• Day 4 : Queenstown - Glaciers

  Leaving Queenstown on your Intercity Coach, we follow the Frankton arm to the source of the Kawarau River. Here the road twists and coils its way through the formidable Kawarau gorge, until its union with the Clutha River at Cromwell. From Cromwell you turn north along the Clutha river valley, passing Queensbury and Luggate before reaching beautiful Lake Wanaka. Now the road crosses to the scorched flanks of Lake Hawea before returning to the eastern shores of Lake Wanaka and on into the thick beech forests around Makarora. This is the heart of Mt Aspiring National Park and you climb up to the Gates of Haast with spectacular views of Mt Brewster and the many rivers and waterfalls of this rocky terrain. The ancient greenstone trail then drops down to Pleasant Flat and Haast town ship. The drive takes you along the rugged and wild west coast, crossing the Karangarua and Cook rivers, and passing tranquil Lakes Paringa and Moeraki, where the graceful white heron is often seen. Magnificent Mt Tasman imposes to your right as you enter glacier country, where massive blocks of ice sweep kilometres down the valleys in their slow motion journey to the sea.
• Day 5 : Glaciers - Christchurch

  Fox Glacier to Greymouth
  Leaving the Glaciers behind the dense rain forests line the road as we travel north along the narrow coastal plain between the mountains and the sea. Picturesque lakes nestled in the bush lead to more open farmland north of Hari Hari and Ross. Hokitika was once a seaport and a city based on gold mining. Then we cross the Arahura River, the main source of New Zealand’s Greenstone (Nephrite Jade) before arriving in Greymouth.
  
  The TranzAlpine
  Leaving Greymouth on the world renowned Tranzalpine train, we travel through the Otira tunnel to emerge at Arthurs Pass, the base for the National Park of the same name. We follow the Waimakariri river down to Cass and then travel through the Craigeburn State Forest park to rejoin the river and then on to Springfield. The sheep and grain growing country of the Canterbury Plains is soon crossed to our destination, Christchurch, arriving early evening.

Inclusions

• Hotel
• Sightseeing
• Transport
• 4 nights accommodation
• Transfers within journey
• Mount Cook National Park
• Milford Sound Cruise including lunch
• Skyline Gondola – Queenstown
• Franz Josef or Fox Glacier viewing
• TranzAlpine Train Journey

Price & Rates

Terms & Conditions

This Tour is Offered by

• 12 Princess Street, Christchurch, New Zealand - 567
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• XXXXXXXXXX@acrossnz.com View Mail ID

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