After our customary pick up at your door, we board our flights to Queenstown to begin our adventure. Arriving in Queenstown we will be met and given a fantastic introductory tour of the town and surrounds, including historic Arrowtown. Admire the towering peaks framing stunning scenery as we tiki tour to get to know the area. Stroll through the miners village and keep your eyes peeled for gold in the Arrow River! Tonight we will enjoy a lovely dinner in Queenstown and look forward to our next few days together.

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Our next day is spent in Queenstown – enjoying this picturesque lakeside resort. After a lie in and hearty breakfast, you will have time to explore the town before boarding Queenstown’s most iconic attraction – the TSS Earnslaw. Cruising across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station, this 107 year old steamship provides a taste of yesteryear. You can even view the engine room as the ship chugs across the lake. A farmyard tour on the station is included in the trip.

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On return to Queenstown we then look forward to a delicious dinner with the best view in town – at the Skyline Gondola. Travelling 450 metres above Queenstown, this must do attraction affords stunning views over Queenstown, The Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu. The colours change at dusk as we enjoy a sumptuous dinner – what a night to remember.

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An early start is worth it as we leave Queenstown headed for Milford Sound. What a day we are in for. Heading south out of town we first travel alongside Lake Wakatipu with The Remarkables high above us. As we pass through Kingston (home of the famous Kingston Flyer), Athol and Mossburn we turn west and the familiar Central Otago landscape gives way to native forest and more snow capped peaks. Through Te Anau the scenery really starts to impress as we hit the Milford Road – truly one of the best drives anywhere in the world.

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As we travel north, Lake Te Anau soon gives way to the stunning Eglington Valley – home of the Mirror Lakes. Deeper into Fiordland National Park we go, past Lakes Gunn and Fergus and all the while surrounded by glacier carved valleys full of native forest. See the crystal clear streams before we approach the Homer Tunnel, this impressive feat of engineering took 18 years to complete – finally opening in 1953.

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Through the tunnel, we make a stop at The Chasm, which is a highlight of the route (watch out for cheeky Keas in the carpark), it's then down to Milford Sound itself. Here we board our boat for the 90 minute scenic cruise, past stunning waterfalls and impossibly steep mountains. Watch out for the resident dolphins, penguins and seals as we glide past famous peaks – headlined by the mighty Mitre Peak. The homeward run lets us get a second chance to admire the views as we arrive into Te Anau in the evening – no doubt looking forward to a good night’s sleep!

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The following day we complete the Fiordland double and visit Doubtful Sound, an equally beautiful but less visited part of Fiordland. Our trip starts with a cruise across Lake Manapouri to the second largest power station in New Zealand. The underground station was built to service the Tiwai Aluminium Smelter in Bluff, and is a mecca for engineering buffs.

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Boarding our coach we then head up and over the Wilmot Pass to Doubtful Sound. This sound is 3 times as long as Milford Sound and the drive over the pass will take your breath away. Enjoy a 3 hour cruise with a dedicated fauna and flora expert guide to point out all the interesting highlights along the way. What a day to remember as we traverse back through the stunning scenery to Te Anau and another wonderful group dinner to talk about all we have seen.

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It is time to say goodbye to Fiordland as we depart on the scenic route to our next destination – Invercargill. After a leisurely breakfast we head south, enjoying some fantastic local spots along Highway 99. We pass through New Zealand’s sausage capital – Tuatapere, and hit the rugged south coast at Te Waewae Bay, not much lies between here and Antarctica!  We stop at Riverton to explore the fascinating Te Hikoi Museum and then arrive into Invercargill in the afternoon. This is our home for the next 2 nights and we will enjoy a good night’s rest before exploring more tomorrow.

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The next day is our chance to immerse ourselves in New Zealand’s southern most city. A local guide will take us to some of the area’s most interesting spots, including a trip to the port town of Bluff where you might want to try some of the local delicacy, oysters.

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Back in Invercargill there are 2 visits that aren’t to be missed. First we visit the Burt Munro Motorbike Museum (made famous in the film ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’) to learn about this icon of New Zealand motorsport. Then it is off to Bill Richardson Transport World – the largest private automotive museum of its type in the world. There are more than 300 classic vehicles to admire, as well as interesting and informative displays at this intriguing location. Tonight is our last night together, and we enjoy a fine dinner to chat about all the amazing things we have seen and done.

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Today we head home, but not before some more exploring in Invercargill. After our relaxed breakfast you have the chance to browse the shops of Invercargill and pick up some locally made, hand crafted products. We will enjoy a lunch together before a short trip to the airport to start our trip home. On arrival in Tauranga the Hinterland team will be waiting to whisk you home and say farewell after enjoying a splendid week full of wonderful memories.

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* Please note, that unless specified in the itinerary we do not usually include the cost of lunches or morning and afternoon tea stops in the tour cost, but we always make stops where there are a range of options available so you can choose what you want, and have flexibility to do things on your own if you wish.