Day 1 - Welcome to Christchurch
Meet and greet service with rental car pick up at Christchurch Airport.
Hotel: The Classic Villa
Bike 'n Hike South Island
12 day Self Drive - from £2415
Inspired by the success of bike trails and cycling tracks across New Zealand, our Bike ‘n Hike South Island self drive is designed for those looking for a more active way of seeing the country.
Highlights:
- Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony
- Routeburn Trail Walk
- Jet Boating in Wanaka
- Tasman Glacier Boat Cruise
- Deluxe lodges and hotels
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Your Itinerary
Day 2 - Christchurch
Day at leisure in Christchurch to either explore on foot or by one of the many bikes available to hire around the city centre.
Hotel: The Classic Villa
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 - Oamaru (249 kms)
Travel south to Oamaru. With its unique mix of historic and contemporary attractions, the town offers a chance to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and stunning natural environs. Blue Penguins are nocturnally active on land. They leave the colony before sunrise each morning and return at dusk each night. This evening, watch the Blue Penguins come ashore from a purpose built outdoor viewing area and listen to an informative commentary on the life cycle, breeding habits, biology and feeding habits of the penguins.
Hotel: Pen-Y-Bryn Lodge
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 - Clyde (224 kms)
A morning free to enjoy historic Oamaru before the short drive inland to Clyde.
Hotel: Olivers Central Otago
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 - Clyde
The Otago Central Rail Trail originally provided a link to the country’s major goldfields. Now a recreational facility designed for walkers, bikers and horse riders, the trail follows the former railway line and is similar to a good gravel road – without vehicles or hills. Your accommodation is perfectly positioned in the centre of the trail providing the perfect opportunity to spend the day cycling this region, steeped in a sense of history and remoteness, at your own pace.
Hotel: Olivers Central Otago
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 - Queenstown (83 kms)
Drive today to the exciting, sophisticated and scenic resort town of Queenstown.
Hotel: Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 - Routeburn Trail
Routeburn Trail – this relaxed tour explores the region’s fascinating flora and fauna; whilst wandering through beech forest, surrounded by the sounds of rivers and local birds, to a world of peace and tranquillity. An average fitness is required for this easy to moderate walk in well-graded, steady inclining terrain.
Hotel: Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8 - Wanaka (113 kms)
Today you have time to enjoy the adventure capital of New Zealand before travelling on to the lakeside resort town of Wanaka. From Queenstown travel through the Kawarau Gorge and via Cromwell and Lake Dunstan to Wanaka. An alternative route today is via the Crown Range Road which is New Zealand’s highest sealed highway. This route is shorter than the one via Cromwell however travel time may take longer due to the winding nature of the road (note this route is not recommended over winter).
Hotel: Maple Lodge
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - Mount Aspiring National Park
Today’s unique wilderness jet boating experience explores the braided channels of the Matukituki River. Travel past filming scenes from the Lord of The Rings as you jet towards Mount Aspiring National Park. This guided eco-tour, shares stories of the past of how these ancient lands were carved by ice and of the first peoples to come here. Learn about the forces that created this amazing landscape and enjoy a 50 minute walk into native beech forest to a hidden waterfall.
Hotel: Maple Lodge
Meals: Breakfast
Day 10 - Twizel (144 kms)
A scenic drive past opaque turquoise lakes, the colour of which is caused by fine, glacier-ground rock particles held in suspension.
Hotel: Matuka Lodge
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11 - Mt Cook (130 kms)
Drive through high country tussock via beautiful Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook Village. Bus to the beautiful Tasman Valley where your guide will lead you on a gentle stroll to the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake where you will board a boat to explore the fascinating glacial landscape dotted with icebergs and the ever-changing ice face of the glacier. The boat passes so close to the icebergs you can touch them! Spend some time enjoying Mt Cook before making your way back to Twizel.
Hotel: Matuka Lodge
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 - Farewell from Christchurch (285 kms)
Drive across the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch where your journey ends with the return of your rental vehicle to the airport depot.
Meals: Breakfast
12 day Self Drive - from £2415
With flights from £3315
All prices are per person and based on 2 sharing a double or twin room. Hotels specified are subject to availability and may be substituted by one of a similar or higher standard. Price shown based on low season travel from May to September, subject to availability. Supplements will apply if alternative hotels are booked.
Self Drive Touring
Relaxed and enjoyable self drive tour. Book them as they are or ask your consultant to add extra days in the places you choose.
Your self drive includes:
- 11 nights accommodation
- Deluxe hotels including breakfast
- Air conditioned car
- Inclusive vehicle insurance
- Maps and driving information
- Flexible itineraries