• Stroll the stunning Nikau Walk on the Heaphy Track
• Ride the Nile River Canyon train at Charleston
• View the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks
• Cruise on Okarito Lagoon in search of birdlife
• Drive up the spectacular Otira Viaduct

 Departure dates:

24 March 2024

03 May 2024

Day 1:  Auckland - Nelson - Karamea
From Nelson we drive the Buller Gorge to Kawatiri Junction to stroll through a historic railway tunnel and onto Murchison.  High on a bleak plateau Denniston stands testament to the resilience of the coalminers and their families who lived in this unforgiving environment.
Accommodation:  The Last Resort Hotel x 2 nights

Day 2:  Karamea- Heaphy Track - Oparara Basin
We visit the Karamea museum and then with a local guide have the day to enjoy getting to know this remote and beautiful north-western tip of the Coast between the Tasman Sea and the rainforests. At the start of the Heaphy Track walk in a nikau forest then visit the Oparara Basin in Kahurangi National Park

Day 3:  Karamea - Reefton - Punakaiki
Explore the back roads to the pretty mining town of Reefton, the first town lit by electric street lights.  Blackball, a small town at the foot of the Paparoa Range, is the home of unionism and nearby is the Brunner Mine memorial.
Accommodation:  Ocean View Retreat x 2 nights

Day 4:  Punakaiki - Nile River - Tauranga Bay - Punakaiki
We take a short stroll out to the sculptured limestone stacks of Punakaiki’s pancake rocks - they make a dramatic sight and the coastal scenery is wonderful. At Charleston we ride the Nile River Canyon train through the rainforest in Paparoa National Park.  We visit the nearby seal colony close to Cape Foulwind before returning down the scenic coastal highway to Punakaiki.

Day 5:  Punakaiki - Lake Kaniere - Hokitika
Follow the pounamu and gold trails of the Arahura River to Blue Spur and onto Lake Kaniere and the Hokitika Gorge. Many artisans live in Hokitika and there’s an eclectic mix of galleries and shops displaying works in pounamu, gold, glass, paua, copper, stone, ruby rock and even socks.
Accommodation:  Beachfront Hotel x 2 nights

Day 6:  Hokitika - Okarito - Franz Josef Glacier - Hokitika
We visit Ross, renowned for a 3.09kg gold nugget found there in 1909. At Okarito we take an hour’s cruise on the lagoon looking out for birdlife in untouched wetlands bordered by ancient forest giants.
We lunch with Paula who guides our walking tour of this tiny settlement and call into Franz Josef.

Day 7:  Hokitika - Greymouth - TranzAlpine train - Christchurch - Auckland
Travel along country roads to the old goldmining towns of Stafford and Goldsborough and onto the historic goldminers' hotel the Theatre Royal in Kumara. We head up the spectacular Otira Viaduct, taking short walks in Arthur's Pass National Park and at Castle Hill, then continue to Christchurch airport