How does the Milky Way taste like?

Day 1: Christchurch

Exhausted or not, depending where do you arrive from… We have a good plan for you if you are not too excited to drive right away, I mean on the left, to your accommodation. Take our shuttle and get over gently from your jetlag.

Day 2: Christchurch

You have a full day to enjoy the most British town of the country. Christchurch has a lively entertainment scene, strong cultural heritage, gorgeous parks and gardens and good shopping. Among the 'must sees' are the weekend Arts Centre market, Christchurch Cathedral, Botanic Gardens and International Antarctic Centre.

Day 3: Christchurch - Kaikoura (190km - 2h25)

Drive north to Kaikoura to organize your next day experience of whales and dolphins watching by boat or helicopter. Don’t forget the seal colony at the end of the Peninsula, you can get very close to them.

Day 4: Kaikoura

Kaikoura township is located on a rocky peninsula, protruding from lush farmland beneath the Mountains.  In the waters off the peninsula, a complex marine system provides an abundantly rich habitat for marine mammals and seabirds making it an ideal place for getting 'close to nature'.

Day 5: Kaikoura - Abel Tasman National Park (290km - 3h40)

Time to go to Abel Tasman National Park, your first National Park. Have a lunch or maybe more in Nelson, it is such a nice little town. Then relax on the beach on the afternoon.

Days 6-7: Abel Tasman National Park

Two days to enjoy the beach, walking along the coast in the park or kayaking in the sea.

Day 8: Abel Tasman National Park - Punakaiki (300km - 3h45)

The Tasman Sea is getting a bit chilly while you discover the very unusual scenery of Pancakes Rocks. The famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes are just a 20 minute loop walk from where you park your vehicle on the main highway. Looking like giant pancakes the curious limestone formations are especially spectacular at high tide in a westerly sea.

Day 9: Punakaiki - Glaciers (240km - 3h)

Along the west coast, you go south to the glaciers country. Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are cut through dramatic glacial valleys to flow into temperate rainforest. While many glaciers world-wide have been retreating, these glaciers still flow almost to sea level, making them unique relics of the last Ice Age.

Day 10: Glaciers

Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier are about 25 minutes drive apart and both offer visitors their own unique West Coast flavor.  A full day to organize a guided walk on the glaciers, have a scenic flight over the ice area or take a walk in the rainforest. While visiting Fox Glacier, a side trip to Lake Matheson is worthwhile, especially if you have budding photographers in your family. The lake is famous for its reflections of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, New Zealand's highest peaks. You can also walk along a bush track that follows the lake edge. Whether you are travelling in summer or winter, you can view seal colonies at Gillespies Beach. 

Day 11: Glaciers - Wanaka (260km - 3h15)

Through Haast Pass, drive south to the Mount Aspiring National Park, the third largest park in New Zealand. It stretches from the dense rainforests of Fiordland, across braided river valleys and alpine meadows, to the heavily glaciated Southern Alps and Wanaka provides some of the easiest access to the entire park.

Day 12: Wanaka

Tip: If you have teenagers, we suggest you to stay 2 nights in Queenstown, instead of Wanaka.

The name Wanaka translates from Maori as “renewal of the soul”. The town is set on the southern shore of the lake across from Mount Aspiring, the centerpiece of Mount Aspiring National Park. The park features a multitude of different landforms: hanging valleys, lake basins and some 100 glaciers of different shapes and sizes. It offers innumerable possibilities for nature lovers and pioneers. We also recommend you the Puzzle World to enjoy the whole family.

Day 13: Wanaka - Tekapo (200km - 2h30)

From a lake to another, enjoy the drive to the turquoise blue lake. On the shores of Lake Tekapo - the country’s highest large lake (710m above sea level) - is the Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935 as a memorial to the pioneers of the Mackenzie Country. The Church offers awe inspiring views of Lake Tekapo and mountains through the alter window and has been host to thousands of weddings since its dedication. 

Day 14: Tekapo

Tip: Two nights give you twice chances for stars watching at Mt John Observatory.

In Lake Tekapo you can fly fish the lakes and rivers, ski and snowboard the pristine snow slopes in winter, enjoy a boat cruise, play a round of golf, ice skate in the winter months, relax in the hot pools and indulge in the health spa, take a horse trek around Mt John, enjoy off-road mountainbiking, take a scenic flight over the Mackenzie basin and Aoraki Mt Cook National Park and gaze at the skies above on a star watching tour at the world famous Mt John Observatory - there's something for everyone.

Day 15: Tekapo - Christchurch (230km - 2h50)

It is time to end the loop. Christchurch's heritage trams are a great way to experience the heritage and charm that makes Christchurch special, with an informative and entertaining commentary. The tramway offers a quality inner city tour experience that combines the heritage of the trams, attractions and historic buildings with the culture of the Garden City.

Day 16: Christchurch

Depending on your international schedule flight, but the International Antarctic Centre is at the airport when you drop off your car.