By Rama Gaind.
Views of the Kaikoura Peninsula.
It has been more than 19 months, but fully vaccinated Australians are now finally flying overseas after the end last week of one of the most stringent COVID-19 travel bans in the world.
While quarantine-free travel from Australia to New Zealand remains suspended, quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to Australia resumed from 1 November 2021.
Plan your post-pandemic trip with cautious optimism. If you’re not sure about where to go then maybe this suggestion will appeal – to The Land of the Long White Cloud.
New Zealand’s leading adventure tour operator, Adventure South NZ, has launched new cycling tours and a new kayak and hiking adventure, in preparation for what it expects to be strong demand this season.
Adventure South NZ General Manager, Phil Wyndham, says the new South Island itineraries are in addition to six new cycling schedules on the North Island
and new food-focussed cycle tours escorted by Helen Jackson.
“The Kaikoura and Molesworth High Country Cycle itinerary is hugely appealing. It combines wildlife and natural beauty with some wonderful downtime experiences.” “Being one of the first to ride a new cycle trail before chilling out at a wine tasting lunch, cycling through remote high country dominated by big skies and even bigger peaks and staying in an exclusive mountain lodge all ensure that travellers are experiencing the region differently.”
Mr Wyndham said guides always want to be rostered to go on the South Island Hike and Kayak trip.
“Some places can’t be rushed and the South Island is in that category,” he said.
“The surprising thing about this trip is that it’s often the visits to Fox or Franz Josef Glaciers, the overnight Milford Sound Cruise or the days spent exploring Aoraki Mt Cook village which get folks to book, yet so often the highlights they subsequently rave about are the remote river we pull over for a refreshing swim, the small country pub we enjoy a hearty feed or the simply just skimming stones at Lake Wanaka.”
“This trip gives you the time and space to really stop and take it all in.”
High country
Stunning views over Lake Wananaka on the South Island hike and kayak tour.
There will be some aspects of this trip that will appeal to active adventurers, with special attention given to detail in the timetables for the destinations they visit. The highlights are many, but the decisions will suit individual tastes, and the options are numerous.
If you like the Kaikoura and Molesworth High Country, then you’ll find the scenic wine regions and surreal mountain landscapes to be delightful on this trip in the Northern Canterbury and Marlborough districts.
Go on a seven-day exploration by bike and foot of the scenic Kaikoura Peninsula and hinterland. This is what awaits you on the Kaikoura and Molesworth High Country Cycle tour. Highlights include riding a new cycle trail in the Waipara Valley wine region with wine tasting lunch, cycling between the stunning Kaikoura coastline dotted with fur seals, the alps, then the highlight of riding through remote high country following the historic Molesworth Road.
You spend two nights in a stunning high country lodge accommodation on a merino sheep farm nestled under Mt. Tapuae-o-Uenuku and then finally soaking in the therapeutic thermal pools at Hanmer Springs. Priced at $3,095, the seven-day Kaikoura and Molesworth High Country Cycle tour includes all breakfasts, five lunches and five dinners, support vehicle and services of professional guides.
South Island
Hiking in the Bay of Islands.
Alternatively, the South Island Hike and Kayak tour is packed full of stunning scenery with the jaw-dropping backdrops of the Southern Alps and several of New Zealand’s national parks. It all starts with the first traverse of the alps as the group heads across from Christchurch to the West Coast, stopping along the way for a trek to the first of many beautiful waterfalls. Reaching the West Coast at Punakaiki, in the shadow of the Paparoa National Park, you’ll enjoy two of the park’s highlights, the Truman Track and the uniquely formed Pancake Rocks.
The third new addition to the company’s South Island adventures is the new 12-day South Island Hike and Kayak, which showcases some of the best day walking and kayaking in the Southern Alps.
This tour’s highlights are as varied as kayaking amongst 70 species of wading bird in the Westland National Park, hiking in the national parks around Queenstown and amongst active glaciers on the Rob Roy glacier track and cruising on the Milford Sound.
By combining hiking and kayaking on this South Island exploration, participants can experience each location to its full advantage. This adventure costs $6,495 per person and departs Christchurch throughout summer. The itinerary showcases some of the best day walks and kayaking in New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
Remote adventures means social distancing comes naturally and guided group sizes are strictly limited to a maximum of 14 people. COVID-19 safety measures are in place with extra cleaning and hygiene protocols. It is never too early to begin preparing for your next trip. Carefully coordinate your plans now because “some places can’t be rushed and the South Island is in that category”.
DETAILS BOX
Adventure South NZ
T: 1800 10 70 60
W: www.adventuresouth.co.nz
