• Arrive in Christchurch and transfer to your accommodation at The Charlotte Jane where you stay for the next 2 nights
• Walk to the Arts centre and Botanical gardens, take a punt ride on the Avon river and catch the Tram through the city
• Wander down to Merivale village for an evening drink and then return to The Charlotte Jane for dinner

• Take a drive to Akaroa and join Black Cat Cruises for a harbour wildlife cruise or swim with the dolphins
• Stop off at the Little River Cafe for great food, quirky art and sculpture
• Return to Christchurch via Lyttelton harbour
• Dine on The Strip tonight along Oxford Terrace
• Total Driving time allow 1.5 hours each way

• Drive to Lake Tekapo this morning and check into your accommodation at The Residence Join Air Safaris for a Grand Scenic Flight over the Southern Alps and Mt Cook this afternoon
• Take a walk around the lakefront and if you are feeling energetic, up Mt John
• Driving time today 3 hours

• Drive to Queenstown and stay at Browns Boutique Hotel for 3 nights
• Stop off at Arrowtown on the way for a late lunch or Amisfield winery at Lake Hayes
• Explore the towns boutiques and galleries this afternoon and take a trip up the Gondola
• Have dinner at The Bath House on the lake front this evening
• Driving Time today 3.5 hours

• Take a flight to Milford Sound and a cruise today or tomorrow depending on the weather
• Take a winery tour or have a round of golf at Millbrook this afternoon
• Have dinner in Arrowtown this evening

• Join Dart River Safaris on a jetboat and Funyak trip on the Dart River
• Take a rafting trip with Queenstown Rafts or jetboat the Shotover
• Drive over the Crown range to Wanaka and stop off at the historic Cardrona pub

• Drive Queenstown to Fox Glacier today and stay at Te Weheka Inn
• Good stops along the way include the Blue Pools, Haast River and Lake Paringa
• Take the Chalet lookout walk for views of the lower icefall at Fox
• Take an evening stroll around Lake Matheson
• Driving time today is 5.5 hours

• Drive to Franz Josef and take a heli-hike onto the glacier with Franz Josef Glacier Guides
• Drive onto Punakaiki stopping at Hokitika to see jade carvers at work
• Take a walk to the Blowholes and Pancake Rocks and down Trumans Track to the beach
• Stay tonight at Hydrangea Cottages
• Driving time today 3.5 hours

• Drive to Charleston and join Norwest Adventures for an underground cave rafting trip
• Stop off for lunch at The Bayhouse Cafe at Cape Foulwind
• Drive up to Motueka and stay at The Old School House Cottage in a vineyard for 2 nights
• Driving time today 3.5 hours

• Have a relaxing day around Motueka and the cottage
• Drive to Kaiteriteri and Sandy Bay for swimming
• Drive over Takaka hill to Waikoropupu Springs
• Have dinner at The Smokehouse cafe on the wharf at Mapua

• Travel by water taxi from Marahau to Awaroa Lodge in the Abel Tasman National Park for 2 nights
• Take a sea kayaking trip or walk part of the track this afternoon

• Relax at the lodge, swim or sea kayak today
• Enjoy a delicious dinner of fresh seafood and salads from Awaroa's organic garden

• Departing Awaroa by water taxi to Marahau, collect your car and drive onto Nelson
• Visit a couple of wineries in Blenheim such as Highfield and Alan Scott
• Stop off at The Store in Kekerengu with a view of the Pacific and enjoy a coffee
• Drive to Kaikoura and stay at Waves on Esplanade apartments for 2 nights
• Driving time today is around 4 hours

• Take a Whale Watch boat trip this morning - swim with the dolphins or do both!
• Take a walk around the Peninsula and see the Seal Colony
• For dinner, sit on the beach and enjoy the mountain views, a bottle of wine and fish 'n' chips!

• Drive Kaikoura to Christchurch Airport and depart
• Driving time 2.5 hours

• Arrive in Auckland and transfer to Mollies Boutique Hotel accommodation in Ponsonby near central downtown Auckland
• Take a walk around the waterfront and yacht marina, a boat trip across to Devonport or catch the ferry to Waiheke island, a 30 minute trip away. Famous for wine, art and a laid back atmosphere, Waiheke has hundreds of safe, sheltered beaches for swimming and snorkelling. Stay here for a couple of hours then catch the ferry back to downtown Auckland

• Leaving Auckland city today drive to Coromandel and your accommodation at Driving Creek Villas located on the fringe of the Coromandel Town.
• Take the scenic coastal road via Clevedon and Orere Point and the Seabird Coast to Miranda, a 8500 hectare intertidal sanctuary for migratory birds. The Miranda Shorebird Centre and the Miranda Hot Springs are worthwhile stops.
• Coromandel Town has a couple of great design stores and some good cafes - green lipped mussels are a speciality.
• Driving Creek Railway and the Waiau Waterworks are both fun places to visit in Coromandel Town
• At Driving Creek Villas enjoy the sound of birdsong in the surrounding bush and soak under the stars in the Japanese Hot Tub
• Driving Time Today : Around 3 hours

• Leave early to explore the Coromandel Peninsula. Go to Whitianga first, drive to Cooks Beach, a great spot for swimming and walking and onto Hahei for lunch.Hahei is a 35 minute drive from Whitianga
• At Hahei join Cathedral Cove Kayaking for a seakayaking adventure, exploring the volcanic coastline and snorkelling in the marine reserve.
• If the tide is low, carry on to Hot Water Beach, another 7 minutes on from Cathedral Cove, and dig your own hot spa pool in the sand.
• Alternatively drive onto Tairua, a coastal resort town and take the short walk up Mt Paku for views of the peninsula. Return to Driving Creek Villas via Whitianga again with stops for beaches or bush walks along the way

• Take a short drive from Tauranga up to Mt Manganui. This is a lovely swimming beach and the walk up 'The Mount' has great views of the Pacific Coastline and offshore islands.
• Travel on down the coast to Whakatane where you may get a glimpse of White Island and then head inland to Rotorua.
• Stop at Hells Gate in Tikitere and walk on platforms over a mud volcano and the largest hotwater falls in the Southern hemisphere. Adjacent is the Wai-ora Spa where you can cover yourself with detoxing mud - wash it off and soak in the thermal pools
• Join a Hangi meal and concert in the evening
• Stay at Koura Lodge on the edge of Lake Rotorua
• Driving time today: 3 hours and 30 minutes

• Have a good look around the lake and town this morning before driving to Napier and your accommodation at The Masters Lodge
• Join for a guided wine or location tour of some of the best vineyards in New Zealand
• Take a drive out to Cape Kidnappers and see the Gannet colony. Visit the pretty rural town of Havelock North and take a drive out to Ocean and Waimarama Beach
• Explore the Art Deco architecture and atmosphere of the town of Napier or your a cultural tour with locals
• Driving time today: 2 hours

• Leave Napier and drive to Wellington and your accommodation tonight at The Wellesley Hotel in central Wellington city
• Head south from Hastings to Woodville and stop off at the Manawatu Gorge Scenic Reserve for a picnic lunch and then onto Masterton
• Martinborough is also a very good stop with great wineries and an attractive town centre
• Total driving time today: 4.5 hours

• Visit the National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa on the waterfront in central Wellington and explore the city on foot and by cable car
• The Wellington Botanical gardens are worth a stroll and the Karori Wildlife Sanctury is also worthwhile
• Leaving your rental car at Wellington Airport, fly to Nelson (35 minutes) and stay for the next 2 nights at Shelbourne Villa
• Visit the Wearable Arts Museum and the Classic Car Collection near the Nelson Airport before diving to Te Puna Wai, on the hill with views over the Tasman Bay close to Nelson city centre and the harbour

• This morning take a drive up to Mapua, Motueka and through Kaiteriteri to Marahau - you can walk the early part of the Abel Tasman Track with a pair of sturdy shoes and some lunch supplies. The beaches are beautiful and great for swimming.
• Join Abel Tasman Wilsons Experience for a sea kayaking trip or take a water taxi to Awaroa Lodge for lunch in the central area of the park
• With a map of the area you can take a food, wine or arts tour of the Nelson region

• Drive from Nelson to Punakaiki this morning
• Stop at Cape Foulwind and the Bayhouse cafe for lunch
• Join Norwest Adventures for an open-topped train trip through the rainforest of the Nile Valley. Enjoy a caving trip here or underground tube rafting.
• After you reach Punakaiki, find out when high tide is due for the best viewing of the blowholes at Pancake Rocks
• Take an evening walk along the Truman Track to the beach
• Stay at Hydrangea Cottages tonight
• Total Driving time today: 3.5 hours

• Drive to Fox Glacier today and stay at Te Weheka Inn for 2 nights
• Stop in Hokitika and see jade carvers at work, walk on the beach, try some wild west coast fare such as possum stew at Trappers or for the more conventional foodie, whitebait fritters at Cafe de Paris
• Lakes Ianthe, Mapourika and Wahapo are worthwhile photographic stops
• At Whataroa you can join White Heron Tours for a guided boat tour of the White Heron Sanctuary at Okarito
• If the mountains are clear this evening, take a helicopter tour over the glaciers passing by Mt Cook, a highlight for visitors to the area
• Driving time today: 3.5 hours

• Explore the Glaciers today either by taking a walk up to the base or a guided helihike
• Drive to lake Matheson and walk around the lake, recommended in the evening as the sun goes down for reflections of the glaciers and mountains in the lake
• Take a drive out to Gillespies Beach

• Drive from Fox to Queenstown today and for the next 2 nights stay at Millbrook Resort on the outskirts of Arrowtown
• This is a very scenic drive, through rainforest and across snow-fed rivers. Plan to stop at Lake Paringa and the Haast River and at the Blue Pools walk in the Haast Pass
• Driving time today: 5.75 hours

• A day to explore Queenstown - start with a trip up the gondola and a cruise across the lake on the Earnslaw
• Queenstown has good shopping with local art and designer clothing shops plus excellent restaurants and cafes
• Arrowtown is a pretty and historical town close to Millbrook
• Try one of the wineries for lunch or dinner such as Amisfields, Gibbston Valley or Peregrine
• Take a jet boat trip on the Shotover River or a rafting trip on the Kawarau River

• Drive to Manapouri this morning via lake Te Anau and join Doubtful Sound Cruises for an overnight cruise aboard the Fiordland Navigator. Allow 3 hours for driving to be at the boat for midday boarding
• Go kayaking in the Sound and see wildlife such as dolphins, penguins and seals close by
• Go exploring from the boat in the tender craft with a nature guide
• Enjoy an evening meal and comfortable accommodation aboard the boat

• Returning to Manapouri at lunchtime, collect your car and travel back to Te Anau for a lunch stop before the drive back past Queenstown and onto Wanaka where you stay tonight at Wanaka Springs Lodge
• Take the scenic mountain route between Queenstown and Wanaka via the Cardrona valley with a stop at the historic Cardrona Hotel
• Wanaka is a very pretty lakeside town with a number of good short walks in the area for various levels of fitness
• Driving time today: allow 4 hours

Day 16 - Wanaka - Mount Cook

• After a leisurely start to the day you may want to take a short scenic flight with Wanaka Flightseeing up and around Mt Aspiring this morning
• Alternatively, leave early and take a drive up to Raspberry Flat and walk from here into the National Park for a couple of hours
• Leave mid afternoon for your drive to Mt Cook where you stay tonight at The Hermitage Hotel
• Driving Time today: 3 hours

• Take one of the short walks from The Hermitage in the national park for views of Mt Cook and the alpine surrounds
• Take a scenic flight over Mt Cook with Air Safaris or a Glacier Explorer boat tour on the Tasman Glacier lake
• Drive to Christchurch today with stops at lake Tekapo and the pretty rural town of Geraldine
• Stay tonight at The Worcester right in the heart of Christchurch opposite the Arts Centre
• Driving time today: 4 hours

• If time allows before your departure, take a Tram ride through central Christchurch. Punt or canoe on the Avon, explore the Arts Centre, Art Gallery and Botanical gardens. Finish off with some shopping in Christchurch's department store, Ballantynes or the many boutiques and galleries in the centre of the city