Active New Zealand: Hike and Bike the South Island

After claiming your luggage, please wait inside the domestic baggage claim area to meet your Group Leaders who will be holding a Road Scholar sign. When everyone has arrived, we will board a coach for the ride north to Hanmer Springs, with a stop-off en route for lunch.

At a café en route.

We arrive in Hanmer Springs in the middle of the afternoon and check in to our motel. Hanmer Springs is a pretty little town, very popular for its plethora of outdoor activities, including hiking and mountain-biking in the nearby forest trails, and also for its hot mineral pools and spas. If time allows, we will have a short walk to orientate ourselves to the village and environs before gathering for our orientation session. Orientation: The Group Leaders will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will pre-order some meals so as to make the most of our time. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.

At Leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At a local café.

This morning we set off from our motel for walks in the Hanmer Forest Park, starting with a walk up to Conical Hill Lookout to get a panoramic view of the area. We then wander back down an alternative route to the village.

Packed lunch during field trip.

This afternoon we take a different trail, following the Dog Stream track through forested areas, over the Jolliffe Saddle and return via Timberlands Trail, passing through an impressive array of redwoods, familiar to all Americans. After returning to Hanmer Springs, there is free time to explore the village or head off for a soak in the hot mineral pools before dinner.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At a local café.

We depart by coach for drive south to Waikari to meet up with our rafting guides for the white-water rafting experience on the Hurunui River. We are fitted for all river gear, then transfer by their shuttle van upriver to the starting location. The Hurunui River flows from the eastern side of the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean. On the river, with world-class guides, we practice our paddling and safety drills on the initial calmer waters, then paddle our way downstream through gorges, fun rapids, calm waters and wide-open vistas.

Our lunch is supplied by our guiding friends.

We continue downstream with our guides. If the weather is kind, you may take the opportunity to jump off the raft and have a swim! Arriving at our destination by mid-afternoon, we meet our coach for the return journey back to Hanmer Springs.

At own arrangements.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At a local café.

We check-out of the motel and board the coach for the all-day journey south to Twizel. We will drive across the fertile farming land of the Canterbury Plains. As we approach Rakaia Gorge we will gain an understanding of the relatively rare (on a world scale) braided river systems typical in this area and learn of the developments they influenced.

We arrive in the picturesque little agricultural service town of Geraldine in time for lunch at a local café.

We continue our journey out of South Canterbury and into the Mackenzie region, renowned for its wide-open tussock-filled grasslands and stunning glacier-fed lakes, The area, an International Dark Sky Reserve, is also home to Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain. We pause at Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki, a turquoise-coloured lake with a view of Aoraki/Mount Cook in clear conditions. Arriving in Twizel, we check in to our hotel. Twizel was initially built to house workers on the many hydro-electric schemes in the area but has now become a popular recreation location. It is a stepping-off point for many outdoor adventures, including mountain-climbing, mountain-biking, fly-fishing, hunting, hiking and much more.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We board our coach for the drive to Aoraki/Mt Cook Village where we embark on a hike on the Hooker Valley Track. On this popular trail we hike towards Aoraki/Mt Cook with viewpoints of the famous mountain, Mueller & Hooker Glaciers, the expanse of the Southern Alps and across several swing bridges. We return on the same track, enjoying the views down the valley and across to the Sealy Range. Wildflowers proliferate, including the Mt Cook Lily (actually in the buttercup family) and look out for the cheeky but endangered kea, the world’s only alpine parrot.

Packed lunch during field trip.

On returning to Aoraki/Mt Cook Village, we visit the Department of Conservation Information Centre and self-guide through the exhibitions in our own time. If time permits, we may take one or two short walks in the area before boarding the coach for our return journey back to Twizel. Before dinner, we have a presentation by a local expert.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We check out of our accommodation this morning. We cycle from Twizel to the shores of picturesque, turquoise-colored Lake Pukaki on the Alps to Ocean cycling trail. From Lake Pukaki, there are expansive views of the Southern Alps, sometimes called the “Main Divide”, the mountain range that extends much of the length of the South Island.

Packed lunch during field trip.

We board our coach and traverse the barren but stunning Lindis Pass, crossing into the Central Otago region and contiunuing on to Cromwell, the heart of goldmining in New Zealand’s early pioneering days. Cromwell is located where the Clutha and Kawarau Rivers converge, and at the head of man-made Lake Dunstan, the lake filled because of the formation of the Clyde Dam for hydro-electric power generation. Cromwell’s climate is ideal to produce delicious seasonal stone fruit and the town is dubbed the “Fruit Bowl of the South”. We check in to our motels and have some time at leisure.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At a local café.

We explore the Bannockburn Sluicings Historic Reserve, tracing the paths trodden by gold miners in the 1800s. We will be amazed at the dramatic transformation of the local geography as a result of their gold-mining endeavors. We travel to Queenstown for a visit to Kiwi Park to see our iconic nocturnal bird, the kiwi, and other species endemic to New Zealand, up close.

Packed lunch during field trip.

After lunch, we continue exploring Kiwi Park and then wander downhill into Queenstown, where we can enjoy a free afternoon. Queenstown is renowned worldwide for its iconic natural location and beauty. It is situated on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by majestic and rugged mountain ranges, one of which is aptly named "The Remarkables". It has a history of gold mining and the tough early pioneers of New Zealand. It has more to offer than just magnificent landscape, however; the town strives to be the “adventure capital of the world”. There are plenty of options for your afternoon’s activities: a gondola ride up and walk or luge down; a walk in the Botanic Garden; a walk up Queenstown Hill; a cruise on the lake aboard the historic steamer TSS Earnslaw, or other activities.

At own arrangements in Queenstown.

Board the coach for return to Cromwell.

At a local café.

We travel by coach to Omakau for orientation and bike fitting, then continue by coach inland to our cycling start point of Oturehua. We cycle on a section of the Otago Rail Trail from Oturehua to Omakau, our destination and lunch stop. The Rail Trail follows the old Central Otago railway and passes over viaducts and bridges, through tunnels and past old railway stations and gold-mining towns. Look out for colorful lupin and smell the wild thyme.

Takeaway lunch at Omakau.

After returning our bikes to the Omakau depot, we return by coach to Cromwell with a stop to explore Clyde's Heritage Precinct, where gold rush-era (1860s) buildings have been retained and restored.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At a local café.

We check out of our motels and depart early for our journey skirting Queenstown, along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, departing the Central Otago region, through the rich green rolling country of Southland, and into Fiordland, arriving near Te Anau. We stretch our legs by hiking out and back on a section of the Kepler track, half the group walking from Rainbow Reach to Moturau Hut, while the other half walks in the opposite direction to Brod Bay. They are both particularly beautiful tracts of beech forest, with lush mosses and ground ferns creating an airy magical atmosphere.

Packed lunch during field trip.

We continue our walking field trip, returning by the same route. Boarding our coach, we continue to Te Anau and settle into our hotel. The town of Te Anau is located on the shores of a lake (of the same name) and surrounded by mountain ranges. Te Anau’s economy, a town with a small resident population, revolves around a thriving tourism and accommodation industry, as it is the gateway to the world-famous Milford Sound and stepping-off point for a number of New Zealand’s designated “Great Walks”, including the Kepler, Routeburn and Milford Tracks.

At own arrangements.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

After an early breakfast, we board the coach for an all-day field trip to Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, with short walks en route. Later in the morning, we embark on a cruise, with commentary, by a scheduled service on the world-famous Milford Sound. Known for the towering Mitre Peak, as well as rainforests and waterfalls such as the Stirling and Bowen Falls, which cascade down the sheer granite sides, the fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins.

Boxed lunch onboard the vessel.

On our return journey back to Te Anau, we stop for a short walk in the Lake Gunn Nature Reserve, where we enjoy the ancient red beech forest with weird moss-covered stumps and ground ferns. Pre-dinner, we gather up for a short film at the local cinema “Ata Whenua - Shadowlands”, a panoramic journey, taken from the air, portraying the majesty and splendor of immense and isolated Fiordland, over all four seasons.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

A local geologist boards the coach and travels with us providing expert commentary. He describes the local geography, unusual geological landforms, and mineralogy. New Zealand’s oldest known plutonic (igneous) rocks are to be found locally. There are also large areas of metamorphosed sedimentary rocks that are closely related to rocks almost 300 miles away in Northwest Nelson, due to the shunting action over the last 20 million years of the Alpine Fault running the length of the South Island. Following, we return to Te Anau, where there is free time until after lunch.

Packed lunch on the lake shore or at a location of your choice.

This afternoon we board a boat and travel across the lake to the Te Anau Glow Worm Caves for an underground guided cave tour. After negotiating limestone passages filled with sculpted rock and a roaring underground waterfall, we drift in a small boat through a silent dark grotto, experiencing the luminous shimmer of hundreds of glow worms on the roof and walls of the caves. Before dinner, we gather for an informal time of program review and feedback, recalling the highlights of our time together.

Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

At leisure. Final pack and prepare for check-out in the morning and our flights home or continuation of personal travel plans.

At the hotel.

We check out of our hotel and board our coach to Queenstown airport. En route, we visit a local sheep station where we will learn about the importance of agriculture to New Zealand's economy as well as the challenges of farming in this environment. We will also gain insight into the training and usage of farmers' working dogs, the backbone of New Zealand sheep farming. We board our coach and continue our journey to Queenstown. On arrival at Queenstown airport our program concludes as you check in for your flights home. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!

At own arrangements at Queenstown airport.