14 day south island new zealand tours
Our New Zealand tour begins in Christchurch, the most English New Zealand city, built around the picturesque Avon River.
We head to the west coast of New Zealand across the plains, over Arthur's Pass and fertile valleys, to the towering Southern Alps and gold rush town of Greymouth.
Reputably 'The best motorcycling in the world' is our next experience on the West Coast Road, designed by the grandfather of famous motorcycle designer John Britten. Nowhere else in the world at this latitude have glaciers advanced so close to the coast. These majestic, awe inspiring New Zealand glaciers are amazing seen from the ground and even more stunning from above. A helicopter trip can take you around Mount Cook, landing on the glacier - a trip you'll never forget!
The famous Haast Pass 'motorcycle heaven' is next on our New Zealand tour agenda. We ride through river plains, alongside clear blue lakes and the Southern Alps, on our way to Queenstown - 'adventure playground of the world'.
Queenstown nestles above Lake Wakatipu with stunning views across the lake to The Remarkables. We'll give you plenty of time in Queenstown to experience this fantastic spot before our New Zealand tour takes us around the crystal waters of Lake Wakatipu to Fiordland.
Fiordland is a million hectares of remote, primaeval beauty and one of the few places on the planet of untouched wilderness. Waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres into pristine forested valleys. The mirror surfaces of the fiords reflect majestic, towering mountains. Dolphins, seals and Fiordland penguins make their home here. This is where the word 'silence' takes on a new meaning. Take a day or overnight cruise on Milford or Doubtful Sound to explore the magical Sounds of New Zealand.
Next stop in our South Island New Zealand tour is Invercargill on the Southern Scenic Route, then through the Catlins, a hidden paradise in an unspoilt corner of the world.
With fast straights and sweeping corners, we're on our way to the very Scottish city of Dunedin, with its Victorian architecture and lovely Otago Peninsula.
Our next adventure is riding the famous Lindis Pass, a curvaceous, undulating ride to central Otago, then onto the crystal clear Lake Tekapo with fantastic views of the tallest mountain in New Zealand, Mount Cook.
Then we visit Hanmer Springs to rest our weary bodies in natural hot spring spas - it's the main South Island New Zealand thermal resort set in a lovely scenic area.
Alpine riding at its best takes us through the Lewis Pass to the west coast, alongside rushing ice blue rivers, lush forest and deep gorges to Nelson, the biggest fishing port in New Zealand and the second largest city in the South Island. Nelson is an attractive cosmopolitan city with up-market shopping and restaurants and a 'Mediterranean' microclimate.
We ride along the coast on the twisting Queen Charlotte Drive in the stunning Marlborough Sounds, then through sweeping roads of vineyards and orchards bringing us to Blenheim, home of New Zealand 's finest wines.
Along the winding coast road we can stop for a snack of locally caught crayfish in Kaikoura, famous for whale watching. You can see these magnificent creatures either by boat or air. A typical whale watch tour may encounter New Zealand Fur Seals, pods of dolphins and the endangered Wandering Albatross. Depending on the season in New Zealand you may see Humpback Whales, Pilot Whales, Blue Whales & Southern Right Whales.
Kaikoura often hosts the world's largest dolphin, the Orca, and is home to the smallest and rarest Hector's Dolphin. Kaikoura also attracts the largest concentration of seabirds on mainland New Zealand including 13 species of Albatross.
Sadly, we head back to Christchurch to say our goodbyes. It may be the end of your New Zealand tour, but you'll have memories to last a lifetime.
