NZ Explorer

We start this great tour by journeying to the wild and stunningly beautiful Glenorchy region at the head of Lake Wakatipu.  This area is home to big mountains, glaciers, the Paradise Valley, Rees Valley, Dart Valley and UNESCO world heritage Mt Aspiring National Park.  

Here we'll spend a full day exploring the valleys and surrounds of this idyllic region made famous by the Lord Of The Rings trilogy in what is arguably some of the most incredible natural beauty offered in New Zealand.

Included is three hours of exhilarating and adventurous ziplining through stunning ancient Southern Beech forest! 
Once we're geared up and completed our safety training on the equipment we're good to go and ready to zip our way across 8 ziplines that take us across stunning chasms, through slot canyons and above blue lagoons and pristine streams.  The thrill and scenery compete for your attention during the regions best zip lining experience.

Today you have the whole day to get off the beaten track and to explore Queenstown by Mountain Bike on the Queenstown Trail.  We provide premium MTB equipment, snacks, refreshments and trail information and dedicated bike taxi shuttles so that you can really get the most enjoyment on the day, and are able to ride 2-3 trail sections.  

We have a fantastic network of trail rides to cater for all levels of mountain bikers with differing levels of fitness and experience.   There are some great non-technical trails that follow the lakeside and criss-cross rivers and bridges offering amazing views that you just can't get by road.  Favourite rides also take in historic Arrowtown and the Gibbston Valley wine region.

This morning we depart Queenstown for our next destination of Lake Wanaka, but not before a 1 hour Jet Boat thrill ride where we explore 47km of Lake Wakatipu and the mighty Kawarau River.  This is an iconic Queenstown activity and offers plenty of adventure with 360-degree jet boat spins amongst the mountains in the adventure capital of the world! 
We arrive into Wanaka for a lakeside lunch and have the afternoon available to relax by the waters edge with amazing mountain views, or perhaps see out some adrenalin with an optional 12,000ft Tandem Skydive over Lake Wanaka!

Today we head towards the Matukituki Valley for great hiking options on the Diamond Lake trail.  We'll take a picnic lunch and hike to the Rocky Mountain summit for jaw-dropping views over Lake Wanaka, the Matukituki River and the big mountains surrounds.  Your afternoon is free to explore Wanaka or take a well-earned break.

This morning we depart Wanaka and continue our journey to the West Coast of New Zealand taking in beautiful rainforests with crystal clear Blue pools, thundering waterfalls and impressive lookouts as we reach the coast and overlook the Tasman Sea.

Upon arriving at our destination Franz Josef, we'll have lunch and then undertake a spectacular Heli Hike adventure landing high up on the Franz Josef glacier. Here we undertake a two hour guided adventure hike amongst some of the most pristine and awe-inspiring glacier scenery available, making your way through a wonderland of towering pinnacles and brilliantly blue ice.

Today we drive up the coast to go Underworld Rafting, a blackwater tubing and glowworm adventure! Along the way we stop at Punakaiki where we will head along the coastal track to explore the famous Pancake rocks. These are columns of limestone resembling stacks of pancakes which at high tide and with a heavy swell running have seawater forced upwards through blowholes creating spectacular spraying geysers.

Departing the Cape we head inland to Murchison for a half day of White Water Rafting on the Buller river where we run the Buller Gorge section which has Ariki Falls on it, a great grade 4 drop.
After Lunch, we head north to our final destination, New Zealand's incredible Abel Tasman National Park.

A full day Sea kayaking in the spectacular Abel Tasman National Park, paddling by pristine golden beaches, through crystal clear waters, and to a marine reserve Seal colony. This is New Zealand's smallest National Park and a destination well known for its wildlife, kayaking and hiking, as much as for its stunning natural beauty.

Another full day in the Abel Tasman National Park, however today we spend it hiking on the Abel Tasman track and canyoning in the amazing Torrent River.  This is a really popular canyoning trip, simply because it has everything that you could ask for.....jumps, slides, floats, abseils, you name it!  All this exciting stuff takes place in a gorgeous granite canyon filled with some of the purest water you can find and wrapped in mind-blowing, unspoiled rain forest.

A free half day to explore more of the Abel Tasman National Park or to relax on the beach before driving to our final destination Picton. This is the port town where we conclude our trip and arrange for you to catch the inter-islander ferry to Wellington for your on-going travels or international flights. Alternatively, you can be shuttled to Nelson Airport for your domestic/transfer flights.