Trip Overview
Worth noting…
Heads up! This trip is a lil longer than our 2023-2024 departures. You’ll have two extra days to explore, plus a few more included experiences. Nice!
Departing on 3 May, 7 May or 18 Oct? Your final night will be at Lake Tekapo instead of Lake Ohau.
On this trip, you’ll get two in one – your Trip Leader is also your Driver.
Tales From Topdeckers
Trip itinerary
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Christchurch – Kaikoura – Hamner Springs
2In the mood to see Mother Nature showing off? Say hello to Hamner Springs. But first up: B-E-A-Utiful Kaikoura. Options here = soak up the laid back atmosphere in town, take a hike around the peninsula, keep your eyes peeled for Giant Sperm Whales on a whale-watching tour, or get your butt down to one of the seafood caravans on the foreshore for some fresher-than-fresh crayfish. Fancy a spa afternoon? Once we reach Hamner Springs, make your way to its natural thermal pools. There’s 22 in total, plus the complex also hosts New Zealand’s biggest water slide: the Conical Thrill.
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Included Today
- Visit Kaikoura
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Whale watching in Kaikoura: prices available locally
- Visit Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Hamner Springs – Hokitika – Franz Josef Glacier Region
3You’re in luck – today we’re heading to one of New Zealand’s most famous glaciers. En-route, we’ll make a photo stop in historic Hokitika. Head to the beach and find the quirky sculpture made by the locals. Gift a pounamu (greenstone) to your new travel BFF for good luck. Or give ‘mountain oysters’ a try (hint: Google it first). Then, it’s time to roll into the jaw-dropping Franz Josef Glacier region. Here, you can work up an appetite during an optional kayaking session on Lake Mapourika. Need somewhere for dins? Your Trip Leader’s got the recs.
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Included Today
- Visit Hokitika
- Stay in the scenic Franz Josef Glacier region
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Kayaking on Lake Mapourika: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Franz Josef Glacier Region – Lake Matheson – Wanaka
4Rise and shine! If the weather is good, you’ll have the chance to explore this chilly playground on an optional heli-hike. Strap on your crampons and pile into the chopper – we’ll head up to 800m above sea level to explore the maze of ice formations with an expert local guide. Then, it’s time to move on to Lake Matheson. Cue: snapping photos that’ll make your friends back home jealous AF. Later, we’ll arrive into Wanaka: a lakeside, alpine town with some ‘holy-sh*t’-worthy scenery. Get your bearings with your Trip Leader before hopping on an optional cruise. After snapping endless photos on the water, gather your mates for dinner. Our pick? Francesca’s Italian Kitchen for yummy wood-fired pizza.
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Included Today
- Visit Lake Matheson
- Orientation walk of Wanaka with Trip Leader
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Glacier heli-hike excursion in Franz Josef Glacier region: prices available locally
- Cruise on Lake Wanaka: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Wanaka – Arrowtown – Queenstown
5Set the course for Arrowtown and stretch out those calves – there’s a cycle along the banks of the historic Arrow River in store for today. Venture through some ‘holy-sh*t’-worthy scenery and cross awe-inspiring suspension bridges. Then: we’ll turn our attention to the adventure capital of the world! Get the lay of the land with your Trip Leader before enjoying some free time. Opt to race your Topdeck buddies on the sky-high luge track. Or try bungy jumping and try not to stack it in front of your trip mates. Then, there’s a group dinner on us at Fergburger. Tonight you can hunker down in World Bar – with world-famous teapot cocktails, it’s the perfect spot to make a plan for your full day in Queenstown.
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Included Today
- Arrow River Bridges cycle ride
- Orientation walk of Queenstown with Trip Leader
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Optional extras
- Bungy jumping in Queenstown: prices available locally
- Gondola and luge adventure in Queenstown: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Queenstown
6If Queenstown had a Tinder profile it would read: fun-filled outdoor enthusiast – looking for a fellow adrenalin junkie to share adventures with. And all its pics would be of people throwing themselves off extreme heights. Swiping right? Hell yes! Skydiving. Jet boating. Canyon swinging. You want it, this place has it. And you’ve got 24 hrs to embrace it all. DW if all the above makes you want to run and hide – there’s more here than death-defying antics. Take the skyline gondola for some incred views over Lake Wakatipu. Or visit Queenstown Gardens for stunning scenes of the The Remarkables. Tonight: head to the Cookie Bar. We’re talking warm cookies, freakshakes, s’more, ice-cream...*wipes drool from chin*.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Jet boating in Queenstown: prices available locally
- Canyon swinging in Queenstown: prices available locally
- Skydiving in Queenstown: prices available locally
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Meals
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Queenstown – Te Anau
7There’s time for one last adrenaline rush and a final feed before we wave goodbye to Queenstown. Soak up all the incredible views racing past the coach window as we make our way to Te Anau. Stretch your legs with a walk around Ivon Wilson Park. Or keep your eyes peeled for rare tuis and kakas in the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary. Tonight: seek out the resident glow worms on an after-dark adventure – just ask your in-the-know Trip Leader.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Visit Te Anau Bird Sanctuary: free
- Glow worm cave tour in Te Anau: prices available locally
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Meals
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Te Anau – Milford Sound – Te Anau
8Today, it’s time for a trip to the mesmerising Milford Sound. Plaster your face to the window as we take the scenic route through Fiordland National Park. Then, the main event: a cruise on the Milford fjord complete with thundering waterfalls, razor-edge cliffs and resident seals. This place is National Geographic on steroids (like Schwarzenegger steroids). Tuck into lunch on board surrounded by a view you’ll tell your children (12 cats) about for years to come. Back in Te Anau, gather your mates and explore the local haunts – your Trip Leader knows ‘em, just ask.
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Included Today
- Scenic cruise on Milford Sound (including lunch)
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Lunch
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Included Today
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Te Anau – Cromwell – Lake Ohau
9Fuel up with an included brekkie ‘cos it’s time to make tracks to our final overnight stop of the trip: Lake Ohau. First, there’s a wine tasting tour on the cards in Cromwell. The Central Otago town is famous for its Pinot. Prefer a cool glass of Savvie B? There’s plenty of that, too. Then, onto Lake Ohau. Nestled between towering mountains and overlooking the sparkling lake, it's the perfect place to spend the last night of our southern expedition. We’re gonna give this trip the send-off it deserves at tonight’s final group dinner.
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Included Today
- Wine tasting in Cromwell
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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Lake Ohau – Lake Tekapo – Christchurch
10Ok, nobody panic – the adventure is coming to a close. But we’re sure as hell not done yet! Lake Tekapo is calling. Add one of New Zealand’s most photographed buildings to your camera roll with a visit to the Church of the Good Shepherd along the shoreline. Then, we’ll make tracks for Christchurch where it’s time to say goodbye. Eight days. Countless thrills, spills and good times. You embraced it all and shared the adventure with a bunch of strangers who are now like family. Reunion trip next year? 100%.
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Included Today
- Visit to Church of the Good Shepherd
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
What's included
Included experiences
- - Visit Kaikoura
- - Visit Hokitika
- - Stay in the scenic Franz Josef Glacier region
- - Visit Lake Matheson
- - Orientation walk of Wanaka with Trip Leader
- - Arrow River Bridges cycle ride
- - Orientation walk of Queenstown with Trip Leader
- - Scenic cruise on Milford Sound (including lunch)
- - Wine tasting in Central Otago region
- - Visit the Church of the Good Shepherd
Accommodation
- 8 nights in hotel-style accommodation (twin or double), 1 night in a hostel (twin or double)
Transport
Optional activities
- FYI: these are optional activities available locally. Things might change – prices are here to give you a rough idea.
- Whale watching in Kaikoura: prices available locally
- Visit Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa: prices available locally
- Kayaking on Lake Mapourika: prices available locally
- Glacier heli-hike excursion in Franz Josef Glacier region: prices available locally
- Cruise on Lake Wanaka: prices available locally
- Bungy jumping in Queenstown: prices available locally
- Gondola and luge adventure in Queenstown: prices available locally
- Jet boating in Queenstown: prices available locally
- Canyon swinging in Queenstown: prices available locally
- Skydiving in Queenstown: prices available locally
- Glow worm cave tour in Te Anau: prices available locally
- Visit Te Anau Bird Sanctuary: free
Views & Reviews
Latest Reviews
Average rating based on 4 reviews
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Renee Ko December 2023
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Neve Wa November 2023
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Kristina Gr November 2023
Loved everything except The Kiwi Experience place
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