DAY 1: NELSON
You will receive a VIP greeting service upon arrival at Christchurch or Auckland airport, whereby you will be met at the gate & assisted through customs & immigration before being transferred to the domestic terminal for your short flight to Nelson. When you arrive at Nelson's small airport, you will be met & will transfer in a private vehicle to your deluxe accommodation, Eden House, set in the beautiful Orinoco Valley. Sunny Nelson lives up to its name of enjoying the highest amount of sunshine in the country. Nelson is the commercial centre & seaport for a fertile, highly productive & extremely beautiful district noted for fruit, hops & tobacco growing as well as general agricultural & pastoral production. There is a vibrant art community with numerous galleries for art lovers to explore. The remainder of today can be spent relaxing at your luxurious accommodation. Eden House is a gracious home situated on 48 acres of private grounds & was the only New Zealand property to feature in the 2007 edition of the prestigious UK House & Garden supplement Hotels by Design, showcasing "the most stylish hotels in the world". At the house this evening, you can enjoy a sumptuous evening meal with local Marlborough wine.
DAY 2: NELSON (B,D)
Today you have a day at leisure to explore Nelson or visit the Abel Tasman or Kahurangi National Parks, for which Nelson is the gateway. The Kahurangi National Park offers hiking in a spectacular alpine environment, whilst the coastal Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand's smallest national park, established in 1942; the park is renowned for its golden beaches, sculptured granite cliffs & world-famous Abel Tasman Coast Track where sea kayaking is a popular activity. After a full day of sightseeing, you can once again retreat to your luxury lodge for dinner.
DAY 3: NELSON - ARTHURS PASS (B,D)
After breakfast you will transfer by private vehicle to Nelson airport for your domestic flight to Christchurch. You will be met on arrival in Christchurch & then flown by private helicopter to Grasmere Lodge, tucked in the hills beneath the Southern Alps. Built in 1858, the original limestone homestead introduces you to the style of personal pampering that earned this luxury property a Harper's Hideaway Grand Award. The Lodge offers rich, traditional New Zealand hospitality & the owner & staff epitomise New Zealand friendliness. By virtue of its dramatic location set amid towering 7000 ft peaks, & its unashamed emphasis on quality & quiet comfort, Grasmere is an unparalleled experience. The remainder of today is at your leisure to explore the beautiful surroundings or to enjoy some of the activities on offer at the Lodge. This evening dinner is included at the lodge.
DAY 4: ARTHUR S PASS (B,D)
The Lodge offers a wide range of outdoor activities & today you have a day at leisure to enjoy some of these. More adventurous activities include horse trekking, mountain biking, trout fishing & scenic helicopter flights, whilst more sedate options range from mountain spa treatments, relaxing by the outdoor swimming pool & croquet on the English lawn to hikes in the spectacular scenery & a 4WD sheep farming experience. After a full day in the fresh air, you can enjoy a wine-tasting session before savouring a locally grown 5-course menu, topped off by post-prandial drinks in the lounge.
DAY 5: ARTHURS S PASS - QUEENSTOWN (B,D)
Following breakfast you will transfer by helicopter to Christchurch Airport where you will join a private light aircraft flight for the spectacular journey travelling down the spine of the South Island to Queenstown. Your flight will land at a private airstrip adjacent to Blanket Bay where you will be met by staff waiting to transfer you to the main Lodge. Located a 45-minute drive from Queenstown, the Lodge at Blanket Bay is acknowledged as one of New Zealand's finest properties & it is the entire experience that sets it apart; there is nowhere on earth where there are so many activities available so close by. This evening you can enjoy pre-dinner cocktails & canapés followed by beautiful evening meal at the lodge this evening.
DAY 6: QUEENSTOWN (B,D)
You have today at leisure to enjoy the best that Queenstown has to offer. Nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is a year-round alpine resort that caters for all interests. It enjoys a magnificent setting amid steep mountain ranges & pockets of native bush with the jagged peaks of the Remarkables Range rising from the lake. The lake was scooped out by glacial action thousands of years ago & a mysterious phenomenon causes the lake to vary several inches in depth every few minutes, giving credence to a Maori legend of an ancient Taniwha (demon) still breathing beneath the surface. From fly-fishing to hiking, jet boating to horseback riding, from Heli-skiing to canyoning, art trails to vineyards, from hiking the Milford & Routeburn Tracks to flight-seeing over the World Heritage Fiordland National Park & Milford Sound, all of these options & many more are right on your doorstep. The Lodge staff will be happy to make recommendations & reservations on your behalf. After a busy day, you can retire to the luxurious surroundings of Blanket Bay for another fine dining experience.
DAY 7: QUEENSTOWN (B,D)
Today you are free to further explore Queenstown & the surrounding region. You might want to travel up Bob's peak by Gondola to enjoy spectacular views across Lake Wakatipu to the Remarkables Range in the distance or visit the Kiwi & Birdlife Park. You can take a cruise on Lake Wakatipu onboard the steam ship TSS Earnslaw & visit a high country sheep station for a farm tour. The central Otago wine region is the world's southern most wine producing region & a private wine tour will tempt your taste buds with some of the award winning wines that are produced here. If all these leisurely pursuits become too much then Queenstown has more adrenalin pumping activities than most towns; you can bungy jump, luge ride, go white water rafting, river surfing, abseiling, tandem parachuting & parapenting, to name just a few of the options available. Your final night in New Zealand will be spent in style & tranquility at Blanket Bay.
DAY 8: QUEENSTOWN (B)
Following breakfast you can take a private transfer by road to Queenstown airport in time to connect with your flight home.
DAY 1: NELSON
DAY 2: NELSON (B,D)
DAY 3: NELSON - ARTHURS PASS (B,D)
DAY 4: ARTHUR S PASS (B,D)
DAY 5: ARTHURS S PASS - QUEENSTOWN (B,D)
DAY 6: QUEENSTOWN (B,D)
DAY 7: QUEENSTOWN (B,D)
DAY 8: QUEENSTOWN (B)
End of our services.