We include home/hotel pickup & transfers from many areas at the start and end of your tour. Additionally, we offer return flight packages which include door to door service / home pickup & return from a wide range of areas. If your area is not listed, please contact us by phone or email and we can advise options for you.
Tours include all listed accommodation, sights (unless explicitly described as an optional extra), dinners and cooked breakfasts. All prices are based on share twin accommodation. Single supplements are available.
$AUD 9,699 (LAND ONLY)
per person, twin share
INC RETURN AIRFARE:
Solo travellers (same gender) are matched for twin share at no extra cost.
NZD $1800 Single Supplement (to guarantee a single room)
Gold Club Tours offer door to door service & transfers, as well as return flight packages which include door to door service.
COMPLIMENTARY TRANSFERS (flight packages include additional transfers/door to door service)
Tour Only – Door to Door inclusions
Day 1
1. From your arrival flight (or nominated address) to hotel.
Final Day
1. From your hotel to your departure flight (or nominated address).
Flight Package – Door to Door inclusions
Day 1
1. From your home (or nominated address) to your flight to New Zealand.
2. On arrival in New Zealand, you are met at airport and taken to your hotel.
Final Day:
1. From your hotel to your departing flight.
2. On arrival in Australia, you are met at airport and taken to your home.
Call or email us to check your preferred tour date – we can confirm availability and pricing.
If your area is not listed, please contact us and we can advise you options and prices for flights and/or door to door service from your preferred location.
Return flight packages, including door to door service (home or hotel pickup & return) are listed below. Many suburbs we pickup from are not listed below. If your area falls in between the below listed and the airport, we almost certainly pickup, call or email to confirm your area is included.
EX: Sydney $799
EX: Brisbane $899
EX: Melbourne $999
EX: Adelaide $1099
EX: Perth $1449
EX: Darwin $1449
Flights packages are based on economy airfares. Should you wish to travel on alternative dates, times or airliers, or wish to upgrade to business or first class, please advise and we can advise options and any pricing change (alternative flight arrangements subject to availability and confirmation – fares and arrangments are not confirmed until funds have been recieved). Typically, guests fly to the airport closest to their home return area, although this may vary in some instances, particularly in smaller and/or more remote areas. Guests who wish to have specific requests catered to, such as direct vs connecting flights, specific flight times or specific airports, alternative locations, alternative dates, etc, may incur additional charges (wherever possible we do not charge additional).
Gold Club Tours always recommend that guests take out travel insurance. This is important whether it is for international or domestic travel. In the event you are unable to travel before or during a tour, cancellation terms apply – take out insurance to protect yourself.
Gold Club Tours offer additional accommodation options for guests travelling on our tours.
We have set pricing for guests to stay pre-tour or post-tour at:
Locations
Pricing
If you wish to arrange accommodation at another location that is not listed here, please contact us.
Guests who have selected a Gold Club Tours airfare package are transferred from their home address to join their flight to Auckland, New Zealand.
Welcome to New Zealand!
On arrival, you have a complimentary transfer to your hotel – either from your inbound flight arriving in Auckland, or from your nominated Auckland address. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. (Guests already in Auckland have a complimentary transfer from their Auckland address to the hotel available at no charge).
The remainder of the day is at leisure, and this evening have dinner with your new travelling companions who have arrived.
Stay: The Hotel Grand Chancellor Auckland (or similar)
Today you are at leisure, to relax or explore Auckland. Your Gold Club Tour Leader can assist you in making recommendations for optional activities. Perhaps visit the Sky Tower to view the city from the observation deck 186m high, or consider a day trip to Waiheke Island via ferry for wine tasting tour. This evening we dine in the hotel restaurant.
Stay: The Hotel Grand Chancellor Auckland (or similar)
This morning we depart the hotel by tour coach to travel to Matamata, the home of Hobbiton – the spectacularly presented set from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies for an exclusive guided tour. Hear fascinating stories about the films and the construction of the set.
At the conclusion of our time, we depart Matamata and continue on to Rotorua, which is nicknamed “Sulphur City” as it is New Zealand’s geothermal wonderland, and known for its distinctive smell. Arriving at our hotel where we check-in and relax, before dining in the hotel this evening.
Stay: Rydges Hotel Rotorua (or similar)
This morning we head to Te Puia – the world famous geothermal park situated in the Whakarewarewa Valley. See spectacular geysers, boiling mud pools and hissing steam vents.
This afternoon is at leisure to relax, or to explore the unique activities and sights that Rotorua has to offer. Perhaps take a scenic flight by helicopter or float plane, or enjoy a geothermal mud bath a “Hell’s Gate”.
Early this evening, we head to Te Pa Tu for a remarkable Maori cultural experience & performance in a traditional village, with opportunity to participate, followed by a sumptuous dinner.
Stay: Rydges Hotel Rotorua (or similar)
This morning you depart your hotel to join the Northern Explorer Train for Wellington.
Travel through the heart of the North Island, passing through the Tongariro National Park and Ohakune. Enjoy fantastic views from the panoramic windows or perhaps venture out to the open air viewing deck. See magnificent views of the volcanic plateau, Mount Ruapehu and the world famous Raurimu Spiral, as well as stunning river gorges. Upon arrival at Wellington, you are taken to your hotel.
Stay: James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor Wellington (or similar)
This morning we visit Te Papa museum and view the “Scale of War” exhibit. This is a world renowned exhibition produced by Peter Jackson & Weta Workshop detailing New Zealand’s role in the Gallipoli Campaign. At the conclusion of our time at Te Papa, we enjoy a tour of Wellington’s sights including Mt Victoria, the Beehive and the Botanic Gardens. After the tour, the rest of your day in Wellington is free for you to explore or relax.
Stay: James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor Wellington (or similar)
This morning we depart early from the hotel for the bluebridge ferry, where we have breakfast onboard and farewell Wellington. Travel across across Cook Strait and enter Queen Charlotte Sound and cruise this idyllic & tranquil waterway to the busy and scenic little fishing town of Picton. On arrival in Picton, we join our tour coach to travel the eastern seaside of the South Island. Pass through the seaside town of Kaikoura, before arriving in Christchurch.
Stay: Pavilions Hotel (or similar)
After breakfast this morning, enjoy a tour of some of the well-known city sights that Christchurch is famous for. At the conclusion of the city sights tour, the remainder of the day is at leisure. Your tour leader can assist you with lunch recommendations and optional excursions.
Stay: Pavilions Hotel (or similar)
This morning join the Tranz Alpine Train to Greymouth. Head up into the Southern Alps and view dramatic alpine scenery – mountain peaks, rugged gorges and rivers. Stop briefly at Arthur’s Pass, the alpine village in the centre of the Alps. Then on to Greymouth, and a visit to the recreated goldmining settlement of Shantytown, where we ride their steam train. Then we head on to Hokitika where we stay this evening.
Stay: Beachfront Hotel (or similar)
We leave Hokitika this morning and drive south along the coastal road which boasts wonderful panoramic views of alpine scenery and dense native forests, as we head towards glacier country. We will stop at Lake Matheson (weather permitting, note lake is approximately 1km walk each way from coach parking area) noted for its magnificent mirror-like reflections of the Southern Alps. We then continue on to Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers. These twin rivers of ice are unique, as nowhere in the world outside the polar regions are glaciers found so close to sea level.
AUD$365 per person
Take in the grandeur of Fox Glacier on a 20 minute trip. Land on the snow plains of the Fox Glacier, jump out and take it all in. Includes scenic helicopter flight, Snow landing atop the Glacier, Informative pilot commentary.
At Franz Josef Glacier or Fox Glacier (weather permitting), you have the opportunity to take an optional scenic flight over these spectacular ice-flows. This evening, we dine at a local restaurant.
Stay: Bella Vista Fox Glacier (or similar)
Continuing south, we will pass isolated andlovely Bruce Bay before reaching the small settlement of Haast. Leaving the coast today, we will travel inland past Thunder Creek Falls to the “Gates of Haast.”
AUD$145 per person
60 min trip through the mighty Haast River Valley. Journey into the heart of Te Wahipounamu, the South West World Heritage Area. Hear fascinating commentary as you travel on purpose-built, fully enclosed safari boats.
Travel the ancient Maori greenstone pilgrimage route through the Haast Pass, and down to the shores of the milky, glacier-fed Lakes of Hawea and Wanaka, to arrive in the picturesque township of Wanaka. We then travel through rich farmlands before continuing to Queenstown, where we will stay two nights.
Stay: Mercure Resort Queenstown (or similar)
Today, the entire day is at leisure for you to enjoy the many scenic delights of this world-famous alpine resort. Many guests will want to take advantage of the optional tour to Arrowntown, which is available for free to Gold Club Tours guests. Your tour leader can assist you in planning your day and making arrangements.
INCLUDED FREE!
This morning guest have the option of joining an optional visit to the historic goldmining settlement of Arrowtown. Arrowtown is a gorgeous this picturesque town that offers a glimpse into New Zealand’s 19th-century gold mining era. Wander the quaint streets lined with beautifully preserved heritage buildings, explore the fascinating museums, and visit the historic Chinese Settlement. Guests are then returned to their hotel, or they can continue by joining the optional Queenstown Wine Tour.
This evening, we will board the vintage steamship T.S.S. Earnslaw for a delightful cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak, a high country sheep station. There is time to inspect the sheep and highland cattle before relaxing in the Colonel’s Homestead and enjoying some friendly Kiwi Hospitality and a sumptuous dinner, which is one of the culinary highlights of the tour.
Stay: Mercure Resort Queenstown (or similar)
This morning we drive along Lake Wakatipu to Lake Te Anau and enter Fiordland. Here, outstanding scenery greets us as we continue through the beech forests of the Eglington Valley with its steep walls, grassy floor and exquisite mirror-like lakes before entering the rugged grandeur of the Hollyford Valley. We pass through Cascade Creek and the hand-hewn Homer Tunnel, stopping at The Chasm, before continuing on through the glacial formations of the Cleddau Valley and descending to Milford. Late this afternoon we board our boat exclusively chartered for Gold Club Tours and enjoy a private cruise. Follow the deep icy blue waterway to explore the hidden depths of Milford Sound. There is plenty of time to admire the intricately carved deep fiord and rock walls, and the most memorable of them all: Mitre Peak. Sitting at 6,000 feet, it is the tallest peak in the world rising directly from the bottom of the ocean. We cruise by tumbling waterfalls of Lady Bowen falls, Stirling Falls and many others as we journey to the hidden mouth of the Sound and out to the Tasman Sea. Watch for schools of playful dolphins that surf the bow wave of the boat and spot the seals basking in the sun on the rocky shores. Then we return to Te Anau, home of the South Island’s largest lake. We arrive later in the evening for dinner before retiring for the night.
Stay: Distinction Luxmore Te Anau (or similar)
This morning, we drive along Lake Manapouri, said to be New Zealand’s most beautiful lake, before crossing the rich and fertile country of Southland. Invercargill boasts being both the southernmost & westernmost city in New Zealand, and is essentially the gateway to Bluff, home of its namesake: the world-famous Bluff oysters. Bluff oysters are widely regarded as the finest in the world! Enjoy a brief tour of Bluff and Invercargill, before having free time.
AUD$365 per person
The optional visit to Stewart Island includes a return flight from Invercargill, a guided tour on the island of approximately 1 hour, with some free time, as well as return transfers to and from Invercargill airport.
The rest of the afternoon you have free time. This evening, enjoy dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.
Stay: Ascot Park Hotel (or similar)
This morning, we depart Invercargill for Dunedin via the magnificent coastal vistas of the Catlins, famed for the wildlife, forests and rugged natural beauty. Late this afternoon, we arrive at the traditionally “Scottish City” of Dunedin – quaint, friendly and once New Zealand’s hub of commerce. During the gold rush years, Dunedin was New Zealand’s largest and most prosperous city and is home to New Zealand’s first university. We will stop at the Olveston House, a 35 room Jacobean mansion that allows an intimate view of the life of a prosperous Dunedin merchant and his family in Edwardian times. The mansion houses a treasure of Georgian and Victorian furniture, paintings, silver, china and glassware with a notable oriental collection.
Stay: Dunedin Leisure Lodge (or similar)
Today, we enjoy a trip on the Taieri Gorge Railway. View incredible scenery as you hear stories about Otago’s rich history from onboard commentators. Admire the engineering feats of early railway pioneers including hand-made tunnels and the Wingatui Viaduct, the tallest wrought iron structure in Australasia.
This evening, we visit Larnach Castle, an imposing stone mansion that was constructed in 1871 by William Larnach, a former government minister. Your guide will inform you of the dark Larnach secrets as you are escorted through the mansion to view the ornately furnished rooms and halls. Here, we are privileged to enjoy an exclusive sumptuous dinner at the castle.
Stay: Dunedin Leisure Lodge (or similar)
Today we travel by coach up to Oamaru. Here we visit the historic precinct which is home to beautiful whitestone buildings and fascinating historical collections and quaint stores – stroll through yesteryear and the charming vestiges of the Victorian era. We ride the Oamaru Vintage Railway, before continuing to our accommodation in Omarama.
Stay: Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel Omarama (or similar)
Today we depart for Christchurch. We travel to view Mt Cook, before continuing to beautiful Lake Tekapo, where a stop is made to view the Church of the Good Shepherd. Crossing Burkes Pass, we travel through the sheep-stations and tussock-covered lands of the MacKenzie Country and across the colourful patchwork quilt of the Canterbury Plains, the country’s largest wheat producing area, before arriving in Christchurch, the second largest metropolitan area in New Zealand. On arrival at Christchurch, you will check into your hotel for the evening.
Stay: Pavilions Hotel (or similar)
Sadly, this is the last day of our tour. A complimentary transfer to your nominated address is included. For guests who have purchased a flight package, you are at leisure to enjoy the day until the time for your transfer to the Christchurch airport to join your departing flight. On arrival at your destination airport you are met and returned to your home.
Have questions or need help with your booking? Reach out and we’ll take care of the rest.