South of the South - 9 Days

Day 1

Dinner

Our tour departs from Auckland. We fly to Dunedin where we spend the first 3 nights. Dunedin is New Zealand’s best kept secret, a city full of authentic welcoming characters, heritage buildings and abundant wildlife on its doorstep.

Please contact us if you wish to fly from a different airport to Dunedin.

Day 2

Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we visit historical Olveston House for a guided tour around this national treasure. Olveston was built for Dunedin businessman, collector and philanthropist David Theomin and his wife Marie. It was opened as a historic house museum in 1967. Olveston House is like a time capsule as very little has changed. After lunch, we depart from Dunedin’s beautiful railway station on the Taieri Gorge Railway as it begins its scenic journey into some of New Zealand’s most spectacular and iconic scenery. The train makes its way through the southern parts of Dunedin until arriving at Wingatui Junction where it turns off on to the Taieri branch. We cross the Taieri Plains and climb into the Taieri Gorge, a narrow and deep gorge carved out over many years by the ancient Taieri River.

Day 3

Breakfast, Dinner

This morning is for nature lovers as we travel out to the Otago Peninsula where we can see Hooker’s sea lions, one of the rarest sea lions in the world and seldom seen elephant seals. We start off by visiting Penguin Place at the foot of Taiaroa Head. This private conservation reserve is dedicated to helping the endangered Yellow-Eyed Penguin. We visit the Royal Albatross Centre and see the world’s only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross, the historic Fort Taiaroa and the Little Blue Penguin colony at Pilots Beach. A wonderful morning close up and personal with nature.

After lunch, we return to Dunedin to go on a tour of Larnach Castle, New Zealand’s only castle. We see its rich history and unique architecture that dates back to 1871 as well as exploring the exquisite gardens.

Day 4

Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we set off on an amazing journey through the scenic and historical area of the Catlins in the South Otago and Southland Coastal area. This area with its spectacular coastline, quiet beaches, waterfalls and extensive native forests has something for everyone. Travelling through Balclutha, our first stop is at Kaka Point for morning tea while looking out to sea over the beautiful beach.

Next on the list is the Nugget Point Lighthouse built in 1869 where a breathtaking walk takes us along a spectacular track to the lighthouse. After that, there is really only one stop to make and that is for our lunch in Owaka. The town’s name comes from the Maori word for ‘the place of canoes’ as it is close to the Owaka River.

After lunch, our next stop is at the Purakaunui Falls which is one of the most photographed waterfalls in New Zealand and is at the heart of the Catlins Forest Park. An easy walk leads to the falls. At Curio Bay, best known as the site of a petrified forest some 180 million years old and home to a yellow-eyed penguin colony, we take a short walk to see the fossilised logs on the shore.

Our last visit of the day is to Waipapa Lighthouse and we may come across sea lions lounging around on the beach. Our overnight stay is in Gore, the proud home of Country Music and don’t forget to take a photo of the ‘fish’.

Day 5

Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, we have a leisurely start to the day with our first stop at the Eastern Southland Gallery. There are many paintings here and New Zealand is represented by artists including Rita Angus, Theo Schoon and Ralph Hotere. The gallery has the largest holding of works by major New Zealand contemporary artist Hotere. After all this culture, it’s time for some fun at the Hokonui Moonshine Museum where we find out how audacious many local moonshiners were in the face of police opposition.

Our next stop is at the Croydon Aviation Centre where we can enjoy the exhibits and have lunch in the cafe. Afterwards, we drive to Lumsden where we see the main streets lined with many heritage buildings. They house a number of quirky cafes, bars and restaurants then we are on our way to Invercargill for the night.

Day 6

Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we are off to Stewart Island for 2 nights. Here, we have the opportunity to relax into a simpler, slower lifestyle in time with the sea and the tides and attuned to the natural world of bush and beach. After our short flight, we join our local tour guide who takes us around many of the breathtaking sights of this special island. There is free time later in the day to explore the area around Halfmoon Bay near to our hotel on the waterfront.

Day 7

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our Stewart Island exploration continues with a boat trip around the sheltered waters of Paterson Inlet. We visit the birdwatchers’ delight of Ulva Island which is one of the few pest-free open sanctuaries in New Zealand and we may even spot some fur seals and penguins.

On the return journey, we relax on board and enjoy lunch whilst looking out over the myriad of secluded bays and coves that the locals have at their back doors.

Day 8

Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, we fly back to Invercargill and meet up with local guide Lynette Jack. Lynette has been a guide for 25 years and is still passionate about her city and it shows. The tour takes us around the city seeing all the grand old restored buildings and we continue to Bluff. Bluff is the oldest European settlement in New Zealand and has a rich and varied history. We stop here for lunch. Who can resist the famous Bluff Oysters as they will be in season? Before returning to Invercargill, we stop for a photo opportunity at one of the most photographed signposts in New Zealand. We reach Invercargill early afternoon and there is some free time to explore or just relax back at the hotel.

Day 9

Breakfast

We depart the hotel and head to Invercargill Airport to catch our flight to Auckland. As we fly, we can while away the time by reflecting on a spectacular tour around the most southern parts of the South Island.

Please contact us if you wish to fly to a different airport.