Top of the South - Calder and Lawson Tours
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DISCOVER NZ
Top of the South
Sunday 21 March - Thursday 1April 2021
11 nights
TOUR OVERVIEW
The top third of the South Island is an area of wonderful contrasts, from the glittering waterways of the
Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman National Park to the rugged mining landscapes of the Denniston Plateau
and the spectacular high country of Hanmer Springs and Molesworth Station. Take your time seeing the best of
the region with several two-night stays. For nature lovers marine and bird life abound in the Marlborough Sounds
and at Farewell Spit. Top it off with whale watching off the Kaikoura coast. The late summer weather, luscious
local wine and fresh produce, compelling history and scenic grandeur will make this a trip to remember.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
• View the impressive collection of WW1 and WW2 aircraft and artefacts at Omaka aviation heritage
centre
• Spend a full day on Pelorus Sound and visit a Greenshell Mussel farm
• Cruise the azure waters of the Abel Tasman National Park on a water taxi between Kaiteriteri and
Totaranui beaches
• Peer through the crystal clear water at the largest cold water spring in the Southern Hemisphere
• Take a 4 wheel drive tour to learn about Farewell Spit; a wetland of international significance
• Discover the history and stories of the famed mining area of the Denniston Plateau
• Gaze at the pancake rocks and blowholes of Punakaiki
• Rummage through the museum, galleries, distillery and antique shops of Reefton
• Explore New Zealand’s largest farm, the spectacular high-country Molesworth station
• Learn the geology and impact of the recent Kaikoura earthquakes
• Get up-close to the world’s largest toothed predator, the giant sperm whale, off the coast of Kaikoura.
TOUR INCLUSIONS TOUR EXCLUSIONS
• The services of an experienced Calder & Lawson • Domestic travel to Blenheim and from Christ-
Tours tour manager church (flights can be booked for you at an
additional cost)
• 11 nights accommodation
• Travel insurance
• Meals as specified in the itinerary
• Meals not specified in the itinerary
• All group transfers • Beverages during included meals, unless
• Admissions as detailed in the itinerary specified
• Personal expenses
• Activities and sightseeing tours with local guides as
detailed in the itinerary • If you wish to pay by credit card, a surcharge of
2.5% will be charged
• Pre-tour material
TOUR PRICE
Share twin per person NZD $4,690
Single supplement NZD $1,290
Single supplement is limited, please contact us to check availability.
GROUP SIZE Minimum 10, maximum 18
VARIATIONS IN TRAVEL We can make arrangements for any travel you would like to do before or after this tour.
Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
TOUR MANAGER
Malcolm Campbell will be your tour manager. He is a professional
naturalist, birder, outdoor pursuit’s enthusiast, who worked for 20
years on conservation and environmental issues in New Zealand’s
national parks, forests, and coastal marine environments. He has led
many tours in New Zealand and will share his in-depth knowledge
with you.
Malcolm is a natural storyteller, a friendly and enthusiastic travel
companion, and possesses an encyclopaedic knowledge of our
country, which he imparts with warmth and zest. He is fond of
quoting Mark Twain's quip from Journeys across the Equator, "When
God finished making the world, he took the best of everything and
made New Zealand”, which we are sure you will agree with.
DAILY ITINERARY
Sunday 21 March 2021 Your tour will begin in Blenheim late morning. Please arrange for your flight to
Your home - Blenheim arrive in the morning. The Calder & Lawson Tours team can assist with any
Meals: D travel arrangements you may need.
Overnight: Blenheim
Your first stop will be the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre which houses two
spectacular exhibitions. The ‘Knights of the Sky’ is Sir Peter Jackson’s collection
of WW1 aircraft brought to life in vivid staging. ‘The Dangerous Skies’ display
features warbirds from WW2 including Spitfire, Yak-3, FW-190 Focke Wulf and a
44 foot Lockheed Hudson. You will have time to enjoy the displays and learn
more with a private guided tour of both collections.
Later this afternoon, take a tour and enjoy a tasting at one of the original
craft brewers, Moa, who have been producing beer since 2003 among the
vineyards of Marlborough.
After checking in to your luxurious hotel in the heart of Marlborough and
only two minutes walking distance to downtown Blenheim, you will have time
to freshen up before joining the group for a welcome dinner at one of the
many excellent local restaurants.
Monday 22 March This morning, you will board the Pelorus Sound mail boat and enjoy a full day
Pelorus Sound cruising the spectacular waterways. Departing Havelock marina you will
Meals: B/L cruise through Mahau Sound into Pelorus Sound. If you fancy a little more
Driving: 1 hour Exercise, an optional one hour walk from Fairy Bay to Jacobs Bay is possible.
Overnight: Blenheim After a picnic lunch stop, continue cruising past the local gannet colony and
enjoy spectacular views of the coastline and native bush of Tennyson Inlet
and a tour of a working Greenshell Mussel farm.
Bird-spotting opportunities include little blue penguins, white fronted terns,
fluttering shearwaters and five species of shag. In the water you may also see
fur seals, stingrays and three species of dolphin, dusky, common and bottle
nose.
Following a serene day on the water return to Blenheim for an evening at
leisure to enjoy one of the local restaurants within walking distance of your
hotel.
Tuesday 23 March After breakfast you will drive through the rolling hills to Nelson, for a day of
Blenheim - Nelson sightseeing.
Meals: B/D
Driving: 2 hours Lunch at leisure in downtown Nelson and then a visit to Pics Peanut Butter for
Overnight: Nelson a factory tour. Hear the history of Pics, see their products being made and of
course enjoy a tasting.
Visit the artisans at Hoglund glass art studio and showroom and watch a
demonstration of glass blowing before stopping by the jewellery boutique of
Jens Hansen, the maker of the world’s most famous ring ‘The One Ring’ from
the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movie fame.
Check in to your centrally located hotel and perhaps stretch your legs with a
walk around the city and Queens Gardens or the Centre of New Zealand
monument in the botanical reserve.
Enjoy a group dinner tonight at a harbourside restaurant.
Wednesday 24 March An early start this morning as you travel north around the coast and through
Nelson - Pohara Beach Motueka to stunning Kaiteriteri beach, famous for golden sands and turquoise
Meals: B/D water. You will board a water taxi for a leisurely cruise around the Abel Taman
Driving: 1 hour & 30 minutes National Park from Kaiteriteri to Totaranui Beach. You will view the world
Water taxi: 1 hour 40 minutes famous Split Apple Rock and visit the fur seals at Adele Island along the way.
Overnight: Pohara Beach
On arrival at Totaranui beach in Golden Bay, your coach will pick you up and
transfer you to Pohara Beach where you will be staying in an elegant lodge
across the road from the beach for the next two nights.
After a lunch at leisure, enjoy the afternoon in Golden Bay, visiting Te
Waikoropupu Springs, home of some of the worlds clearest water and take a
relaxed 45 minute loop walk through the forest to a platform overlooking the
Springs.
A group dinner tonight at the iconic Mussel Inn, an eclectic café and brewery
and home to live music.
Thursday 25 March Farewell Spit Nature Reserve is a bird sanctuary and wetland of international
Farewell Spit importance, and is more strictly protected than a national park. The Spit itself
Meals: B/L/D is around 35 km long and public access is restricted to the first 4 km. Your
Driving: Farewell Spit half day guided 4WD safari is run by an operator approved by the Department of
tour Conservation to take tours into the sanctuary.
Overnight: Pohara Beach
Farewell Spit has been a bird sanctuary since the 1930s and provides a home
to over 90 bird species. Bar-tailed godwits, knots, curlews, whimbrels and
turnstones fly around 12,000 kilometres every northern hemisphere autumn to
spend the summer here in the south.
You can explore the geological past at Fossil Point, climb a low sand dune
and visit an area to watch wading birds. A highlight is the historic light-house
reserve, with its 19th-century lighthouse (still keeping ships safe from the shifting
sands) and reminders of the pioneering families who lived here and tended
the light. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the lighthouse before driving back to Pohara
Beach.
Recount the day’s highlights with a special group dinner at your lodge in
Pohara Beach this evening.
Friday 26 March Leaving Golden Bay behind, you will drive over the Takaka Hill and through
Pohara Beach - Westport the Motueka valley towards Westport. Established in 1861 it is the oldest
Meals: B European settlement on the West Coast. A mining town, it has been
Driving: 4 hours damaged by several earthquakes and after the 1929 Murchison earthquake
Overnight: Westport in which several buildings collapsed, a number of art deco buildings were
constructed.
Optional stops along the road today include the Kawatiri historic railway walk,
Maruia Falls Scenic Reserve and the Buller Gorge.
A free evening in Westport at your leisure.
Saturday 27 March Learn the history of the West Coast mining industry on the Denniston Plateau.
Denniston Plateau & Punakaiki Take in the magnificent views down to the Karamea Bight and Waimangaroa
Meals: B/D River and absorb the world class interpretation boards installed by DOC,
Driving: full day telling the stories of local people working under extreme conditions.
Overnight: Westport
Drive south down the coast to Punakaiki and take a leisurely stroll on walkways
to view the pancake rocks and blowholes. Watch columns of water shoot
skyward from the unique rock formations before returning to Westport for
dinner.
Sunday 28 March This morning, drive from the West Coast, skirting around Paparoa National Park
Westport - Hanmer Springs and across the Lewis Pass to the scenic alpine resort of Hanmer Springs.
Meals: B
Driving: 3 hours On the way you will stop in the historic settlement of Reefton. In 1868 it
Overnight: Hanmer Springs became the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to receive electricity,
hence its moniker ‘the Town of Light’. An old gold mining town, Reefton is
home now to an excellent museum, gallery, distillery and antique shops and
has retained many of its heritage buildings and historic charm.
Arriving in the mid afternoon, check into your hotel at Hanmer Springs and
have the rest of the day to relax and enjoy the warm mineral pools,
shopping, and restaurants of this alpine resort.
Monday 29 March A full day awaits you on the largest farm in New Zealand, the high-country
Molesworth Station station of Molesworth. Visit century old Cob homesteads and marvel at the
Meals: B/L rugged yet beautiful landscape. Drive through the Acheron and Awatere
Driving: 2 hours valleys and follow Jollies Pass back to Hanmer Springs. You will visit with a
Overnight: Hanmer Springs local expert guide and learn the challenges of the multiple operations of
farming, conservation and recreation in a half million acre ‘backyard’.
Tuesday 30 March This morning you will take the interior route to the East Coast. You will learn
Kaikoura the geology of the area and witness first hand the effect of the devastating
Meals: B Kaikoura earthquake of 2016. Enjoy walking a portion of the Kaikoura
Driving: 2 hours Peninsula walkway and visit the award winning Kaikoura museum located in
Overnight: Kaikoura the landmark ‘craypot’ building.
Enjoy an evening at leisure in Kaikoura, perhaps taking the opportunity to
sample the famous delicacy of crayfish in a local restaurant.
Wednesday 31 March This morning you will embark on New Zealand’s ultimate marine experience
Kaikoura - Christchurch as you spend two hours on the water in search of the giant sperm whale.
Meals: B/D Although no wildlife encounters can ever be guaranteed, the Kaikoura
Driving: 2 hours 30 minutes whale watch tour has a 95% success rate. Expect to have the thrill of seeing
Overnight: Christchurch a whale fluke majestically rise out of the water in front of your boat.
Continue down the Kaikoura coast this afternoon to Christchurch where your
farewell dinner will be held this evening.
Thursday 1 April Check out and transfer to the airport for your homebound flights or choose
Christchurch - Home to stay in Christchurch and perhaps explore Akaroa. Calder & Lawson Tours
Meals: B can help arrange extensions and activities for you.
PHOTO CREDITS Thanks to Whale Watch Kaikoura and Tourism NZ.
HOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACE ON THIS TOUR
A deposit of $1,000 is required to secure your place on the tour. When minimum numbers are reached, the tour
will become a ‘confirmed departure’ and your deposit will be non-refundable. At that point we will advise when
the tour payment is due. If the tour is unable to operate as a result of government travel restrictions due to Covid-
19, you will have the choice of transferring your deposit to another tour or receiving a full refund.
• Click here to complete the online registration form, pay the $1,000 deposit and your place in this tour is
secured.
• Or you can complete a paper registration form. You can download one from the website
www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz, or give us a call and we will email or post one to you.
• TERMS & CONDITIONS
Can be found on the website www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz, on the back of the paper registration form
or on the summary page when you complete an online registration. There is a 2.5% surcharge if you wish to
pay by credit card.
VARIATIONS
This itinerary is Version 1 dated 09/10/2020 and is subject to change.
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