Top of the South Island-Molesworth Station & more - Calder and ...
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DISCOVER NZ
Top of the South Island—Molesworth Station & more
Sunday 14 - Thursday 25 November 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. Spring weather, luscious
local wine and fresh produce, compelling history and scenic grandeur will make this a trip to remember as you
tick off some iconic New Zealand experiences from your bucket list.
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
Tours tour manager Christchurch (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 $5,190
Single supplement NZD $1,350
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.
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.
IS THIS TOUR FOR ME?
This will be an excellent opportunity to experience a broad range of activities in the top of the South Island
but at a leisurely pace and includes several “bucket list” attractions. This tour will not be physically challeng-
ing, however ability to stand and walk for 2-3 hours will enable you to fully participate in all activities. There
are a couple of optional longer walks should you be interested in more exercise on your tour.
PHOTO CREDITS Thanks to Whale Watch Kaikoura and Tourism NZ.
DAILY ITINERARY
Sunday 14 November 2021 Your tour will begin in Blenheim late morning. Please arrange for your flight to
Your home - Blenheim arrive no later than 10:00 AM. The Calder & Lawson Tours team can assist with
Meals: D any travel arrangements you may need including a pre tour hotel night.
Overnight: Blenheim
Your first stop will be a special visit to the Marlborough Falcon trust where you
will get up close with a gorgeous falcon and witness a thrilling display of
speed and hunting prowess.
Move on to 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.
Stop by a nearby vineyard for a tasting of local wines before 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 join-
ing the group for a welcome dinner at one of the many excellent local res-
taurants.
Monday 15 November 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. An optional short walk on a
Driving: 1 hour coastal track is possible. After a picnic lunch stop at a working farm, continue
Overnight: Blenheim cruising past the local gannet colony and enjoy spectacular views of the
coastline and native bush of Tennyson Inlet and learn how the local Green-
shell Mussel farms operate.
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 16 November After breakfast you will drive through the rolling hills to Nelson, for a day of
Blenheim - Nelson sightseeing.
Meals: B/D
Driving: 2 hours Visit the artisans at Hoglund glass art studio and showroom and watch a
Overnight: Nelson mesmerising demonstration of glass blowing.
Lunch at leisure and then a visit to Pics Peanut Butter for a factory tour. Hear
the history of Pics, see their products being made and of course enjoy a
tasting. Then take a step back in time at Broadgreen historic house and see
how people lived 150 years ago in a beautifully furnished and restored
cottage of early colonial cob construction.
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 17 November 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 in the quirky village of Takaka, 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.
Recount the tour highlights to date with a special group dinner at your lodge
in Pohara Beach this evening.
Thursday 18 November 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
Meals: B/D itself is around 35 km long and public access is restricted to the first 4 km.
Driving: Farewell Spit half day Your guided 4WD safari is run by an operator approved by the Department
tour of 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 shift-
ing 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.
A group dinner tonight at the iconic Mussel Inn, an eclectic café and
brewery and home to live music.
Leaving Golden Bay behind, you will drive over the Takaka Hill and through
Friday 19 November the Motueka valley towards Westport. Established in 1861 it is the oldest
Pohara Beach - Westport European settlement on the West Coast. A mining town, it has been
Meals: B damaged by several earthquakes and after the 1929 Murchison earthquake
Driving: 4 hours in which several buildings collapsed, a number of art deco buildings were
Overnight: Westport constructed.
Optional stops along the road today include the Kawatiri historic railway
walk, Maruia Falls Scenic Reserve and the Buller Gorge and Hawks Crag.
A free evening in Westport at your leisure. An excellent local pub is right next
to your hotel
Saturday 20 November Learn the history of the West Coast mining industry on the Denniston Plateau.
Denniston Plateau First visit the excellent mining museum in Westport to get a primer on the
Meals: B/D history of coal mining in the region before heading up the hill to the Dennis-
Driving: full day ton Plateau to take in the magnificent views down to the Karamea Bight
Overnight: Westport and Waimangaroa River and absorb the world class interpretation boards
installed by DOC telling the stories of local people working under extreme
conditions. An optional walk to Cape Foulwind lighthouse is possible this
afternoon.
Sunday 21 November This morning, drive south down the coast to Punakaiki and take a leisurely
Westport - Hanmer Springs stroll on walkways to view the pancake rocks and blowholes. Watch columns
Meals: B of water shoot skyward from the unique rock formations. Continue skirting
Driving: 3 hours around Paparoa National Park through the historic home of the labour
Overnight: Hanmer Springs movement in New Zealand at Blackball and the moving Pike 29 memorial
You will stop for lunch and to explore the historic settlement of Reefton. In
1868 it 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 late 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 22 November 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: Full day at Molesworth 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 23 November After a leisurely start you will take the interior route to the East Coast and
Kaikoura learn the geology of the area and witness first hand the effects of the
Meals: B devastating Kaikoura earthquake of 2016. Enjoy an optional walk on a
Driving: 2 hours spectacular portion of the Kaikoura Peninsula walkway and visit the award
Overnight: Kaikoura winning Kaikoura museum located in the landmark ‘craypot’ building and
Fyffe house, an old whalers cottage build on a foundation of whale bones.
Enjoy an evening at leisure in Kaikoura, perhaps taking the opportunity to
sample the famous delicacy of crayfish in a local restaurant.
Wednesday 24 November 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 25 November 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.
HOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACE ON THIS TOUR
A deposit of $500 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 $500 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 14/04/2021 and is subject to change.
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