Southern Spirit

Arrive early to get your bearings on a self-guided Christchurch tour. The best way to do that? Aboard the Christchurch Tram. Your journey not only takes you past jaw-dropping attractions - like the Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library - but also tells an inspiring story of community spirit in the rebuilding and reinvigoration of the city since the 2010/11 earthquakes. Stay: Wyndham Garden Christchurch

Step out with your guide for a deeper dive into ‘The City of Gardens’ before traversing the colourful Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo and snow-capped mountains. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You’ll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. (B/D) Stay: Heritage Gateway Hotel

Limestone put the pretty town of Oamaru on the map - its stately tree-lined streets are a parade of grand buildings. But it's just as popular today for nurturing New Zealand's oldest public gardens. Architectural drama of a different kind awaits in Dunedin, NZ's southernmost city, in the form of Larnach Castle, the only one of its kind in the country.

This afternoon is at your leisure. We can point you in the direction of atmospheric art-lined alleys or toward Speights Brewery, a national institution. Or venture further afield on a Dunedin tour to discover the fur seals and penguins that pad around the Otago Peninsula. (B) Stay: Kingsgate Hotel Dunedin

From Brough Superior to Burt Munro and John Britten, Classic Motorcycle Mecca has it all. Ride into yesterday and discover the Southern Hemisphere’s leading classic motorcycle collection. Home to more than 300 vintage motorcycles, a visit here is a truly mind-blowing experience for enthusiasts and newbies alike.

Housed in two restored historic buildings in the heart of Invercargill, the collection boasts displays of classic British, American, European, and Japanese bikes alongside tributes to motocross and speedway (including legend Ivan Mauger), the collection is also home to the George Begg Bunker: a tribute to a homegrown hero and a golden age in Kiwi motorsport history. After your visit enjoy a local dinner to remember on location. (B/D) Stay: Kelvin Hotel (2 Nights)

Invercargill is the gateway to the southernmost community in the country.

Welcome to Stewart Island, a wild and wonderful drop of land that is 97% national parkland. Naturally, it's a magnet for endemic flora and fauna, as you'll discover touring valleys and bays with a local. Forest-clad Ulva Island is avian heaven, completely pest free and an important breeding and nesting ground for all manner of birds. (B)

Adventure, nature, food and wine, relaxation - Queenstown is like New Zealand's chocolate box; there's something for everyone. Talk to your Travel Director then head off in your own direction, perhaps to feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane Shotover Jet or bungy jumping off a bridge. Or to sip your way through surrounding vineyards.

You might like to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm, where a gourmet barbecue dinner awaits. Today's Queenstown tour is completely at your leisure. (B) Stay: Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown (2 Nights)

We wouldn't blame you for using today to linger by the banks of Lake Wakatipu, marvelling at sky-scraping Remarkables. But if you want to venture further afield, we have a few ideas. Top of our list today is an epic journey through Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound, carved by waterfalls and a playground for dolphins and seals as you'll discover on a Milford Sound cruise. There's a reason why this part of the island has World Heritage status. (B)

Atmospheric Arrowtown was born from gold, and its movie-set-like streets still shimmer today. It's hard to tear yourself away, but the Alpine country of the Southern Lakes is calling, from Lake Dunstan - pause for juicy stone fruit picked fresh from the tree - to oh-so-blue Lake Hawea and lovely Lake Wanaka, with its shoreline of poplars and willows.

Over the Haast Pass, Franz Josef Glacier glistens like nature's gem. Get some perspective on an optional flight over this natural wonder - if the weather behaves, you may even get to land on it. How cool is this Franz Josef Glacier tour? (B/D) Stay: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier (Graham Wing)

On the wild West Coast, Hokitika may be small in size, but boy is it big in personality, not to mention natural attractions. Wander the windswept coast before discovering the town's other beauty: pounamu (native greenstone or jade). In Māori tradition, it's bad luck to buy this sacred stone for yourself. That's what your loved one is for, right? Steel yourself for Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks and blowholes; they owe their existence to the thundering surf that will lull you to sleep. (B/D) Stay: Ocean View Retreat Punakaiki

After action-packed days, all you need to do today is sit back and enjoy the drama of the Heritage Highway en route to Nelson. Gaze over Buller Gorge - a deep canyon home to New Zealand's longest swingbridge - and Kahurangi National Park, a place of wild rivers, high plateaus, alpine herbfields and coastal forests. (B) Stay: The Rutherford Hotel (2 Nights)

The South Island's oldest city, Nelson is the ideal starting point for outings through Abel Tasman National Park. This pocket in the north of the island is a beguiling union of golden beaches framed by sculpted granite cliffs. It's home to one of the country's most legendary coastal tracks, if you fancy stretching your legs on a hike. Otherwise, drift away on a cruise around the coast, revealing unpeopled bays and dreamy inlets. The choice is yours. (B)

All aboard the Interislander for a cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound, up the Tory Channel and across Cook Strait, from the South Island to the North, navigating a maze of arms and inlets into New Zealand’s cool little capital of Wellington. End your tour on a high note at a Farewell Dinner with your Travel Director and travel companions. (B/D) Stay: Travelodge Wellington

Wellington also knows a thing or two about good coffee, and you’ll need a strong one to get you through this morning’s sightseeing. You may wish to linger in town, discovering Māori culture at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. It’s hard to say goodbye to your tour of the South Island of New Zealand. If you can’t bear to leave, we have a few ideas up our sleeve to extend your holiday. (B)