1 Arrive Sydney
Arrive in Sydney where you will be met by a Grand Pacific Tours Guide aboard the Celebrity Solstice. Meet your travelling companions at dinner. Stay 12 Nights: Celebrity Solstice Port Times Depart at 17:00 (D)
2 Cruising
Relax and enjoy the comforts of this stunning superliner. While at sea enjoy the onboard facilities, world class cuisine and the entertainment not to mention your deluxe balcony cabin. (B/L/D)
3 Hobart
Docking in Hobart gives you immediate access to Mount Wellington and its incredibly beautiful surrounds. From there you can look out over the busy harbour, which plays host to yachts from all over the world. Port Times Arrive 08:00 Depart 18:00. (B/L/D)
4-5 Cruising
Cruise across the Tasman Sea to the Land of the Long White Cloud. (B/L/D)
6 Milford, Doubtful & Dusky Sounds
Sail into the narrow fiords of the Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds. Your ship will seem to shrink in comparison to the towering cliffs topped by lush mountain terrain. Scenic cruising. (B/L/D)
7 Dunedin
Dunedin is known as the Edinburgh of the South. Situated on the magnificent Otago coastline, explore Dunedin's historic architecture and beautiful botanic gardens. Port Times Arrive 09:00 Depart 19:00. (B/L/D)
8 Akaroa
Nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano, Akaroa is rich with beautiful bays and home to the rarest and smallest marine dolphin. Port Times Arrive 07:00 Depart 18:00. (B/L/D)
9 Picton
Cruise through the many inlets and bays that make up the Marlborough Sounds to Picton, the gateway to the North Island. This small seaport is only a short distance from the Marlborough wine region, famous for its Sauvignon Blanc. Port Times Arrive 08:00 Depart 18:00 (B/L/D)
10 Cruising
Enjoy a quiet refuge by day, gazing over the sea with a cocktail in hand. (B/L/D)
11 Tauranga
Known as the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga is located at the entrance to one of the largest natural harbours in New Zealand. Port Times Arrive 08:00 Depart 18:00. (B/L/D)
12 Bay of Islands
The beaches in this region are considered some of the world's finest with their perfect white sand and crystal-clear water. Port Times Arrive 08:00 Depart 19:00. (B/L/D)
13 Arrive Auckland - City Sights Tour
This morning arrive into the beautiful 'City of Sails', Auckland. Disembark the ship, meet your Coach Captain and enjoy an informative city tour which includes the Auckland Domain, Parnell Rose Garden and Bastion Point. This afternoon includes a visit to Sky Tower at your leisure, one of New Zealand's most spectacular attractions. Stay: Skycity Hotel (B/D)
14 Auckland - Hokianga - Bay of Islands
Depart Auckland and travel to Matakohe to enjoy an informative talk at the Kauri Museum. After lunch travel to the unforgettable Footprints Waipoua Encounter, home to some of the largest remaining kauri trees in the world. A local guide will explain how these trees are intertwined with the lives of the local Maori and the important role they play in the ecosystem that is the Waipoua Forest. Continue to Paihia, situated in the heart of the beautiful Bay of Islands. Stay Two Nights: Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands (B/D)
15 Bay of Islands (Free Day)
Today is free to choose from the many optional activities available. You may like to take a coach trip to Cape Reinga via Ninety Mile Beach, the Hole in the Rock Cruise, or a spectacular scenic flight. The choice is yours and your Tour Guide & Coach Captain will be available to assist. (B/D)
16 Bay of Islands - Auckland
This morning enjoy a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the location of the signing of the treaty between the Maori tribes and the British. Farewell the Bay of Islands and drive south via Whangarei and Warkworth to Matakana to visit Sculptureum, an art experience that is internationally unique. Enjoy time to wander through the Garden of Creative Diversity and to view the hundreds of displayed works in the Galleries and garden all designed to amuse and inspire. Return to Auckland where this evening is free to dine at leisure. Stay: Skycity Hotel (B)
17 Auckland - Rotorua
Travel to Waikato's most visited attraction, the Hamilton Gardens. A guided tour will take you on a journey from the peaceful Sung Dynasty Chinese Scholar's garden into an Italian Renaissance garden followed by the grandeur of the Indian Char Bagh garden. Next visit Hobbiton for lunch followed by an experience of the real Middle-earth with a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set. A guide will escort you through the ten acre site recounting fascinating details of how the set was created. Continue to the geothermal wonderland of Rotorua. Stay Two Nights: Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua (Superior Room) (B/L/D)
18 Rotorua
Today begins with a Gondola ride to the Stratosfare Restaurant where a buffet breakfast and spectacular views are on offer. There is also time for a luge ride! Next stop is the Agrodome for an action packed hour of farming entertainment and education that's unlike anything you've seen before. Travel to Te Puia for a guided tour of the boiling mud pools and awesome geysers that Rotorua is famous for. Enjoy some free time this afternoon before travelling to a Maori village for an interactive and educational experience which culminates with a cultural performance and traditional hangi feast. (B/SD)
19 Rotorua - Auckland - Queenstown
Travel to Auckland Airport where you will board a local flight to the resort town of Queenstown, located in the South Island. Meet your South Island Coach Captain and enjoy a tour of historic Arrowtown before arriving at your hotel. Stay Two Nights: Millennium Queenstown (B/D)
20 Queenstown (Free Day)
Today is a free day. There are plenty of sightseeing options and your Tour Guide and Coach Captain are available to assist. This evening is also free and you may choose to dine high above Queenstown at the Skyline Restaurant or board the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw and cruise across Lake Wakatipu for a gourmet barbecue at Walter Peak Station (optional). (B)
21 Queenstown - Franz Josef
Depart Queenstown and travel via the Haast Pass to the West Coast, an area of stunning beauty. See the snow capped peaks of the Southern Alps as you travel north to the township of Fox Glacier. Continue to Franz Josef where time is available (weather permitting) to experience a scenic flight (optional) over the spectacular glaciers. Stay: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier (Douglas wing) (B/D)
22 Franz Josef - Arthur's Pass - Christchurch
Travel to Hokitika and visit the Greenstone Factory, famous for its Greenstone. Continue to Arthur's Pass and board the TranzAlpine, renowned as one of the great train journeys of the world. Travel through spectacular gorges, river valleys and over massive viaducts before completing your journey at Christchurch. This evening enjoy a Farewell Dinner with your new found friends. Stay: Sudima Christchurch (B/SD)
23 Depart Christchurch
Time to say goodbye. You'll be transferred to the airport for your flight home after a memorable New Zealand holiday. (B)
