New Zealand Tour for Polish Farmers November/December 2019
Sunday 24 November Arrive Auckland D
5.25am Arrive Auckland on EK 450, meet Ron McPhail and after a city sights tour and lunch at leisure check in to your hotel around mid afternoon.
6.00pm Visit Sky Tower
6.30pm Dinner at the Fortuna Restaurant, Sky City
Overnight Grand Millenium Hotel, 71 Mayoral Drive, Auckland Ph +64 9 366 3000
Monday 25 November Auckland – Rotorua B/L/D
7.00am Breakfast
8.30am Depart Hotel
9.30 - 11.00am Visit Balle Bros, the biggest vegetable growers in New Zealand for an overview of the vegetable industry and to visit their packhouse. Onion packing. From here travel to the Waikato Region
12.30 – 3.00pm Visit Grant Wills and Karen Preston’ dairy farm. They milk 635 cows on 235 ha near Matamata. Grant is a former member of the Fonterra Shareholders Council. Lunch on the farm.
Continue over the Mamaku Range to Rotorua, known as the ‘thermal wonderland’. This is a region of thermal activity, Maori culture and where the forestry Crown Research Institute is located.
5.00pm Check in to hotel
7.00pm This evening transfer to the Skyline Gondola and enjoy a sumptuous buffet dinner in the Skyline Restaurant.
Overnight Millenium Hotel, 1270 Hinemaru Street, Rotorua Ph +64 7 347 1234
Tuesday 26 November Rotorua B/D
7.00am Breakfast 8.30am Depart hotel 9.30am Visit the Agrodome, a unique “agritourism” venue for a very entertaining farm show where you will see a range of sheep breeds and working dogs including the New Zealand bred huntaway.
11.30am Te Puia – the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve and the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where you will see the Maori carvers at work and then explore the Maori buildings. As you are guided around the Reserve you will see boiling mud pools and the mighty Pohutu Geyser. There will also be the opportunity to see the rare “Kiwi bird” – New Zealand’s national symbol.
CR McPhail Limited, PO Box 2091, Palmerston North 4440 Ph +64 6 357 1644. Email [email protected] Website www.crmcphail.co.nz
Lunch at leisure at Te Puia
Relax this afternoon with plenty of options in Rotorua such as a swim in a thermal pool or a helicopter ride to Mt Tarawera.
6.35pm Depart your hotel to travel a short distance from Rotorua for a “Maori Hangi” traditional feast and cultural experience. 10.30pm Return to hotel.
Overnight Millenium Hotel, Rotorua
Wednesday 27 November Rotorua – Napier B/L/D 7.30am Breakfast
9.00am Depart for Taupo, stopping first at the Aratiatia Rapids where at 10.00am each morning the dam control gates are opened and the water is allowed to flow through the rapids. After passing the Wairakei geothermal power station stop to view the mighty Huka Falls. This thundering waterfall is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in New Zealand. The volume of pure water flowing through the rock face of the mighty Waikato River often approaches 220,000 litres per second as it falls over the eleven-metre drop.
12.00pm Lunch in Taupo
1.30pm Continue to Napier in Hawkes Bay. This is the city that was rebuilt in art deco style after the 1931 earthquake.
Check in to hotel
4.30pm Visit the Mission Estate winery late this afternoon for wine tasting followed by dinner. Hawkes Bay is known for its production of Merlot and Syrah red wines.
5.30pm Dinner
Overnight Scenic Te Pania, 45 Marine Parade, Napier Ph +64 6 833 7733
Thursday 28 November Napier – Palmerston North B/L
7.30am Breakfast
9.00 – 11.00am Tour the Heretaunga Plains with orchardist Derek Barnes to view pipfruit, stonefruit and kiwifruit orchards.
12.30 – 3.30pm Sheep and beef farm visit and lunch. This 304.5 ha property belonging to Garth and Wesley Coleman winters 1,690 composite ewes plus replacements and 282 Friesian bulls. Lunch on the farm.
From here travel through Southern Hawkes Bay and the Manawatu Gorge to Palmerston North.
5.00pm Check in to hotel
CR McPhail Limited, PO Box 2091, Palmerston North 4440 Ph +64 6 357 1644. Email [email protected] Website www.crmcphail.co.nz
Dinner at leisure.
Overnight Copthorne Hotel Palmerston North, 110 Fitzherbert Ave. Ph: +64 6 356 8059
Friday 29 November Palmerston North - Blenheim B/D
6.30am Breakfast
7.00 – 9.00am This morning travel to Wellington. An orientation tour after arriving in Wellington includes Mt Victoria.
10.00 – 10.50am Beef and Lamb.
11.00am – 12.00pm Polish Embassy
12.30pm Check in for Interisland ferry across Cook Strait.
1.30pm Ferry departs. Lunch at leisure on ferry.
5.00pm Arrive Picton
Drive from Picton to Blenheim, situated in the Marlborough region and well known as a centre of New Zealand’s wine industry. This region has an international reputation for Sauvignon Blanc wine. Blenheim enjoys one of the countries sunniest climates.
Dinner in Blenheim this evening.
Overnight Scenic Hotel, 65 Alfred Street, Blenheim Ph +64 3 520 6187
Saturday 30 November Blenheim - Christchurch B/D
9.00am Depart Blenheim for Christchurch, travelling via the scenic coastal route and Kaikoura
11.00am – 1.00pm Time at leisure in Kaikoura.
1.00– 3.30pm Continue through the rolling hill country of North Canterbury to Christchurch which is New Zealand’s second –largest city and the gateway to the South Island. The city suffered severe damage in the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Today it is a city being demolished and rebuilt.
3.30 – 4.30pm Drive through the city and check in to your hotel.
6.30pm Dinner in a local restaurant.
Overnight Distinction Hotel, 14 Cathedral Square, Christchurch Ph +64 3 377 7000
Sunday 1 December Christchurch - Twizel B/D 7.00am Breakfast 8.00am Depart hotel 9.30 – 11.30am This morning visit Ian & Diana McKenzie’s arable farm growing wheat, grass seed, vegetable and other forage seed crops. Also finishing lambs. 11.30am – 12.00pm Travel across the Canterbury Plains to Geraldine where you stop for lunch at leisure. CR McPhail Limited, PO Box 2091, Palmerston North 4440 Ph +64 6 357 1644. Email [email protected] Website www.crmcphail.co.nz
12.00– 1.00pm Lunch
1.00– 2.30pm Continue via Fairlie and over Burke’s Pass to the Mackenzie Basin.
2.30 – 4.30pm Haldon Station. 22,000 hectares, 8,000 superfine Merino sheep, 1,000 cattle (Hereford and Angus studs), 6,000 Red deer. Discussion on the management of this high country station with manager Paddy Boyd, tour of the property and inspection of livestock.
7.00pm Check in to hotel
7.30pm Dinner in your hotel.
Overnight Mackenzie Country Hotel, Cnr Ostler & Wairepo Road, Twizel Ph +64 3 435 0869
Monday 2 December Twizel – Queenstown B/D
7.30am Breakfast
9.00am Depart hotel. Travel via Omarama and over the Lindis Pass. The route then takes you alongside Lake Dunstan, which was formed when the Clyde dam, that was designed to move in an earthquake, was built.
11.00- 11.30am Cromwell
12.30- 2.00pm Arrowtown
3.00pm Check in to hotel
5.15pm Transfer to Queenstown Wharf
5.30pm Check in at Queenstown Wharf
6.00pm This evening cruise across Lake Wakatipu on the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station where you dine in the Colonels Homestead Restaurant.
10.00pm Return to Queenstown
Overnight Millenium Hotel, 34 Frankton Road, Queenstown Ph +64 3 450 0150
Tuesday 3 December Queenstown – Te Anau B/D
Breakfast at leisure
The morning is yours to explore Queenstown, maybe try a thrilling jet boat ride on the Shotover River or just relax and soak up the beautiful mountain scenery. After lunch at leisure leave Queenstown mid afternoon.
3.00pm Travel alongside the shores of Lake Wakatipu to Southland and on to Te Anau situated on the edge of Fiordland National Park.
5.00pm Check in to hotel
7.00pm Dinner in your hotel.
Overnight Kingsgate, 20 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau Ph +64 3 249 7421
CR McPhail Limited, PO Box 2091, Palmerston North 4440 Ph +64 6 357 1644. Email [email protected] Website www.crmcphail.co.nz
Wednesday 4 December Te Anau B/L/D
**Recommend you take a backpack today to carry lunch and jacket.
7.30am Breakfast
8.45am Depart for Real Journeys Visitor Centre Manapouri
9.25am Check in at Real Journeys Visitor Centre Manapouri.
Depart on a catamaran cruise from Pearl Harbour to the West Arm. From here you board a coach for a trip over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove. Embark on another very comfortable catamaran for an unforgettable cruise on Doubtful Sound taking in the beautiful alpine scenery.
Return over the Wilmot Pass and across Lake Manapouri to Pearl Harbour.
Dinner in your Hotel
Overnight Kingsgate Te Anau
Thursday 5 December Te Anau – Lumsden B/L/D
You need to take a backpack again today to take what you need overnight for your farmstay.
7.00am Breakfast
8.00am Depart Hotel
9.30am- 1.00pm A very interesting visit to another of New Zealand’s iconic properties, Mt Linton. A large high country station of 13,365 hectares with Angus, Texel and Suftex studs. Lunch on Mt Linton.
1.00 – 2.30pm Travel to Lumsden to meet your hosts for tonight’s farmstay and transfer by private vehicle to various farms.
Overnight Farmstay
Friday 6 December Lumsden – Ashburton B/D
9.00am Your hosts return you to Lumsden
Travel to Dunedin via Gore. Stop in Dunedin for lunch at leisure. Continue north on SH 1 to Ashburton.
7.30pm Dinner in hotel
Overnight Hotel Ashburton, 11/35 Racecourse Rd, Ashburton. Ph: 03 307 8887
Saturday 7 December Ashburton – Christchurch - Dubai B
Breakfast at leisure. A relaxed start this morning with time to pack for your homeward journey.
9.00am Depart hotel
CR McPhail Limited, PO Box 2091, Palmerston North 4440 Ph +64 6 357 1644. Email [email protected] Website www.crmcphail.co.nz
Drive to Christchurch to enjoy some shopping and explore the city. You might like to visit the Canterbury Museum which has a magnificent display of the Moa Hunter period of Maori culture.
3.30pm Transfer to Christchurch International airport.
4.00pm Check in for your international flight departing for Dubai this evening.
6.45pm Depart Christchurch on EK 413
Included
Transport in luxury airconditioned coach Interisland Ferry Twin share accommodation in good quality 3, 4 and 5 star hotels All breakfasts plus dinners and lunches as indicated in the itinerary. One glass of wine or beer or soft drink with included dinners and lunches Sky Tower, Skyline Gondola, Maori hangi and concert, entrance to Agrodome and Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve and Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, TSS Earnslaw cruise, Doubtful Sound Excursion. All arrangements for farm visits New Zealand English speaking guide with a professional background in New Zealand agriculture New Zealand Government Goods and Services Tax at 15.00%
Not Included
Travel insurance Departure taxes Meals not itemised above Items of a personal nature such as beverages, laundry, telephone
Please note times are provided as a guide only.
Farm visits have been confirmed but are subject to change in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
This itinerary is the property of C R McPhail Ltd and shall not be copied or distributed to anyone aside from the intended recipient.
CR McPhail Limited, PO Box 2091, Palmerston North 4440 Ph +64 6 357 1644. Email [email protected] Website www.crmcphail.co.nz