Great Southern Steam Train Tour
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Great Southern Steam Train Tour • SOUTH ISLAND RAIL TOUR • DEPARTING WELLINGTON 22 APRIL - 4 MAY 2021 13-DAY TOUR OPTION Experience the adventure, the nostalgia, the romance of Steam Train travel. Pounamu Tourism Group invites you to take a step back in time to a bygone era for an epic steam train journey exploring the majestic South Island of Aotearoa. GREAT SOUTHERN TOUR OPTIONS STEAM TRAIN TOUR TOUR OPTION 1: Journey with us into the deep south of New Zealand 13-DAY TOUR Departing Wellington and experience the postcard perfect vistas and from 22 April – 4 May 2021 ** dramatic alpine scenery that this part of the world is renowned for. TOUR OPTION 2: You will spend the first week travelling the entire 8-DAY TOUR Departing Wellington to length of the South Island (visiting Marlborough, Invercargill from 22 April – 29 April 2021 ** Christchurch, Oamaru, Dunedin and Invercargill), in the comfort of vintage carriages hauled by the ** option to begin tour in Blenheim on 23 April 2021 historic WW1 memorial steam locomotive Ab608 Passchendaele, (named in honour of our fallen soldiers at The Battle of Passchendaele in 1917). Once you have reached Invercargill at the bottom of the mainland, we begin the traverse inland on luxury coaches to experience the wonders of Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown and Franz Josef, before the home stretch to Christchurch on the iconic TranzAlpine via Arthur’s Pass. South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 22 April 2021 - 4 May 2021 2 CONTENTS DAY 1 Wellington – 13-DAY TOUR Blenheim DEPARTING WELLINGTON page 6 DAY 2 DAY 3 Blenheim – Kaikoura – Kaikoura Christchurch page 6 page 7 DAY 4 DAY 5 Christchurch Christchurch – ANZAC DAY Oamaru page 7 page 8 DAY 6 DAY 7 Oamaru – Dunedin – Dunedin Invercargill page 8 page 9 DAY 8 DAY 9 Invercargill – Te Anau – Te Anau Milford Sound page 9 page 10 DAY 10 DAY 11 Te Anau – Queenstown Queenstown page 10 page 11 DAY 12 DAY 13 Queenstown – Franz Josef – Franz Josef Christchurch page 11 page 12 South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 22 April 2021 - 4 May 2021 3 13-DAY TOUR DEPARTING WELLINGTON 22 APRIL - 4 MAY 2021 Steam Train Luxury Coach TranzAlpine South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 22 April 2021 - 4 May 2021 4 13-DAY TOUR The adventure playground of Queenstown awaits. Evening sunset drinks cap off a special day as we DEPARTING take in The Remarkables Mountains and the view WELLINGTON of Lake Wakatipu below. Queenstown highlights include the historic and picturesque goldmining town, Arrowtown, on 22 APRIL - 4 MAY 2021 the banks of the Arrow River, taking in the Lakes District Museum. Plus the lake cruise on board the historic TSS Earnslaw, the 1912 Edwardian Your journey begins with a Meet and Greet in the harbour city of Wellington, followed by one steamboat, which takes us across Lake Wakatipu to of the most scenic picturesque ferry crossings in Walter Peak High Country Farm for dinner. the world across the Cook Strait, then weaving Leaving Queenstown, we pass by the crystal-clear our way through Queen Charlotte Sound to the waters of Lake Dunstan, Lake Wanaka, and Lake port town of Picton. First overnight stop is in the Hawea. After a morning tea break in Makarora on famous Marlborough wine region boasting over 100 the border of Mount Aspiring World Heritage Park, vineyards, then onwards to spectacular Kaikoura, we will travel through the Haast Pass, journeying home of resident whales where the great mountains through native beech forest and over the Southern of the Southern Alps rise from the depths of the Alps, before emerging on the West Coast. This Pacific Ocean. remote area has a ruggedly beautiful landscape of The tour is escorted by a fleet of luxury coaches that vast rainforests, gushing waterfalls and snow-capped provide seamless transfers from the train to your mountains. accommodation each evening. Our last night is spent at Franz Josef where options Arriving in Christchurch in time to prepare for are available for helicopter tours of the glacier. All the annual ANZAC Day dawn parade where after guests are encouraged to wind down and enjoy some paying our respects, we interlude to explore the well-deserved pampering at the Franz Josef Glacier beautiful French historical township of Akaroa and then the option of a harbour cruise by steam tugboat Hot Pools. or a city & tram tour. The final day and the TranzAlpine awaits to return On the route from Christchurch to Oamaru, explore you to your ultimate destination of Christchurch. unique places of interest such as the Blue Penguin Often regarded to be one of the world’s great train Colony, Whitestone Cheese Factory and Moeraki journeys for the scenery through which it passes. Boulders, and then on to Dunedin. The journey is 223 kilometres one-way, taking Luxury coaches then provide the link inland, traversing almost five hours. You will see epic vistas, travel the the Southern Scenic Route from Invercargill to the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Fiordland National Park district, where we spend majestic Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps, and a couple of awe-inspiring days experiencing the see miles of native beech forest - the journey of a wonders of Te Anau and Milford Sound. lifetime. South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 22 April 2021 - 4 May 2021 5 13-DAY TOUR DEPARTING WELLINGTON 22 APRIL – 4 MAY 2021 DAY DATE ITINERARY HOTEL MODE WELLINGTON - PICTON - BLENHEIM Thu 22 Meet and Greet at Wellington Ferry Terminal Scenic Hotel Ferry 1 April Afternoon Interislander Ferry to Picton Marlborough / Coach The Wine Station BLENHEIM - KEKERENGU - KAIKOURA The White Fri 23 Yealands Estate vineyard tour Morph Hotel Steam Train 2 April Lunch at Kekerengu “The Store” and equivalent Winterhome Formal Garden Tour KAIKOURA - CHRISTCHURCH Distinction Sat 24 Seal Colony Walk Hotel Steam Train 3 April Whale Watching, Dolphins, Scenic flights (optional) Christchurch CHRISTCHURCH Distinction Coach Sun 25 ANZAC DAY DAWN PARADE Hotel / Steam 4 April Akaroa Township Tour Christchurch Tugboat Steam Tug Boat OR City & Tram Tour CHRISTCHURCH - OAMARU Mon 26 Brydone Hotel Blue Penguin viewing in Oamaru Steam Train 5 April or North Star Whitestone Cheese Tour OAMARU - DUNEDIN Tue 27 Scenic Hotel Moeraki Boulders on way to Dunedin Steam Train 6 April Southern Cross High Tea & Garden Tour at Larnach Castle DUNEDIN - INVERCARGILL Wed 28 OCHO Chocolate Factory Tour Ascot Park Steam Train 7 April Bill Richardsons Transport World Hotel / Coach Scenic Flight to Stewart Island (optional) INVERCARGILL - TE ANAU Thu 29 Riverton Museum Distinction Coach 8 April Lunch at Tuatapere Hotel Luxmore / Cruise Takahe Sanctuary TE ANAU - MILFORD SOUND - TE ANAU Fri 30 Coach along Eglinton Valley to Milford Sound via Homer Tunnel Distinction Coach 9 April Milford Sound Cruise (optional) Hotel Luxmore / Cruise Coach to Te Anau TE ANAU - QUEENSTOWN Sat 1 Copthorne Coach Te Anau Glowworm Caves & Cruise (optional) 10 May Hotel Lakefront / Steam Train Arrowtown - Lakes District Museum QUEENSTOWN Sun 2 Copthorne Coach Day at your leisure 11 May Hotel Lakefront / Steam Ship TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Homestead Dinner QUEENSTOWN - FRANZ JOSEF Mon 3 Scenic Hotel Hotpools Coach 12 May Franz Josef Helicopter (optional) Sudima FRANZ JOSEF - ARTHUR’S PASS - CHRISTCHURCH Tue 4 Christchurch TranzAlpine TranzAlpine 13 May Airport Tour ends (optional) South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 22 April 2021 - 4 May 2021 6 DAY 1 Thursday 22nd April 2021 Wellington – Picton - Blenheim (Marlborough) Meet and greet takes place in the harbour city of Wellington at the Ferry Terminal, followed by one of the most picturesque ferry crossings in the world as we cruise across the Cook Strait then weave our way through Queen Charlotte Sound to the port town of Picton. Travelling by coach to Blenheim, our first overnight stop is in the famous Marlborough wine region boasting over 100 vineyards. The welcome rd Friday 23 April 2021 reception is appropriately held at The Wine Station DAY 2 where guests can taste from a selection of 80 of the region’s finest wines and craft beers, barista coffee (Tour options are available to commence tour from Blenheim) and gourmet platters of local produce. Blenheim – Kekerengu – Kaikoura Passengers will stay at Scenic Hotel Marlborough, a modern and stylish property Today we introduce you to the star of the tour, the located in the heart of Marlborough’s wine historic WW1 memorial steam locomotive Ab608 country town of Blenheim. Passchendaele, (named in honour of our fallen soldiers at The Battle of Passchendaele in 1917). The Marlborough Flyer steam train (as she is more recently known) will gently roll into Blenheim Station as the Marlborough Brass Band adds to the sense of occasion. Then it is “all aboard” and onward South via the Dashwood Pass and Awatere Valley. We stop at Seddon and disembark for a wine tour at the award winning, Yealands Estate. Boarding again we steam ahead for Kekerengu where we disembark for lunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean at “The Store” where we also enjoy a garden tour at the beautifully manicured Winterhome formal garden. After taking on water for the steam train we pull away for the spectacular coastal journey to Kaikoura. Passengers will stay at The White Morph Hotel (or equivalent), taking in spectacular views of the Kaikoura Esplanade. South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 22 April 2021 - 4 May 2021 7 DAY 3 Saturday 24th April 2021 Exploring Kaikoura “Where the mountains meet the sea” Kaikoura, home of resident whales, where the guardians of the seas – the mountains of the Southern Alps – rise majestically from the deep trenches of the Pacific Ocean. Several different species of whale can be seen off the coast of Kaikoura at different times of the year, and DAY 4 Sunday 25th April 2021 most of the time, the huge resident Sperm Whales can be sighted.