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Home , Christchurch, Greymouth, Southern Scenic Route, South Island, The Remarkables, TranzAlpine

Great Southern Steam Train Tour

• RAIL TOUR • DEPARTING 24 APRIL - 6 MAY 2021 13-DAY TOUR OPTION

Experience the adventure, the nostalgia, the romance of Steam Train . 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 . GREAT SOUTHERN TOUR OPTIONS STEAM TRAIN TOUR TOUR OPTION 3: Journey with us into the deep south of 13-DAY TOUR Departing Christchurch and experience the postcard perfect vistas and from 24 April – 6 May 2021 dramatic alpine scenery that this part of the world is renowned for. You will start your journey departing TOUR OPTION 4: Christchurch on the iconic TranzAlpine via 7-DAY TOUR Departing to Arthur’s Pass. Then we begin the traverse inland on from 30 April – 6 May 2021 luxury coaches to experience the wonders of Franz Josef, Milford , Queenstown and . In Invercargill, you will meet of the show, the historic WW1 memorial steam locomotive Ab608 Passchendaele, (named in honour of our fallen soldiers at The Battle of Passchendaele in 1917) and travel the entire length of the South Island (visiting , , Christchurch and Marlborough) steam-hauled, in the comfort of vintage carriages.

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 2 CONTENTS DAY 1 Christchurch – 13-DAY TOUR Franz Josef DEPARTING CHRISTCHURCH page 6

DAY 2 DAY 3 Franz Josef – Queenstown Queenstown page 6 page 7

DAY 4 DAY 5 Queenstown – Te Anau – Te Anau page 7 page 8

DAY 6 DAY 7 Te Anau – Invarcargill – Invarcargill Dunedin page 8 page 9

DAY 8 DAY 9 Dunedin – Dunedin Oamaru page 9 page 10

DAY 10 DAY 11 Oamaru – Christchurch – Christchurch page 10 page 11

DAY 12 DAY 13 Kaikoura – Blenheim – Blenheim Wellington page 11 page 12

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 3 13-DAY TOUR DEPARTING CHRISTCHURCH 24 APRIL - 6 MAY 2021

TranzAlpine

Luxury Coach

Steam Train

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 4 13-DAY TOUR Mountain Range and the view of Wakatipu DEPARTING from the hotel. Queenstown highlights include the historic and CHRISTCHURCH picturesque goldmining town, , on the banks of the Arrow and taking in the District Museum. We join a lake cruise on board 24 APRIL - 6 MAY 2021 the historic TSS Earnslaw, the 1912 Edwardian steamboat, which takes us across to Walter Peak High Country Farm for dinner. Your journey begins with a Meet and Greet in Departing Queenstown and onto the Christchurch, where the iconic TranzAlpine awaits. National Park district, where we spend a couple of Often regarded to be one of the world’s great train awe-inspiring days experiencing the wonders of Te journeys for the scenery through which it passes. Anau and Milford Sound. The journey is 223 kilometres one-way, taking almost five hours. You will see epic vistas, travel the Traversing the to edges of the ice-fed , traverse the Invercargill, we continue to Dunedin. Exploring majestic and Southern Alps, and Boulders, OCHO Chocolate Factory see miles of native beech . tour and enjoying high tea at Larnach Castle. In Oamaru, we seek out unique places of interest The tour is escorted by a fleet of luxury coaches such as the Blue Penguin Colony and Whitestone that provide seamless transfers from the train to Cheese Factory. your accommodation each evening. Wake up the following day in Franz Josef, where guests are Arriving in Christchurch, we interlude to explore encouraged to wind down and enjoy some well- the beautiful French historical township of deserved pampering at the Franz Josef Hot and the harbour by steam tugboat or a historical Pools. tour of “the garden city”. Departing the West , we will travel through Onwards to spectacular Kaikoura, home of resident the Haast Pass, journeying through native beech whales, where the great mountains of the Southern forest and over the Southern Alps. This remote area Alps rise from the depths of the . has a ruggedly beautiful landscape of vast , Our last night is spent in the famous Marlborough gushing and -capped mountains. boasting over 100 vineyards. After a tea break in on the border of The final day and the port town of Picton awaits Mount Aspiring World Heritage Park, we pass with one of the most scenic picturesque by the crystal-clear waters of , Lake crossings in the world across the , , and Lake Hawea, arriving in Queenstown. then weaving our way through Queen Charlotte The adventure playground of Queenstown awaits - Sound to the harbour city of Wellington - the cap off a special day as we take in journey of a lifetime.

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 5 13-DAY TOUR DEPARTING CHRISTCHURCH 24 APRIL – 6 MAY 2021

DAY DATE ITINERARY HOTEL MODE

CHRISTCHURCH - ARTHUR’S PASS - FRANZ JOSEF Sat 24 Scenic Hotel Meet and Greet at Christchurch Railway Station TranzAlpine 1 April Franz Josef TranzAlpine

FRANZ JOSEF - QUEENSTOWN Sun 25 Hotpools Copthorne Coach 2 April Helicopter (optional) Hotel Lakefront Afternoon Tea at Makarora

QUEENSTOWN Mon 26 Copthorne Coach Day at your leisure 3 April Hotel Lakefront / Cruise TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Homestead Dinner

QUEENSTOWN - TE ANAU Tue 27 Distinction Steam Train Arrowtown - Lakes District Museum 4 April Hotel Luxmore / Coach Te Anau Glowworm Caves & Cruise (optional)

TE ANAU - MILFORD SOUND - TE ANAU Wed 28 Coach along Eglinton Valley to Milford Sound via Distinction Coach 5 April Milford Sound Cruise (optional) Hotel Luxmore / Cruise Coach back to Te Anau

TE ANAU - INVERCARGILL Thu 29 Takahe Sanctuary Ascot Park Coach 6 April Afternoon tea at Hotel Riverton Museum

INVERCARGILL - DUNEDIN Fri 30 Scenic Hotel Steam Train Bill Richardsons Transport World 7 April Southern Cross / Coach Scenic Flight to Stewart Island (optional)

DUNEDIN Sat 1 Scenic Hotel OCHO Chocolate Factory Tour Steam Train 8 May Southern Cross High Tea & Garden Tour at Larnach Castle

DUNEDIN - OAMARU Sun 2 Moeraki Boulders on way to Oamaru Brydone Hotel Steam Train 9 May Blue Penguin viewing in Oamaru or North Star Whitestone Cheese Tour

OAMARU - CHRISTCHURCH Distinction Steam Train Mon 3 nature cruise OR Steam Tug Boat Hotel / Coach 10 May OR City & Tram Tour Christchurch / Steam Ship

CHRISTCHURCH - KAIKOURA The White Tue 4 Seal Colony Walk Morph Hotel Steam Train 11 May Whale Watching, Dolphins, Scenic flights (optional) and equivalent

KAIKOURA - KEKERENGU - BLENHEIM Wed 5 Lunch at Kekerengu “The Store” Scenic Hotel Steam Train 12 May Yealands Estate vineyard tour Marlborough The Wine Station

BLENHEIM - PICTON - WELLINGTON Thu 6 Coach to Picton Coach 13 May Afternoon Ferry to Wellington / Ferry Tour ends

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 6 DAY 1 Saturday 24th April 2021

Christchurch - Arthur’s Pass - Franz Josef

Your journey begins with a Meet and Greet at Christchurch Railway Station, where the iconic TranzAlpine awaits. Often regarded to be one of the world’s great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes. The journey is 223 kilometres one- way, taking almost five hours. You will see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest. DAY 2 Sunday 25th April 2021 Luxury coaches await in to transport you to your hotel in the ruggedly beautiful Franz Josef. Franz Josef – Queenstown Wake up to enjoy some pampering at the Hot Pools and options are available for Passengers at the Scenic Hotel Franz helicopter tours of the glacier. Leaving Franz Josef, Josef. we travel along the West Coast through the Haast Pass, journeying through native beech forest and over the Southern Alps. This remote area has a ruggedly beautiful landscape of vast rainforests, gushing waterfalls and snow-capped mountains. After a tea break in Makarora on the border of Mount Aspiring World Heritage Park, we pass by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Dunstan, Lake Wanaka, and Lake Hawea. The adventure playground of Queenstown then awaits! Cap off a special day as we take in The Remarkables Mountain Range and the view of Lake Wakatipu from the hotel.

Passengers stay at Copthorne Hotel Lakefront which is located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, within walking distance of Queenstown’s central shopping and entertainment area. The hotel offers panoramic views of Lake Wakatipu and surrounding mountain peaks.

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 7 DAY 3 Monday 26th April 2021

Queenstown

Spend a leisurely day exploring Queenstown. Later in the afternoon, we join a lake cruise on board the historic TSS Earnslaw, the 1912 Edwardian steamboat, which takes us across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for dinner.

Passengers stay at Copthorne Hotel DAY 4 Tuesday, 27th April 2021 Lakefront which is located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, within walking distance of Queenstown’s central shopping and Queenstown - Te Anau entertainment area. Departing Queenstown, we call in to visit the historic and picturesque goldmining town, Arrowtown, on the banks of the Arrow River and taking in the Lakes District Museum. Continuing our journey through the district, we stop off to see the Te Anau glowworms caves. The Te Anau caves are a culturally and ecologically important system of limestone caves on the western shore of . We spend a couple of awe- inspiring days experiencing the wonders of Te Anau and Milford Sound.

Passengers stay at Distinction Hotel Luxmore.

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 8 DAY 5 Wednesday 28th April 2021 DAY 6 Thursday 29th April 2021

Te Anau - Milford Sound - Te Te Anau – Invercargill

Anau As we depart Fiordland National Park district, Traveling along the Milford Road (between Te Anau continuing to traverse the Southern Scenic Route, and Milford) is one of the finest alpine drives in our journey by coach calls in to visit the Takahe the world. The scenery is exceptional, ranging from Bird Sanctuary. Takahe are the stars of the show broad grassy flats, dense and towering and meeting these prehistoric-looking characters is mountains through to glacial lakes and alpine herb a ‘must do’ for Fiordland visitors. The sanctuary is fields. A day tour to Milford Sound offers some of a large part of the success of the Takahe Recovery the most spectacular natural scenery to be viewed Programme. anywhere in the world. Board the coach and travel Then a lunch stop at Tuatapere Café, followed by through stunning scenery along the Milford Road a visit to the Te Hikoi Museum in Riverton, the and into Fiordland, where your cruise boat awaits South’s ultimate heritage attraction, just 25 minutes you. The tour includes a cruise around the fiord so from Invercargill on the Southern Scenic Route. you can experience its wonders up close and see The museum features authentic life size displays, landmarks like and amazing wildlife, adventurous characters and engaging stories. These such as dolphins and seals. Cruise the inmost reaches reveal how our Maori and European ancestors of Milford Sound to the open Sea and back. adapted to survive on nature’s edge. An experience A one-day itinerary is enough to see all the beautiful not to be missed. views along the way, take a scenic cruise around the Famous Bluff oysters will no doubt be on the menu fiord, and get back to Te Anau in time for dinner. this evening.

Passengers stay at Distinction Hotel Passengers will stay at The Ascot Park Hotel, Luxmore. adjacent to the racecourse and with a relaxed and spacious layout.

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 9 DAY 7 Friday 30th April 2021

Invercargill – Dunedin

Passengers may choose to relax in Invercargill, taking in the famous Bill Richardson Transport World or take an optional scenic flight or ferry to the wonderful Stewart Island, home to amazing wildlife and stunning scenery Departing Invercargill later in the day, we introduce you to the star of the tour, the historic WW1 memorial steam locomotive Ab608 Passchendaele, (named in honour of our fallen soldiers at The Battle Saturday 1st May 2021 of Passchendaele in 1917) - the Marlborough Flyer DAY 8 steam train as she is more recently known. Then it is “all aboard” and onward past of the Dunedin Blue Mountains to the town of Gore, and then northwards to Dunedin. The morning starts with a guided tour and tasting at the new OCHO craft chocolate factory where they turn cacao into chocolate bars. OCHO moved Passengers will stay at Scenic Hotel Southern into the new premises in January 2019 and are eager Cross which is Dunedin’s most established to share the OCHO experience with chocolate hotel, nestled in the heart of the city. lovers with every part of their production process on display. We will then coach to historic Larnach Castle, is one of New Zealand’s premier visitor attractions, which is situated on the picturesque Peninsula. Lovingly restored by the Barker Family, the Castle and surrounding grounds are at the heart of the Dunedin visitor experience. Passengers arrive in time for refreshing high tea in the Ballroom Café followed by a guided garden tour.

Passengers will stay at Scenic Hotel Southern Cross which is Dunedin’s most established hotel, nestled in the heart of the city.

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 10 DAY 9 Sunday, 2nd May 2021

Dunedin – Oamaru

Departing North towards Oamaru, we call in to Moeraki Boulders, a group of large spherical “stones” on Koekohe Beach near Moeraki on the Otago coast. These boulders are actually concretions that have been exposed through shoreline erosion from coastal cliffs. The boulders are one of the most fascinating and popular attractions on the South Island. DAY 10 Monday 3rd May 2021 We arrive in one of New Zealand’s many towns of character, Oamaru. Gourmet cheese is then on the Oamaru – Christchurch menu as we explore the Whitestone Cheese Factory, home of some of the world’s finest cheeses and you’ll The morning departure from Oamaru is by steam be treated on a guided tour which includes a cheese train as we set out further towards where and wine pairing. we stop for lunch. The Blue Penguin Colony in Oamaru is similarly Afternoon options on arrival in Christchurch not to be outdone, has specially designed nesting include exploring the harbour on the historical boxes for your convenience as well as stadium steam tugboat (Tug Lyttelton Est. 1907) or a grandstand seating for your viewing pleasure, to see historical tram tour of “the garden city”. the penguins arrive home in the evening.

Passengers will stay at the luxurious and Passengers will stay at Brydone Hotel – newly renovated Distinction Hotel in “fine accommodation and libations since Cathedral Square, located in the heart of 1881”- or the North Star. Christchurch.

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 11 DAY 12 Wednesday 5th May 2021

Kaikoura – Blenheim

We continue to take in the spectacular coastal journey as we depart Kaikoura. We steam ahead for Kekerengu where we disembark for lunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean at “The Store”. We also enjoy a garden tour at the beautifully manicured Winterhome formal garden. Boarding again, we stop at Seddon and disembark for a wine tour at the award winning, Yealands Estate. Then it is “all aboard” and onward North via the Dashwood Pass th DAY 11 Tuesday, 4 May 2021 and Awatere Valley into Blenheim – the famous Marlborough wine region boasting over 100 vineyards. A farewell reception is appropriately held Christchurch – Kaikoura at The Wine Station where guests can taste from a selection of 80 of the region’s finest and craft Our destination is Kaikoura, home of resident beers, barista coffee and gourmet platters of local whales, where the guardians of the seas – the produce. 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 Passengers will stay at Scenic Hotel of Kaikoura at different times of the year, and most Marlborough, a modern and stylish property of the time, the huge resident Sperm Whales can be located in the heart of Marlborough’s wine sighted. The ocean trench just off the coast means country town of Blenheim. sperm whales are often seen close to shore. There will be a leisurely Seal Colony Walk followed by optional excursions for whale, dolphin and seal watching (by boat or plane). DAY 13 Thursday th6 May 2021

Passengers will stay at The White Morph Hotel (or equivalent), taking in spectacular Blenheim – Wellington views of the Kaikoura Esplanade. On the final day of the tour, we coach from Blenheim to Picton, where one of the most picturesque ferry crossings in the world awaits. We cruise across the Cook Strait then weave our way through Queen Charlotte Sound to the harbour city of Wellington. Tour ends in Wellington.

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 12 INCLUSIONS: For your convenience the following has all been included in your tour price.

ACCOMMODATION INCLUSIONS - MEALS We have selected minimum 4-star standard • 12 cooked breakfasts accommodation for The Great Southern Steam • 12 sumptuous dinners including: Train Tour in order to ensure the comfort and quality - Dinner at Walter Peak Homestead of your experience for this journey of a lifetime. - Farewell Dinner at The Wine Station in Blenheim LUXURY COACHES & TOUR OPTIONS - Lunch at Tuatapere, Southland The fleet of luxury coaches will escort the train - High Tea at Larnach Castle throughout the journey, providing seamless transfers - Lunch at The Store, Kekerengu to your accommodation and excursions. You will be accompanied by experienced Tour Captains who are EXCLUSIONS: there to guide and assist you throughout your journey. Flights to and from your points of arrival/departure are not included. PREPAID ATTRACTIONS (INCLUDED) • TranzAlpine Rail Journey • Franz Josef Hot Pools 13-DAY TOUR FROM CHRISTCHURCH • Walter Peak Homestead Per Person Sharing $5,950 Single Supplement $500 • Cruise Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw • Arrowtown Lakes District Museum • Akaroa Township Tour BOOKINGS • Milford Sound Day Trip (cruise is optional) A 10% deposit is required to secure a booking, 40% • Takahe Sanctuary in December 2020 and the balance in March 2021. • Bill Richardson Transport World For all bookings and for further information: • OCHO Chocolate Factory Tour www.marlboroughflyer.co.nz • High Tea & Garden Tour at Larnach Castle Phone +64 (0) 3 974 1812 • Moeraki Boulders E: [email protected] • Whitestone Cheese Tour • Blue Penguin viewing in Oamaru • Steam Tug Boat OR City & Tram Tour • Seal Colony Guided Walk in Kaikoura • Visit to the Store Kekerengu and Winterhome Garden tour • Yealands Estate winery tour • Farewell Reception at The Wine Station, Blenheim • Cruise on the Interislander Ferry

South Island 13-Day Steam Train Tour • 24 April 2021 - 6 May 2021 13 www.marlboroughflyer.co.nz