PURELY NEW ZEALAND PURELY NEW ZEALAND PURELY NEW ZEALAND PURELY NEW ZEALAND 9 +44 (0) 1636 813 544 S silverfernholidays.com NEW ZEALAND Silver Fern Holidays SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS & TAILOR MADE HOLIDAYS Minster Chambers Church Street Southwell Nottinghamshire 5193 2018/19 NG25 0HD SILVER FERN HOLIDAYS IS DEEPLY ROOTED CONTENTS IN NEW ZEALAND All you need to know 2-15 Independent Touring 16-25 THE LAND OF THE LONG The Silver Fern Holidays team and I Holidays want nothing more than to share our WHITE CLOUD HAS BEEN Escorted Small Group 26-41 passion for, and knowledge of, New OUR PASSION FOR OVER Journeys 30 YEARS. Zealand and help you to discover your Haere Mai own unique experiences. Walking Holidays 42-45 I first visited New Zealand in 1982. Special Interest Holidays 46 Travel as a couple, with friends or During that working holiday, I followed Welcome to New Zealand alone. Join one of our escorted small Cycling Holidays 47 roads less travelled to discover group journeys or ask us to tailor-make wonderful experiences like hiking over Captain Cook 250 48 an independent holiday. Bring your the Southern Alps, enjoying a beach walking group or special interest club. Getting you there 49 BBQ with new found Kiwi friends and seeing the sun rise over the Pacific. Booking Form 50 A Silver Fern Holidays trip to New Zealand promises an experience like no Booking Conditions 51 In those early days I helped with the other. We look forward to sharing the grape harvest and slept in beachside very best of New Zealand with you, and shacks. Now my family and I enjoy helping you create amazing memories. FINANCIAL SECURITY & discovering new wines at the cellar QUALITY ASSURANCE door and relaxing at boutique B&Bs. ATOL John Lightwood In the last 30 years New Zealand has The air holidays and flights Founder lost none of its pristine beauty and in this brochure are ATOL new-world optimism, and has added Protected by the Civil Aviation superb visitor facilities and professional Authority. Our ATOL number is 5305. hospitality standards to make it THE Land Only Holidays destination on everyone’s bucket list. Are covered by a bond secured with ABTA. Silver Fern Holidays is a member of The Association of 5193 Independent Tour Operators. Mou Waho THE SEASONS IN The Land of the NEW ZEALAND SPRING Long White Cloud September - November Average daytime temperature: 16 - 19˚C (61 - 66˚F) SUMMER December - February Average daytime temperature: 20 - 25˚C (68 - 77˚F) AUTUMN March - May Average daytime temperature: 17 - 21˚C (62 - 70˚F) WINTER June - August Average daytime temperature: 12 - 16˚C (53 - 61˚F) THE BEST DESTINATION IN Check out page 49, or our website for EASY TRAVELLING WHEN TO GO? FIND OUT MORE There are photos and descriptions of our THE WORLD suggested routes and fantastic stopovers Getting around New Zealand is easy, The climate of this island nation is Our website silverfernholidays.com hand-picked accommodation across the A bold claim, but we are not alone in which make the journey ‘down under’ a especially if you learned to drive on hugely influenced by the sea so there is packed with additional information North and South Islands, and suggestions this view. New Zealand regularly tops rewarding part of your trip. the left. Nonetheless, we recommend is little difference between seasonal about New Zealand’s regions, towns and for sightseeing in every destination, all the travel lists of the world’s media, adding rail, coach or air travel to add temperatures. In fact New Zealand’s attractions to inspire you further, from tried and tested by our teams. from Lonely Planet and Frommers TAKE YOUR TIME variety, and the country’s integrated weather is famous for delivering all Northland to Stewart Island. You’ll also guidebooks to Telegraph newspaper We recommend at least three weeks for transport system makes for four seasons in one day! find ‘insider tips’ from the locals, happy Before you fly, you’ll also receive readers. Why? The scenery is jaw- your trip. A typical split is a week on seamless travel. to share their recommendations. Silver Fern Holidays’ Insider Guide droppingly beautiful: our photos do not North Island and two on South Island. While December, January and February to New Zealand which is packed do it justice. And all that beauty – from If you have more time you may want For example, the TranzAlpine rail are the most popular months they with ideas for getting the most out of alpine glaciers to tropical beaches – to spend it in Abel Tasman National journey from Christchurch over the are also the most expensive, with your trip, from ideas for activities to is packed into a small country. New Park or Fiordland, while North Island’s Southern Alps is world-famous and high demand for hotels in summer. restaurant recommendations. Zealand is about the same size as the Taranaki region is up and coming. when you arrive on the West Coast Consider travelling in New Zealand’s UK and smaller than Italy or Japan, yet your hire car awaits! When you take autumn (March/April/May) and spring fewer than five million people live there. If you are tight on time, we can give you the Interislander ferry to South Island, (September/October/November) a taste of New Zealand in two weeks on coach services are ready to take you on for lower prices and fewer visitors. GO NOW! an independent highlights tour or one to Nelson or Christchurch. Whenever you travel, Mt Cook will be of our escorted Small Group Journeys. tipped with snow, and Rotorua’s mud INSIDER TIPS You have always wanted to go to GETTING THE MOST OUT OF NEW ZEALAND New Zealand, but never taken the And if you have family in New Zealand pools will be bubbling. plunge. What is stopping you? Fuel – perhaps grown-up children enjoying efficient and comfortable airplanes their gap year – we can also dovetail have revolutionised long haul flights. international flights and sightseeing 9 (0) 1636 813 544 S +44 with time spent with them. SILVERFERNHOLIDAYS.COM 5193 4 9+44 (0) 1636 813 544 SSILVERFERNHOLIDAYS.COM 5 He Tangata: the People A MAORI PROVERB ASKS UNRIVALLED FLEXIBILITY LOCAL EXPERTS ‘HE AHA TE MEA NUI?’ We not only tailor-make independent Our New Zealand team are proud WHICH MEANS: WHAT IS touring itineraries; we can dovetail Kiwis, whether their heritage is Maori, THE MOST IMPORTANT individual arrangements to create European (Pakeha), Polynesian or Asian: THING IN THE WORLD? THE truly unique holidays. New Zealand is a happy melting pot. ANSWER IS ‘HE TANGATA, HE TANGATA, HE For example, you might choose to Some of our team members and combine one of our escorted small local experts in New Zealand are 2 3 TANGATA’ WHICH MEANS: group tours with a couple of weeks pictured opposite. If you ask us to IT IS PEOPLE, IT IS PEOPLE, of independent travel and a stay arrange a guided walk in Fiordland, IT IS PEOPLE. with relatives. book a boutique B&B in Wanaka, or a behind-the-scenes tour of Te Papa in New Zealand’s astonishing natural We can also add-on Australia, or one Wellington, you can be sure of a warm beauty is what draws visitors, but of the South Pacific islands, as well as welcome from a genuine local! we believe that its people make exciting stop-overs (see page 49). Just a significant contribution to your tell us what you want to do and we can 24/7 SUPPORT holiday. Over the years we have make it happen. When you’re planning your trip we try established our own office in New to ensure you (or your travel agent) Zealand and built close relationships CLOSE-UP EXPERIENCES speak to the same person from initial with local guides and site-specific In addition to the ‘big ticket’ sights, enquiry to pre-travel document check. experts. We strive to remove that our familiarity with New Zealand and invisible wall between ‘tourist’ and our local knowledge means we will When you land in New Zealand you’re ‘local’ to enhance your travels with suggest authentic experiences other in the hands of our New Zealand unique experiences, so that you see holiday companies do not offer, from team, who will meet you on arrival at New Zealand ‘close up’. trying your hand at sheep shearing to Auckland or Christchurch. They are hearing a Maori legend from a direct on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week EXPERT ADVICE descendent of one of the first settlers. while you’re travelling so that, day or We are proud to call ourselves experts on These are the memories that will night, there is someone to turn to in 4 5 6 New Zealand. The Silver Fern Holidays stay with you forever and some of the the unlikely event that your plans need team have lived there, worked there and possibilities are outlined on the to change. we re-visit at least once a year. next page. Whether over the phone, on Skype or face to face in our Kiwi Lounge, your holiday starts when we listen to your New Zealand dreams. Then we can suggest the right combination of itineraries for you. Independent itineraries in this brochure range from two weeks to a month, and incorporate ‘big ticket’ sights such as the Southern Alps, but EVERYTHING can be tailored to suit your aspirations and your budget. We understand that for some travellers New Zealand is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and with Silver Fern Holidays, tailor-made need not mean expensive.