Golf Safari

Day 1 Auckland – Bay of Islands On arrival in Auckland, you will be met at the airport by our local representative. Once you have received your original travel documents, you will be taken to Paihia in the north of the island. The rest of the day is free for you to acclimatise.

Day 2 Bay of Islands Today is all about golf. You spend the day on the magnificent ‘Kauri Cliffs’ course, which offers breathtaking views. The afternoon is at leisure. If you play your round in the morning, lunch at the beautiful, luxurious ‘Kauri Cliffs’ Lodge is well worth it. In the afternoon you can relax at your accommodation, explore Paihia on foot or take an interesting excursion to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.

Day 3 Bay of Islands Today you take a boat trip on the beautiful bay of Paihia and, with a little luck, you may even spot dolphins. You will see the bay’s lovely islands from a completely different perspective. Free time in the afternoon.

Day 4 Bay of Islands – Auckland You drive back to Auckland, where you will spend the next two nights. This afternoon and evening you are free to explore the ‘City of Sails’ on your own. We recommend dinner at one of the lovely harbourside restaurants, with a wonderful view of the many sailing boats anchored off Auckland.

Day 5 Auckland – Tairua (150 km) Today you head east to the Coromandel Peninsula, known for its beautiful beaches and hot springs. A visit to ‘Hot Water Beach’, where visitors dig their own hot pool with a spade and relax in it, is well worthwhile. We also recommend a visit to Cathedral Cove, a rock formation just off the coast. You can reach Cathedral Cove either by water taxi or on a lovely walking trail that follows the coast to the beach with its huge rock.

Day 6 Tairua – Rotorua (190 km) The heart of New Zealand’s North Island awaits! Today’s destination is Rotorua, one of the most interesting areas for geothermal activity and Maori culture. Some hot springs can be discovered right in Rotorua’s town centre. However, if you want to experience the full range of geothermal activity, with geysers and bubbling mud pools, a visit to ‘Te Puia’ is recommended. Here you can also immerse yourself in Maori culture or, in the evening, enjoy a delicious ‘hangi’ meal with a dance performance.

Day 7 Rotorua – Taupo (80 km) Today’s short stage takes you further south to Lake Taupo and the town of the same name. If you have time, we recommend a boat trip on the large lake, where you can admire the Maori rock carvings. You will also play a round of golf on the superb par-72 course at Wairakei International Golf Course.

Day 8 Taupo Today you spend part of the day on the par-72 course of the Kinloch Club, one of the best in the country. Here, too, lunch at the adjoining Kinloch Club Lodge is recommended after a morning round. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 9 Taupo – Napier (140 km) This stage begins with a tour of a former gold-digging area near Napier. Napier on Hawke's Bay is known not only for its excellent wine and its Maori culture, but also for one of the best golf courses in the country, which you will get to know the following day. Relax in Napier after your sightseeing.

Day 10 Napier Today you play golf on the par-72 course at Cape Kidnappers! The course enjoys a spectacular setting, with the rugged coastline visible from everywhere. Golfers from all over the world rank this course among the best in the world.

Day 11 Napier – Wellington (370 km) From Napier you drive south to New Zealand’s capital, often called the ‘coolest little capital’. As the wind often blows around Wellington, temperatures can be a little cooler than in the surrounding towns and regions. Wellington has plenty to offer. A ride on the cable car straight from the city centre up to the Botanic Garden is well worth it, with a wonderful view of the bay and the city’s buildings from the top. With its many restaurants, bars, cafés and boutiques, Cuba Street is the mecca for shopping and dining.

Day 12 Wellington Today you enjoy a round of golf at Paraparaumu golf course near Wellington. You can spend the rest of the day in the city or in the nearby Martinborough region, famous for its wine.

Day 13 Wellington – Picton – Kaikoura (160 km) Today you cross the Cook Strait by ferry from Wellington to Picton and continue your journey on the South Island. The crossing takes around 3 hours, during which you can take in the scenery of the Marlborough Sounds and, with a little luck, even spot dolphins. Once on the South Island, you drive east and soon reach the coastal town of Kaikoura, known above all for the many whales that live off its coast. Weather permitting, you can join an optional whale-watching tour the next morning before you leave (at your own expense).

Day 14 Kaikoura – Christchurch (180 km) From Kaikoura you drive south to Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island. In the afternoon you have time to explore the city’s various districts on foot. In the evening you continue to your accommodation, around 20 minutes from the city centre.

Day 15 Christchurch – Tekapo (245 km) You break today’s drive for a round of golf on the superb ‘Terrace Downs’ course before continuing your journey to Tekapo. Once in Tekapo, we recommend a visit to the ‘Church of the Good Shepherd’, picturesquely set on the shore of a large, deep-blue lake fed by the surrounding mountains and glaciers.

Day 16 Tekapo – Dunedin (300 km) From Tekapo your journey takes you south along the east coast to Dunedin. We recommend a visit to the Moeraki Boulders, a rock formation on the beach just before Dunedin. Depending on the tides, you can explore the spherical boulders on foot; if you arrive at high tide, you can view and photograph the round stones from the little café opposite. Once in Dunedin, we recommend a stroll around the city. Dunedin is known above all for its beautiful railway station building and the world’s steepest street, Baldwin Street. The Octagon, the city’s main hub, is home to numerous restaurants and cafés.

Day 17 Dunedin Today you spend the day at Chisholm Links golf course on the coast of the Otago Peninsula. In the late afternoon you visit ‘Penguin Place’, where you can watch penguins and yellow-eyed penguins return to their nests.

Day 18 Dunedin – Queenstown (280 km) For today’s drive we recommend the longer route along the coast of the Catlins in the south of the South Island. Along the way you will have plenty of opportunities to stop at one of the beautiful stretches of beach and go for a walk. Nugget Point, with its picturesque lighthouse, is one of the most interesting spots; you can reach it from the car park in 30 minutes on foot. Once in Queenstown, enjoy a free evening.

Day 19 Queenstown Today you play on the famous ‘Millbrook’ golf course, around 15 minutes from Queenstown. For the rest of the day we recommend a gondola ride up Bob's Peak, where you enjoy a breathtaking view of the town, Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range in the background. You can also take a trip on Lake Wakatipu aboard the steamship ‘TSS Earnslaw’. Both excursions can be combined with a delicious dinner. The view from Bob's Peak of the Remarkables at sunset is unique.

Day 20 Milford Sound Take a day trip to rugged Milford Sound. You will be picked up from your accommodation in Queenstown early in the morning and driven to Te Anau. After a short coffee break, you head west through dense rainforest and soon reach the spectacular, winding road that leads you through the ‘Homer's Tunnel’ and past sights such as ‘Mirror Lake’ to Milford. Here you change your mode of transport for the next few hours and check in for your cruise. You enjoy a fascinating trip through the impressive fjord landscape, admiring thundering waterfalls and, with a little luck, seals or dolphins. You then return to Milford, from where a coach transfer takes you back to Queenstown.

Day 21 Queenstown The highlight of today’s programme is the ‘Jack's Point’ golf course. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Day 22 Queenstown Today is another free day, giving you plenty of time to explore the area around Queenstown – perhaps on a day hike or with a visit to the historic gold-mining town of Arrowtown.

Day 23

Day 24 Queenstown - Christchurch After returning your hire car, you fly back to Christchurch, where you spend the last night at the Peppers Clearwater Resort. Here you can enjoy a round on the Clearwater golf course.

Day 25 Christchurch Transfer to the airport. End of the tour or individual extension.