Home to many of New Zealand's most celebrated landscapes, the South Island is a photographer's delight. This 12-day tour takes us on an incredible journey from coast to coast through four provinces, five national parks and numerous reserves. Cloud-piercing peaks, intriguing limestone coastlines, crystalline glaciers, primeval rainforests, and glacier-carved fiords are just some of the glorious features that await us.
Please note that this tour now begins in Queenstown.
Our expedition starts at the lakeside town of Queenstown, a region characterised by rugged mountain ranges and brilliant blue lakes. As we explore this area we find ourselves inside landscapes used in the Lord of the Rings films, evoking a sense of the surreal.
The valleys deepen as we continue on through the dramatic Fiordland landscape to Milford Sound, which has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. While most visitors make this a day trip, we stay overnight to photograph the iconic Mitre Peak, not forgetting The Lion and The Elephant, in the evening and dawn lights. Our boat cruise through the fiord provides stunning photography in any weather. We return to Queenstown the following day.
The road turns west as we drive through the mountains to the untamed West Coast. Beneath lofty mountains, dense rainforest thrives from the doorstep of glaciers to the ocean's edge. We take a trip up on to Fox Glacier to photograph the glacier patterns up close. Our road continues north along the coast to Punakaiki, home to the famous Pancake Rocks.
We then travel east to the seaside settlement of Kaikoura. In the waters off Kaikoura a complex marine system provides an abundantly rich habitat for marine mammals and seabirds. We take a boat trip to photograph the playful and acrobatic Dusky dolphins, which are residents in this area.
Our last photography target is the highest mountain in New Zealand: Aoraki/Mt Cook. From our base under the shadow of the mighty Southern Alps we explore this inspiring alpine environment and photograph Aoraki/Mt Cook from different locations. Our adventure is almost at an end as we drive back to Queenstown for our last evening together.
Tour duration: 12 Days
2012 tour dates: February 19 - March 1, March 11 - 22, April 22 - May 3, June 17 - 28, November 25 - December 6
Group size:Maximum 8 participants. Small group fee applies when less than 5 guests travelling.
The South Island is packed with an incredible range of superb locations
and the highlights on this 12-day adventure include:
- Aoraki/Mt Cook - New Zealand's highest mountain at 3754 metres
- Pancake Rocks - Unique stratified rock formations set against the wild Tasman Sea
- Kaikoura Coast - Mountain-backed coastline famous for its marine life
- Fox Glacier - Ancient ice mass squeezing its way through a narrow valley
- Glenorchy - Lord of the Rings country and great breakfasts!
- Upper Hollyford - Imposing landscapes of glacier-carved valleys
- Milford Sound - Sheer mountainsides rise out of the sea to over a mile high
- The Remarkables - Stunning mountain range overlooking Lake Wakatipu
- Dusky dolphins - Acrobats of the ocean
Day oneQUEENSTOWN
An early start as we set out to capture the sunrise on Lake Wakatipu. We then continue on into the Mt Aspiring National Park. Impressive mountains, crystal clear rivers and country scenes provide us with many exciting photographic opportunities. In the early afternoon we return to Queenstown for a break before we set off again to photograph the aptly-named Remarkables mountain range.
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Day twoQUEENSTOWN
We spend the morning photographing the rugged mountains near Queenstown before returning to the town. The afternoon is yours to relax, go jetboating, take the steamboat across the lake, ride the gondola for a panoramic view of Queenstown, do a bungy jump, visit a winery, shop, or just stroll along the lakefront. We meet again for an evening shoot of the mountains.
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Day threeQUEENSTOWN - MILFORD SOUND
We leave Queenstown this morning and make our way to Milford Sound. The drive to the fiord is every bit as spectacular as the destination, and visitors are always overwhelmed by the grandeur of the landscape. We stop to photograph dramatic glacial valleys, expansive mountain vistas and forest-fringed lakes. No doubt at one of our stops we will be greeted by the cheeky mountain parrot, the kea. Later in the afternoon we arrive at Milford Sound and shoot the fiord as the sun sets.
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Day fourMILFORD SOUND - QUEENSTOWN
This morning we take a boat journey along the fiord and out to the Tasman Sea. As well as shooting this incredible landscape of sheer mountains, cascading waterfalls and untouched coastline it is possible we will see seals and dolphins. Once back ashore we spend the rest of the day photographing at different locations in the Fiordland National Park as we make our way back to Queenstown.
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Day fiveQUEENSTOWN - FOX GLACIER
We leave Queenstown this morning and travel west past the the mountain-bordered Lakes Hawea and Wanaka. Once over the Haast Pass we descend to the West Coast. One of our first shoots on the West Coast is at an ancient swamp, filled with New Zealand's tallest growing trees: the kahikatea. We then continue north to the Fox Glacier Village and hike around Lake Matheson where, on a still day, New Zealands two highest peaks, Mts Aoraki/Cook and Tasman, are reflected in the dark waters.
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Day sixFOX GLACIER
Today we go up onto the glacier - a great opportunity to shoot the ice patterns up close. After returning from the glacier there is time to relax in the village before we meet again in the afternoon to photograph the mountain surrounds as the sun sets.
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Day sevenFOX GLACIER - PUNAKAIKI
This morning we continue travelling north. We make a stop at Franz Josef glacier and an easy walk leads us to a magnificent location to photograph. In the afternoon we arrive at Punakaiki where the force of the ocean has carved the coastline into fascinating rock sculptures, and we arrive in the afternoon at the most unusual of these formations: the Pancake Rocks.
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Day eightPUNAKAIKI - KAIKOURA
From one coast to another, today we drive from the west to the east coast to our next destination: Kaikoura. Overlooked by majestic mountains, which are snow-capped for many months of the year, this coastal town was once only known for the rock lobster caught here. Now, Kaikoura is famous for the abundance of marine mammals and seabirds found offshore. We arrive in the late afternoon in time to shoot the late light along the coast.
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Day nineKAIKOURA
This morning we join a sea cruise to photograph Dusky dolphins - natural acrobats who seem to enjoy showing off their skills for spectators. Quite often we have encountered pods of over 200 of these photogenic mammals, so there are plenty of chances to capture stunning imagery. In the afternoon we take a break before meeting up for our evening shoot of the mountain-backed coast.
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Day tenKAIKOURA - AORAKI/MT COOK NATIONAL PARK
After a sunrise shoot, we head towards the heart of the Southern Alps and the home of New Zealand's highest mountain: Aoraki/Mt Cook. We arrive at the Mt Cook Village later in the afternoon in time for a twilight shoot of Aoraki/Mt Cook.
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Day elevenAORAKI/MT COOK NATIONAL PARK
After photographing sunrise in the Tasman Valley we spend the rest of the day exploring the park, and take a hike up the Hooker Valley to capture the stunning views. Our focus will be on Aoraki/Mt Cook as we photograph it from different angles.
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Day twelveAORAKI/MT COOK NATIONAL PARK - QUEENSTOWN
After breakfast, we travel back to Queenstown to connect with departing flights.
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2012 Tour fee:
NZ$6370.00 per person twin share
NZ$1290.00 single supplement
NZ$550.00 per person small group surcharge when less than five participants
Deposit:
NZ$500.00 per person
Inclusions:
- Photography guide
- Eleven nights accommodation
- Boat cruises: Dolphin Encounter, Milford Sound
- Guide fees for the Fox Glacier hike
- Department of Conservation concession fees
- Meals as indicated (B=Breakfast)
- Porterage of one item of luggage per person
Exclusions:
- All international air travel and domestic transportation within your home country
- Any domestic travel within New Zealand to arrive at the tour departure point
- All associated taxes, levies and insurances
- Immigration, duty, passport and visa fees where applicable
- All personal items including meals, where not indicated in the itinerary, refreshments and travel insurance
- Optional activities e.g. bungy jump, jetboating, helicopter flights
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