New Zealand self drive walking holiday
Description of New Zealand self drive walking holiday
This 22-day tailor made New Zealand self-drive holiday takes you to the best scenery, wildlife and culture that this Pacific nation has to offer. You’ll gain an understanding of both the people and landscape of New Zealand, as you enjoy a wide range of easy walks, with the option to include more challenging hikes to suit your fitness level. This is a self-drive holiday, so you can travel under your own steam with the added bonus of insider tips.
New Zealand is a veritable walkers' paradise and this trip includes a series of accessible and fun day walks in some of the country’s stunning National Parks, including Abel Tasman National Park, Westland National Park and Paparoa National Park. If you’re up for testing yourself and have the fitness levels to prove it, you could opt to tackle more challenging treks, such as the legendary Tongariro Crossing. You could also don your ice grippers for a walk on Franz Joseph Glacier or Fox Glacier.
The trip begins and ends in two vibrant cities - Auckland and Christchurch. As this is a tailor-made tour the itinerary below is fully customisable and can be adjusted to increase or reduce the amount of walking, depending on your preferences.
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1 Reviews of New Zealand self drive walking holiday
Reviewed on 19 Nov 2018 by Dermot Blastland
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
As we were there a month there were quite highlights. Over night on Doubtful Sound, eating in Fleurs Restaurant Moeraki, Queen Charlotte Sound drive,
bicycle ride around vineyards in Marlborough region. Cinema Paradiso in Wanaka ! Mumbaiwala Indian Street food restaurant in Christchurch , Pen-y-Bryn
lodge in Oamuru ( truly excellent ). Walk to Munros Beach. Relaxing in Akaroa, Tongariro National Park and wonderful walks, the odd Whakapap ski resort
( must be what shiing on the moon would be like and on and on.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Firstly if you've been to Yellowstone National Park, the Norwegian Fjords, Scotland, the Alps of Europe and perhaps even the Perito Merito Glacier of Argentina think carefully about going to New Zealand. It has stuff to match all of this but it is a notch down. It packs a lot in a small area but at times we felt we'd just nodded off on the M1 and woke up in a part of the UK didn't know existed.
Secondly if you're on a driving holiday of 3 to 4 weeks duration avoid the small B & B's that the tour operators offer .....the rooms are too small and you'll not
have enough space. We cancelled a few rooms and booked into pretty good motels which were much more useful.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Most of the places we stayed in were locally owned so benefited local people. Clearly New Zealand is fighting a battle to keep non native animals and plants
out and there is a strong feeling regarding the environment.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A good holiday but as mentioned above it didn't leave us awestruck. A great place for someone to go to see a lot and has not travelled a long haul from the UK
Responsible Travel
Planet
This Tailor-made holiday encompasses three of New Zealand’s National Parks: Tongariro, Abel Tasman and Westland for which we pay an annual licence fee and have official accreditation to operate on Department of Conservation land.For every booking taken we make a donation on our travellers behalf to New Zealand’s unique Trees for Travellers Project. The project is based in Kaikoura , and is re-foresting a local reserve with native trees: www.treesfortravellers.co.nz
We also actively supports Project Janszoon, a privately funded initiative working in partnership with the Department of Conservation to address the ecological restoration of Abel Tasman National Park . Through the auspisces of the Wilson Family who operate guided walks and kayaking adventures in the Park, travellers will be educated on the aims and ethos of this project.
Through our New Zealand partner operator, we are a Qualmark accredited business and a member of the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand. This means we have been independently reviewed and deemed to operate in an ethical and environmentally sustainable way.
People
All of our itineraries, whether tailor made or our Small Group Journeys, are strongly focused on ensuring support for local communities and educating our travellers on the importance of responsible travel.Accommodation on our Tailor-made holidays is in smaller bed & breakfasts, inns, farm and homestays and travellers will enjoy the services of local activity operators and food from local restaurants. We actively encourage all travellers on our Tailor-made itineraries to get off the beaten path and discover, explore and support small local communities – as well as benefiting the New Zealand people, we firmly believe that this enhances our travellers experience during their time in New Zealand.
Our itineraries have a strong focus on the history and customs of the Maori, as we recognise and appreciate the cultural significance of the Maori people in New Zealand. Through included trips and experiences, guided tours and interaction with locals, we aim to educate and inspire our travellers about the Maori people of New Zealand and their place in the heritage and future of the country.
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