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White Heron Spring Tour

White Heron Spring Tour

Tour Date: (2023 sold out) .2024 8th Nov - 16th Nov

Tour Date: 7th to 15th Nov 2024

DEPOSIT - $300.00 NZD

Single - $4,591.00
Twin Share - $3,891.00

Please note this is a cash or cheque price. Credit cards will incur a 2% fee

Jagged mountains, lush rainforest, glaciers, gorgeous lakes, and spectacular coastlines combined with a unique opportunity to view some of New Zealand’s rare birds in their nesting season.

This is a tour for active and adventure-minded travelers who want to enjoy a range of optional short walks in “off the beaten track” places.  This unique spring tour takes in a special chance to visit the White Heron Colony, visit a remote beach, home to Fiordland Crested Penguins, and get up close to the remarkable sight of Crested Grebes in their nesting area near Tekapo. 

For those with a passion for photography, the lupins will be in full colour, and our final 2 nights in Geraldine are timed to include the local Arts and Plants Festival.

Our groups are small and personalized with spare seats in our vehicles, and we can easily stop for quick photos or short walks or just to explore this amazing region.

Duration

9 Days - 8 Nights

Highlights Will Include

  • Punchbowl Falls at Arthurs Pass
  • Hokitika and Lake Kaniere
  • White Heron Colony tour
  • Okarito Lagoon eco tour
  • Franz Josef scenic walks
  • Lake Matheson
  • Monroe beach, Fiordland crested penguin's
  • Haast Township Rimu Walk
  • Clay Cliffs at Omarama
  • Tekapo Crested Grebes and Lupins in bloom
  • Geraldine Arts and plants festival

Inclusions

  • Nine days transport, 10 or 12 seat vehicles
  • Your own experienced driver / guide for nine days
  • Eight night's accommodation
  • 7 dinners ,7 lunches ,8 breakfasts

Exclusions

Flights- I am happy to book flights and any extra accommodation at the start or finish of the tour if you would prefer. I do not have large enough groups to qualify for travel discounts and often people can use credits or air points but please let me know if you would like me to book though and we can just add to the tour cost for you.

Booking Conditions

A non-refundable deposit of $300 per person is required to secure your place on the tour. Payment can be made to this account number.

Alps 2 Ocean Ltd A/C 12-3226-0040295-00

Quote vour name as reterence.

Full payment is due not later than one month prior to tour start.
Bookings made with less than one month to start date - full payment at time of booking.

Cancellations

  • Deposit - nonrefundable
  • If this tour is cancelled due to Covid 19 government travel restrictions, a refund is available. or we will endeavour to reschedule. Alps 2 Ocean Ltd reserves the right in addition to any supplier-imposed amendment and cancellation fees, to charge a service and administrative fee of $100 per person.

*Itinerary and costs subject to change, airline and fuel charges and currency fluctuations prior to final payment.

View full details

White Heron Spring Tour - Tour Route

Jagged mountains, lush rainforest, glaciers, gorgeous lakes, and spectacular coastlines combined with a unique opportunity to view some of New Zealand’s rare birds in their nesting season.

This tour is for those with a sense of adventure, are active and want to enjoy a range of optional short walks in “off the beaten track” places. It’s a unique spring tour taking in some special chance to visit the White Heron Colony, visit a remote beach home to Fiordland Crested Penguins and get up close to the remarkable sight of Crested grebes in there nesting area near Tekapo. The lupins will be in full colour and our final 2 nights in Geraldine are timed to include the local Arts and Plants Festival. Our groups are small and personalized with spare seats in our vehicles, and we can easily stop for quick photos or short walks or just to explore this amazing region.

Download Tour Map

Your Travel Itinerary

  • Day 1

    CHRISTCHURCH - ARTHURS PASS - HOKITIKA
    LUNCH | DINNER

    Wayne will pick you up approx. 1030 to 11 am from Christchurch. We leave the city and travel across the plains to Lake Grassmere which is a great place for our first stop for a picnic lunch and chance to stretch the legs. Arthurs Pass is next with short walks to Devils Punchbowl before continuing on to our first nights stay in the vibrant tourist town of Hokitika. There should be time for a stroll around the town or along the beach walk.

  • Day 2

    HOKITIKA - LAKE KANIERE - WHITE HERON COLONY - FRANZ JOSEF
    BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER

    This morning is a chance to take a walk out at the serene Lake Kaniere before we travel down the coastal highway to Whataroa for a special tour into the White Heron colony, the only breeding area in NZ.This is a special tour as this is the time they gather to nest and show displays of stunning plumage. Its then a 25-minute drive to Franz Josef .We stay at the unique Rainforest Retreat.

    Dinner at the Retreat.

  • Day 3

    FRANZ JOSEF - OKARITO LAGOON ECO TOUR - CALLERY GORGE WALK
    BREAKFAST | LUNCH

    We start the day with a short drive out to Okarito lagoon where our local guides Paula and Swade will take us on a 2-hour Ecotour via the Explorer Douglas - this flat bottomed open air boat was custom built for the lagoon - we cruise along at slow speeds and often drift alongside feeding white herons, godwits, oystercatchers and
    dotterels    . They will describe the vast history of the lagoon from the early mining days to forestry and flax harvesting.


    The afternoon is a time of exploring the town or taking one of the many walks like
    the Franz Josef glacier view or the Callery gorge trail.

    Dinner is a free choice tonight.

  • Day 4

    FRANZ - MONROE BEACH - HAAST
    BREAKFAST | DINNER

    The drive south today is through lush rainforest, it opens out briefly into farming plains near Fox township then continues through a range of forest parks, past some stunning lakes with a walk into the Lake Matheson a highlight. There is time to take the Minehaha short walk, a real little gem before heading south to Monroe beach. It is there we have a chance to walk out a trail to a remote beach with a chance to see a rare Fiordland Crested Penguin, small numbers will be in there nesting season at the beach. Of course, with wild animals nothing is guaranteed but the walk and beach are well worth visiting . We stay in Haast for 2 nights.


    Dinner at the Hard Antler

  • Day 5

    HAAST - JACKSONS BAY -LAKE ELLERY
    BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER

    After a leisurely breakfast at the local cafe, we explore south to Jacksons Bay on the corner of the Haast World Heritage Area. A fish n chip lunch at the Craypot caravan is essential at this remote corner, then it's a choice of walks to a remote beach nearby or the serene Lake Ellery. There is also a lovely new walking trail created amongst giant podocarps by the Haast township for those with more energy.


    Dinner at the Heartland Hotel

  • Day 6

    HAAST - OMARAMA
    BREAKFAST | DINNER

    Our journey continues up the highway to the Haast Pass, where you will see the mighty Landsborough River as it joins the Haast River. At Haast Pass we can walk into the Thunder Creek Falls track with a lunch at the Makarora café. From there we travel through the Lindis pass explore into the vast Ahuriri Valley before our stay at Omarama.

    Dinner at the Omarama Hotel

  • Day 7

    OMARAMA - CLAY CLIFFS -CRESTED GREBES - GERALDINE
    BREAKFAST | DINNER

    The Clay Cliffs are our first stop in the morning. The Clay Cliffs are a stark sight-tall pinnacles separated by narrow ravines.

    These otherworldly formations are made up of layers of gravel and silt, originally formed by the flow from ancient glaciers over a million years ago.

    We will travel to Lake Alexandrina ;this is a chance to see the Crested Grebes up close and personal as they build their nests in a small outlet of the lake .A special opportunity as these birds' nest in a small area right beside the fishing baches of the lake. There are many choices to grab a lunch at Tekapo.

    The lupins of the area should be coming into full colour a wonderful contrast to the arid brown of the Mackenzie country.

    We stay for our final 2 nights in Geraldine.

    Dinner at the Village Inn

  • Day 8

    GERALDINE - FOOTHILLS TRAILS -MUSEUMS AND GARDENS-PODCARP FOREST
    BREAKFAST | DINNER

    This is for me a chance to show you around my hometown and the area. Geraldine has a variety of museums ,art galleries gift shops a Gin distillery etc.it also has the nearby
    podocarp forest with bellbirds fantails and 33 varieties of ferns. I will take you for a local tour of the area ,with some lovely walks before giving you time to explore the town.

    Dinner at the Hops Brewery and restaurant

  • Day 9

    GERALDINE - ARTS AND PLANTS FESTIVAL - CHRISTCHURCH
    BREAKFAST | LUNCH

    Geraldines annual arts and plants festival awaits you on the final morning. The main street is blocked from traffic and up to 100 stall holders set up for the festival. This is a chance to wander in the morning before the crowds arrive and enjoy a real small country town festival.


    Then we travel on the inland scenic route ,lunch at the Staveley café before being dropped in Christchurch by 3pm either at the airport or accommodation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What level of fitness do I need?

No matter what your fitness level, you can choose the activity level you feel appropriate for you, but everyone who's experienced this tour has the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors - and reviews say, they do!

What if I want to change some of the travel plans?

Sometimes our travellers like to visit relatives while on the journey. The breaks at Franz Josef and Karamea do allow for you to meet others, or if we're stopping for a walk nearby, Wayne can arrange that you spend your time differently. If you're thinking you'd like to visit someplace that's not listed in the itinerary, we can sometimes build this in. It's worth having a chat to Wayne to see what's possible.

How do we protect ourselves from Covid-19 while on travelling?

Wayne is fully vaccinated and at your request is happy to wear a mask throughout the trip and while inside of a 2-metre distance from you. We would expect all travellers to also be fully vaccinated, and wear masks if required while in the vehicle. Please scan into any places you visit and follow the safety guidelines; we've all come to know well.

What about cancellations or interruptions due to level changes?

We do ask for a small non-refundable deposit to begin the booking process; however, all other expenses are fully refundable if we did need to cancel. In most instances we would look to reschedule and will be in touch with vou if this arises. If in the event the level changes were imminent while we were travelling, we would look to get you quickly and safely back to a destination you could travel home from e.g., Queenstown or Christchurch.