Overview

Carpenter Company travel staff will be available throughout your trip to see to your needs. The Hospitality Desk will be open at each hotel during posted hours, manned by professional staff eager to assist you in every way possible. Travel staff members will also assist you on your arrival.

*based on current information ... subject to change as we near our departure dates

Two Days Prior (En-route)

  • Air transportation via scheduled airline service from various Carpenter departure gateways. Flights will cross the International Date Line, at which point you will lose one day.

CathedralDay 1- Arrive Christchurch

  • Greeting by Carpenter travel staff upon arrival at Christchurch Airport (and after clearing Immigration and Customs formalities), after which you will board a private deluxe motorcoach to the hotel
  • Check-in to your pre-registered, pre-assigned accommodations at the deluxe Millennium Christchurch Hotel, where you'll be treated to four days and three nights of luxurious hospitality!
  • Take part in an afternoon Orientation Tour of Christchurch
  • Enjoy a Welcome Taste of New Zealand Reception in the Art Gallery, including an open bar, dinner, and short Maori Cultural Concert.

Day 2

  • Full buffet breakfast at the Hotel
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  • A full-day Transalpine Express Tour - Travel from Christchurch to Greymouth for a rail adventure regarded as New Zealand's best! The train will traverse gorges and rivers as you make your way to the Waimakariri River for an exhilarating jet boat ride.
  • Evening Dining - You'll be treated to a wonderfully enjoyable "Meet the Kiwi's Home Hosted Dinner", where you will be treated to a typical evening meal ... along with that famous Kiwi hospitality ... in a local home. This is truly an amazing experience ... guests and hosts begin as strangers and often end up as lifelong friends!

Day 3

  • Full buffet breakfast at the Hotel.
  • A morning visit to the Antarctic Center, including the interactive multimedia "Antarctic Experience" that allows you to witness the continent's four seasons.
  • Evening Dining - The Queenstown area is home to world-renowned vineyards. Tonight you'll find out why, when you visit a local vineyard to enjoy a delicious dinner ... wine with dinner, of course!

Day 4 - Christchurch to Queenstown

  • Full buffet breakfast at the Hotel.
  • Private deluxe motorcoach to the Christchurch Airport for your flight to Queenstown as well as to your Hotel upon arrival at the Queenstown Airport.
  • Check-in to your pre-registered, pre-assigned accommodations at the deluxe Millennium Queenstown Hotel, where you'll be treated to three days and nights of luxurious hospitality!
  • An afternoon Jet Boat trip - "Thrill Therapy" you'll never forget, as you power through the Shotover River and deep into the river's canyons. Your drive will skillfully maneuver through rocky outcrops, crags and boulders amidst breathtaking scenery.  http://www.shotoverjet.com/queenstown/virtual-tour/
  • A visit to the Gibbston Valley Winery including tour, tasting and a visit to the wine cave where the rocky schist walls are lined with barrels of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay still reaching their prime!
  • A "Lady of the Lake Cruise" followed by Dinner at the Walter Peak High Country Station. Enjoy onboard cocktails as you set sail for a memorable buffet dinner set in the rural high country. You will be treated to a fabulously entertaining farm show, complete with most enjoyable sheep shearing and sheep dog demonstrations.

Day 5

  • Full buffet breakfast at the Hotel.
  • An air and water excursion to Milford Sound - View hanging valleys, alpine lakes and cloud-piercing summits, followed by a cruise of Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea - a breathtaking day of mountain passes and breathtaking fiords!
  • A dine-around evening in some of Queenstown's and Arrowtown's leading restaurants in the company of friends and colleagues.

Day 6

  • Full buffet breakfast at the Hotel.
  • QueenstownA day of leisure. Feel free to enjoy the many attractions and activities found throughout the Queenstown area. Optional activities include:
    • A half-day 4WD guided trip to Skippers Canyon and into the area's gold mining past.
    • A half-day "Safari of the Rings" tour, visiting many of the movie's famous backdrops
    • A half-day 4WD Bike Safari around exclusive off-road terrains in Queensland Hill
  • Carpenter's Farewell "Dine in the Sky" evening, as you ascend Bob's Peak aboard the Skyline Gondola. At the summit, you will disembark to a superb dinner, complete with open bar, a selection of hot and cold canapés and dance band entertainment.

Day 7 - Depart Queenstown

  • Full buffet breakfast at the Hotel.
  • Transfers back to the Queenstown Airport for air transportation back to your home in the United States or Canada or, If you are extending to Tahiti, air transportation to that destination.