Become totally absorbed in the remoteness and beauty of fiordland on this adventure on board The luxurious ‘heritage explorer.’
Enjoy exploring coves, islands, beaches and bush with names hitherto unknown with opportunities to walk, kayak and throw out a casual fishing
line or use the latest in fishing technology. Spend the first night in Te Anau, before we travel via helicopter to Preservation Inlet. For the next 10 days you will be surrounded by the rugged beauty and wildlife of this untouched corner of New Zealand. The surrounding Fiords are havens for marine
and bird life and the opportunity to step ashore and explore the remains of early settlements are numerous. The journey concludes in the Milford Sounds before we transfer to Te Anau for our overnight before returning to Queenstown and a flight home. Option to extend your stay in
Queenstown are available.
Depart Auckland on a morning flight direct to Queenstown. Transfer by coach to the
lakeside town of Te Anau for an overnight stay. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner at the hotel.
After breakfast, enjoy a spectacular helicopter transfer to join Heritage Explorer in Preservation Inlet. The captain and expedition leader will be waiting to welcome you aboard Heritage Explorer. Settle into life aboard before we set sail along Long Sound and enjoy your first impressions of Southern Fiordland’s unrestrained landscape.
Today is dedicated to exploring Preservation Inlet, rich in history we will
delve into the gold mining and forestry attempts that once made this now quiet
waterway a bustling hub of activity. The area’s natural bounty saw more than 2,500
gold miners and saw millers flock to the region in the late 1890s.
• Chalky Inlet The entrance to Chalky Inlet is guarded by the impressive limestone cliffs of Chalky Island, the inspiration behind Captain Cook’s naming of the fiord.
• Dusky Sound Our expedition cruise through Dusky Sound visiting the some of the most significant historical and conservation sites in New Zealand.
• Acheron Passage & Breaksea Sound A navigation through Acheron Passage, which separates Resolution Island from the mainland, is sure to be one of the highlights or our time in Fiordland. The extensive sheltered waters of scenic Breaksea Sound, initially scouted for sheep farming suitability by early setters in the 1850s is also the location of Breaksea Island.
• Doubtful Sound Spanning some staggering 40-kilometres and holding the title as New Zealand’s deepest fiord. • Charles & Caswell Sound One of the southern-most of the northern fiords, Charles Sound, branches into Emelius and Gold Arms at its head with Gold Arm being home to one of the most extensive marine
reserves in the inner fiords. Another rarely explored fiord, Caswell Sound is home to the last physical remains of the 1949 New Zealand–American Fiordland scientific expedition.
• George Sound George Sound is the longest of the Northern Fiords and with several arms branching from the fiord.
•Milford Sound We enter the magnificent Milford Sound this afternoon and enjoy a leisurely final cruise of this unforgettable location. Enjoy your final night aboard in the protected waters beneath the towering peaks of Milford Sound and revel in the sensational scenery as you celebrate this unforgettable adventure with a farewell dinner.
After a final breakfast and farewells, head ashore where a transfer to Te Anau, via
the historic Homer Tunnel and the lowland beech forests and golden tussocks of
scenic Eglinton Valley, awaits. In case of unexpected delays, we ask you not to book
any onward travel from Te Anau until after 3pm this afternoon
After breakfast coach to Queenstown airport for your early afternoon flight to
Auckland or extend your stay in Queenstown
•Return flights from Auckland to Queenstown (Other centres on request)
•Return coach transfers Queenstown to Te Anau
•Two nights’ accommodation in Te Anau including breakfast and dinner
•Transfers as specified
•Return ferry shuttle across Lake Manapouri
•10 nights’ accommodation on board the ‘Heritage Explorer’
•All meals and tea and coffee while on board Heritage Explorer
•House drinks onboard
•Landings and guided walks
•Visits to historic sites and abandoned settlements
•Tender craft and kayaks for exploring the coastline
•Helicopter flight from Preservation Inlet to Te Anau.
•Expedition Leader onboard
• Pukekohe Travel escort subject to 15 passengers travelling
Cost Per Person * Auckland - Auckland | Twin Share | Single |
---|---|---|
Royal Suite | $11, 995 | NA |
Salvin’s Stateroom | $9,997 | $15,616 |
Buller’s Stateroom (Bunk) | $8,984 | $12,998 |
Wandering Stateroom (Single) | N/A | $11,499 |
*This is a cash or direct debit price. Credit cards will incur a 2% fee
*Itinerary and costs subject to change, airline and fuel charges and currency fluctuations prior to final payment
• Travel Insurance –Please ask us for a quote
• Items of a personal nature
• A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per person will secure a place on this tour
• Full payment is due no later than 18 June 2022
• Bookings made after 18 June 2022 will require full payment
• Deposit – non refundable
• After 18 June 2022 – no refund
We strongly advise all participants take out suitable travel Insurance to cover cancellation costs. Please ask for a quote.
• Please note there is NO cell phone coverage during the cruise
• It is required that you bring hiking boots or gumboots which are ideal for stomping around the beaches and bush
• Slippers / house shoes are ideal on-board
Covid-19 Vaccination
All travelers must be fully vaccinated and be able to provide a copy of the Ministry of Health Vaccine Record Card with proof of your full Covid-19 vaccination.
Covid-19 Tour Disruption
• If this tour is cancelled/postponed due to Covid-19 Government travel restrictions Pukekohe Travel reserves the right, in addition to any supplier imposed amendment and cancellation fees, to charge a service and administrative fee of $500 per person.
• If self isolation restrictions are imposed by the Ministry of Health whilst on tour, Pukekohe Travel accepts no liability for any additional costs incurred.
• Pukekohe Travel will assist in every way possible to ensure any additional travel arrangements required are made with the minimal amount of disruption and in the most cost-effective manner.
• You cannot begin or continue to travel if you have received a positive Covid-19 test in the last 14 days.
To ensure the tour is enjoyable for you, a reasonable standard of fitness and mobility is required, as climbing on and off the various boats and the helicopter can be demanding. Also walking on shore is in gumboots or hiking boots and on muddy tracks.
The ‘Heritage Explorer’
The state-of-the-art technology provides a comfortable expedition ship with high performance dual Scania 653 horsepower engines capable of 10 knots, bow thrusters, fin stabilisers, full air-conditioning, sound attenuated twin generators and a hydraulic aft ramp, while a comprehensive navigation package ensures the ultimate Kiwi adventure awaits all guests.
Vessel Type: Expedition Yacht
Expedition Staff & Crew: 5
Guests: 18
Cabins: 10
Length: 30m
Breadth: 7.8m
Draft: 1.93m
Gross Tonnage: 76.1gt
Engine: 653 horsepower
Cruising Speed: 10 knots
Tenders: 2
For full terms and conditions please visit our website www.pukekohetravel.co.nz/ termsandconditions or ask our tour consultant for a copy
Note:
Pukekohe Travel reserves the right to correct errors and omissions on our website without recourse.
* Itinerary subject to change