Highlights : Guided walk on an advancing Glacier, Tranz-Alpine Train Journey through the Alps, Dragons Cave Rafting with glow-worms, Hot Rock White Water Rafting on an alpine River, champagne in Alpine Thermal Hot Pools, overnight cruise on the Milford Sound with kayaking, Rainforest Ecology Tour, Paparoa Limestone National Park visit and rainforest walk. Candle light dinner on top of a mountain – in a restaurant!!!

Day 1

Arrive Christchurch , our representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your accommodation in Christchurch . People who are joining your group will arrive into Christchurch at different times today so today you’ll relax with your own free time for the rest of the day in New Zealand ’s Garden City. We suggest you take it easy and let your body get used to any time differences. Try to go to sleep at the local times & not when you feel sleepy. If you want to be a bit active try a ride on the tram, visit the Chocolate fudge factory (you get to eat as much as you can fit in!!), have a look through the Cathedral or a walk through the botanical gardens where you can take a punt ride. Any activities you choose to do today is at your own additional expense.

This evening you will meet Rochelle, your group’s leader & guide plus the rest of your team for dinner at a local wild life park. You’ll also have some fun entertainment with a Native Maori Cultural Dance Group.

Dinner is included tonight

Accommodation: Christchurch

Day 2

Today is a fairly relaxed day to get to know each other starting with one of the worlds 6 most famous scenic train rides ending on a wilderness beach where you may get found by a piece of Jade that you can keep as a souvenir. (The local Maori People say that Jade finds you rather than you finding it-you’re supposed to give it to a friend as it will then contain some of your own spirit)

Tranz-Alpine Train Journey --- To our Wild West Coast. Leaving from Christchurch, crossing the huge and fertile patchwork farmlands of the Canterbury Plains, the Tranz-Alpine winds its way over massive viaducts, through spectacular gorges and river valleys, before tracking across the country’s greatest mountain range, the Southern Alps . Following rivers and skirting lakes, it descends through lush rainforest to the Tasman Sea and the town of Greymouth.

You are now entering a region of ancient rainforests, dramatic landscapes, gold fields, greenstone jade and rugged coastlines. This is a place founded on adventure, romance & intrigue. This is the West Coast.

Most of the photographs taken to market New Zealand are from this region. World wide, ‘Coasters’ have a reputation for their pioneering spirit and their friendliness having been built on a heritage of goldminers, bushmen and explorers of many nationalities.

You will be met by the crew from the Wild West Adventure Company who will help you enjoy some great adventures on one of the world’s finest wildernesses.

We travel from Greymouth north along the stunning Coast Road to Punakaiki, being the Maori word for “food basket” and the home of the fascinating Pancake Rocks in the Paparoa Limestone National Park.

As near as possible to high tide take a stroll around the Pancake Rocks Walkway to see the unique rock structures layered here 30 million years ago. Watch also for the roaring Geysers that heave their way from the Ocean floor up out through the Rock Blowholes.

Take time also to view the award winning audio visual show at the Visitors Centre and to browse around some of New Zealand ’s finest craft displays.

Options you can do with this afternoon are:

(1) Take a short easy interpretative Rain Forest walk where you will learn about the ecology of NZ’s temperate flora and how the local Maori people gained their food and medicine from the forest.

(2) Beach combing for NZ Jade. This wild landscape is the home of NZ’s Pounamu - the jade greenstone treasured by the Maori people.

Walk along a secluded beach beside the thundering Tasman Sea surf in a search for your own souvenir piece of this treasured gemstone.

(3) Self guided Gentle Canoe Trip - small own extra cost. Paddle gently up the Pororari Limestone Gorge on a river of crystal clear water into one of this countries most scenic and awe-inspiring canyon landforms. Suitable for the beginner and more experienced alike. A beautiful spot.

Accommodation: Punakaiki

Day 3

Day walk through rainforest and limestone canyons. Cave visits, with glow-worms. We visit the beautiful limestone canyon country of the Paparoa National Park . Enjoy an easy day walk into awe inspiring canyons amongst New Zealand ’s untouched rainforest. You are heading for a massive cathedral like cavern where we will enjoy lunch. You will be able to explore this magnificent limestone area. Your guide will teach you about many fascinating aspects of life in this, the world’s finest wilderness. Learn (and taste) of the foods and medicines found in the rainforest.

Accommodation: Punakaiki

Day 4

Its time for some adventure!

In the next couple of days you’ll get to know each other in a different context. Working as a team on a variety of adventures with professional adventure guides to assist.

Your group will choose which of these activities they would like to do. At least one of them must be done by the complete group together at the same time while the other activities are done by individual choice.

Together & as a consensus you all need to decide which of the adventures is the “whole group” adventure & which ones can be by individual choice. During each adventure your group will be given fun challenges to carry out. Everything is ‘challenge by choice’ so you only need to do what you are comfortable with but one of the groups tasks will be to get every member to achieve as much as possible.

Full safety training, continuous supervision by professional guides and all equipment & outdoor clothing for each activity is supplied to keep you safe, warm & happy!

Here are the choices…

Dragons Blackwater Cave Rafting Tour . The Dragons Cave Rafting starts with a 30 minute rainforest walk to the Taniwha Caves . You’ll gear up into wet suits, helmets and headlamps to float through cave passages. Experience the splendour and roar as you slide down underground waterfalls and tackle subterranean lakes lit only by the sparkle of hundreds of glow-worms. Like floating through the milky-way galaxy. Your going to have fun in a wild, natural cave so it’s rough underfoot, parts you walk through, with choices to slide, climb or cuddle. You’ll float part of the cave on tubes across flat, slow moving water done in the dark (you can talk to each other!) to the galaxy light of amazing displays of glow-worms. You’ll also choose optional challenges of sliding an underground waterfall or cuddling through the Love Tunnel. You’ll finish with an exhilarating white knuckle ride on the" Wild West Big Wet & Greasy"! A 100 foot natural rock hydroslide. You can choose to do what you want; some do everything while others just do what they are comfortable with as everything is optional.

Finishes with hot showers and a glass of wine or beer in the spa.

You’ll need around 6 hours for this.

Jungle Boat Rainforest Cruise

In the traditions of our early explorers, by Jungle Boat we follow the route of ‘Te Ara Pounamu’-the greenstone pathway. This is part of the trail used by ancient Maori greenstone jade traders on their way to the West Coast jade fields. Our part of the trail is a rainforest waterway. Together we will be paddling a twin hulled outrigger canoe down river.

This gentle flat water float trip through some of the worlds most hauntingly beautiful rainforest scenery involves team work under the direction of a ‘paddle leader’ You’ll have great fun doing both. Here you can experience absolute silence which is only broken by the occasional birdcall.

Part of the fun today is to learn how to make your own woven souvenirs from the jungle plants in the traditional Maori way. You need 3 hands & the help of others!

Touch the silence while drifting by this prehistoric world of huge podocarp rainforest trees with some of the areas bird life. The dark waters are tinged with tannin from the rainforest giving you an eerie feeling of timelessness and spirituality. People leave with a sense of rejuvenation from their visit with nature today.

This activity takes about 4 hours.

White-water Rafting.

This region has one of the highest concentrations of rivers in the world giving a whole range of rafting experiences from beginners to full on adventurers. Today’s choice is a grade 2 or a grade 3 taking about 5 hours. It is really an introduction to rafting but on either river you can chose an action raft or a quieter raft depending on how confident you are. You’ll get full safety & paddle training before going on the river.

One river involves negotiating an old gold miners trail by 4x4 truck which you can have a turn at driving off road if you want.

Rochelle will discuss with you all the options so you can make an informed choice.

Accommodation: Greymouth

Day 5

A second day completing our adventure activities listed above.

Today we finish up with a visit to the Jade Boulder Gallery to watch the Greenstone artisans at work and learn about the geology of this precious stone.

Accommodation: Greymouth

Day 6

Today we continue South visiting the Bushmans Centre and onto Hot Rock Rafting. This is an Alpine River Valley which starts in the heart of NZ’s spectacular Southern Alps . It winds its way through some of this countries most scenic Alpine areas skirting places such as the Garden of Eden and one of our world heritage areas with its vistas of massive peaks and glaciers.We then commence our river rafting adventure and ice! Below the snow fields and sparkling glaciers is to be found a hidden world of steamy spas and natural thermal springs.

There are two ways to do today.

Either start the day with a guided three hour walk up the Wanganui River Valley through some stunning rainforest and tussock river flats. The walk is easy but rough underfoot with two rocky areas to cross.

Or go by helicopter! The helicopter gets you further up the river for more rafting at grades 4 & 5 and some great Alpine scenery. The choice is yours. Either way includes lunch up the river and we will all meet up for the lower grade 3 river sections where we will find a group of hidden natural alpine hot springs bubbling through the rock at the base of the terrace. After relaxing in the hot pools with the mountains all around us we take a fun white water rafting adventure back to the road.

This river is braided river which means that some rafts can take a gentler route while others can run the rapids. You can also walk around some of the rapids if you don’t like the look of them. The object today is to have fun together finishing up by soaking in the hotpools sharing a bottle of Champagne. Picture yourself lying in the luxuriously warm water holding a glass of champagne while gazing up at the awesome snow covered peaks. This place is designed for making friendships that last a lifetime.

Lunch is included today

Accommodation: Fox Glacier.

Day 7

This morning at Fox Glacier you take a full day guided glacier walk. The famous West Coast Glacier is accessible to visitors, with a walkway to within metres of the imposing ice face. With nailed boots and an alpenstock you will be guided onto the ice to view the amazing crevasses, ice cliffs and caves. Take in the spectacular view of the ice masses, as they crawl down the mountains towards the lush fringes of native forest. Visit one of the world’s most beautiful lakes, Lake Matheson which mirrors the stunning mountain scenery surrounding it, reflecting the peaks of Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman in its tranquil waters.

Lunch is included today

Accommodation: Fox Glacier

Day 8

Travel on through the spectacular West Coast scenery. This is a land of contrasts with majestic mountains on one side of the road and a rugged untamed coast on the other. View penguins and seals that are resident to this coast line. (seasonal) Visit thundering waterfalls at the Haast Pass area. Finish the day in the Alpine Resort village of Queenstown .

Accommodation: Queenstown

Day 9

A free day in the Alpine resort town of Queenstown . Today is left unstructured. It enables you to go and do things with anyone you choose or as a group or just relax together in this lake side alpine village at your hotel. It’s a day for gathering your thoughts or focusing on someone who attracts you.

The town is situated next to Lake Wakatipu which provides stunning backdrops to a town with everything you could ever need from a holiday destination. Queenstown is a compact leisure paradise with all activities in easy reach of the town centre. It has a reputation as an adventure capital with a huge selection of breathtaking activities. Whether it’s jumping off bridges, flying from mountains, surfing the boiling rapids or powering through canyons by high-speed jet boat there’s plenty on offer to use up that excess adrenaline. Beautiful long walks, interesting cultural history and back-country four-wheel drive treks. Activities done today are at your own extra expense. Queenstown has a great night life with many night clubs and local bars.

6:00pm We meet at our hotel for drinks & a gondola ride to the top of a mountain where we will find the Skyline restaurant. We will have dinner here overlooking the lake by candle light. You can order a table for two or dine with Rochelle & the rest of your group.

Dinner is included tonight

Accommodation: Queenstown

Day 10

Transfer to the dramatic beauty of the Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park Today take a cruise on Milford Sound amongst some of the world’s most awe inspiring scenery. Bring a raincoat because you will actually float under a waterfall! Grand, brooding, serene and wild, Milford Sound draws visitors from all over the globe to cruise its length - and wonder. Luxuriant rain forest clings to sheer rock walls washed with waterfalls. In the foreground Mitre Peak stands, a majestic presence dominating the skyline.

View seals & dolphins around your boat.

You are spending tonight at sea! Anchored in a sheltered fiord where the water is flat like a mirror. Around your cruise boat you can go fishing or paddle a kayak to play with the dolphins.

Lunch & Dinner is included today.

Accommodation: The Sounds Cruise Boat

Day 11

Breakfast aboard your cruise boat is included today

Today you will travel by coach on through the rugged and beautiful scenery of Otago with its great rock stacks, across the Canterbury plains and back to Christchurch .

Dinner is included tonight

Accommodation: Christchurch

Day 12

Your “Find a Partner” New Zealand Adventure finishes on Checkout of your hotel by 10:00am this morning.

Our objective is for this to be just the start of a lifetime journey with one of your Adventure Group. If you have found that you really didn’t “click” with anyone in your group please talk about it with Rochelle. Our pledge to you is to help you meet the right person! If after 2 months from today this didn’t work for you then we will join with a second group for half the normal price. We are here to get you a solution and will work with you until you do.

If you would like any other travel arrangements made for you just talk to Rochelle. Extra days can be arranged for you at short notice and Rochelle has some great ideas she can help you with.

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