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New Zealand: The South Island 2009 - Detailed Itinerary

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Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Depart the U.S. and begin your crossing of the Pacific Ocean.

The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION In flight to Sydney

Flying from the USA to Sydney requires crossing the International Date Line, this day is lost.

Day 3 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Arrive Sydney

Upon arrival at the Sydney International Airport, transfer via a KST Sydney Airporter Bus to your hotel (approximately 45 minutes). VBT has confirmed your reservations and no voucher is needed. KST Sydney Airporter's representative will meet you at the meeting point, which is on the lower level between Gates A-B and C-D. The KST representative will carry an I.D. card and will be at the meeting point, holding a KST sign, every 30 minutes. If your flight is delayed, please contact KST Sydney Airporter at 02 9666 9988. Important: U.S. citizens must have a visa to enter Australia; this has been arranged by VBT's Air Department. All you need to carry are your air tickets and your valid U.S. passport.

Hotel: Sebel Pier One

Day 4 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Sydney

Sydney provides an abundance of activities for the adventurer, the shopper and the nature lover. You have plenty of time to explore the city, visit the Sydney Opera House, board the City Circle train to the historic district, or take a day trip to the Blue Mountains. This is an independent extension. During hotel check-in, you receive a welcome packet containing maps and recommendations for things to explore on your own.

Meals: B  Hotel: Sebel Pier One

Day 5 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Sydney

Spend another day discovering Sydney.

Meals: B  Hotel: Sebel Pier One

Day 6 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Fly to Christchurch/Join VBT Air Package guests

Pre-Extension guests: KST Sydney Airporter Bus transports you from the hotel to the airport for your flight from Sydney to Christchurch. Please verify with the front desk the pick-up time for your transfer to the airport. VBT Air Package guests will be arriving in Christchurch throughout the day.

Meals: B

Day 1 of AIR PACKAGE Depart U.S.

You depart from the U.S. for Christchurch. The particulars of your arrival are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of AIR PACKAGE In flight to Christchurch

Flying from the U.S. to New Zealand requires crossing the International Date Line; this day is “lost.”

Day 3 of AIR PACKAGE Arrive in Christchurch

Upon arrival at the Christchurch airport, gather your luggage at the international baggage collection area and proceed toward the main exit past the International Freephone area. Around the corner, look for the Super Shuttle, which will be parked in the International Shuttle Rank on your left. Use it to transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to the Holiday Inn on Avon in Christchurch. If your flight is delayed, please notify Super Shuttle at 64 9 522 5100. Once you arrive at the hotel, the rest of the day is yours for relaxation or exploration. Your hotel room may not be available until 2 p.m; you may store your luggage with the reception desk. Upon check-in, you will receive a welcome package containing suggestions and transportation options for visiting Christchurch and getting acquainted with the area. Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you fly in earlier than the scheduled program dates, transportation from the airport will be at your own expense.

Hotel: Holiday Inn on Avon Christchurch

Day 1 of BIKE TOUR All guests meet at Christchurch/Warm-up ride/Welcome reception

VBT No-Air Package guests: Please plan to arrive at your Christchurch hotel by late morning. If you are unable to arrive before 12 p.m., please contact VBT during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., ET), at 800-245-3868 (in Vermont, U.S.) to inform us of your arrival time, or contact the hotel on the day the tour begins to let the Trip Leaders and/or hotel know when you will arrive. VBT Air and Pre-Trip Extension guests: You are free to explore Christchurch's museums and botanical gardens on your own after breakfast. Lunch is on your own, then meet your VBT Trip Leaders at 12 p.m. at the hotel for a safety and bike-fitting session, followed by a warm-up ride and a welcome reception. Trip Leaders will be wearing VBT staff garments. Dine with the group at a local restaurant tonight.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: Holiday Inn on Avon Christchurch

Day 2 of BIKE TOUR Cross Southern Alps by train/ Cycle to the seaside town of Hokitika

After an early breakfast, shuttle with your Trip Leaders to the Christchurch train station. Board the 8:15 a.m. TranzAlpine Express for a breathtaking ride through the dramatic Arthur's Pass, a small township in the Southern Alps, to the sleepy village of Jacksons. The train passes through the Canterbury Plains and traverses the gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River. Enjoy a pub lunch in Jacksons. From here we begin cycling through open farmland to Lake Brunner, followed by a shuttle to Hokitika. Hokitika boomed with gold-rush fever, and the main street once housed more than 80 hotels. Today there are only six. This evening, you have free time to enjoy dinner on your own. Later, you might take a walk along the beach and look skyward for the Southern Cross, a constellation that can be seen year-round, but only from the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern Cross contains four bright stars that depict the extremities of a Latin cross; it is easily located because of the stars' brightness and proximity to one another.

Meals: B, L  Hotel: Beachfront Hotel

Day 3 of BIKE TOUR Cycle Westland National Park/ Discover Franz Josef Glacier

This morning, visit the Greenstone Jade Factory, featuring carvings from this beautiful native stone. Then shuttle to Ross, where you begin cycling toward Westland National Park and Franz Josef Glacier. The park covers an expanse of towering mountains and glaciers, dramatic waterfalls and icy, gray-blue rivers that tumble down to the Tasman Sea. A rolling ride through this beautiful forest takes you to a picnic lunch under a covered shelter beside the historic Puke Pub in Pukekura. The Pub serves award-winning “Wild Foods” (including possum pate, venison, rabbit and others). After lunch, continue cycling to Hari Hari. Spend free time in town before shuttling back to the hotel, where you can freshen up before dinner.

Meals: B, L, D  Hotel: Franz Josef Glacier Country Retreat

Day 4 of BIKE TOUR - DISCOVERY DAY! Optional hike on Franz Josef Glacier/Cycle to Okarito with hiking and kayaking options

After breakfast, use this free day to choose from a variety of optional pursuits. Head to Franz Josef Glacier for an exhilarating hike, or embark on a guided heli-hiking adventure (both options at your own expense). If you prefer, remain in Franz Josef to shop and explore the town. In the afternoon, cycle to Okarito Lagoon, a rich wildlife haven noted for its unspoiled beaches. Here you can find more than 70 species of birds. Experience the lagoon up close during an optional hike or kayaking excursion. Tonight, dinner is on your own at one of the many wonderful local restaurants.

Meals: B  Hotel: Franz Josef Glacier Country Retreat

Day 5 of BIKE TOUR Cycle in the heart of Westland

A morning shuttle brings you over a scenic pass to Fox Glacier, where you pedal through native New Zealand rainforest along the Tasman Sea. Enjoy lunch at a salmon farm, then continue on to the Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki. Surrounded by a thriving 1,000-year-old rainforest and pristine seacoast, the lodge's location is perfect for outdoor exploration and activity, or just relaxing and taking in the wonders of nature. The owner of the lodge, Dr. Gerry McSweeney, is the former president of the New Zealand Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, the country's largest environmental organization. The lodge is committed to the protection of the environment. Dinner is in the lodge's dining room, which overlooks the wilderness area. Later, you may wish to join your lodge host for a walk on the grounds to view a colony of glowworms!

Meals: B, D  Hotel: Wilderness Lodge, Lake Moeraki

Day 6 of BIKE TOUR - DISCOVERY DAY! Explore Lake Moeraki

After breakfast, spend your free day participating in optional outdoor activities provided by the Wilderness Lodge, including kayaking or hiking through the unspoiled rainforest. Your trip price includes one seasonal activity; additional activities may incur extra costs. After a day of exploration, rejoin the group for dinner at the lodge.

Meals: B, L, D  Hotel: Wilderness Lodge, Lake Moeraki

Day 7 of BIKE TOUR Cycle through the Haast River Valley and enjoy a local homestay

Take a brief shuttle along the dramatic cliffs above the Tasman Sea. It stops at the Haast Vistor's Center; from there, cycle beside the clear blue Haast River as you travel east toward the historic Haast Pass. Descend into the Makarora River Valley and ride through Mt. Aspiring National Park. Spend the night at a local homestay and enjoy Kiwi hospitality and a home-cooked meal. On the dates that homestays are not available, you stay at a lodge in Wanaka, visit a local sheep farm, view a sheepdog demonstration, and enjoy lunch at the farm the following day.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: Lake Hawea Station Homestay

Day 8 of BIKE TOUR Cycle through the Otago region to Queenstown

Cycle along the Clutha River, lifeblood of the Otago region, to the historic town of Cromwell. On the way, stop at a local pottery shop, featured in the New Zealand House and Garden magazine, for a picnic lunch in its garden. Step into the shop while your picnic is being set up to see wonderful pottery. Then head to Queenstown, via the shuttle van, with an optional stop at A.J. Hackett Bungy at Kawarau Bridge — home of the original, 43-meter-high bungy jump! Once at the hotel, you have free time on your own before a group farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals: B, L, D  Hotel: Novotel Queenstown Lakeside

Day 9 of BIKE TOUR Depart for U.S. or begin your optional trip extension to Queenstown

VBT No-Air Package guests: You are responsible for your own transfer arrangements to the airport. VBT Air Package guests: Transfer from the hotel by Super Shuttle to the Queenstown Airport 2½ hours prior to your scheduled flight departure time. (This transfer is included in your package.) VBT Post-Trip Extension guests: If you have chosen the optional Post-Trip Extension, enjoy one of the many optional activities available in Queenstown, such as taking the Milford Sound excursion, jet-boating the Shotover River Canyons, cruising Lake Wakatipu on the S.S. Earnslaw to a sheep station, or taking a scenic gondola ride. After a full day of exploration, relax at the hotel this evening. Dinner is on your own tonight. Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Meals: B  Hotel: Novotel Queenstown Lakeside

Day 2 POST-TRIP EXTENSION Independent Exploration of Queenstown

Enjoy a free day in Queenstown and its many adrenaline-filled activities. Dinner is on your own tonight.

Meals: B  Hotel: Novotel Queenstown Lakeside

Day 3 POST-TRIP EXTENSION Queenstown Extension Concludes/Depart for U.S.

At the end of your extension, transfer by Super Shuttle from the hotel to the Queenstown Airport 2½ hours prior to your scheduled flight departure time. (This transfer is included in your package.) Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Meals: B