Tour

Check in to our Hotel any time after 3pm. The afternoon is free to explore Wellington’s waterfront, visit the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa or maybe take the cable car to the Botanic Gardens. This evening’s dinner is at one of Wellington’s favourite restaurants where flavours of the Mediterranean and New Zealand meet

We’ll start the day taking the ferry across Cook Strait, through the picturesque Marlborough Sounds to the South Island. There’ll be wine tasting and lunch at an award winning Marlborough Winery. We’ll end the day with a 90 minute scenic drive to Nelson, arguably New Zealand’s sunniest city.

It’s just a 30 minute drive to quaint village of Mapua. We’ll meet our guide with our e bikes and spend the day visiting the artisans and foodies of the Moutere Valley, enjoying a picnic lunch along the way.

Day One of 5 days immersed in the natural beauty of the Abel Tasman National Park. After a 2 hour coastal cruise to Totaranui we’ll walk approximately two hours (7km) through the northern forests of the park with magnificent specimens of Nikau Palm and Rata to the Awaroa inlet. Here we’ll either walk, if the tide is out, or take a boat ride (arranged by our Guide if required) across the expanse of the largest tidal estuary in the Park to Meadowbank Homestead, our home for the next two nights. Discover a personal history of British settlement, at the historic homestead, built on the ‘finest site in the bay’.

We’ll meet with our Guide to plan activities for today. Optional walking (up to 4 hours) or kayaking (up to 2 hours – weather permitting).
– Explore the largest tidal inlet on the coast by foot or by kayak
– Visit early European and pre-European historic sites
– Relax in the gardens by the sea and enjoy the comforts of the homestead.
Another night to soak up the ambience of historic Meadowbank Homestead

Walk 5 kms over a forested saddle with panoramic views of the northern beaches. Maximum elevation 85 m (280 ft), then descend to the long golden beach at Onetahuti where your Guide introduces you to your kayak with full instructions and safety brief.

Paddle 10 kms (6 miles) Onetahuti to Torrent Bay, through the Marine Reserve to view seals on Tonga Island (weather permitting). Continue down the spectacular granite coast, past Falls River to Torrent Bay.
Welcome to Torrent Bay Lodge, our beachfront home for the next two nights

Optional walking up to 10kms or canoeing (tide dependent)
You choose:
– Walk up through ancient forests to the waterfalls on Falls River
– Canoe or walk to tranquil Cleopatra’s Pool
– Walk to the golden expanse of Anchorage Beach and picturesque Te Pukatea cove, with panoramic coastal views from an ancient Maori Pa site on Pitt Head.
– Relax on the beach or around the Lodge at Torrent Bay.
Stay another night at Torrent Bay Lodge, lulled to sleep by the tides.

Recommended early start to catch the sunrise over Torrent Bay.
Explore the idyllic coves and islands around Te Pukatea and the Astrolabe Roadstead, stopping at golden sand beaches for breaks. Finish at Marahau or Kaiteriteri (depending on tides and weather conditions). From here we’ll transfer back to Nelson