Tui Multisport

Tui - 8 days

Queenstown · Cycling and Kayaking at Milford Sound · Bush flight to Siberia Hut and Jet Boat ride · Hiking Franz Josef Glacier

The Tui is our short, high-end trip. This is a very action-packed, adventure-oriented itinerary designed specifically for people who need a short break from work, don't have a lot of time, and are looking for an incredible adventure vacation. It's a 12-hour overnight flight from Los Angeles to Auckland. You'll fly out on a Friday evening, sleep on the plane, and you can be back at work by Monday, 10 days later. There's only a three hour time difference between the West Coast and New Zealand, so you'll find the jetlag is really not very significant. We always offer plenty of choices for activities, but remember, it's your holiday so none of this is compulsory! Anyone in reasonable shape can do any of the activities we offer - or all of them if you're keen! You'll see some great parts of New Zealand, but we won't pretend you're going to see it all. Quality not quantity!

Friday - Sunday - (Optional) Bungy Jumping in Queenstown
You'll fly out from the US on Friday evening, and you'll arrive in Auckland, after crossing the dateline, early in the morning on the Sunday. You'll immediately take a short flight to Queenstown, in the South Island, where we will meet you. Queenstown is the center of all sorts of action, and since you only have a short time in New Zealand, we figure we'd better get into it right away! So the first order of the day is a bungy jump - not compulsory, but highly recommended - for a thrilling Welcome to New Zealand! Then we head into Queenstown itself and let you relax at your hotel, if you're tired, or try the variety of adventure activities available in here.
ACCOMMODATION: Beech Cove lakeside apartments, Queenstown. Stunning views of Lake Wakatipu and the mountains. (L,D)

Monday - Free day in Queenstown
This is a free day, with no activities scheduled, although we'll certainly help with suggestions and guiding, if you like. Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand - it's about the comforts of civilization, adrenaline, restaurants and sidewalk cafes. There are some incredible hikes nearby, and all sorts of options such as bungy jumping, whitewater rafting, jet boating, river surfing (heading down a raging river on a small surfboard), skydiving, wine tours, horse trekking, off road motorcycling, fishing, waterskiing... it's all there! Queenstown is not a big place - the population is about 5,000 - but there's plenty to do! Or you can do nothing, if you prefer and just soak up the atmosphere. We stay here for two amazing days before heading out on our biking trip to Milford Sound.
ACCOMMODATION: Beech Cove lakeside apartments, Queenstown. (B)

Tuesday - Cycling Eglinton Valley & hiking Routeburn Track
Today is one of the most unforgettable days of cycling you may ever do! This morning we head down through Te Anau towards Milford Sound. You'll be fitted with a front-suspension Fuji mountain bike for a spectacular ride through the legendary Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys to The Divide. We maintain plenty of flexibility - keen cyclists can start early and cover 50 miles or more before they are picked up. Moderately keen cyclists can be picked up anytime along the way. If cycling is not at the top of your list, you can skip it and just enjoy the scenery. After recovering our cyclists, we'll hike part of the famous Routeburn Track up to Key Summit for unbelievable views of the surrounding peaks. Then it's a short haul through the Homer Tunnel, where we get back on our bikes for a 3,000-foot downhill freewheel to Milford Sound. The scenery here is fantastic! The lush rainforest carpeting the lower slopes of the mountains gives way to the massively steep glacier-carved slopes and waterfalls of the Darren Range. The cycling is optional, of course - and because of the time of day we go, there's barely any traffic on the road. You can cycle as much or as little as you like. Once we get to Milford Sound, we'll stay at the Milford Lodge.
ACCOMMODATION: Milford Lodge, Milford Sound. A little basic, but clean and comfortable with awesome views! (B,L,D)

Wednesday - Sea kayak in Milford Sound
Milford Sound, rated the 8th wonder of the world by Rudyard Kipling, is breathtaking. Sheer rock walls plunge thousands of feet to the sea, surrounded by snow capped mountains! Most people see Milford Sound from the deck of a cruise ship, but we've got a better way - 3 feet above the waterline with Roscoe's Sea Kayaks where the seals and dolphins are very friendly and eager to visit. This is an awesome trip - and it's equally suitable for beginners or experts. When you get back from your morning's paddle, we'll lunch at the Lodge. Then we'll head though to Manapouri Inn, with views over the lake. We'll arrive by mid afternoon so you can relax and have a beer with the locals at the pub or take the bikes out to explore the surrounding countryside before a BBQ dinner tonight.
ACCOMMODATION: Manapouri Inn, Manapouri. (B,L,D)

Thursday - Bush plane into Mt. Aspiring National Park
This morning we'll drive to Makarora, on the Eastern side of Mount Aspiring National Park. Start with a scenic flight in a small bush plane through the dramatic snowy peaks of the Southern Alps to a remote alpine valley. We'll stay in the Siberia Valley tonight in one of New Zealand's true backcountry huts. Enjoy the jaw dropping views from the porch while your guides whip up another awesome meal. Tonight you'll have a candle-lit dinner in one of the most glorious and isolated places in the world! The accommodation is in bunks, with sleeping bags required, but we'll be back in civilization the next day, so it's worth the adventure! (For those who prefer, motel-style accommodation is available at Makarora)
ACCOMMODATION: Siberia Hut, Mt. Aspiring National Park. Incredible. (B,L,D)

Friday - Hiking through Siberia Valley, jetboat ride and cycling to Haast
We spend the morning hiking three hours to the Forks, at the head of the Wilkin River. Here we'll have a picnic lunch on the banks of the river, before heading back to Makarora on a jetboat. It's a wild ride, and sets us up nicely for the cycling still to come! After regrouping at Makarora, we head up the road to the top of the Haast Pass, where you'll take to the bikes for a beautiful ride back down to sea level at Haast.
ACCOMMODATION: Motels at the isolated little town of Haast. (B,L,D)

Saturday - Hiking near Franz Josef Glacier
We have a short drive to the Franz Josef Glacier, where we'll do a 5-hour hike right up to the terminal face of the glacier. After a spectacular picnic lunch amongst the rainforest overlooking the formidable glacier, we'll return to town and carry on for the short drive to Harihari. Harihari is a classic West Coast town - with a population of a couple of hundred, a great pub, some excellent walks, and a secret spot where we go after sunset to check out the glowworms. We stay at a luxurious country-style lodge, and enjoy the pampering of Grant and Beverleigh, our hosts for the day.
ACCOMMODATION: Wapiti Park Lodge, Harihari. Very comfortable indeed. (B,L,D)

Sunday - Hiking in Arthur's Pass, then depart
Time to go home! An early start gets us well on the way to Christchurch in time to walk up Temple Basin or Avalanche Peak at Arthur's Pass. After this last great walk, it's a couple of hours to the airport at Christchurch, where you'll take a late afternoon flight back to Auckland and on to the US. This will have been a very intense week, and you'll be buzzing with excitement but relaxed and refreshed as well! (B,L)

ACCOMMODATIONS: In most places the accommodation is of a very high standard. In others it's less luxurious, but worth it for the character and scenery!

FITNESS: We incorporate plenty of adventure activities, and our focus is on getting you out of the vehicle, out of stress-mode, and into the scenery! Like all our trips, you don't need to be young or really fit - but this trip is all about action and pace, and it's definitely not designed for couch potatoes. Every one of the days on the trip will be unforgettable. We manage the level of commitment to suit your experience, and we have an impeccable safety record. We hold all relevant government transport and outdoor guiding licenses, and our staff are highly trained and experienced.

EXPERIENCE: You don't have to have any outdoor experience at all to take our trips. We offer trips that allow you to make the most of New Zealand's incredible outdoor environment. Our staff are highly trained and very experienced outdoor guides, and we will look after you! You don't have to carry a heavy pack. You don't need to have ever been in a sea kayak to enjoy kayaking Milford Sound. You don't need to be a serious cyclist to enjoy some of the rides we have available, either. In fact we have so many options available that you don't need to ride at all, if you'd rather hike, fish, or just laze around! All we ask is that you be energetic and in reasonable shape - and we guarantee you'll have an incredible time.

PRICE: The trip fare is US$1999 + 12.5% government taxes.

The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:

All guiding services. We always have at least two guides per trip, and we take no more than 14 clients per trip. This means we can really make sure you have a great time!
Comfortable accommodation for the entire period you are with us. We can also organize accommodation for you if you want to arrive earlier or leave later.
Transport as required, in our super-comfortable vehicles, planes, jet boats, and whatever else is required.
All your meals, except in Queenstown where we've found people prefer to check out the wide range of restaurants. Alcohol is not generally included, although we do like to see the look on your face when we our turn up with an icebox full of beer (and juice, and water…) after a hike!
All hiking, cycling, bungy jumping and kayaking described in the itinerary. There are also many optional activities available at extra cost in Queenstown. None of these activities are compulsory, and nor will your trip seem less awesome if you do the cheap or free options. Although some people really enjoy paragliding, skydiving etc, others prefer to focus more on hiking, paddling and cycling.

Because so much is included in the trip, you could start the Tui with US$50 in your pocket, and go home with change.

Dates: 2007 - Feb. 4-11, Feb. 18-25, March 4-11, March 18-25, April 1-8, Oct. 14-21, Oct. 28-Nov. 4, Nov. 11-18, Nov. 25-Dec. 2, Dec. 9-16, Dec. 23-30, Dec. 30-Jan. 6

We'll see you soon!