The Chris Smith group hailed from Arizona, USA and flew into NZ in stages. Chris and wife Liz arrived first and enjoyed a week in the Far North, exploring Cape Reinga and the Bay of Islands.
They were then joined by friends Scott & Julie Morrison. The four spent the next week enjoying the sights of Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington before taking the ferry to the South Island then the Coastal Pacific train from Picton to Christchurch.
Once in the Garden City they were joined by Chris & Liz’s daughter Steph, her friend Amanda and their guide Constance to begin their two week road trip of Te Waipounamu.
The tour kicked off with a hiss, a roar and a wee detour, into Castle Hill. Their planned trip into Arthurs Pass the previous day had been cancelled by the provider, so Constance endeavoured to give them a wee taste of what they had missed out on.
The group were into outdoor activities in a big way and Liz, having worked as a park ranger for many years, had planned some incredible hiking experiences on their itinerary, including some on NZ’s great walks.
They had near perfect weather conditions to walk the Hooker Valley Track to view Aoraki/Mt Cook, then again for their heli ride up to the Luxmore Hut and hike down the Kepler Track to Te Anau then after an early morning drive and water taxi ride, the group also hiked on the Milford Track from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound.
The group got to spend their Christmas in Queenstown with a scenic drive to Glenorchy before taking the gondola up Bob’s Peak to ride the luge and enjoy dinner overlooking Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. They also celebrated the New Year in Franz Josef and Chris’s birthday in Nelson a few days later.
Other highlights for the group were an overnight cruise on the Doubtful Sound, kayaking and hiking in the Abel Tasman National Park and e-biking on the Great Taste Trail, visiting wineries in the Moutere region.
