Christmas in New Zealand

## The schedule

Start date: Wednesday 14th December 2022 from Auckland.
End date: Wednesday 4th January 2022 at Christchurch.

The total duration is 21 days and 20 nights in New Zealand: Plus, allow 2-3 days to get there and back if you are coming from London. So the total time commitment will be closer to four weeks.
However, you have the option to come for part of the trip, if you cannot afford to take the full 4 weeks off.

## Flights

There are many options to get to New Zealand from London. For example, you can go West via the United States or east via Singapore, or North up to Japan and then fly down to New Zealand. There are, of course, no direct flights as they haven't invented planes that will fly more than 13 hours, although there is a rumour that Elon Musk is working on it.

If you fly straight with connecting flights in one or two cities, it will take anywhere between 26 and 32 hours. So you may want to break your journey and spend a day or two in an exotic location going each way.
The Flight will cost between £1500 and £2500 depending on how you decide to fly.

If you are interested in the trip, you should check out the flight options that will get you into Auckland on 14th December and Fly back from Christchurch on 3rd January and see if you can afford the time and the money.

## The Trip

The trip is primarily a road trip where the group will travel from the top of New Zealand to the bottom, constantly on the move; we will stop for 2-3 nights in each city and one night in the smaller towns.

New Zealand is famous for its scenic beauty and outdoor lifestyle. Therefore the trip is designed to take in as many sights of New Zealand as possible and allow people to try adventure activities along the way. And travelling the whole length of the country, you will see and meet many local people and understand their culture and lifestyle. So I won't be surprised if some of you decide to stay there and not return.

You will get a chance to try sailing when in Rome and all that, day hikes in one or more of their national parks, Christmas BBQ on the beach, and a wine trail to sample some best that New Zealand offers—not forgetting bungy jumping, white water rafting, whale watching and many more.

## Itinerary

The preliminary itinerary of the trip is in the table shown below; it will be fine-tuned as we go along. However, it should give you a fair idea about what to expect.

| Day No | Day | Date | Activity | Driving time (Hours) | Overnight Stay |
| ------ | --- | ---- | -------- | -------------------- | -------------- |
| 1 | Thu | 14-Dec | Arrive in Auckland | | Auckland |
| 2 | Fri | 15-Dec | Day in Auckland | | Auckland |
| 3 | Sat | 16-Dec | Sailing in the Bay of Islands | 4 | Bay of Islands |
| 4 | Sun | 17-Dec | Drive back to Auckland | 4 | Auckland |
| 5 | Mon | 18-Dec | Travel to Taupo | 4 | Taupo |
| 6 | Tue | 19-Dec | Hiking in Tangrio National Park | | Taupo |
| 7 | Wed | 20-Dec | Drive to Wellington | 5 | Wellington |
| 8 | Thu | 21-Dec | Day in Wellington | | Wellington |
| 9 | Fri | 22-Dec | Travel to Marlborough | 4.5 | Marlborough |
| 10 | Sat | 23-Dec | Wine Trail | | Marlborough |
| 11 | Sun | 24-Dec | Travel to Christchurch | 5 | Christchurch |
| 12 | Mon | 25-Dec | Christmas in Christchurch | | Christchurch |
| 13 | Tue | 26-Dec | Travel to Fox Glacier | 5 | Fox Glacier |
| 14 | Wed | 27-Dec | Fox Glacier to Queenstown | 5 | Queenstown |
| 15 | Thu | 28-Dec | Day in Queenstown | | Queenstown |
| 16 | Fri | 29-Dec | Trip to Milford Sound | 3.5 | Milford Sound |
| 17 | Sat | 30-Dec | Back to Queenstown | 3.5 | Queenstown |
| 18 | Sun | 31-Dec | New Year's Eve in Queenstown | | Queenstown |
| 19 | Mon | 01-Jan | Travel to Lake Tekapo | 3 | Lake Tekapo |
| 20 | Tue | 02-Jan | Travel to Christchurch | 3 | Christchurch |
| 21 | Wed | 03-Jan | Fly Back from Christchurch | | |

## Costs:

The target cost for the trip is £2000. It will include accommodation for 20 nights, based on two people sharing a room, the cost of hiring a minivan or two cars for 21 days, fuel and other associated vehicle charges, and some site-seeing and guided tours.
The costs do not include sailing, bungee jumping, whale watching, wine tasting, BBQ, etc. These will be on a pay-as-you-go basis. Meals, except for breakfast in some places, are also not included.
A single supplement will be possible, but I cannot give a price for that at this stage.

## Confirmation and bookings

The trip will go ahead if we have a minimum of 6 people signed up; the maximum number is 12.

You need to confirm if you are in latest by 14th August. Please work out your route to get there, flights, holiday approvals, etc. Then send me a message to confirm your place.