White Heron Spring Tour Nov 2026

CHRISTCHURCH - ARTHURS PASS - HOKITIKA

LUNCH | DINNER

Wayne will pick you up approx. 1030 to 11 am from Christchurch. We leave
the city and travel across the plains to Lake Pearson, which is a great place
for our first stop for a picnic lunch and a chance to stretch our legs. We will
try to spot some Keas at Arthurs Pass , and have a stop at Kumara too before continuing to our first night's stay in the vibrant tourist town of Hokitika. There should be time for a stroll around the town or along the beach walk.

Dinner at the Woodstock Hotel

HOKITIKA - LAKE KANIERE - WHITE HERON COLONY - FRANZ JOSEF

BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER

 This morning is a chance to take a walk or just relax relax at the serene Lake Kaniere before we travel down the coastal highway to Historic Gold mining town of Ross then on to  Whataroa for a special tour into the White Heron colony ,the only breeding area in NZ .This is a special tour as this is the time they gather to nest and show displays of stunning plumage.This is the only place they nest in Nz and numbers are increasing each year.Dion and his family run the tour for us. Its then a 25-minute drive to Franz Josef. We stay at the
unique Rainforest Retreat for 2 nights.

Dinner at the Retreat.

FRANZ JOSEF - OKARITO LAGOON ECO TOUR - CALLERY GORGE WALK

BREAKFAST | LUNCH

We start the day with a short drive out to Okarito lagoon where our local guides Paula and Swade will take us on a 2-hour Ecotour via the Explorer Douglas - this flat bottomed open air boat was custom built for the lagoon - we cruise along at slow speeds and often drift alongside feeding white herons, godwits, oystercatchers and dotterels. They will describe the vast history of the lagoon from the early mining days to forestry and flax harvesting.

The afternoon is a time of exploring the town or taking one of the many walks like the Franz Josef glacier view walk

Dinner is a free choice tonight.

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FRANZ - MONROE BEACH - HAAST

BREAKFAST | DINNER

The drive south today is through lush rainforest; it opens out briefly
into farming plains near Fox township, then continues through a range of forest
parks, past some stunning lakes, with a walk into the Lake Matheson a highlight.
There is time to take the Minnehaha short walk, a real little gem, before
heading south with fantastic little photo stops like Bruce Bay, Ships Creek, and
Knights Point. We stay in Haast for 2 nights.

Dinner at the Hard Antler

HAAST - JACKSONS BAY -LAKE ELLERY

BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER

After a leisurely breakfast at the local café, we explore south to
Jacksons Bay on the corner of the Haast World Heritage Area. A fish n-chip
lunch at the Craypot caravan is essential at this remote corner. We stop to
view the whitebait stands on rivers like the Waiatoto and Arawhata, with plenty
of time to view the numerous whitebait stands along the river edges. There is
also a lovely new walking trail created amongst giant podocarps by the Haast
township for those with more energy or a visit to the Haast Visitor Centre.If
Its raining then the rivers and waterfalls are impressive, so bring a jacket
just in case.

HAAST - TWIZEL

BREAKFAST | DINNER

Our journey continues up the highway to the Haast Pass, where you will see the mighty Landsborough River as it joins the Haast River. At Haast
Pass we can walk into the Thunder Creek Falls track with a lunch at the
Makarora café. From there, we travel through the Lindis pass to explore the vast Ahuriri Valley,view the alpine lakes and colourful lupins before continuing to Geraldine for our final 2 nights
We stay at Scenic Route Motels
Dinner at the Village Inn

This is for me a chance to show you around my hometown and the area. Geraldine has a variety of
museums, art galleries, gift shops, Barkers, a Gin distillery, etc. Geraldines annual arts and plants
festival awaits you on the morning. The main street is blocked from traffic and up to 60 stall
holders set up for the festival. There is time to wander in the morning before the crowds arrive
and enjoy a real small country town festival. In the afternoon Wayne will transport you too
some of the best gardens that are open to the public just for the festival or you may want to
be dropped off at one of the highly regarded museums that the town is becoming known for .
Dinner at the Hops Brewery and restaurant

GERALDINE - ARTS AND PLANTS FESTIVAL - CHRISTCHURCH

BREAKFAST | LUNCH

Today is the main day for Geraldines annual arts and plants festival. The Geraldine Domain hosts a
larger array of stalls, activities and displays ,a lot to see in the morning before we depart for ChCh .We
will travel the inland scenic route, with a lunch at the village café at Staveley before arriving at
Christchurch at approx. 3 30 pm