Splendours of the South

Upon your arrival at Christchurch airport before noon, your English-speaking guide welcomes you. You cross the Canterbury Plains before reaching the coast as you approach Kaikōura. Nestled on a peninsula between sea and mountain, the village is bordered by peaks exceeding 2,500 metres.

At the tip of the peninsula, discover the region's marine wildlife. Kaikōura is particularly known for its sperm whales, which come to feed in an underwater canyon.

Optional activities, additional cost:

• A boat trip to observe the sperm whales, also possible the following morning.

• A helicopter or plane flight to observe them from the air.

Enjoy Kaikōura a bit longer before heading north along the ocean. Coastal viewpoints follow one after another all the way to Blenheim, New Zealand's wine capital. You'll drive through its vineyards, which cover nearly 20,000 hectares of vines, then reach Picton.

This small port is bustling with ferries connecting the country's two main islands. After a stroll through town, settle into your hotel.

Leave early to enjoy the panoramic views of the Queen Charlotte Sound. The winding road passes through vast forests to Nelson, a city known for its craftsmanship and vineyards. On the other side of the bay, the peaks of the Abel Tasman National Park stand out. Nouvelle-Zélande's smallest national park is also among the most accessible and most visited.

An included cruise takes you along the coast, between manuka forests, tree ferns and secluded beaches. If you wish, you can freely explore a section of the hiking trail and swim.

From Motueka, surrounded by orchards of kiwis, apples, berries, pears, grapes and hops, head towards the Tasman Sea and Westport. With its 5,000 inhabitants, it is the second largest city on the West Coast.

At Cape Foulwind, a short walk with your guide allows you to observe a colony of seals. You then continue to Punakaiki to discover the Pancake Rocks, rock formations shaped by erosion from the Tasman Sea, whose strata resemble stacked pancakes.

Follow the West Coast south through Greymouth, the region's main town with 10,000 inhabitants. In Hokitika, you can visit a pounamu carving workshop, where New Zealand jade is worked and sourced from local rivers.

Then take a break in Ross, a former gold prospectors' village where traces of the gold rush still remain. At the end of the day, a helicopter glacier flyover with landing is available as an optional extra.

The road crosses today through varied landscapes, between jagged coasts, dense forests, snow-capped peaks, lakes and arid mountains. At Haast, board a small jet boat to travel up part of the river for approximately one hour. You then rejoin your guide and continue in a minibus over the Haast Pass, between the rainforests of the West Coast and the more arid region of Otago.

After a stop on the shores of Wanaka Lake, continue to Queenstown, known for adventure sports. The city is located at the foot of the Remarkables mountain range and is among the most visited destinations in the country.

Leave early from Queenstown along Lake Wakatipu, whose "S" shape is linked, in a Maori legend, to the story of lovers Manata and Matakauri, threatened by the giant Matau. Then cross the Southland plains, where thousands of sheep graze, then take a break in Te Anau before following the scenic route to Milford Sound.

This fiord, the most famous in Aotearoa, was described by Rudyard Kipling as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". You will discover it during a two-hour nature cruise, with picnic lunch on board (included).

At the end of the day, return to Te Anau for dinner and overnight stay.

Cross the rolling hills of Otago to Dunedin, a city of Scottish origin with 120,000 inhabitants, known for its architecture and university. With your guide, discover the old university, the train station and the street presented as the steepest in the world.

Nicknamed the "nature capital" of New Zealand, Dunedin has a peninsula where sea lions, seals, penguins and albatrosses live. Explore it by minibus before boarding the Monarch for a one-hour cruise in the bay.

After breakfast, head to Moeraki to discover its large spherical rocks resting on the beach. From a distance, they resemble giant turtles resting on the sand.

Continue to Oamaru, a coastal town with Victorian heritage. Your guide will show you its historic district and shops located on the former wharves.

The road then follows the Waitaki River towards the arid landscapes of Mackenzie Country, then reaches Lake Tekapo, in the centre of the South Island. Its turquoise waters and small chapel stand out against the backdrop of the Southern Alps.

Your guide takes you to the summit of Mount John to admire a 360° panorama of the Southern Alps, with Aoraki/Mt Cook (3,724 m), the country's highest peak, as a backdrop.

After a break at the Church of the Good Shepherd, you cross the Mackenzie region to the surroundings of Geraldine. A light lunch awaits you at a residence where you will attend a sheepdog working demonstration.

You then head to Christchurch, the country's third largest city. Depending on your arrival time, you can discover the botanical garden and the city center, notably the Arts Centre.