South Island and Fiordlands - 12 Nights - Bluff to Wellington

Bluff is a town and seaport on the southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is dominated by Bluff Hill, an extinct volcanic cone that provides some shelter from the prevailing westerly winds. The Bluff History Group's Heritage Trail will help visitors appreciate some of the unique history of New Zealand's oldest continuously occupied European settlement. Read more about Bluff, New Zealand

Dusky Sound is a fjord on the SW corner of New Zealand, in Fjordland National Park. In 1770 it was given its name by Captain Cook and his crew as that was the time of night when they found it. They encountered groups of shy Maoris, but nowadays the area is almost uninhabited. Read more about Dusky Sound, New Zealand

Milford Sound is a stunningly beautiful fjord in the SW of New Zealand's South Island and lying within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Described by Rudyard Kipling as the 'eighth wonder of the world', it has been judged 'the world's top travel destination' in an international survey, and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Milford Sound runs 15 km inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces, such as the Elephant and Lion Peaks that rise to 1200 m or more on either side. Read more about Milford Sound, New Zealand

Doubtful Sound, despite its name, is a very large and naturally imposing fjord in the far SW of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound, but it is three times longer, and has a surface area ten times larger. Often referred to as the 'Sound of Silence', Doubtful Sound is a tranquil, awe-inspiring destination known for its cascading waterfalls, looming mountains and rare marine life. Read more about Doubtful Sound, New Zealand

Stewart Island/Rakiura (pop. c. 380) is the third largest island of New Zealand and lies just 30 km S of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait from the port of Bluff. Read more about Stewart Island, New Zealand

Stewart Island/Rakiura (pop. c. 380) is the third largest island of New Zealand and lies just 30 km S of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait from the port of Bluff. Read more about Stewart Island, New Zealand

Dunedin is the principal city of the Otago Region of New Zealand. It was founded in 1848 by Scottish migrants, and today the city still contains many Scottish relics, including a statue of the Scottish Bard Robbie Burns. Fine examples of working heritage include the Speight’s Brewery, the Gasworks Museum and the very popular Taieri Gorge Railway. Read more about Dunedin, New Zealand

Just 85 kilometres from the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, is the quaint and beautiful French village of Akaroa. It is situated within Akaroa Harbour in the heart of an ancient volcano that is now the circular Banks Peninsula. French settlers arrived in 1840 just a few days after the peninsula was claimed for Britain. Read more about Akaroa, New Zealand

The seaside settlement of Kaikoura, situated midway between Christchurch and Picton on the rugged east coast of New Zealand's South Island, is overlooked by majestic mountains in the north reaching 2600m, which are snow-capped for many months of the year. Kaikoura is mostly settled on a peninsula that drops off sharply to the 3000 m deep Hikurangi Trench. The resulting upwelling currents bring an abundance of marine life that attracts whales, hence the town’s history as a whaling centre. Read more about Kaikoura, New Zealand

New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds, together with its islands and peninsulas, cover some 4,000 sq.km., and lie at the South Island's north-easternmost point, between Tasman Bay in the west and Cloudy Bay in the south-east. They comprise an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys that include the Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds. Bordered by forests and rich in wildlife, trees rise almost vertically from the water’s edge. Read more about Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds, together with its islands and peninsulas, cover some 4,000 sq.km., and lie at the South Island's north-easternmost point, between Tasman Bay in the west and Cloudy Bay in the south-east. They comprise an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys that include the Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds. Bordered by forests and rich in wildlife, trees rise almost vertically from the water’s edge. Read more about Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, is situated on the SW tip of the North Island, and is set on the edge of a stunning harbour surrounded by rolling hills. As the political centre of New Zealand, it houses Parliamentary buildings as well as the bulk of foreign diplomatic missions. However, it is also renowned for its cafe-culture, as there are more cafes per capita than in New York City, and they rival the world’s top culinary destinations for flavour and variety. Read more about Wellington, New Zealand