Reuthers
South Island / New Zealand
Guided Photo Tour

Kia Ora to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. Be our guest at our traditional Welcome Drink and Dinner. Getting to know each other is top of the list and your tour guide will give you further information on your upcoming New Zealand photo tour adventure.

Before we leave the northern island to head south, we will visit New Zealand's National Museum Te Papa. In the early afternoon we will then take the Interislander ferry for the short transfer to Picton. From Picton we will travel along Tasman Bay directly to Nelson, New Zealand's first city ever. By the way the area around Nelson has the highest amount of sunshine hours in New Zealand and will give you lots of photo opportunities.

As a day tour, we will today undertake an excursion to the Abel Tasman National Park where we will be dropped off per water taxi at the beach and after a walk in the free wilderness simply be picked up again.

Our photo tour adventure leads us southwest along the famous Buller Gorge Road to Cape Foulwind and south to the Pancake Rocks. Here we will get a close up view of the blowholes with the spraying seawater. We will spend the night in the coastal city Greymouth, once an important Maori settlement.

We will visit a Jade Factory for souvenirs, pass the old gold mining town Ross and enjoy the all uniting landscape with imposing mountains, green rain forest and the Tasman Sea to the right. In Franz Josef we will set up our sleeping quarters below the Franz Josef Glacier. Depending on the weather, there is the possibility for a helicopter flight with a landing on the famous glacier or weather independent to take a breathtaking quad tour in the rain forest.

Explore the Franz Josef Glacier on your own and take an optional hiking tour - this day is at your own disposal.

Passing the Fox Glacier we will leave the Tasman Sea, cross the Haast Pass and reach Wanaka. A lonely mountain road leads us to the most exciting city of New Zealand, to Queenstown. After a breathtaking passage on the Lake Wakatipu we will have dinner in the Colonel's Homestead restaurant of the Walter Peak High Country Sheep farm and with a farm tour get a picture of the work on a New Zealand farm. The TSS Earnslaw, the oldest coal fueled steam ship of New Zealand, brings us afterwards back again to Queenstown.

There is action and sights to see: Starting with the popular bungee jumping off the historic Kawarau Bridge, up to para sailing and jet boat riding. Of course you can also spend your time with an abundant shopping tour in Queenstown or just relax - this day is at your own disposal.

Your photo tour continues on by spending the morning in lovely Queenstown and heading to Te Anau in the early afternoon.

Today a world wonder is on the photo program, one of the most famous symbols of New Zealand: the Milford Sound in the rain-laden zone of New Zealand. Here we will take a cruise on the 16 kilometer long fjord to the Tasman Sea and at the same time take amazing photographs from penguins, sea lions, dolphins, sometimes even whales, as well as the most spectacular waterfalls in New Zealand.

Later in the morning we will continue our adventure to Invercargill, the southernmost city of New Zealand and the heart of the Southland.

Our day trip leads us to Stewart Island in the far south of New Zealand. Here we can observe in untouched nature i.e. rare bird species and take a boats tour for a spectacular underwater world.

Surely most of you have heard of the cult film 'The World's Fastest Indian' with Anthony Hopkins. We will have a close up view of Burt Monro's original motorcycle today. Afterwards we head through the Catlins on to Dunedin. Several photo stops like the famous Nugget Point Lighthouse are on our way.

Dunedin's Royal Albatross Colony in the Otago Peninsula will be today's highlight with onsite albatross and penguin viewing as well as a historical tour of Tairoa Head. Prepare your cameras for many photos and videos!

Our destination for today is Mount Cook, more than 3800 meters high and the highest mountain in New Zealand. We will take a photo tour and, if possible, stay the night at the legendary Hermitage Hotel below the mountain.

The inland route to Christchurch leads us to the 'Church of the Good Shepherd' located on the shores of Lake Tekapo. The church is arguably one of the most photographed in New Zealand, and features an altar window that frames stunning views of the lake and mountains.

Today we will learn more about the French influence in New Zealand by taking a day trip to the village Akaroa, set on a beautiful sheltered harbour and overlooked by craggy volcanic hills.

Depending on the weather, we will join a whale watching tour. Our destination is Kaikoura, the most famous place for whale watching and photo shooting in New Zealand.

While travelling back north, we have an overnight stay in Blenheim, the centre of New Zealand's wine industry and located in the Marlborough Region in the north of the South Island of New Zealand. Of course we will have a wine tasting tour.

On our last day we take the famous ferry ride via Interislander through the Queen Charlotte Sound and pass the Cook Straight between the islands. After arriving in Wellington, we meet for our traditional Farewell Dinner in which we can recap the adventures of our photography tour through New Zealand.