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Arrive
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Day 1 Auckland to Nelson
Arrive in Auckland International Airport where you will be met at the air bridge and assisted through customs and immigration. You will then be taken to the domestic terminal to board your flight to Nelson. In Nelson, collect your hire car and take the easy five-minute drive to Pihopa Retreat. This boutique hideaway of six luxurious suites surrounded by landscaped gardens is a wonderful home-from-home base for the next few days.
Overnight: Pihopa Retreat
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Day 2 Middle Earth by land and helicopter
Your immersion into Middle-earth begins today with a privately guided journey through some of the most evocative Lord of the Rings filming locations in the Nelson and Tasman regions. Start the day with a visit to Jens Hansen, The Ringmaker, where the iconic 'One Ring' was forged for the movie franchise. Go behind the scenes to learn how the ring was created, admire the oversized version of the ring used for close-up shots, and commission your own replica. Your ring can be customised in Elvish or have a personal engraving.
Continue on to Takaka Hill, also known as Marble Mountain. The dramatic limestone terrain doubled as Chetwood Forest near Bree in The Fellowship of the Ring. Descend into the atmospheric Ngarua Cave, where ancient stalactites and stalagmites create a setting worthy of Middle-earth. Emerging into daylight, you'll stand on the very ground where Bilbo and Gandalf rode during the Battle of the Five Armies in the movie adaptation of The Hobbit.
After a leisurely lunch immersed in nature, explore the haunting beauty of Canaan Downs. This otherworldly landscape of twisted trees and marble outcrops featured in multiple scenes in The Fellowship of the Ring, from the Hobbits' early journey beyond the Shire to Aragorn leading them into the wild. Your guide brings each location to life with behind-the-scenes insight and anecdotes.
Today's tour culminates with an extraordinary helicopter flight to two of the most remote and dramatic Lord of the Rings filming sites; Mount Owen (gateway to the Mines of Moria), and Mount Olympus (just south of Rivendell). Accessible only by air, these vast alpine landscapes deliver a powerful finale.
Overnight: Pihopa Retreat
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Day 3 Alpine landscapes of Kahurangi National Park
There are plenty more stunning landscapes to enjoy in this area of the South Island, and your private guided visit to the Kahurangi National Park today ensures you fully maximise your time in the region.
Set out with your guide after breakfast, taking the access road to Mount Arthur. The road to the park's second-highest peak climbs to almost 1,000 metres, and the drive along it is an experience in its own right, affording spectacular views. Continue your journey on foot, walking through towering beech forest rich with birdlife. Midway up, the forest dramatically changes into otherworldly dragon trees before shifting back to beech forest as you emerge into the alpine region. The weather conditions and your preferred levels of exertion will determine how far you continue from here, but the surrounding giant granite slabs deliver panoramic views. The Mount Arthur area has many special geological features and an astonishing array of alpine plants, and your expert guide will help you discover these. A scenic picnic is included today at a time of your choosing and, at the end of your hike, you will be driven back to Pihopa Retreat for a well-earned rest.
Overnight: Pihopa Retreat
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Day 4 To Queenstown
Bidding farewell to Pihopa Retreat, you'll return your hire car to Nelson airport and take a short flight south to Queenstown. This lively town is framed by the dramatic peaks of the Southern Alps and is a superb base for year-round adventures. Collect your car from the airport and drive to your luxurious lakefront hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to settle in or begin exploring Queenstown. The spa at ROKI Collection is one of the best in the area, so you may wish to take advantage of a bit of pampering.
Overnight: Roki Collection Queenstown
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Day 5 Queenstown to Glenorchy Lord of the Rings tour
Today's adventure carries you deep into Middle-earth, travelling from Queenstown to the majestic landscapes of Glenorchy on a privately guided Lord of the Rings inspired exploration. Along the way, discover some of the trilogy's most evocative filming locations, including settings for Isengard, Amon Hen, Lothlórien Forest, the Misty Mountains and Ithilien. Your explorations of these places are brought vividly to life through stories shared by your expert guide. In Mount Aspiring National Park, you'll discover a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of ancient beech forests, gushing rivers, and vast, glacier-carved valleys. As you explore the Dart River Valley and the aptly named Paradise, your guide will point out the native birdlife and distinctive alpine flora that thrive in this pristine environment. If you wish to end your day on a more playful note, you'll have the opportunity to wear a Lord of the Rings inspired costume in the atmospheric Lothlórien Forest - the perfect setting for some memorable photos.
Overnight: Roki Collection Queenstown
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Day 6 Middle-earth Waterfalls Heli-Hike
Another epic day of adventure awaits today as you embark upon a heli-hike through pristine lands trodden by very few. Your itinerary has been designed to leave the tourist trail far behind and walk in the footsteps of Bilbo Baggins on the spectacular Earnslaw Burn. Your guide has exclusive landing rights in this location, meaning you can bask in the tranquillity without anyone else competing for photos.
After breakfast at your hotel you'll be transferred to your privately chartered helicopter. Take to the skies and absorb the jaw-dropping scenery as you fly over the sheer cliff faces of Moonlight Saddle and Richardson Mountains to Mount Earnslaw. Landing in the valley, you will set off on foot through native tussock fields and rolling high country plains. Observe the landscape transform into glaciers and plunging waterfalls as you trace a narrow path forged by wild white tail deer. Your guide will share insight about the local history of the region as you walk, and point out the array of flora and fauna to be found here. As you reach the towering waterfalls and hanging glacier of the Earnslaw Burn, pause to take in landscapes of vast alpine plains, glaciers and cascading water. You can then evoke the writings of Tolkien as you walk under the Middle-earth waterfalls of Rivendell.
After ample time to soak up the beauty of Rivendell, your helicopter will whisk you up past the falls and blue ice of the hanging glacier before flying across Lake Wakatipu towards the Humboldt Mountains. Land back in Queenstown where you will be transferred to your hotel.
Overnight: Roki Collection Queenstown
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Day 7 Jet boat adventure
Conclude your time on the South Island in thrilling style today as you set out on one of the most scenic jet boating trips in New Zealand. Trace a route along the braided, glacier-fed Dart River, taking in the breathtaking scenery on an exhilarating ride deep into Mount Aspiring National Park. Along the way, your guide brings to life everything you are seeing with explanations of the rich natural landscapes and the Māori legends of the region.
Return to your hotel later this afternoon and enjoy a final evening in Queenstown, perhaps taking further advantage of its superb bar and restaurant scene.
Overnight: Roki Collection Queenstown
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Day 8 Depart Queenstown
Return your car at Queenstown airport today in plenty of time for your onward flight or further arrangements in New Zealand.
Option (1): Continue your touring around the South Island to visit Fiordland and Milford Sound
Option (2): Combine this tour with our Lord of the Rings inspired journey through the North Island
Overnight: Overnight Flight
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Depart
