Itinerary

Day 1

Flights originating from the USA/UK will usually arrive in Auckland or Christchurch in the morning, (participants arriving in Auckland will then transfer to a domestic flight to Christchurch), where you will be met by your guides. We will get to know each other over a café lunch before a briefing & bike fitting at our depot. A short drive will take us to the summit of the local hills where we will enjoy a cycle ride along the ridgeline of an extinct volcano with amazing views. Needless to say though, after such a long flight and a bit of biking, you should be ready for an early dinner, and some shut-eye in preparation for the next day

Day 2

We will do our first yoga session at a local Yoga centre this morning followed by a good breakfast. We leave mid-morning and drive south across the Canterbury plains before turning westwards to Fairlie where we stop for lunch and some carbo-loading. Our journey continues over Burke Pass to the turquoise intensity that is Lake Tekapo.
We take a late afternoon walk to the Observatory at Mt John before having dinner at an excellent Japanese restaurant. This evening we have an optional star-gazing tour, with the clean air, clear sky & natural light the local night skies are an amazing sight

Day 3

Weather permitting our early morning yoga session will be in the open air, surrounded by views of the mountains & lake. Followed with a great breakfast, we will cycle along the canal roads before driving into the Mt. Cook National Park. New Zealand's tallest mountain provides a stunning backdrop for our picnic lunch. This afternoon we will do a short walk to view the 16.5 mile long Tasman Glacier. For those who want to get real close, a local boat trip can take you amongst the ice onto the Glacial Lake or there are opportunities for scenic flights. Following a short drive we arrive at the Ohau Lodge for a well deserved soak in a hot tub followed by an excellent dinner at the lodge

Day 4

We start the day with yoga & breakfast at the lodge before we cycle alongside the lake as we leave the Ohau valley. We travel through a well known grape growing region & of-course, we must do a winery tour including some tasting & lunch. Our drive will take us through beautiful countryside as we travel over the Lindis pass, beside Lake Dunstan and through the stunning Kawarau gorge, home of the bungy jump - you are welcome to take the plunge. Tonight we stay in the alpine resort of Queenstown with its very good shopping, dining & nightlife

Day 5

After an early start with our yoga session, we follow the shores of Lakes Wakitipu & Te Anau onto the Milford Sound road in the Fiordland National Park. We will picnic in the rainforest & do some short walks as we journey across the divide & through the rough hewn Homer Tunnel down to sea level at Milford Sound. Here we join our vessel for the overnight cruise. After sailing out to the Tasman Ocean the luxurious ketch anchors in a quiet bay. Enjoy an evening kayak or nature cruise before settling down to a delicious meal in the ships dining room

Day 6

Yoga this morning on the deck surrounded by mountains & waterfalls cascading into the sea. During our morning cruise we might have a chance to spy one of the very shy and rare endemic Fiordland Crested Penguins, the local Dusky Dolphins or New Zealand Fur Seals. Just before berthing, we will visit the underwater observatory situated in Harrison's Cove

Day 7

Today is a free day, after a sleep in & a late yoga session you have time to explore Queenstown. Renowned for the range and scope of its adventure activities it is dubbed the "adventure capital" of New Zealand and you have many activities to choose from including Rafting, Para-Sailing, Bungy-Jumping, Jet-Boating, River Surfing, Scenic Flights & many more. For those who wish to take it easy Queenstown is also known for its shopping and relaxing cafes & restaurants. We meet up late afternoon for the beautiful one hour drive over the Crown Range to Wanaka, another alpine village that will be our home for the next two nights

Day 8

Another day, another beautiful alpine village and another great breakfast prepared by your hosts at the luxurious Te Wanaka Lodge. Today is all about food as we have hired out the local yacht club with its gorgeous lakeside outlook. After a late morning yoga session by the lake our yoga instructor Deborah, will spend the day taking you on a Macrobiotic cooking course. We will prepare our own lunch & dinner today using local foods purchased from the market and to add to the relaxed feel of the day we will have massage therapists available to tend to those well trained muscles.

Day 9

After our yoga session by the lake, today's journey will take us via the West Coast to Fox Glacier. After a visit to a local waterfall we journey out to the remote Waiatoto River where we take a jet-boat ride deep into the heart of the Mt. Aspiring National Park. Our journey continues alongside the Tasman sea where we will walk at Ships Creek hoping to see the resident pod of the rare Hectors Dolphins. At Fox Glacier we will walk at sunset around Lake Matheson with its mirror reflections of New Zealand's highest mountains, and for the daring a helicopter ride to land on the Glacier is a must. (B,L,D)

Day 10

An easy yoga session is planned for this morning to stretch our muscles before our hike to the base of the Glacier. Surrounded by lush rain forest Fox Glacier terminal face is close to sea level and is one of the few Glaciers in the world that is currently advancing. On our journey north, we pause at the Bushman's Centre, a place to learn about early life on the coast and to wander through the museum which contains an eclectic collection of bush memorabilia, along with a fascinating video on how the New Zealand deer industry was started. In Hokitika we have time to admire, and perhaps purchase some of the greenstone carvings made at the jade factory. We continue along a spectacular coastline rated as one of the top five touring routes in the world to our seaside accommodation for the night at the Punakaiki Rock Villas. At dusk we will walk to the famous Pancake Rock Blowholes and watch the sun sinking in the Tasman sea. (B,D)

Day 11

Yoga by the Tasman Sea this morning, before we continue along the beautiful coastline and then turning inland through the scenic Buller Gorge. We follow the bush-clad river, along the way walking on the worlds longest swing bridge before arriving in Nelson early afternoon. There is time to visit a winery and the World of Wearable Arts museum before exploring this interesting town well known as an arts centre. Dinner is on your own tonight with a variety of local restaurants to choose from

Day 12

An empowering yoga session this morning will get those arm muscles pumped up for a day on the ocean, as this morning we go sea-kayaking in the lovely Marlborough Sounds. We paddle to an isolated bay for a picnic lunch before returning to our transport for the journey along the beautiful Queen Charlotte Drive. In Picton by mid-afternoon we board our water taxi for the cruise to Punga Cove Resort in the outer sounds, our home for the next two nights

Day 13

With a relaxing morning start our yoga session will be a bit later than normal. We will then hike on the Queen Charlotte walkway followed by one of our famous picnic lunches. Our return journey will be by water taxi, taking us back to the resort where we can relax by the waterside and snooze into the evening delights. For dinner tonight you can choose from the extensive menu with the local seafood being a specialt

Day 14

As we get to the final days of our tour, this is one of our last yoga sessions. By this time you will have deepened your exercise so much that will be surprised at your flexibility. After check out, the water taxi whisks us back to Picton. A short drive to a nearby winery ensures there is ample opportunity to sample some of Marlborough's finest wines. We will have lunch at the famous St. Clair Winery, meet the eccentric owner and learn about the history of the St. Clair's wines. Unfortunately for your guides, they just get to watch your enthusiastic imbibing, but at least this ensures they can soberly navigate you down the coast to the seaside fishing town of Kaikoura.

Day 15

This is a day not to forget as Kaikoura is renowned as a marine wildlife centre. You will have the choice to either swim with dolphins and seals or go on a Whale Watching or Pelagic Bird (Albatross) tour. It's best to view the whales in the early morning so our penultimate yoga session will be held mid-morning today & your guide will lead you on a local Peninsula Hike this afternoon. This evening will be our last night together, we will dine at our lodge - a chance to try the local cuisine, tell stories, swap addresses and generally relax in the after glow of a satisfying trip.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

24th of March - 8th April 2007,16 days/15 nights,15 B, 12 L, 10 D

Exclusions -

Not Included - - 5 dinners, 2 lunches - extra daily activities not listed will be optional at an additional fee - scenic flights - tips & gratuities - cancellation & travel insurance (we strongly recommend insurance)

Extras -

Yoga World Tours is not just a tour or travel company that puts the emphasis on the physical experience as yoga retreats usually implies but it is a way of living, a way of relating to oneself and all that is living. After all yoga does mean to bring together to unite. What better way to do through our tours? Our tours are full of activities, little work shops, expeditions, entertainment and much more we offer, guaranteeing a truly life changing experience even if you are not interested in doing yoga every day there is a lot to do with us.

Treating the body, the mind, the soul as god, our body is our temple. Yoga exercises, customized on the spot with trained professionals combined with a tasteful, informative, innovative approach to nutritional healing, this will be your first holiday where you will experience weight loss while enjoying food and be rested at the same time! For the experienced one you will enjoy this tour even more as your practice will deepen itself and maybe even introduce a few new techniques during your stay with us.

We keep our groups small, maximum of 12 people, with two tour leaders and one yoga instructor, to give that personal touch to you, to really meet you and share with you in details the beauty of each destination. The tours we offer are fully serviced and all included, accommodation, transportation, excursions, work shops, breakfast, lunch, dinner to name a few.
Included -
- 16 days, 15 nights accommodation
- 10 dinners, 13 lunches, 15 breakfasts
- All transport
- Yoga lessons
- Cycling tours
- Thermal pools
- Marine wildlife tour of choice
- All Hikes and walks as mentioned
- Wineries
- Kayaking
- Boat cruises
- Swing bridge walk
- Museums
- Bushman center
- Jade factory,
- Macrobiotic cooking course
- Massage
- Queenstown adventure trip of choice
- Observatories walks
- Sheep ranch