Moe Pass - Best Value New Zealand finish Christchurch

Auckland to Raglan

Depart 7.30am. Head on to the world-renowned Raglan surf beach, with cow spotting and a walk to Bridal Veil Falls on the way. Chill out or go hard in this funky surf and arts town.

Raglan to Mourea

Depart 8am. Head to the rural town of Waitomo, with time to explore its famous caves and glowworms. We then head across to the Bay Of Plenty for our unique and special cultural overnight stay. This is an immersion into our indigenous Maori culture and much more than a show. We learn about Maori traditions and history and become fully interactive with Kapa Haka (Maori song and dance). An unforgettable, genuine and educational night!

Mourea (via Rotorua) to Taupo

Depart 8.30am and head to Rotorua for a morning free to discover its smell (geothermal areas), culture and adventure. We do hostel pickups, then head south to Taupo and its great lake (the world’s largest crater lake), via Huka Falls. This afternoon, you can take part in one of our most popular activities – skydiving.

Taupo to Whakahoro

We depart at 8:30am and head to the most remote part of the North Island. Our destination is Blue Duck Station, a 9,000 acre high country farm that is both a working station and an environmental conservation leader. Once you arrive, there are plenty of activities for you to partake in. Spend the evening sitting around, listening to tales from this unique region.

Whakahoro to National Park

We depart at 6.00am and head to the active volcanoes and dual World Heritage of ‘Tongariro National Park’. Today you get a chance to do what is rated as one of the world’s best one day walks - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. In the evening, reward yourself at the bar or just relax in the spa where we stay.

National Park to Wellington

Depart 9am. We head to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city via Ohakune, Taihape and Bulls. You have the afternoon to cruise or explore.

Wellington to Marahau (Abel Tasman)

We catch the 8am Bluebridge ferry (check in 7am) across to the South Island where we meet the Stray bus, we then cruise through the famous Marlborough vineyard area and the coastal town of Nelson, before heading onto Motueka and to our amazing night stop of Marahau, right on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park.

Non Travel Day: Marahau (Abel Tasman)

You have the day at leisure to explore this stunning, coastal National Park.

Marahau to Blackball

Depart at 8.30am. We head for the ‘wild’ West Coast passing through the Buller Gorge before stopping off at Cape Foulwind to see the seal colony. We head on to our Stray exclusive stop in the historic mining town of Blackball. 

Blackball to Franz Josef

You have the morning free for activities, then at midday we head into the heart of the West Coast – where time almost stands still. We do pick-ups at Greymouth, make a stop in Hokitika then head to Franz Josef, a town squashed between the Tasman Sea and the mighty Franz Josef glacier.

Non Travel Day: Franz Josef

A free day to explore the glacier.

Franz Josef to Wanaka

Depart at 9am. We head to Lake Matheson for the amazing mirror lake; stop at Fox Glacier for pickups then travel through to the mountainous Haast pass and Makarora. We pass by the beautiful lake Hawea and arrive in Wanaka with an afternoon to enjoy this picturesque lakeside town.

Wanaka to Queenstown

Depart 11.30am. This morning you have the opportunity to check out amazing views of the lake either by skydiving or walking up Mt Iron! We depart at 11.30am. We cruise into Queenstown with a stop at the famous A.J. Hackett bungy site and then head to the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’! Queenstown offers an optional big (make that huge) night out with excellent restaurants, pubs and live music.

Non Travel Day: Queenstown

Today is yours to explore. Obviously you can break your journey in Queenstown for as long as you want. If you’re not doing the ‘Burt’, look at doing a one day trip to Milford Sound before you go. Speak to your driver or hostel travel desk for Dunedin connection options.

Queenstown to Gunn's Camp

Depart from 7am. Enjoy the views on a drive past Lake Wakatipu, then get ready for one of the most scenically amazing drives in the world on our way to Milford Sound. We pass through the farmland of Southland and watch it turn into mountains, glacial carved valleys and fiords. We have time to explore Milford and then in the late afternoon we head to our unique overnight stop at Gunn’s Camp.

Gunn’s Camp to Invercargill/Stewart Island

Depart 8.30am. We start the morning with a great hike up to the Key Summit Track for stunning views over Fiordland Mountains (Part of the Routeburn Track). We then head through Southland to Invercargill on the scenic route, next stop Stewart Island! There are also options for those not going to Stewart Island and staying in Invercargill.

Invercargill/Stewart Island to Queenstown

The morning is yours to explore the island, meet the locals, go fishing or enjoy some of the walks. We catch the ferry back to the mainland at 3pm. For those who chose not to venture to Stewart Island, we depart Invercargill at 10.30am and head out to Waipapa Point for some sea lion-spotting. We return to Bluff Hill where we meet up with the island-goers before we express back to Queenstown.

Queenstown to Aoraki/Mt Cook

Depart 8:40am. We head over the Lindis Pass through the beautiful Mackenzie Country and Lake Pukaki, then head north to our amazing stop at the base of New Zealand’s highest mountain Aoraki/ Mt Cook, arriving in the early afternoon. If you want to hop off the bus for a few days there are some incredible longer walks (we'd recommend leaving actually climbing Mt Cook to the mountaineers though).

Mt Cook to Rangitata

We make our way to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ landscape of Rangitata. We head past the turquoise Lake Tekapo, where we stop for ice-skating, snow tubing or a swim at the hot springs. We arrive early afternoon in Geraldine, and then head through to spend the night at Rangitata.

Rangitata to Christchurch

Depart 7.30am. It is an express haul across the Canterbury plains to Christchurch. For those whose Stray adventure is coming to an end we arrive at 9.40am at the Christchurch International Airport. For those continuing north, see travel day 8 (Christchurch to Kaikoura day), day 9 (Kaikoura to Picton/Wellington day) and day 7a (Wellington to Auckland day).

NB: The free things and activities are just a guide and you will not have time to do all of those listed within each travel day.