The Ron Pass Itinerary

Key:
= Stray's accommodation for that evening.
= Optional paid activities (usually choose one main activity per day).
= Free/Included activities (these options may vary depending on the group, driver, pass, length of stay, weather and time of year!)

Christchurch to Kaikoura

We depart at 9.45am and have a beautiful drive up the coast to Kaikoura. You have the afternoon free for activities.

Historic seaside hotel.
Whale watching, swimming with seals, piloting your own plane or swimming with dolphins (pre-booking is advised in summer for dolphin swimming). Try the amazing fresh fish and chips!
Walk around the peninsula and up to the lookout.

Kaikoura to Picton

Depart 8.30am. We wind our way up the rugged coastal roads with stops for photos and a seal colony. Those not heading north to Wellington on the ferry will stay in the port town of Picton for the night.

Central hostel (Wellington), Cozy villa (Picton).
Vineyard tour (Picton), Ferry ($50-75), Zealandia Night Safari (Wellington).
Seal colony; Queen Charlotte Sound View walk, mountain biking, fishing or relax in the spa where we stay (Picton); explore the city (Wellington).

Picton to Marahau (Abel Tasman)

Meet the bus and the rest of the group at the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal at 11.45am. 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.

Unique Stray accommodation on the edge of National Park.
Ferry $50-75, wine tasting, skydiving, pilot your own stunt plane!
Swim, walk, mussel tasting around the fire.

Non Travel Day: Marahau (Abel Tasman)

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

Unique Stray accommodation on the edge of National Park.
Full day sailing trip, kayaking, skydiving, water taxi, horse riding or hang gliding.
Walk in the National Park or just relax on one of the golden sand beaches!

Marahau (Abel Tasman) to Punakaiki

Depart at 9am. 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, nestled amongst the native bush in Paparoa National Park. The sunset is a must if the weather is clear!

Lodge in the middle of the rainforest.
Save some coin today!
Westport seal colony, West Coast sunset, Truman Track walk, meet some of the quirky locals.

Punakaiki 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.

Lodge in the middle of the rainforest.
Bone carving, jade carving, kayaking.
Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and their mighty blowholes, walk along the beach, sleep in.

Non Travel Day: Franz Josef.

A free day to explore the glacier.

Lodge in the middle of the rainforest.
Take a guided glacier walk or a ‘helicopter hike’ to get onto the glacier, go ice climbing, relax in the local hot pools.
Many excellent bush hikes (but we recommend a guided one for safety). Warm up and relax after all this in one of NZ’s largest spa pools at your accommodation.

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.

Central hostel.
Puzzle World.
Mirror Lake walk, Ship Creek Walk, Blue Pools walk, Thundercreek Falls Walk, explore Wanaka.

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.

Central hostel.
Skydiving, bungy jumping.
Walk Mt Iron, watch people jumping off a bridge!

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.

Central hostel.
Any adventure activity that we mad Kiwis can dream up (bungy, swing, jetboating, skydiving, mountain biking, zipline, horse riding...), one day trip to Milford Sound.
Sleep in, some great walks, take in the beautiful views from this cool resort town.

Queenstown to Gunn's Camp

Depart 7am (pick ups start before this). 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.

Historic camp on the edge of the Hollyford Track in the heart of Fiordland National Park.
Milford Sound Cruise special Stray 2 for 1 deal - $44 per person (there is also a great Stray combo deal for this and the Stewart Island ferry for only $169 – save $59 off retail).
Stunning views, walks, visit the historic museum or take in the incredible surroundings of a World Heritage National Park at Gunn’s Camp.

Gunn’s Camp to Invercargill/Stewart Island

Depart 10am. We 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.

Cozy hostel.
Ata Whenua – Shadowland, incredible movie of Fiordland National Park. See the awesome Stewart Island ferry and Milford Sound Cruise combo deal above.
Humbolt Falls walk. National Park at Gunn’s Camp.

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.

Central hostel.
Fishing, hire a scooter, go to Ulva Island.
Explore the island, amazing birdlife, walks through the native parkland (Stewart Island); sea lion-spotting, Bluff Hill walk (Invercargill).

Queenstown to Aoraki/Mt Cook

Depart 9.30am. 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).

Stunning alpine lodge.
Take a boat to check out the Tasman glacier, visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.
Take photos of awe-inspiring scenery, do one of the many great short walks to the Hooker glacial lake.

Mt Cook to Rangitata

Depart 10am. We make our way to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ landscape of Rangitata. We head around the turquoise Lake Tekapo, where we stop for ice-skating or a swim at the hot springs. We arrive early afternoon in Geraldine, and then head through to spend the night at Rangitata.

One of Canterbury's original sheep stations.
Ice-skating, swim at alpine hot springs, go for a mountain bike, walk or horse ride through Peel Forest.
Take photos of stunning scenery, go for a walk.

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.