Short Retreat ( 5 Days Tour )

Depart Christchurch and journey across the patchwork quilt of the Canterbury Plains. Take the time to explore the bustling farming town of Ashburton. If gardens are your thing, you can’t miss Trots Garden, selected as a Garden of National Significance by The Royal Institute of Horticulture. Timaru is a great place to stop for lunch. Take time to visit the tranquil Botanical Gardens and bloom at the Trevor Griffiths Rose Gardens. The Te Ana Maori Rock Art centre is also well worth a visit. Head to Mt. Nimrod Pods, luxury off-the-grid glamping accommodation where you stay for a night, enjoy an afternoon's stroll through the farm and at dusk relax in a wood-fired hot tub.

Accommodation: 1 night, 5 or 4 star hotel Meal : Breakfast

Drive through the turquoise shores of Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook Village. There are numerous ways to explore Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, whether you want the thrill of an Argo tour, a short walk, long tramp or horse ride. Don't miss the Glacier Explorers, which take you to the terminal lake of New Zealand’s longest glacier, Tasman Glacier. The Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre and the stargazing experience are also popular.

Accommodation: 1 night, 5 or 4 star hotel Meal : Breakfast

From Mount Cook drive to Twizel this morning. Here, anglers might like to stop for a spot of salmon fishing. Visit the Kaki/Black Stilt Visitor Hide, where between September and February you can learn about the world’s most endangered wading bird. In Lake Tekapo, you'll find a plethora of activities to entertain you, whether it's a chilly winter evening or a sparkling summer day. Take a dip in the hot pools or relax with one of the therapeutic spa treatments. During winter, an ice skating rink and snow tubing are available, while in summer you can enjoy the world’s largest inflatable slide. No trip to the Mackenzie region is complete without a stargazing tour. As the world's largest International Dark Sky Reserve, this is the perfect place to see the night sky.

Accommodation: 1 night, 5 or 4 star hotel Meal : Breakfast

Wake up early this morning to start driving to Akaroa is a town on the Banks Peninsula, southeast of Christchurch, New Zealand. Akaroa Beach is on the eastern shore of Akaroa Harbour, where Hector's dolphins swim. Take a harbour nature cruise to spot the rarest dolphins in the world, the Hector’s dolphin, along with fascinating birdlife, New Zealand fur seals and White-flippered penguins.

Accommodation: 1 night, 5 or 4 star hotel Meal : Breakfast