Day 1 - Arrive and hiking in Arthur's Pass

The Tui trip starts in Christchurch, which is the main city and airport in the South Island. You'll need to be in Christchurch by 9 am or so, then we'll meet you and head to the Southern Alps. We'll get straight into it with a hike in Arthur's Pass to the Devil's Punchbowl. We then head down the coast to the beautiful seaside village of Okarito, one of the best kept secrets of the West Coast that is all but untouched due to it being 10 miles down a one-way road from an obscure highway turnoff. There are no shops, no restaurants and no traffic here and a population of only 31 people. Because of the condensed nature of the Tui , we get much of the driving out of the way on the first day of the trip. As an option, you can miss out much of the first day's driving by meeting us in the afternoon in the West Coast town of Hokitika, a short 30-minute flight from Christchurch.

In the evening we'll head out to listen for New Zealand's most famous bird, the rare and elusive kiwi. You'll almost never see a kiwi as they are nocturnal and very shy, but they have a very distinctive call and its great fun to go out and listen for them. And the sunsets around here are definitely not to be missed.

ACCOMMODATION: Okarito Beach House, Okarito; off-the-beaten-path, isolated and comfortable

Day 2 - Hiking near Franz Josef Glacier

Just south of Okarito there are two formidable glaciers descending from the mountains to the sea. In terms of scenery, this place is just off the chart! Today we'll take an awesome hike through the rainforest up to Robert's Point, overlooking the terminal face of the Franz Josef Glacier. We only do this hike in good weather as the rocks get very slippery in the rain. If it's raining, we'll do a shorter walk to the terminal face of the Fox Glacier and hike around Lake Matheson. From Franz Josef we head down the coast to Haast, an isolated West Coast hamlet, where we'll be having the quintessential Kiwi dinner, fish and chips! Instead of the Robert's Point hike, a unique option for the afternoon is to take a helicopter ride up to the highest peaks of the Southern Alps. You'll be landing 4,000 feet up on the glacier itself to start a 3-hour hike on the ice, equipped with crampons, ice axes, etc. Then the helicopter will return you back to meet up with the group. (Heli-hike option approximately US$200.)

ACCOMMODATION: Heritage Park Motel, Haast

Day 3 - Fly into Mt. Aspiring National Park

This morning we'll drive to Makarora, on the eastern side of Mt. Aspiring National Park. We'll start with a dramatic scenic flight alongside the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps to a remote alpine valley. We'll stay in the Siberia Valley tonight in one of New Zealand's true backcountry huts. Enjoy the jaw-dropping views from the porch while your guides whip up another scrumptious meal. You'll be served a candle-lit dinner in one of the most glorious and isolated places in the world! The accommodations are bunks, with sleeping bags required, but we'll be back in civilization the next day so it's worth the adventure. If you prefer, regular motel accommodations are also available at Makarora.

ACCOMMODATION: Remote wilderness hut, Mt. Aspiring National Park - incredible.

Day 4 - Hiking through Siberia Valley & jet boat ride

We spend the morning hiking for about three hours to the Forks, at the head of the Wilkin River, where we will be met by a jet boat for a wild ride back to Makarora. This sets us up nicely for the beautiful drive down past Lake Hawea to lunch on the shores of Lake Wanaka. We'll then cross the mountains at Cardrona Saddle where you will enjoy spectacular views of the Wakatipu basin, before heading through to Lake Te Anau. We'll arrive by mid afternoon so you can relax and enjoy the surroundings or take the bikes out to explore the countryside towards Lake Manapouri, where we'll spend the evening.

ACCOMMODATION: Lake Manapouri Inn, Manapouri

Day 5 - Cycling Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys & hiking Routeburn Track

This morning we'll head down through Te Anau towards Milford Sound. You'll be fitted with a 21-speed front-suspension Specialized mountain bike for a spectacular ride through the legendary Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys to The Divide. We maintain plenty of flexibility, keen cyclists can start early and cover 50 miles or more before they are picked up. Moderately keen cyclists can be picked up anytime along the way. If cycling is not at the top of your list, you can skip it and just enjoy the scenery. After recovering our cyclists, we'll hike part of the famous Routeburn Track up to Key Summit. The Routeburn is one of the best-known hiking tracks in New Zealand, and we do the best part of the track. There are unbelievable views overlooking the Hollyford Valley, Lake Marion and Mt. Christina. Then it's a short haul through the Homer Tunnel and through the Alps where we'll descend over 3000 feet into Milford Sound. The scenery here is fantastic! The lush rainforest carpets the lower slopes of the mountains and gives way to the massively steep glacier-carved slopes and waterfalls of the Darren Range. Once we get to Milford Sound, we'll stay at Milford Lodge, a relaxed base for hikers and paddlers.

ACCOMMODATION: Milford Lodge, Milford Sound

Day 6 - Sea kayaking in Milford Sound

Milford Sound, rated the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling, is breathtaking. Sheer rock walls plunge thousands of feet to the sea, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Most people see Milford Sound from the deck of a cruise ship but we've got a better way. By gliding along the water in a sea kayak, causing minimum disruption to the seals and dolphins, which are very friendly and often eager to visit. This is an awesome trip, run by specialist kayak outfitters, and it's equally suitable for beginners and experts alike. When you get back from your morning's paddle, we'll head to Queenstown for our last couple of days together.

ACCOMMODATION: Queenstown condominiums, Queenstown

Day 7 - Free day in Queenstown or local hikes

This is a free day with no activities scheduled, although we'll certainly help with suggestions and guiding, if you like. Queenstown is a great place to spend a couple of days. You'll find all the comforts of civilization: massage therapists, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, window-shopping, and adrenaline pumping activities! You'll find some incredible optional activities here such as biking, hang gliding, hiking, whitewater rafting, jet boating, skydiving, horse trekking, fishing, and wine tours – it's all here! Queenstown is not a big place, the population is about 5000, but there's plenty to do! Or you can do nothing if you prefer, and just soak up the atmosphere.

ACCOMMODATION: Queenstown condominiums.

Day 8 - Depart for Home

Well, it's almost time to go home. You'll have the morning free in Queenstown before taking an afternoon flight back to Auckland or Christchurch in order to catch the evening international flights. We can drop you off for flights before noon today or, if you would like us to, arrange a shuttle if you're staying longer. This will have been a very intense week and you'll be buzzing with excitement but feeling relaxed and refreshed as well!