Two Day Christchurch - Mt Cook Tour via Overnight at Lake Tekapo including Star Gazing (Small Group, Carbon Neutral)

But if you think that this scenery is beautiful during the day,  wait till you see what the nighttime will bring where a new beauty is revealed. We spend the evening at the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. With a combination of clear skies, high altitude, a big body of water and lack of artificial light pollution makes this one of the darkest places in New Zealand, and the perfect place for star gazing. 

We have sorted all the finer details, with breakfast and shared dorm accommodation included, couples will get a free upgrade to a private room. We also have additional upgrades with all meals included and upgrade to a private 3-Star or 5-Star hotel for your accommodation. 

You will be driven in comfort in our modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras, just to make your journey that bit easier. Led by our fun and knowledgeable and passionate tour guides, this journey will come to life in a new way for you.

Memories, made, hearts happy and photos a plenty in this tour!

Highlights

·      Church of the Good Shepherd – Lake Tekapo

·      Star Gazing at the Dark Sky Reserve 

·      Lake Pukaki

Itinerary

DAY 1

·      Christchurch - We start this trip in the Garden City- We explore the rich history within our central city including the Bridge of Remembrance, spending some time going through the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. Then we make our way to the majestic Mt Cook!

·      Canterbury Plains - We make our way through the rugged tapestry of the Canterbury Plains with our world-famous New Zealand farmland and countryside just out the window. 

·      Geraldine – We arrive in this pretty town set in the heart of the Canterbury region, and the foothills of the Southern Alps, for a bite to eat. Make sure to browse the shops – it is street shopping like it used to be where you will find boutique shops from homemade chocolate to fine arts and local crafts. After we have refuelled for the next part of our journey, we leave Geraldine and head towards Lake Tekapo, while along the way we go through some pretty impressive alpine passes with amazing views. Once we crest the hill to Tekapo the crystal clear waters are there waiting to greet you. 

·      Lake Tekapo - We arrive in this beautiful town – famous for its crystal-clear lake, and the grandeur of the mighty mountain backdrop. While we are here we will visit the world-famous “Church of the Good Shepherd” where it awaits for you to take those all-important Social Media worthy photos plus videos, your friends back home will be wishing they were there with you. We spend the evening in Lake Tekapo enjoying the stars, and the dreamy landscape of the night sky - the perfect way to spend the evening. Also, keen stargazers will see constellations that are only seen in the southern hemisphere, including the Southern Cross, to the Magellanic Clouds and the Milky Way.

DAY 2

·      Lake Tekapo – We depart this jewel in the Mackenzie Country, to our next stop the pristine perfect Lake Pukaki. 

·      Lake Pukaki – We turn west and see Lake Pukaki showing us its beauty before us. We stop for some more photos and simply be still and take in this spectacular scenery, you will be able to understand why Lord of the Rings scenes was filmed nearby, and our drivers will be happy to point those spots out to you. Time to head to Mt Cook – this is the mountain that prepared Sir Edmund Hillary  for his conquest of Everest, and is the tallest mountain in New Zealand

·      Mt Cook Information Centre –We arrive at Mt Cook National park and weather dependant we will be able to get some amazing photos and videos of this majestic mountain from the ground. At 3724m, Aoraki/Mt Cook is New Zealand’s highest peak, however, the mountain can be viewed without any acclimatisation whatsoever from the village which is just 750m above sea level. Time for us to head back to 

·      Geraldine – We arrive back in this pretty country town, stopping for a bite to eat and to stretch our legs. Afterwards, we journey through the tapestry of the Canterbury Plains towards Christchurch. 

·      Christchurch – We arrive back in the Garden City where sadly it is time we say our goodbyes and part ways. 

Inclusions:

·      Small Group

·      Carbon Neutral

·      Overnight Stay

·      Star Gazing 

·      Bottled Water 

·      Local kiwi snacks

·      Commentary

·      Wi-Fi

·      USB charging 

·      Commentary

·      100% Kiwi as experience

We at Cheeky Kea Tours believe that it’s in the small things, the hidden surprises, and the secret stops that make your adventure one to remember. With comfortable and specially designed vehicles, and individually packaged refreshments will ensure you enjoy the journey with us!

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