New Zealand's South Island: Explore Mountains, Beaches, Rain Forests & Fjords

Experience New Zealand's wonderful diversity, from calm, turquoise waters, to high peaks and dramatic fjords, to an authentic sheep station on the high southern plains. Join Off the Beaten Path on fully supported backcountry hikes and walk-in lodging in Abel Tasman National Park and on the Hollyford Track, plus an overnight cruise on Milford Sound. The Abel Tasman Coastal Track, with its magnificent coast, sandy bays, and secluded beaches, is the jewel of New Zealand's “Great Walks.” The Hollyford Track, in Fiordland National Park, is primal wilderness at its most awesome. On your three-day excursion on the Hollyford Track, travel by foot, boat, and plane (while all your gear is transported ahead of you). Milford Sound is one of the wettest places on earth, where waterfalls cascade down cliff s through lush rain forest vegetation, and seals, penguins and dolphins ply the waters. The overnight cruise in Milford Sound allows you to experience this beautiful place in the especially magic hours of dusk and dawn. Along the way, visit Queenstown, the adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere, and Christchurch, the robust, colonial, internationally famed “Garden City” set on the coast with a metropolitan twist.

New Zealand's South Island—Mountains, Beaches, Rain Forests and Fjords: Oct. 18-30, Nov. 8-20, and Dec. 9-21; $6,795.

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