Fly to New Zealand + Visit the Taranaki Garden Festival + Tour the gardens of the North Island with fellow over-60s! (Oct-Nov 2021)

GARDENS VISITED:

• Ayrlies Garden and Wetlands*, Auckland
• Hamilton Gardens*, Hamilton
• Henley Hotel Private Garden, Cambridge
• Rotorua Government Gardens, Rotorua
• Private Garden Visits, Taranaki Garden Festival
• Cross Hills Rhododendron Garden, Kimbolton
• Wellington Botanic Gardens

PREPAID ATTRACTIONS:

• Sculptureum Experience
• Te Wao Nui*, Auckland Zoo
• Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tour and Lunch
• Skyline Rotorua Gondola and Luge Ride
• Agrodome
• Thermal Mud Pools and Geysers*
• Tamaki Mãori Experience
• Waitomo Glowworm Caves*
• Wellington Cable Car
• Te Papa, NZ’s National Museum*
• City sights tour Auckland and Wellington

*Guided tour is included with 1 guide per 24 travellers

• Return economy class airfares (from selected cities)
• Personalised Meet and Greet on arrival in Auckland
• Return airport transfers in New Zealand
• 10 nights staying in 4 star accommodation
• Hotel porterage
• Travel in a 48 seat modern coach with 2 door access, restroom, overhead travel bag storage, reclining seats and panoramic windows
• Professional Coach Captain and Tour Leader
• All sightseeing and prepaid attractions (as per itinerary)
• Comprehensive documentation pack
• BONUS Garden Book: Flourish - New Zealand women and their extraordinary gardens#

MEALS:

• 10 cooked breakfasts including a specialty breakfast at the Stratosfare Restaurant, Rotorua
• 8 sumptuous dinners including 1 specialty dinner of a Mãori Hãngi and Concert, Rotorua
• 2 lunches including a Shire’s Buffet lunch, Hobbiton
• 1 delicious High Tea at the Henley Hotel, Cambridge

Note: Dinner on Day 1 is not included for anyone arriving later than 8:00pm

Your holiday package includes 10 nights accommodation at the following hotels:

• Rydges Auckland
• Novotel Hamilton
• Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua
• Grand Central Hotel New Plymouth
• Copthorne Palmerston North
• InterContinental Hotel Wellington

Please note prices are subject to availability at time of booking and may change without notice.

• Departing Australia 27 Oct 2021 and returning 06 Nov 2021

Departures from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne:

• Twin Share - from $4599 pp + $220 pp air taxes = from $4819 per person
• Sole use - from $5949 + $220 pp air taxes = from $6169

Departures from Adelaide, Launceston & Hobart:

• Twin Share - from $4899 pp + $220 pp air taxes = from $5119 per person
• Sole use - from $6249 + $220 pp air taxes = from $6469

Departures from Perth:

• Twin Share - from $5149 pp + $220 pp air taxes = from $5369 per person
• Sole use - from $6499 + $220 pp air taxes = from $6719

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no airfares will be confirmed until New Zealand's borders have opened to Australian travellers. Please note tour pricing is subject to airline availability and as such the package price is subject to change until flights are confirmed. Air Taxes are subject to change.

Call our local travel team on 1300 414 198 to secure your seat on this popular tour, which will sell out!

27 OCT 2021: ARRIVE AUCKLAND

On arrival into Auckland you will be met by a Grand Pacific Tours representative and transferred to your hotel. This evening, meet your Tour Leader and travelling companions for dinner.

• Stay: Rydges Auckland (2 nights)
• Included Meals: Dinner (not included for anyone arriving later than 8:00pm)

28 OCT 2021: AUCKLAND SIGHTSEEING

This morning enjoy the sights of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. Travel to Matakana to visit Sculptureum, an internationally unique art experience. Enjoy time to wander through the Garden of Creative Diversity and view the hundreds of displayed works in the Galleries. This afternoon travel to the Auckland Zoo for a guided tour of Te Wao Nui, six stunning habitats showcasing the native fauna and flora of New Zealand. This evening is free to dine at leisure.

• Included Meals: Breakfast

29 OCT 2021: AUCKLAND - HAMILTON

This morning travel to Ayrlies Garden and Wetlands, one of New Zealand’s best-known gardens and a Garden of National Significance. It is characterized by sweeping lawns and informal but detailed plantings by ponds and waterways. Use of colour is a hallmark of Ayrlies, seen best in the lurid border where ‘hot’ colours are used to great effect. This afternoon travel to Waikato’s most visited attraction, the Hamilton Gardens. A guided tour of the themed gardens will transport you from the peaceful Sung Dynasty Chinese Scholar’s garden to the Italian Renaissance garden followed by the grandeur of the Indian Char Bagh garden. Your guide will share the story of how the gardens were transformed from a rubbish dump into a Garden of International Significance.

• Stay: Novotel Hamilton
• Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

30 OCT 2021: HAMILTON - MATAMATA - ROTORUA

Today travel to Cambridge to visit the private garden of the Henley Hotel, nestled on 29 acres of parkland and features a camelia-lined oval lawn and lakeside pavilion. You will be treated to High Tea amongst the cherry blossoms (weather permitting). Continue through picturesque countryside to Hobbiton for a buffet lunch followed by a guided tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set. Travel to Rotorua for a walk through the Rotorua Government Gardens before arriving at your hotel.

• Stay: Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua (Superior Room. 2 nights)
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

31 OCT 2021: ROTORUA SIGHTSEEING

Today begins with a gondola ride and breakfast at Skyline Rotorua, where spectacular views are on offer. There is also time for a luge ride! Next stop is the Agrodome for an action-packed hour of farming entertainment and education that is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Travel to Te Puia for a tour of the boiling mud pools and awesome geysers that Rotorua is famous for. Enjoy some free time this afternoon before travelling to a Mãori village for an interactive and educational experience that culminates with a cultural performance and traditional Hãngi feast.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Specialty Dinner

01 NOV 2021: ROTORUA - WAITOMO - NEW PLYMOUTH

Depart Rotorua and travel to Waitomo for a tour of the Glow Worm Caves, where tiny creatures radiate their luminescent light. Enjoy lunch in this native bushland setting before travelling to New Plymouth, home of the Taranaki Garden Festival. This afternoon will be spent visiting one of the festival gardens.

• Stay: Grand Central Hotel New Plymouth (2 nights)
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

02 NOV 2021: TARANAKI GARDEN FESTIVAL

Today you will visit a variety of impressive gardens all set around the legendary Mount Taranaki. You will marvel at the majestic array of botanicals on display at this premier garden event, which attracts thousands of visitors from New Zealand and the world. A selection of gardens have been chosen to showcase the unique planting and local gardener’s will be on hand to share the inspiration behind their garden.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

03 NOV 2021: NEW PLYMOUTH - PALMERSTON NORTH

Before we depart the Taranaki region, we visit one final stunning festival garden before travelling onto Whanganui for a short stop. This afternoon you will visit Cross Hills Rhododendron Garden. Garden. Spanning 7 hectares, this park-like garden includes one of the world’s finest collections of rhododendrons and azaleas, which will provide a dazzling colour display. Continue to Palmerston North for your overnight stay.

• Stay: Copthorne Palmerston North
• Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

04 NOV 2021: PALMERSTON NORTH - WELLINGTON

Travel to the nation’s capital, Wellington. Ride the Wellington Cable Car, one of the city’s most iconic attractions, to the Botanic Gardens. Enjoy time to view the protected native forest and colourful floral displays with stunning views over Wellington city. Join your coach for an extensive city tour, which will highlight the history and culture on show here. This evening is free to dine at leisure.

• Stay: InterContinental Wellington (Deluxe Room. 2 nights)
• Included Meals: Breakfast

05 NOV 2021: WELLINGTON

A highlight this morning will be time to explore Gallipoli: A Scale of War exhibition at Te Papa, New Zealand’s National Museum. Cutting edge technology brings these stories to life through the eyes of New Zealanders, who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Enjoy time at leisure this afternoon. This evening enjoy a final dinner with your new found friends.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

06 NOV 2021: DEPART WELLINGTON

Having experienced some of the finest gardens in the North Island, it is time to say goodbye. You will transferred to the airport for your flight home after a memorable holiday.

• Included Meals: Breakfast

PASSPORT AND VISA REQUIREMENTS
All visitors require a passport to enter New Zealand. Your passport must be valid for at least three months past the date that you intend to leave New Zealand. For Australian citizens travelling on an Australian passport, you do not need a visa or permit to visit New Zealand. Visitors from visa-waiver countries must request an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) prior to travelling to New Zealand. For visitors from non-visa waiver countries, it is recommended you visit customs.govt.nz for full entry requirements.

LUGGAGE LIMITS:
Due to limited space onboard the coach, please ensure carry-on bags do not exceed 6kg. Each traveller is entitled to travel with ONE suitcase on tour measuring (length + width + depth) no more than 140cm (55”).The maximum suitcase weight allowed is 23kg.

CLOTHING:

Whilst on tour, dress is informal and relaxed on most occasions. Smart casual clothes are acceptable at most restaurants. The seasons are more pronounced and the weather is more changeable. In summer, a jacket and sweater should be included in your luggage should the weather turn cooler or you visit higher altitudes. You can expect some rain, so also include a light rainproof jacket or coat. If visiting from May to September, pack warm winter garments and layer your clothing. You may have the option to relax and unwind in thermal hot pools so don’t forget to pack your swimwear.

MONEY MATTERS:

New Zealand’s unit of currency is the New Zealand Dollar (NZD). All major international credit cards are accepted and provided they are encoded with a PIN, may be used to obtain cash from Automatic Teller Machines throughout New Zealand. Check with your bank whether this facility is available to you. It is highly recommended you obtain a small amount of New Zealand currency prior to your arrival in New Zealand. Cash Passports or Travel Money Cards are popular and are a safe and convenient way to allow you to access cash at Automatic Teller Machines throughout New Zealand.

WEATHER:

These are average minimum/maximum temperatures in Celsius only during Spring (Sep to Nov). They could vary by up to 4-6 degrees.

• Auckland 11 - 18
• Rotorua 07 - 17
• Wellington 09 - 15

TIPPING:

New Zealanders do not depend on tips for their income, however tipping in appreciation for extra-special service is at the discretion of the individual traveller. Some tours may organise an envelope to be circulated for a group presentation to the Coach Captain and/or Tour Guide but any contribution is based on individual appreciation and is not mandatory.

INCIDENTALS:

We suggest you allow a minimum of NZ $40-$50 per day per person for incidental cash expenses such as lunch, morning and afternoon tea.

ROLE OF YOUR COACH CAPTAIN & TOUR GUIDE:

Your Coach Captain is responsible for driving and maintaining the coach and for providing commentary throughout the tour. Your Tour Guide is responsible for your wellbeing and for co-ordinating all the accommodation and activities. It is important whilst travelling on tour that you follow all Crew instructions.

COACH SEAT ROTATION:

For the enjoyment of all travellers a daily seat rotation operates which all travellers must participate in as a condition of booking. The coach seat plan is displayed on the coach for your reference.