Alpine Lakes & Mountains Scenic Drive
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Port
Timaru, New Zealand
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$259.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 8 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Travel by coach through a landscape of crop, sheep and beef farms en route to the Mackenzie Basin. Here, the landscape and farming change dramatically. It is the domain of merino sheep and iconic high-country stations in a landscape dominated by the Southern Alps and glacial lakes.
Pause at Lake Tekapo -- a remarkable turquoise lake with brilliant views of the glacial valleys that feed it. Don’t miss the beautiful Church of the Good Shepherd (1935), whose altar window frames a postcard-perfect view.
Traveling to Lake Pukaki, you cross one of the many bright-blue hydro canals crisscrossing the Mackenzie Basin. Lake Pukaki is surrounded by big country and borders the eastern slopes of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park – named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its outstanding scenic value.
Skirt the hydro-town of Twizel and Lake Ruataniwha before reaching a salmon farm.
Walk through the town of Omarama, whose poetic name means The Place of Light, and purchase lunch (at your own expense) in this location renowned for hang-gliding and clear night skies.
Pass Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and rolling farmland en route back to Timaru.
Notes:
This is a scenic driving tour; total distance traveled by coach is approximately 350 km (225 miles). Estimated time on the coach is about 4 hours 40 minutes. There is plenty of time for enjoying the locations and restroom stops. Minimum age is 10 years.