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
$269.95
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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 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 4.75 hours. There is plenty of time for enjoying the locations and restroom stops. Minimum age is 10 years. Tour sequence may vary.