Explore the South Island of NZ on the Stray Takahe Bus Tour

Description

Takahe Tour by Stray Travel

The Takahe tour takes you to all the highlights of the South Island of New Zealand. It is an amazing one-way bus tour from Christchurch to Queenstown via the West Coast. This one delivers breathtaking & magnificent alpine landscapes and more.

Hop onboard a scenic train journey and travel across the Southern Alps. Then the orange Stray bus will take over to take you to the icy glaciers of the West Coast. Experience the South Island like never before. Experience the wild West Coast, Lake Wanaka and reach new levels of adrenaline in Queenstown. That’s the Takahe tour in a nutshell.

Itinerary of the Takahe Tour

Takahē is a big flightless bird native to New Zealand’s South Island. This bird can’t fly so we’ll start the tour with a scenic train ride across the Southern Alps. Then the orange Stray bus will take over. Check out the amazing places you’ll visit and the things you will see on this tour.

Winter edition (departure dates until 17 September 2021)

The itinerary of the winter edition of this tour (8 days, 7 nights) is as follows….

Day 1: Christchurch to Greymouth

Transverse the Southern Alps on the highly regarded TranzAlpine Scenic Train. You'll start the day by travelling through the stunning Arthur's Pass to the historic gold mining town of Greymouth on the West Coast. On arrival into Greymouth, make your way to your accommodation for the evening and settle in.

Note: Please contact the Stray office at least 48 hours before your Christchurch departure to confirm your transfer details and departure times.

Accommodation: Noah’s Ark Backpackers

Day 2: Greymouth to Franz Josef

You have the morning to yourself to explore Greymouth, your Stray group will meet you at 1:15pm outside the Greymouth train station. From here we’ll make a stop in Hokitika (the best place to buy ‘Pounamu’, a native greenstone) before continuing on to the quaint township of Franz Josef, home of the famous Franz Josef Glacier and our base for the next two nights.

Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat

Day 3: Franz Josef

Ice, ice baby! Get ready to experience the Franz Josef Glacier, an iconic highlight of the West Coast. Take a short drive to the beginning of the track. Hike through native bush and across glacial streams to the terminal face of the glacier for spectacular photos or just hang out at the Retreat and relax in one of NZ’s largest spa pools.

Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat

Day 4: Franz josef to Wanaka (via Fox Glacier)

It’s another scenic journey today with plenty of photo stops – your Mum isn’t gonna be the only one who thinks your travel photos are world-class! First up is the amazing mirror-like Lake Matheson for a short walk. We travel inland through the mountainous Haast Pass and alongside beautiful Lake Hawea to arrive in Wanaka late afternoon. It’s the perfect time to get your own photo of the famous Wanaka Tree set against a sunset backdrop. Dreamy!

Accommodation: Central Wanaka hostel

Day 5: Wanaka to Queenstown

Kick start your day with a brisk walk up Mt Iron or have a sleep in (we know they’re necessary sometimes!). Mid-morning we’ll make our way to Queenstown, known in New Zealand as the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’ and the spiritual home of bungy jumping. We stop at Kawarau Bridge on our way into town a.k.a. the first commercial bungy jumping site in the world. If you’re feeling brave you can tick the bungy off your bucket list or if you’d prefer to just watch then you can cheer your mates on from the viewing platform!

Accommodation: Central Queenstown hostel

Day 6: Queenstown Free Day

Yaaaasssss you've made it to Queenstown! Time to have some fun in the adventure capital of New Zealand. With a buzzy nightlife, beautiful mountain scenery and plenty of outdoor activities, it’s easy to understand why so many backpackers refuse to leave this place.

Accommodation: Central Queenstown hostel

Day 7: Milford Sound Day Tour

Today you’ll hop aboard a Coach which will take you to the stunning Milford Sound.

You’ll take a Cruise across this impressive Sound and see towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls as well as spotting some amazing wildlife like Fur Seals, Penguins and Dolphins.

Once you’ve snapped as many pics as you possibly can, it’s back to Queenstown. We recommend checking out the buzzy nightlife and many restaurants Queenstown has to offer.

Accommodation: Central Queenstown hostel

Day 8: Finish in Queenstown

Today your tour ends, we hope you leave with many happy memories of your trip with us.

Regular edition (departure dates from 16 October 2021)

For you, the itinerary of the Takahe Tour will be as follows… It’s the same amazing tour but this one takes 7 days, 6 nights.

Day 1: Christchurch to Franz Josef

Your Stray group will meet you outside the Greymouth train station. From here we’ll make a stop in Hokitika (the best place to buy ‘Pounamu’, native greenstone) before continuing on to the quaint township of Franz Josef, home of the famous Franz Josef Glacier and our base for the next two nights.

Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat

Day 2: Franz Josef

Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat

Day 3: Franz josef to Wanaka (via Fox Glacier)

Accommodation: Central Wanaka hostel

Day 4: Wanaka to Queenstown

Accommodation: Central Queenstown hostel

Day 5: Queenstown Free Day

Accommodation: Central Queenstown hostel

Day 6: Milford Sound Day Tour

Today you’ll hop aboard a Coach which will take you to the stunning Milford Sound.

You’ll take a Cruise across this impressive Sound and see towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls as well as spotting some amazing wildlife like Fur Seals, Penguins and Dolphins.

Once you’ve snapped as many pics as you possibly can, it’s back to Queenstown. We recommend checking out the buzzy nightlife and many restaurants Queenstown has to offer.

Accommodation: Central Queenstown hostel

Day 7: Finish in Queenstown

Today your tour ends, we hope you leave with many happy memories of your trip with us.

See where the Fantail Tour will take you

Takahe Tour Map — See where the Takahe Tour will take you

Free activities

There are so many amazing free activities to do on our Takahe Tour!

Hokitika greenstone store, chill out in the spa pool at your accommodation
Glacier hike, bush tracks, soak in the spa
Lake Matheson walk, Ship Creek walk, Blue Pools walk, Thunder Creek Falls walk
Walk Mt Iron, watch people jumping off a bridge!
Hike Ben Lomond, the Queenstown Hill, or Bob’s Peak

Accommodation

Dorm-style accommodation (4-10 beds) is included. You’ll stay in comfortable backpacker hostels, cabins and lodges. All accommodation facilities have self-catering kitchen facilities.

You can choose to upgrade your accommodation to a single or twin/double private room (subject to availability) when booking the Morepork Tour online. Prices for these paid upgrades are shown when you make the booking. Please note: At some destinations, your private room will include an ensuite bathroom and at some, it won’t.

Private Coach Transport

Take the pressure off, kick back, relax, soak up the scenery and let someone else do the driving. You’ll travel by private, air-conditioned bus.

Stray Guide

Expect entertaining anecdotes, great recommendations, extra support and local insider knowledge from your charismatic guide. They know every inch of this country. You can’t get this from a google search!

TranzAlpine Train

Experience the South Island’s striking natural landscape as you travel on one of the world’s greatest train journeys. From Christchurch to Greymouth, The TranzAlpine train is a New Zealand must-do.

Milford Sound Cruise

On this tour, you’ll hop aboard a cruise across this impressive Milford Sound. You’ll see Mitre Peak, rainforests and waterfalls as well as being able to spot some amazing wildlife like fur seals, penguins and dolphins.

Lots of free activities along the way

At each stop, there are various free activities to do, from hikes to experiencing our unique flora & fauna. Make sure the batteries of your camera are charged so you can make heaps of Insta-worthy photos.