Today we fly to Dunedin and on arrival, we are picked up by our local operator and we make our way into Oamaru. We stop along the way to view the Moeraki Boulders. As static as these boulders are, they are still quite fascinating and the extensive Moeraki beach with its golden sand is a beautiful outlook. After our visit, we continue on our way to Oamaru and check in to our motel that has a view out to the ocean and Victorian Precinct.

Dinner

Today we start with a little tiki tour of Oamaru and a visit to the Whitestone Cheese factory for a overview and tasting of our countries finest! Afterwards, we join Mike Grey, a local historian who walks us around the Victorian precinct to learn all about the history of this well preserved township. Afterwards, enjoy lunch at your leisure and a wander around the many stores.

Oamaru is home to the world’s smallest penguin, and after a busy day’s fishing, these little fellows like to return en masse when it’s dark, to feed their young. So after dinner tonight, we make our way to the local grandstand to observe them in their natural environment. 

(Breakfast, Dinner).

What is Oamaru most well known for? This morning we discover more about the famous stone that adorns many a kiwi home at Parkside Limestone Quarry.  This visit is then followed with a wonderful stroll and picnic lunch at a private homestead... a garden that will surprise and delight you! Tonight we will dine at a local restaurant. 

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

With our bags packed, we farewell Oamaru and make our way out of town. Our first visit is to Riverstone Castle... a fascinating glimpse into the imaginative creation of Dot and Neil Smith. Our tour is then followed by a wander around the expansive gift shop and lunch at the fabulous Riverstone Kitchen. 

In the afternoon we continue on through to Duntroon and the Vanished World where we discover a marine world that existed millions of years ago.

Then it’s ‘Over the Dansey’s Pass’ as we make our way over the Pass to the fabulous refurbished Dansey’s Pass Hotel for a 3-night stay. 

Dansey’s Pass Hotel is located deep within the Kyeburn Diggings and has a colourful history traced back to the 1860’s, when it serviced a multicultural gold prospecting community of 2000. Teamsters with their wagon trains plying trade between the Waitaki Basin and the Central Otago gold fields used the Coach Inn as a stopover when traveling on to the more remote gold prospecting areas of Central Otago. The Dansey’s Pass Hotel was built in 1862, with the original stonework constructed by a mason known as “Happy Bill”. Bill’s remuneration was in beer, and he received one pint for every schist boulder shaped and laid. Legend has it that after a particularly busy day the blithe craftsman fell into an open grave at the cemetery, and slept the night away.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Today we depart on a customised tour of this unique region. The Central Otago is a place of history, heart and beauty, together with a fantastic landscape of rock and tussock. Some of the places we visit will be St Bathans, Ranfurly, Wedderburn and Naseby. We visit one of the finest Marino farms in NZ and those who are keen can try their hand at curling in Naseby! 

(Breakfast, Dinner).

Today, two things can happen; if the weather plays ball we will be picked up by a local 4WD tour operator and taken on a breathtaking trip up into the mountains. And if the changeable conditions of these mountains cast any doubt on this experience we will track out to the original Dunstan Trail and visit the Poolburn Reservoir. Both these trips offer exceptional vistas over the rough and ready landscapes of the Central Otago. 

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

This morning we pack our bags and depart this beautiful part of the country. We visit Middlemarch for lunch before we make our way to Hindon where we board The Inlander Train to experience an iconic train trip through the spectacular Taieri Gorge* onwards to Dunedin Airport for our flights home. 

(Breakfast, Lunch). 

*this service is currently unconfirmed at time of tour publication.