Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand Itinerary
Tuesday & Wednesday, January 17 & 18, 2017 Depart USA Board your independent flight to New Zealand. Lose a day crossing the International Date Line.
Thursday, January 19 Queenstown, New Zealand Arrive in Queenstown and transfer to the Millennium Hotel in time for lunch. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure before gathering for an orientation and dinner at the hotel.
Friday, January 20 Queenstown Today choose one of two excursion options, designed to highlight Queenstown’s natural and cultural attributes. Journey through the dramatic Lord of the Rings landscapes of Central Otago and meet the winemakers of the world’s southernmost wine-producing region. Or, ride the Skyline Gondola to the top of Bob’s Peak, then take a thrilling jet boat ride on the famed Shotover Jet. Enjoy free time this afternoon to browse the private studios, gardens, and galleries of internationally renowned artists. Return to the hotel for dinner, or choose to dine on your own in Queenstown
Saturday, January 21 Queenstown / Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park / Embark Caledonian Sky Depart Queenstown this morning for a scenic drive to Milford Sound. Part of Te Wahipounamu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fiordland National Park is famed for spectacular glacier-carved waterways and unique flora and fauna. Board the Caledonian Sky this afternoon and cruise the length of Milford Sound past soaring cliff faces and powerful cascades.
Sunday, January 22 Stewart Island / Ulva Island Peaceful Stewart Island is home to fewer than 500 inhabitants. Explore the coastline and seal-populated bays before anchoring near Oban. Local guides lend insight into the island’s unique environment and Maori history. Nearby Ulva Island is a predator-free sanctuary with lush temperate rainforest. It is a wonderful place to view the South Island robin, South Island saddleback, yellowhead, and the curious weka, a flightless rail.
Monday, January 23 Dunedin Arrive in port this morning after cruising scenic Otago Harbor and choose one of two local discovery options. Take a drive to Orokonui Ecosanctuary to discover native birds and reptiles, followed by a visit to the world-famous northern royal albatross colony at Taiaroa Head. Or, enjoy a scenic train ride on the Taieri Gorge Railway, then join a local historian for a walk through the heart of enchanting Dunedin, viewing the distinct Edwardian and Victorian architectural styles of First Church and St. Paul Cathedral.
Tuesday, January 24 At Sea Join naturalists for lectures and on deck to look for royal, shy, and Buller’s albatross, plus a host of southern ocean petrels as we cruise to Campbell Island.
Wednesday, January 25 Campbell Island Campbell Island is home to a multitude of seabirds, marine mammals, and unique sub-Antarctic megaherbs. Photographic opportunities include frame-filling encounters with southern royal albatross, as well as Hooker’s sea lions. Birders search for the endemic Campbell teal and Campbell snipe, both species were previously believed to be extinct.
Thursday, January 26 At Sea Our lecture series continues with recaps on Campbell and briefings on our next sub-Antarctic landings.
Friday & Saturday, January 27 & 28 Macquarie Island, Australia Spend two days exploring Macquarie Island. Though tides and weather will determine our landings, we hope to visit a king penguin colony as well as colonies of royal and gentoo penguins. A variety of birds, as well as elephant and fur seals can be found set against a background of mountains and tussock-covered headlands. Several species of albatross breed here—wandering, black-browed, gray-headed, and light-mantled sooty.
Sunday, January 29 At Sea Spend a relaxing and educational day at sea as our lecture series continues.
Monday, January 30 Enderby, Auckland Islands Today nature walks lead you through lush vegetation and rata forests to visit nesting southern royal albatross. Station yourself near a beach covered with Hooker’s sea lions to watch yellow-eyed penguins, one of the rarest penguins in the world, as they return to their nesting sites. In the elfin forest, search for bellbirds, tomtits, and red-crowned parakeets, among other endemics.
Tuesday, January 31 the Snares Islands Board Zodiacs for a cruise around The Snares Islands. This nature reserve is home to millions of breeding sooty shearwaters, as well as Buller’s albatross, Cape petrels, and endemic Snares crested penguins.
Wednesday, February 1 Dusky and Doubtful Sounds, Fiordland National Park Today is devoted to Fiordland National Park, a nearly uninhabited wilderness with breathtakingly beautiful fjords filled with wildlife. In Dusky Sound explore by Zodiacs to discover rainforest luxuriant with tree ferns, mosses, and lichens and visit Astronomer’s Point, the site of a temporary observatory established during Captain Cook’s 1773 voyage. The forests and waterways are home to many birds—bellbirds, tuis, fantails, and the kereru, a large native wood pigeon. Later, as the ship slowly cruises Doubtful Sound, keep your binoculars ready to inspect the coves where rare Fiordland crested penguins are sometimes found.
Thursday, February 2 Milford Sound / Disembark / Queenstown Be on deck this morning to watch the panorama of Milford’s sheer cliff faces, which rise thousands of feet almost vertically from the water’s edge, as well as the crashing waters of Bowen and Stirling Falls and the stunning mile-high Mitre Peak. Disembark the Caledonian Sky for a short drive to the picturesque town of Te Anau for lunch. Continue to Queenstown, with dinner and overnight at the Millennium Hotel.
Friday, February 3 Queenstown / USA After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your independent flight home, arriving in the USA the same day.
Caledonian Sky
The all-suite 100-guest Caledonian Sky is a spacious, yet intimate, expedition vessel. Refurbished in 2012, her beautifully designed public spaces include a single-seating dining room, a large lounge, elegant bar, enclosed panoramic viewing deck, library, and gym. All suites have an ocean view and feature a sitting area, en suite bathroom, flat screen television, spacious wardrobes, and dressing table. The Caledonian Sky carries a fleet of Zodiacs, available for accessing remote shorelines and islands.