OVERVIEW

Spend a day immersed in the magnificence of Rangitata Valley and the Southern Alps, making picturesque stops and exploring a historic high-country sheep station. For pure scenic splendor, few locales on Earth compare to this one – so visually stunning it served as a backdrop for several Lord of the Rings films. Some highlights from your journey to the alps will include a short walk into the virgin woodlands of Peel Forest, alive with birdlife and towering podocarp trees that have stood for hundreds of years, spared from lumbering. Your ultimate destination is Mesopotamia Station, named in 1860 for its position between two rivers – much like the ancient Mesopotamia. During your time here in this amazing high-country outpost, you’ll learn about its intrepid early settlers and the challenges of living at the station even today. Refreshments will be served, and you’ll have plenty of time for a leisurely walk, some photography, or just sit back and in awe at the views. A stop in artsy, artisanal Geraldine for a light lunch and free time follows. Finally, you will visit a small farm where a world-class shearer will give a shearing and sheep dog demonstration while you enjoy a glass of beer or wine before you return to the ship.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by panoramic coach from Timaru into a natural setting so stunning it’s starred in Tolkien movies.
• Tour the high-country sheep station known as Mesopotamia, settled in 1860 and still plenty rustic.
• Visit the arts enclave of Geraldine on the way back, admired especially for its cheeses and preserves.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; include a light jacket.
• Flat, sturdy walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

View ancient Māori cave paintings at a cultural center and in limestone caves and come away with a deeper understanding of the artistry of these early storytellers. The Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre holds eight slabs of rock adorned with Māori art that were cut from the caves more than a century ago. They have been returned to their rightful tribal owners and are now on display to show some of the common motifs in rock art. Mythical creatures, animal figures and abstract patterns are among the most common subjects depicted. Contemporary tribal art inspired by these timeless forms are also displayed. Seeing undisturbed rock art in their original cave sites at Opihi will be even more revealing, especially as the guide interprets the sacred images that reflect the daily lives and spiritual beliefs of the Māori. Extinct avian species such as flightless moas and massive pouakai eagles are among the images.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gain an overall understanding of Māori rock art at the Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre.
• See slabs of rock art cut from their original locations in caves more than a century ago.
• View rock art left in situ in the Opihi limestone caves.
• Learn what the rock art images represent and what they reveal about the early Māoris.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Savor afternoon tea in the relaxed elegant setting of Harlau House Café followed by a look at one of the few remaining wooden lighthouses in New Zealand. Originally the stables for the homestead, the building was redesigned and repurposed as a café full of character and history. Designer Maree Hynes will greet you at this 19th-century landmark and share the rich heritage of the estate, the details of which you will later discover in her interior showroom. A signature cheese puff will be served with the tea to add a regional touch. You will also have time to stroll through the idyllic gardens of Harlau House, a serene and inspiring setting that perfectly complements the French-influenced retreat. Built a few decades earlier, Blackett’s Lighthouse was designed to be constructed of stone, but timber was used for financial reasons. The historical beacon has been relocated twice, most recently above the Benvenue Cliffs.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy an elegant tea at a café that was originally the stables of Harlau House.
• Meet the designer of the café and browse her interior showroom.
• Discover the history of Harlau House, a landmark in the outskirts of Timaru.
• Stop at a 19th-century lighthouse that is one of the country’s few wooden beacons.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Discover the creativity of Geraldine by browsing its art galleries and indulging in the cuisine of this foodie haven. For such a rural and agricultural town, Geraldine is remarkably cultured and sophisticated. You will see that firsthand while visiting the local galleries, mingling with the owners – who may be artists themselves – and watching a demonstration of gilding, a decorative art in which gold leaf is applied to an object. The food and beverage scene in Geraldine is just as inspiring. As you follow the guide through town, you will stop for tea, to sample small-batch gins at a boutique distillery and for beer tastings and lunch at the House of Hop microbrewery. The menu will likely include locally sourced venison and lamb, artisan cheeses and fresh-baked breads. Time will also be allotted for shopping in the one-of-a-kind stores. Hand-crafted jewelry and merino-wool fashions are among the most popular items.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse the inspiring galleries in Geraldine, a rural town with a distinct artistic flair.
• Engage with the art gallery owners and watch a demonstration of gilding.
• Enjoy tastings of small-batch gins and beers made with locally sourced ingredients.
• Dine on artisan meats, cheeses, and bread at the brewery.
• Spend free time shopping in Geraldine.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Stop at some of the most beautiful alpine lakes within the Waitaki District to see how hydroelectric power is harnessed and how salmon are sustainably farmed. The leisurely drive there will be spectacularly scenic, as you will travel through a fertile agricultural landscape with numerous farms and cattle and sheep ranches. At the hydro dam on the Waitaki River, you will gain an understanding of how the river water has been used to generate electricity for nearly 100 years. Some of the towns that you will pass along the way, such as Twizel, were developed specifically to house workers for those hydroelectric projects. Glacial water from cobalt-blue Lake Pukaki powers many of the hydroelectric stations, but without harming the environment as you will discover while pausing at this striking setting below New Zealand’s tallest peak. Similarly, at Lake Tekapo, you will hear how farmers and conservationists work hand in hand to preserve the environment and endangered species.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Discover how power stations and salmon farms operate without harming the ecology.
• Learn how industries work hand in hand with conservationists to protect the environment.
• Travel through a pristine mountain landscape with alpine lakes and deep valleys.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Explore the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark, a landscape of dramatic limestone formations, volcanic sequences and extraordinary fossils that presents a geological picture of Zealandia. As an introduction to what is the eighth continent – 94% of which is still submerged beneath the ocean – you will browse the Vanished World Centre. It holds a collection of rare fossils that reveals marine life in Zealandia millions of years ago. While following the guide through the geopark, you will see natural wonders such as the remains of an ancient seabed that resembles a herd of elephants and the Valley of the Whales, a layered cliff of sediments that exposes a cross-section of marine life through the ages. You will also view rock paintings that the indigenous Māori created with red ochre and charcoal. The paintings date to the 1400s, when the Waitaki Valley was their hunting ground. Lunch will follow at the Riverstone Café or at a local venue.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk through an incredibly dramatic landscape that was once submerged beneath the sea.
• See bizarre limestone formations, towering cliffs and centuries-old Māori rock paintings.
• Browse a collection of fossils of marine creatures that include whales, dolphins, and sharks.
• Get a glimpse of ancient life in Zealandia, the majority of which is still underwater.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.