Arthurs Pass and Southern Alps Day Excursion from Port Lyttelton or Christchurch

This day excursion takes us across the Canterbury Plains around 50 miles to Porters Pass (just under 1000 m and higher than Arthurs Pass) and into the Southern Alps. Mountain lakes and wide braided rivers pass through ancient glacial valleys. After about 2.5 hours we reach Arthurs Pass National Park and its beech forests. We drive to the top of the pass and divide looking over into the rainforests of the West Coast, then stop in AP village here for lunch.Time permitting we have a quick tour of Christchurch on the return trip and a short stroll at Castle Hill.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Arthur's Pass National Park Visitor Centre, State Highway 73, Arthur's Pass National Park 7654 New Zealand

A centre giving information on the geology, flora and fauna of Arthurs Pass, as well as a souvenir shop

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Christchurch Cathedral, Cathedral Square, Christchurch New Zealand

Photo stop

Duration: 15 minutes

Pass By: Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Rolleston Ave, Christchurch New Zealand

Large trees from all over the world and well-maintained gardens....we can stop if time permits. The Arts Centre and Great Hall are also here and worth a visit (Gothic Architecture).

Stop At: Castle Hill, Castle Hill, Canterbury Region, South Island

Option to take a stroll in this amazing scenery.....an ancient seafloor that is now giant limestone cliffs and rocks in the middle of the Southern Alps. Ancient giant sharks teeth have been found fossillised in these rocks and Narnia : The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was filmed across the road. The path is gentle and takes you into a very photogenic land which has been appreciated back into history since the gentle Waitaha people used it as a spiritual centre. Today you may see climbers from across the world making their way up or around these fascinating structures.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Arthur's Pass Chapel, 81 West Coast Rd, Arthur's Pass National Park New Zealand

Behind this lovely small mountain chapel is the beech forest which covers most of the Southern Alps. A walk of a few minutes takes you to a small bridge and beautiful stream of clear mountain water flowing over a waterfall.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Arthur's Pass National Park, Arthur's Pass National Park, Canterbury Region, South Island

Take a photo by an imposing stone sign which signifies the start of Arthur's Pass National Pass....the route through here was opened up in the mid 1860's as gold was found on the West Coast and a road was hurriedly built in a year to connect east and west.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Bealey Hotel, 12858 West Coast Road, Arthur's Pass 7875, New Zealand

See a statue of the Giant Moa, the tallest bird to live on earth and hear the story of Paddy Freeny and its possible rediscovery in the 1980's.

Duration: 15 minutes

Pass By: Cave Stream Scenic Reserve, State Highway 73, Castle Hill New Zealand

Enjoy the limestone of this area....a stream flows under the road at great depth and takes about an hour to go through....but not on this trip.

Stop At: Canterbury Region, Canterbury Region, South Island

Traverse the Canterbury Plains from east to west from Christchurch to the skifields of the Cragieburn Range and into the Southern Alps . This fertile plain is one of the most productive on earth boasting world record yields of wheat and barley. This agricultural powerhouse also produces large amounts of the world's seed and provides potatoes, onions, wine, dairy products, animal feed, sheep etc.
Look for the Waimakariri River ...a classic braided river connecting the mountain icefields to the Pacific Ocean.

Duration: 2 hours



Informacion Adicional
"Not wheelchair accessible"
"Stroller accessible"
"Most travelers can participate"
"This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate"
"Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability"



Start Time: 08:30 AM
Duration: 7 Hours
Start location: Traveler pickup is offered
The cruise ship is in the customs secure area in Lyttelton Harbour and so you have to catch the free Lyttelton Shuttle shipside and get off at the Norwich Quay Bus Stop just through the security gates..a 5 min trip....look for a sign with your name on it.

Ports

• Port Lyttelton ( the port of Christchurch BUT we do not pickup at Akaroa on this tour)

Cancellations and refunds: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.

Included

• Air-conditioned vehicle
• Private transportation

Not Included

• Lunch
• Coffee and/or Tea

Facilities