UNSEEN FIORDLAND AND STEWART ISLAND
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ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Queenstown | Arrive at your hotel informal get together |
| Day 2 | Port of Bluff/Stewart Island | Embark your ship after breakfast, Ruapuke Island, albatross, petrels, cormorants, gulls and Little Blue Penguins. Stewart and Ulva Islands, Boulder and West End Beaches, Post Office Bay and Sydney Cove and Oban in Halfmoon Bay |
| Days 3 - 5 | Fiordland | Explore South-west corner of the South Island, Captain Cook's landing in 1773, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound and Acheron Passage and more. Bottlenose Dolphins, Fiordland Crested Penguins and Little Penguins |
| Day 6 | Invercargill/Queenstown | Arrive Port of Bluff after breakfast, bid farewell to fellow passengers and crew then coach transfer to airport |
SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY
Heritage Adventurer
The Heritage Adventurer (formerly the MS Hanseatic) is a modern, ice-strengthened Antarctic cruise ship with all en-suite cabins accommodating up to 146 guests. Purpose built for polar waters in Rauma Finland, the Heritage Adventurer not only has the highest ice class rating (Lloyds 1AS) she also offers unmatched stability and superior speed to get you to your destination and out exploring.
Day 1 Queenstown, New Zealand
Make your way to the hotel spending the first night of the expedition taking part in an informal get-together for dinner; an excellent opportunity to meet fellow adventurers on your voyage and the expedition team.
Day 2 Port of Bluff/Stewart Island
Today we enjoy breakfast in the hotel restaurant and have the morning free to explore Queenstown before returning to the hotel for lunch and departing for the Port of Bluff to embark your ship. There’s time to settle into your cabin and explore the ship. Join the expedition team in the Observation Lounge and up on the Observation Deck setting course to Campbell Island. Sail past Ruapuke Island and Stewart Island. Despite appearing quite small on most maps it is really quite large and has a 700 kilometre coastline. Seabirds that we may encounter at this early point in the voyage include: albatross, petrels, cormorants, gulls and Little Blue Penguins.
New Zealand’s third island is well off the usual beaten tourist track with 85 per cent of the island designated national park and 700-kilometres of coastline. Enjoy the impressive bird song as we explore Ulva Island, rich in history and wildlife, which has been predator-free since 1997. Some of the wildlife you may get to see while walking its tracks and exploring Boulder and West End Beaches, Post Office Bay and Sydney Cove include Stewart Island Robin, Stewart Island Weka, South Island Kaka, Kereru (wood pigeon), Mohua (yellowhead), Red-crowned Parakeet, Fantail, Bellbird and Tui. In Paterson Inlet visit the historic Norwegian whaling station in Prices Inlet and Kaipipi Bay, where from 1923 and 1933 the Ross Sea Whaling Company of Sandefjord, Norway ran a repair base where chaser boats were serviced in preparation for the Antarctic summer. Discover quirky town centre Oban in Halfmoon Bay where a drink with a view can be enjoyed at the historic and iconic South Sea Hotel.
Days 3 – 5 Fiordland
There’s plenty of time to explore the incredible wilderness of fiords in the south-west corner of the South Island. Rich in history, majestic scenery and abundant in wildlife. Captain Cook and his crew landed here on HMS Resolution in 1773. Cook’s records of his discovery and maps attracted sealers and whalers not long after who then formed the first European settlements of New Zealand, historically this region is very important and shaped the future of the country. Only accessible by sea, making it the most remote region of New Zealand’s mainland. Waterfalls, streams, rivers and fiords are enveloped with misty veils that come and go. The rugged terrain, thickly forested floors are covered with ferns, lichens and mosses. Bottlenose Dolphins, Fiordland Crested Penguins and Little Penguins are all residents of the fiords; during our time here we will look out for them. Our schedule gives us the flexibility to visit as much as possible, areas we plan to visit during our time in Fiordland include Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound and Acheron Passage, Astronomer’s Point and Pickersgill Harbour. Day 5 enjoy a celebratory dinner.
Day 6 Invercargill/Queenstown
Your adventure ends at at the Port of Bluff. Early this morning arrive in port and after a final breakfast say farewell before disembarking and transferring by complimentary coach to either Invercargill or Queenstown Airports.