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New Zealand - Wine, Cuisine, History and Culture

13 Days - February 25 to March 9, 2009

Click here to see 2006 Tour Photos

Register | Price | Itinerary | Trip Extension

Imagine summer in the vineyards of New Zealand. With its splendid climate, pure air, pristine environment and magnificent natural beauty, New Zealand is truly a feast for the senses. Next winter join wine personality and Wine Access Senior Editor Steve Thurlow as he leads a 14 day excursion of discovery and enjoyment.

Visit wineries days before harvest with the vineyards rich with ripe grapes, marvel at some of the world's most beautiful natural scenery, visit whales at play in the Southern Ocean, learn how to prepare dishes the New Zealand way, dine in splendid settings at wineries with their owners, and soak up the hot summer sunshine.

Experience the spectacular scenery of both North and South Islands, explore Maori culture, wander in streets of rural communities and shop for souvenirs.

Late February, when we typically experience the depths of a Canadian winter, on the other side of the world summer is most pleasant in New Zealand. Can you imagine the difference between -22°C and +22°C?

Wine for Life in co-operation with Wine Access magazine presents an accompanied wine, food and cultural visit to New Zealand.

We will explore the leading vineyards and wineries and be introduced to New Zealand's unique cuisine.

New Zealand has over the last 20 years developed a reputation for its white wine grapes: chardonnay and especially sauvignon blanc. More recently it has emerged as a producer of high quality reds from cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot. It is the pinot noirs, however, that are currently exciting international interest the most. This tour will visit all the major wine regions and will include many of the producers of pinot noir. There will be an opportunity to meet leading winemakers and taste their wines. This trip offers a unique opportunity to experience first hand this bountiful wine producing country.

As well as tasting and dining at all the major wineries, we will find time to visit many of the major tourist sites. We will be staying in hotels in Auckland, Napier, Masterton, Wellington, and Christchurch.

If all this sounds like too hectic a pace, don't worry. There will be time for relaxing by the pool in the warm sunshine and wandering around some of the beautiful cities and towns that New Zealand has to offer.

Central Otago Extension

For those who can spare another four days we have organized an extension trip with a flight to Queenstown and four extra nights there with visits to wineries in Central Otago and a day trip to magnificent Milford Sound. See below for more details of this option.

Register for Tour

Email: Steve Thurlow steve@stevethurlow.com

Telephone: Steve on 905-880-7183

Price
The trip price assumes double occupancy and includes no international flights. Guests will make their own travel arrangements to and from Auckland. All hotels, continental breakfasts, winery visits and tastings, and 16 meals, most with wines are included as are internal flights from Auckland to Hawkes Bay, Christchurch to Auckland plus luxury coach transportation elsewhere. The "ballpark" estimated price for the 15 day trip is C$5000 per person. Single supplement on request.

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Itinerary 2009

Day 1 Wednesday Feb 25 - Auckland

We meet in the morning in Auckland where we will stay that night at the City Life Hotel Auckland.

The hotel is in the heart of the city within walking distance of the city's main attractions. There is a gymnasium and an indoor heated lap-pool for guest use. The program for the first day is light to allow for settling-in and rest after the long journey.

Mid morning we will stroll down to the harbour to take a short ferry ride across the Hauraki Gulf, the site of recent Americas Cup races, to nearby Waiheke Island.

A regional tasting of wines from the island's wineries hosted by Goldwater Estate will accompany a realxing lunch.

There will be time for a short tour of the island taking in the spectacular views of the city and the islands in the gulf.

Late afternoon, we return to our hotel, with another chance for a rest. The evening will be free to explore the many restaurants that lie around the harbour in the heart of downtown.

Day 2: Thursday Feb 26 - Auckland

After breakfast, we leave to visit the spectacular new winery and vineyards of Villa Maria close to the airport overlooking Manukau Harbour. The morning will be filled with a visit to the vineyard, a winery tour, then a cooking class led by Villa Maria's Kathy Paterson formerly a teacher at the London School of Cordon Bleu Cookery and named recently as New Zealand's top caterer. Learn about the range of fresh produce, herbs, fish, meat, vegetables and fruits that are available.

New Zealand's cuisine is a fabulous fusion of Oriental, Pacific and European influences with the traditional Maori.

As each course is being prepared one of Villa Maria's Winemakers will lead us on a tour of the wines of New Zealand selecting examples to show the regional differences from Villa Maria's extensive portfolio.

These will then be matched as we sample the dishes.

After lunch the remains of the afternoon and evening will be free for relaxing at the hotel or exploring downtown Auckland.

Day 3: Friday Feb 27 - Auckland

We leave next morning to drive up the coast north of Auckland with miles of deserted beaches. We will visit Matakana Estate winery which lies about 90 minutes north of Auckland after that we take lunch at nearby cafe. We then head south to visit Matua Valley winery and then on to Coopers Creek for a visit. Wine will be served with hot bread and salmon before returning to the hotel in the evening.

Day 4: Saturday Feb 28 - Hawkes Bay & Napier

After breakfast we depart for the airport for our flight to the Hawkes Bay wine region.

We will have lunch at Sacred Hill winery in the hills above Hawkes Bay. Here we will taste the award winning wines of Tony Bish seen here preparing the bbq.

Later in the afternoon we arrive at our hotel, Te Pania, on the seafront in Napier at its centre.

That evening we will visit Vidal winery for an interactive cooking session, tasting and dinner

Day 5: Sunday Mar 1 - Hawkes Bay

Hawkes Bay with its Mediterranean climate and fertile soil is a prime fruit producing area.

The soils in the region are well suited for red grapes especially the Gimblett Gravels area.

First thing this morning we will drive to the top of Te Mata peak for a splendid view of the Hawkes Bay region.

Rod Easthorpe, the Viticulture Director of Craggy Range winery will meet us there to describe the region before we descend to his winery for a tasting.

Craggy Range sources its wines locally and also from the cooler Wairarapa region further south. We will visit the modern winery and learn some of the secrets about how they have been so successful.

We then head off to Kim Crawford winery for a tasting and bbq lunch before returning to the hotel. The afternoon can be filled with a visit to the Ocean Spa or maybe visiting the shops in the town or strolling along the shoreline of Hawkes Bay.

The evening will be free for visiting Napier with its amazing collection of art deco buildings or wandering by the sea along Marine Parade, and dining at one of the many quayside restaurants.

Day 6: Monday Mar 2 - Hawkes Bay - Wairarapa

The morning will be free, maybe for some shopping, before we visit Church Road Estate where we take an early lunch. We then leave to drive south to the emerging Wairarapa wine region. Arriving late afternoon, there may be time for a quick swim in the pool at our hotel Copthorne Solway Park Resort in Masterton, before we walk across the street for a regional tasting and dinner at nearby Solstone winery.

Day 7: Tuesday Mar 3 - Martinborough

30 minutes drive south of Masterton is the picturesque town of Martinborough nestling in hills surrounded by vineyards.

The wineries are all close together around the edges of the small town. We will visit Palliser Estate and Voss Estate for a tour and tasting then stopping in the centre of town for a regional tasting in the Winery Centre for those who want to explore the regions wines more closely.

We will the head off to nearby Greytown where there will be a couple of hours free time for strolling around the town, eating at one of the many cafes and browsing in the shops.

In the afternoon, Te Kairanga winery will host us for a tasting before we leave to drive to the capital city, Wellington, about 90 minutes away over the mountains to the south of Martinborough.

We will stay two nights at the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor in the centre of Wellington.

The evening will be free to explore Wellington's nightlife; maybe dining in one of the many restaurants on Wakefield Street, or on Courtney Terrace or maybe in the Cuba district; all within ten minutes of the hotel.

Day 8: Wednesday Mar 4 - Wellington

A free day for exploring New Zealand's capital city. Visit the modern parliament buildings, take the cable car from behind the hotel to the botanic gardens and be sure to allow an hour or so to visit Te Papa, the spectacular national museum. It tells the story of New Zealand's environment, arts, history and culture with an intriguing mix of museum exhibits, interactive virtual experiences and live shows. Some will be happy relaxing at the hotel, others may choose to visit the Kaori wildlife sanctuary, just 3 km from downtown Wellington. Here a growing population of the endangered native kiwi and other birds are thriving in a zone protected from predators, with controlled human access.

That evening we will explore Maori culture, especially performance art and cuisine. We will visit the Maori community of Te Herenga Waka at their Marae in Wellington where we will taste the wines of Tohu, the only winery owned and operated by Maoris.

Dinner will be prepared by Maori chefs according to the traditional ways however we will augment with some of their modern New Zealand wines.

Day 9: Thursday Mar 5 - Marlborough

We leave this morning for our ferry to the South Island.

It is a spectacular sail across the Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton. Lunch will be taken on board.

We will be staying two nights at the Chateau Marlborough in Blenheim at the centre of the Marlborough wine region.

Marlborough is New Zealand's largest wine region with around 50 wineries closely grouped together. In the afternoon, after checking-in, we will visit Seresin Estate and Nautilus winery before finishing the day at Montana winery where we will have dinner.

Day 10: Friday Mar 6- Marlborough

We continue visiting wineries in the Blenheim region having a BBQ lunch in the vineyards that produce the wine for Delegats's Oyster Bay wines.

Cloudy Bay and Wither Hills wineries will be visited in the afternoon before we head over to the coast to see the Monkey Bay Vineyards of Nobilo which lie on the coast near the beautiful Cloudy Bay.

We conclude the day at Nobilo's Drylands winery for dinner.

Day 11: Saturday Mar 7- Kaikoura and Waipara

Up early this morning to drive down the coast to Kaikoura, an area steeped in Maori history and legend. We will have an early picnic lunch just outside Kaikoura by the sea.

Off the coast of the village is a marine environment so rich in nutrients that it attracts some of the most magnificent creatures with which we share our planet.

Among them is the giant Sperm Whale which can grow up to 20 meters in length and has the largest brain of any animal alive. The whale watch trip is optional (C$110) and the price is not included in the tour. We will be at sea for about 2½ hours, on what will be a breathtaking adventure right into the world of the whales to meet them face to face. There is a 95% chance of sighting a sperm whale.

Once back on dry land we continue our journey southward stopping for a late afternoon regional wine tasting at Waipara Springs winery before arriving early evening at our all-suite hotel Fino Casementi, Christchurch where we stay two nights.

The evening will be free for visiting restaurants in the town or maybe sampling a few beers in The Bog, a traditional Irish Pub with great food.

Day 12: Sunday Mar 8- Christchurch

Free day for exploring this beautiful city.

Day 13: Monday March 9- Christchurch

Those not taking the optional extension to Central Otago leave the tour at this morning. They will fly that afternoon to Auckland and then to Canada. In previous years almost everyone chose to take the extension. Those doing so fly to Queenstown.

Central Otago Extension

Day 13: Monday March 9, 2009 - Queenstown and Central Otago

In the morning we leave for the airport for our flight to the alpine resort of Queenstown.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, this small town was founded in the gold rush years of the 1860s. It is now the starting point for all kinds of adventures and has almost as many cafes, bars and restaurants as the capital Wellington.

We have lunch at Peregrine winery and then visit Chard Farm winery before heading to the Crowne Plaza, Queenstown where we will stay four nights.

The hotel sits on the lake in the middle of town.

With spectacular views of the lake and the surrounding mountains from the rooms.

The evening will be free for visiting the town and checking out local restaurants and pavement cafes.

Day 14: Tuesday Mar 10 - Central Otago

We head off this morning for a spectacular drive over the mountains to Wanaka.

We will visit the Rippon winery for a tasting then heading into the lakeside town for lunch.

We head south to the Cromwell region to visit Felton Road, then Quartz Reef and finally Carrick winery then a drive through the Kawarau River gorge finishing up at Waitiri Creek for some supper before returning to our hotel in Queenstown.

Day 15: - Wednesday, Mar 11- Fiordland and Milford Sound ( Optional C$310 supplement )

The morning will comprise a visit to the historic gold mining town, Arrowtown for shopping and a quick bite before heading to the airport for the short yet spectacular flight to Milford at 2.00 pm. We will spend the afternoon visiting the pure wilderness of New Zealand's largest national park.

Te Wahipounamu, a world heritage site, is one of the greatest wilderness areas left in the southern hemisphere.

There we will find the highest mountains, largest glaciers, tallest forests, wildest rivers, most rugged landscapes and deepest lakes.

On arrival in Milford we board a boat for a scenic cruise out to the Tasman Sea and back in company of a guide who will provide detailed interpretation. We will hopefully see dolphins, seals and penguins.

Milford is one of the wettest places on earth with an annual rainfall of 6.43 m falling on 182 days of the year, so be prepared for it to rain.

Our short flight gets us back to Queenstown at 5:40 pm . The evening will be free.

Day 16: Thursday Mar 12- Central Otago
After breakfast we drive to the Cromwell area through the spectacular Kawarau Gorge. There are several wineries close to each other around this small town. We will visit Mount Difficulty, where we will have lunch then Two Paddocks and Akarua. All are producing excellent Pinot Noir in addition to other varieties.

That evening there will be a closing dinner in Queenstown when we will reprise the best wines encountered on our travels.

Day 17: Friday - March 13, 2008
This, our last day, is free for exploring Queenstown. Maybe shopping and then lunch lakeside, maybe a cruise on the lake. After lunch, we leave beautiful Queenstown for our return flight via Auckland and so back to Canada arriving in Toronto in the evening of the same day after recrossing the international dateline.

Central Otago Extension Price

The Central Otago Extension is only available to those extending the 14 day main tour. The ballpark estimated price of C$1300 per person includes air travel from Christchurch to Queenstown and from Queenstown to Auckland, four nights (double occupancy) B&B accommodation at the Crowne Plaza, Queenstown with four meals with wines including a special farewell dinner where we will reprise some of the top wines discovered during our stay. Single supplement on request.

Conditions

The above itinerary is only a plan which I will modify based on client feedback. It will no doubt be modified to substitute visits to alternative wineries and to arrange accommodation at hotels of a similar standard in the resorts mentioned. The start and end dates can also be changed at this time.

The estimated all-inclusive tour price includes internal New Zealand flights, all ground transportation in New Zealand, hotel accommodation, all breakfasts and 16 meals (all with wine selected by Steve Thurlow) but does not include New Zealand Departure tax NZ$25. The price also includes the Interisland ferry and the ferry to Waiheke Island. The price is for double occupancy in twin and double rooms.

This price is only an estimate for planning purposes at present.

In accordance with the Ontario Industry Travel Act, below is the registered name, address and registration number of the provider of the travel services:

K. Walsh & Associates, 1240 Bay Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2A7
TICO registration number: 4400099

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