Christchurch lies close to some of the most beautiful countryside in the world and the Congress will be held during mid-summer when delegates will have an enormous variety of recreational activities available within easy reach of the city. These include the thermal resort of Hanmer Springs, whalewatching in Kaikoura and the award winning International Antarctic Centre at Christchurch airport.         
         The city offers concerts, art galleries, exhibitions, excellent shopping, a casino and nightclubs. Its many cafes and restaurants provide a wide range of cuisine, using high quality local products and representing excellent value for money. New Zealand wines are among the best in the world and are reasonably priced.

Major Attraction

Wellington (capital city) : The Greater Wellington metropolitan area contains the Wellington City, New Zealand's capital, which is an amazing city. The city is ideally located on the shores of a harbour and is surrounded by a natural stage of wooded hills and is considered New Zealand's most desirable weekend destination. The city also presents some of the most vibrant entertainment districts in the country, where one can find some of the best bars, cafes, restaurants and theatres. Wellington boasts an diverse range of shops with a host of fashion stores and the country's premier department store, the city presents some of New Zealand's best, if not most affordable, shopping opportunities.
Oriental Bay : Just fifteen minutes walk from the central city, Oriental Bay is a popular beach for Wellingtonians. People come here to relax and some holidays amidst the solitude of natural surroundings. Various activities undertaken here are jogging, picnics and even swimming on warm sunny summer days.
Museum : Wellington is the location of New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa. It is located on Wellington's waterfront and hosts many cultural and contemporary exhibits.

Fact File

Official name : New Zealand
Government : Independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations
Capital city : Wellington
Nationality : New Zealander(s)
Ethnic Group : 75% New Zealand European (Pakeha), 10% Maori, 5% other European, 4.5% Polynesian, 5% Asian, 0.5% other
Location : New Zealand lies southeast of Australia between latitudes 34 degrees south and 47 degrees south.
Continent : Australia
Currency : New Zealand Dollar (NZD); 1 NZD = 30.772 INR = 0.7074 US Dollar = 0.5822 Euro (subject to change).
Population : 4 million
Area : 268,680 sq km
Things to Buy : Bounty of Kiwi made products including Wines, sheepskin, jade and cultural items such as Maori carvings, while many of our world-renowned natural products such as Manuka, can be found in the Health Beauty section.
Things to do : Water sports, sightseeing
Cuisine : Roast Kumara (sweet patato), Pavlova, biscuits, kiwifruit, whitebait. Maori cuisine – hangi(meat, vegetables, puddings) ; Kaimoana(seafood) – shellfish, crayfish, paua, green mussels. Beverages – coffee, Lemon and Paeroa.

Day 1:  Pick up from Auckland Airport ( depending on time there will be a quick tour of Auckland City) and then on to Alpha Homestead where we will be based in the quiet and comfortable setting of TOKOROA, Capital of the South Waikato. On the way there we will visit the Coromandel Peninsula  for some truly magnificient scenic views of an unspoilt region of the North Island.   

We will spend the night in the small hamlet of Coromandel town and on day two we will visit..

Day 2: Coromandel Town, and a visit to the DRIVING CREEK RAILWAY.

Day 3: We travel through the larger Waikato region to TOKOROA for the night viewing some of our DAIRY FARMING industry and historical pointers as well as geographical facts about New Zealands past .

After a restful night  at the ALPHA HOMESTEAD we enter

DAY 4: and an enconter with the Thermal wonderland of ROTORUA and visit the MAORI CULTURAL CAPITAL for a cultural experience you will not forget at MITAI MAORI VILLAGE concert and feast ( hangi) After a tiring full day around Rotorua we will head back to ALPHA HOMESTEAD for the night and prepare for a trip through to Lake Taupo for a cruise on the BARBARY, a boat that was originally owned by ERROL FLYNN the famous American actor.And then it will be of to the TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK and some great outdoor pursuits. We will spend the night in the TOKAANU LODGE and dinner will be at the TOKAANU HOTEL. There is a private mineral spa that you can use after you trek across the mountains   

DAY 5: TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK
What we do here will be depndent on the time of year.  During the summer it will be a days tramping accross the TONGARIRO CROSSING, you must be reasonably fit to do this as it is hike across two extinct volcanoes, but it is well worth the effort .  Of course you can view the area by helicopter which is amazing and much easier but more expensive. his will take us to :

THE MOUNTAINS at TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK  

DAY 8: A day for you to choose your activity, weter it be shopping at the many centres close by in Rotorua, Taupo or simply enfoy the relaxation at the ALPHA HOMESTEAD

DAY 9:  return to Auckland for your return home or to continue your vacation , includes a trip around the City.