Animal Encounter West Coast

Franz Joseph to Queenstown via Lake Matheson, Haast, Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka. This small group, fully-guided tour takes you along the beautiful beaches of the West Coast, over the Hast Pass, past the stunning Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka, en route to Queenstown.


Led by our famously passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety.


Lunch is provided on this tour.
Highlights: Lake Matheson Bruce Bay Ship Creek Thunder Creek Falls Blue pools (Temporarily Closed) Lake Hawea & Lake Wanaka (includes the Wanaka Tree)

Itinerary:

1.
Franz Josef - Your tour starts
in the stunning village of Franz Josef. We will be heading south down the
coast on our fully guided adventure to Queenstown.

2.
Lake Matheson (60 min) - This spot is every
photographers dream. On a calm day you can capture Mt Cook reflected elegantly
across this picturesque lake. This easy bushwalk will reward
you with breathtaking views across the southern alps.

3.
Bruce Bay (10 min) - At this
location you will see where the thick native rainforest meets a seemingly
endless open ocean of the Tasman Sea. This beautiful beach really is the best
of the west.

4.
Ship Creek (30 min) – As we make our way
south along the boarder where ancient rainforest meets the ocean we will make a
stop at Ship Creek. Dig your toes in the sand and feel the crash of the
relenting waves of the Tasman Sea. Explore the dunes via an easy 1km walking
track.

5.
Hard Antler, Haast (45 min) - Here we stop at the
Hard Antler where you have 45 minutes to enjoy your lunch.

6.
Thunder Creek Falls (20 min) – This easy
5 minute walk will reward you with the spectacular view of Thunder Creek Falls.
This 28 meter waterfall is the remanence of a once great glacier that pours
from a hanging valley into the Haast River below.

7.
Blue Pools (Temporarily
Closed) – Located in Mt Aspiring National Park is the aptly named Blue
Pools. This easy 3km round trip is well worth the effort to see the
breathtaking blue waters of the Makarora River.

8.
Lake Hawea (10 min) – As we leave
the national park behind make sure to keep your eyes open as we make our way
westwards and past stunning Lake Hawea. We will stop for a quick photo at a
lookout point between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea.

9.
Wanaka (15min)
We’ll stroll down to the lakeside for that iconic photo of the Wānaka Tree. Soak in the beauty of this expansive lake, backdropped by Mt Aspiring and the Southern Alps—a paradise for photographers

10. Queenstown Upon arriving at your destination your guide will point out a few of the local gems before dropping you to your hotel.



Inclusions: Small Group Lunch Fully Guided Tour Water available & snacks provided
While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, we at Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it is our small groups, our guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles, complementary refreshments and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.


Still have questions? Please visit our FAQs page!