Accessible Kiwi Tours, New Zealand

This tour is flexible and available throughout the year for individuals or groups, but stated price may vary.

Come with us behind the facade tourist usually see, meet local people in their surrounds, folk we know you will love.

You or your travel agent will have arranged your arrival in Auckland, and contacted us with those arrangements. We can provide flexible airport pickups as well as book extra accommodation for up to two days prior to tour start. Airport transfers will be complimentary but accommodation/meals etc. during this time will incur an extra cost.

Some may have arrived earlier others may arrive at Auckland International Airport. Most will be ready to check into our hotel. Lazing around and sleeping will be on most minds. Those awake enough may enjoy a little more time enjoying some of Auckland’s other sights and attractions. Accommodation for two nights will be at the Rydges Hotel right in City Centre 09 375 5900.

Auckland city of sails, with more boats per capita than any other city in the world. www.aucklandnz.com/ It is built between and around two harbours the Manukau on the West Coast (The airport runway you landed on juts into the Manukau) and the Waitemata on the East Coast. Today's activities will include a harbour cruise (not included in price). Visit to Auckland’s museum which has a brilliant collection of cultural history and art. We visit Sky Tower the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere followed by a buffet dinner in the Fortuna Restaurant. This is adjacent to Sky City Casino for any wishing to chance their luck.

Breakfast at your leisure but we do need to be on the road by 10:00 am. We leave Auckland and head East along a beautiful coastline to the Coromandel.

The rugged volcanic hills are cloaked in native rainforest, and more than 400 kilometers of spectacular coastline promises you can find the beach of your dreams. The Coromandel is a place where bush and beach are both easily accessible. In the same day you can experience the blue dazzle of the Pacific Ocean and calming greenness of the Kauri Forest.

And from here we head to Tauranga and Mount Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty. This region is one of countries premiere holiday destinations surrounded by over 100kms of glittering white sand as far as the eye can see and crystal clear, rolling surf beaches, beautiful harbours and an unbeatable lifestyle. Relax, unwind and take in the beauty of the surroundings as this is your home for the next two nights. Check in to your beach side accommodation at Mount Maunganui where we will stay for the next two nights. Indulge in your evening meal overlooking the majestic Pacific Ocean.

Beach lifestyle dictates that from here on everything is at a leisurely pace. So after a cooked breakfast we will get orientated with the Mount and Tauranga. www.bayofplenty.com Your host will give you a tour and introduction to some of the activities available to you while here. Activities are varied and many suiting everybody to there abilities and interests. Your host will endeavour to make any of your desires possible. Your accommodation is located within a very short distance of the main shopping centre with its many bars, cafés, theatre, and services. Enjoy, I know you will have a fabulous time before sitting down to another fantastic evening meal. Perhaps a meander along the beach by moonlight or a soak in the healing salt-water pools located near your accommodation.

Today we follow the coastline before heading inland to Rotorua visiting some of the regions majestic lakes on our way. www.rotoruaNZ.com From the moment you enter Rotorua you know you are somewhere like nowhere else. Lazy drifts of steam are emitted from cracks and crevices. This is nature’s spa of the Pacific. Spiritual home of the Maori. We enter Hells Gate. This is a 50-acre thermal reserve. You will understand how playwright George Bernard Shaw looked in awe at the “hell like” landscape and gave the Reserve its famous name. Walk past steaming fumaroles and pools of boiling mud so violent they are unnerving.

Tonight is a must; we visit Tamaki Tours www.maoriculture.co.nz and take a Maori Cultural trip back through time to before the Pakeha (European) arrived. We attend a Maori Concert and dine on Hangi (Traditional Maori meal) before checking in to the Accors Ibis Hotel Rotorua 07 346 3999.

Check out at 10:00am and a meander thru Rotorua shopping district and gardens. Enjoy lunch at one of Rotorua's many cafes and restaurants before heading south to Taupo stopping at the Huka Falls. The Waikato is NZ's longest and the North Island's largest river. It flows out of Lake Taupo (our largest lake) North almost to Auckland. Huka Falls is about 3 miles from it's source here it flows through a narrow ravine and plunges over the falls at the end. The view from Taupo town across the lake to the volcanoes is fantastic.
Accommodation is at the Lakeland Resort Hotel Taupo 07 378 3893.

Wellington is a pleasant picturesque city perched on hills (not the best for wheelchairs in some places) around a beautiful harbour. A scenic drive round the harbour and a trip up the cable car will take us just past lunchtime before we head to catch the Ferry to the South Island.

This is a real highlight. It takes around three hours. Half an hour in Wellington Harbour about an hour an a half in Cook Straight between the North and South Islands then the last hour through Tory Channel and the Marlborough Sounds to Picton. We stay two nights here at Bay Vista Waterfront Motel 03 573 6733 right on the picturesque waterfront. www.marlboroughsoundsnz.co.nz

Lazy day in a very relaxed and pleasant little town. For any wanting them there are boat cruises and fishing trips we can arrange, although not very wheelchair friendly. We can talk about this beforehand and make any arrangements at that time. Dinner tonight is at the Jolly Roger a friendly little pub near our accommodation.

We have the opportunity of a Whale watching trip here. Either from the air or from the sea, www.whalewatch.co.nz (sea) www.whales.co.nz (air) we must book ahead so will talk to the group on our first day and make arrangements for these activities. (Both are reliant on the weather and neither are included in the tour cost). These activities are not wheelchair accessible, but with a little pushing and grunting we have always managed OK, and the experience is fantastic. After this we have a pleasant afternoon’s drive down to Christchurch. It is a beautiful city with many varied attractions. We call it our Garden City. Accommodation for 2 nights and the first nights dinner is at the Kopthorne Hotel Christchurch 03 353 0169. (Three hours driving).

A scenic drive over the Port Hills to Littleton and the Summit Road. www.christchurch.org.nz/ as well as a look at some local gardens. A visit to the markets and arts centre. Tonight's evening meal is at one of Christchurch delicious Restaurants.

Today we have a reasonably early start (8:30am) and head west. The first hour or so is flat farming country the Canterbury Plains New Zealand’s largest and flattest area. Then up over some scenic mountain passes through the Southern Alps and down to the West Coast to Hokitika, an attractive sleepy little town. A hundred or so years ago miners fought over gold, today there is still gold around but Hokitika is New Zealand’s leading Green Stone (Jade) centre.
Accommodation is at the Heritage Highway Motel 03 755 8098 right in the town centre. (Six hours driving).

A 10:00am start. We head south through farming country nestled between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea. Further South we drive past many small lakes and through some of our largest remaining stands of native New Zealand Rain Forest. Yes you guessed it; we get a lot of rain on the West Coast. It is something over a two-hour’s drive to Franz Josef where we will stop for lunch. Here we also have the opportunity of viewing Franz Josef Glacier, unfortunately, the track to the glacier face is definitely not for wheelchairs. If you have a few spare dollars may be interested in a Glacier Helicopter flight. After our stop here we carry on past Fox Glacier and on to Haast. Accommodation is at the Heritage Park Lodge 03 750 0869.

A 9:30am start. First we backtrack just a few miles to the Ship Creek bush walk, it has been upgraded so wheelchairs are able to use it. We will spend an hour or so there, then head back through Haast, through the Haast Pass and on to Lake Hawea. We are now in Central Otago, a vastly different country than the West Coast.
We are staying for two nights at the Lake Hawea Motor Inn 03 433 1224.

A 9:00am start. Just a few miles in to Wanaka where we will spend an hour before heading to historic Cardrona, Arrowtown and the Shotover Jetboat ride (not included in price). Then over the Crown Range to Queenstown. www.queenstown-nz.co.nz Gold mining country, the Wild West of NZ. Here our home for two nights is the Copthorne Hotel Queenstown 03 441 8699 with it's million dollar views of Lake Wakatipu and the mountains of Middle Earth. Dinner at Walter Peak High Country Sheep Station. The trip on the Lady of the lake Steam Ship Earnslaw. You just can't help falling in love with her. www.fiordlandtravel.co.nz/

Today, sadly, we say farewell to Queenstown and start our fantastic scenic journey North to Christchurch, up through Cromwell, over the Lindis Pass to Omarama. Through the Mackenzie Country to Lake Tekapo and on to Christchurch. Here we are at home again in the Copthorne Hotel.

Group Size
We limit our groups to five, plus driver. Per vehicle.

Tour package includes
Accommodation, Breakfasts, All Evening Meals, Arranged Land Transport, Specified Attractions, Specified Sightseeing, a helping hand, a smiling face and a shoulder to lean on whenever you need it.

Tour package does not include
Drinks, Lunches, morning/afternoon teas, personal and sundry costs, laundry/dry-cleaning, personal care, medical costs, taxis, personal transport or trips, attractions arranged but not specified in cost.

Attractions Included
Skytower, Hells Gate, Huka Falls, Auckland Museum, Cable car Wellington, Walter Peak trip, Tamaki Maori Concert and Hangi, North to South Island Ferry crossing, Skyline Restaurant/Gondola, Queenstown, Earnslaw Steam cruise, dinner and farm show.

Attractions arranged but not included
Auckland Harbour Cruise, Whale Watching, Milford Scenic Flight and Cruise, Shotover Jet Boat. We are flexible and often able to arrange other activities in line with your personal interests.

Accommodation
We use high standard resort and hotel accommodation in the larger centres. In some of the more rural areas we use the best there is with suitable access facilities. In some cases those paying a single supplement may be asked to share a two-bedroom unit. They will have their own bedroom but share common shower, toilet and lounge facilities. In some instances we may not have sufficient fully accessible accommodation. The most accessible will be allocated on need, we apologize in advance if occasionally you may have to improvise somewhat, and ask for your understanding on such matters. We can assure you, we are there to help. You will manage just fine. Circumstances can occasionally mean changing accommodation for a variety of reasons.

Meals
There are a wide variety of meals provided with the itinerary, some in top hotels and restaurants. Some with a much more local flavour. From Fish and Chips on newspaper in Hokitika to a sumptuous buffet overlooking the mountains and lakes of Middle Earth in Queenstown. Breakfasts are also varied from full cooked breakfast in our resort hotels to continental in some of the smaller places. We are able to arrange for any special needs. Vegetarian, etc.

Who Can Come?
Anyone, but we have designed this holiday particularly with retired folk, or others with special needs, or a little apprehensive about traveling, in mind. This would be an ideal tour if one spouse has perhaps suffered a stroke. Accommodation, transport and most attractions are wheelchair accessible. If you have a yen to do it, come on you can. Behavioural problems that could cause embarrassment to others is one special need our company is not set up to cater for.

Tour Cost
$9,050 NZ Total package excluding airfares. Based on twin share.

The Itinerary
is at a real easy pace. Late check outs, help with your baggage, absolutely stress free.

Our Vehicles <---Click Here
Include a Nissan Elgrand Luxury air-conditioned mini bus where wheelchair users in some cases may have to transfer to normal seating by way of hydraulic lifting chair. Alternatively a fully accessible Mitsubishi Rosa bus may be used.
Approximate driving time total is mentioned in itinerary, this does not include rest time and stops. We do our best to schedule stops at least every two hours driving.

An experienced Escort
will be along to assist in general terms. However, personal carers are not part of the package. We can provide personal care, this can save on airfares if you need to bring a caregiver along but would incur extra cost and need to be discussed with us personally before the tour starts. We can often arrange one attendant able to care for two or even three on tour, allowing them to split the cost. This is depending on individual needs. Some activities may not be suitable for the entire group.

Weather
Generally January and February are very stable and clear months weather wise. Our weather is generally good, but again we can’t make any promises, bring some warm clothing just in case.

Extra Costs
Tipping is not expected. There are no hidden tax costs indeed in some cases overseas visitors can get a tax refund on some products. Lunches and sundry expenses are not great, probably ten to twenty dollars (NZ) a day would be ample. Scenic flights and other attractions not included in price of tour can vary, we can give estimates if required. Any not wishing to take part in specific attractions can be discounted the appropriate amounts, provided that we are made aware prior to payment. Ballpark, our dollar is just above half of an American Dollar and about a third of a pound.

Comments
More often than we can remember we have had elderly folk with other tour companies meet us along the way and say they just wish they had heard of us before they made their arrangements. We specialize in caring for people, late checkouts, plenty of rest time, adaptability rather than strict hard time tables. Our motto "Luvin' care with every fare". On tour we are there to help you. Come to us with any problems or for any advice, don't battle along on your own.

Contact
On tour we can be contacted on our cell phone 0274 627 621 while it is in coverage, a message can be left if not. All hotel contact numbers are included in case any friends or relatives at home want to keep in touch. Numbers are given as if ringing from inside NZ, overseas caller use NZ code 64 and drop the first zero.

Medical Backup
Our staff is experienced in managing and looking after people with various special medical, mobility and other needs. Even though we complain about our Health System here in NZ we do have a good network of doctors, medical centres, and hospitals. As long as we are aware of your needs we can plan ahead to make sure they are fully met. We are the only company in New Zealand offering this depth of service. New Zealand does have some kind of a reciprocal arrangement with the UK in health care delivery.

Insurance
ACC (Accident Compensation Commission) provides cover for accident while in NZ, your safety and wellbeing are our prime concern but we insist you take out personal travel insurance even before putting a deposit down in case for reasons beyond your control you are unable to make the trip.

Conditions
We have an application form that we like everyone to fill in; the reasons are explained on the form. We do our very best, we go much further than "the extra mile" your safety and enjoyment are our main concern, so we need to know of any special needs. If for any reason an attraction included in tour cost does not go ahead, that portion will be refunded. (This does not include someone deciding they don't want to do it once the tour has started) Tour is subject to minimum numbers.

Liability
Your Safety, wellbeing and enjoyment are our prime responsibility and concern. New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Commission covers your personal medical needs in the event of accident. If however something spoils your trip. Accident, departure from itinerary, bad weather, or whatever. We want you to be assured we have done our very best, in no way can we personally or our company accept liability for anything beyond our control, or the result of a decision we or any of our staff made at the time believing it would be for the best. Our vehicles are all in very good order and well serviced, however the nature of our tours means we may not quickly be able to have a fully suitable replacement vehicle available. Should a breakdown necessitate a hold up or departure from itinerary, we would do our very best for you but once again could not be expected to make refund or be liable. Before tour starts we need your assurance you understand, and accept these conditions.

To secure a booking we require $500 NZ per person.

Full payment to be made, two months prior to tour departure.

Unless dealing through an agent we prefer payment in the form of Bank Draft or Telegraphic Transfer into our nominated account, and strongly urge travel insurance to be taken out before any money is paid.

All cancellations should be notified in writing and become effective only when received in this office.

Cancellation charges are as follows:-

PERIOD OF CANCELLATION	AMOUNT OF LOSS IN RESPECT OF TOTAL COST
60 days (before commencement date)	Loss of Deposit
30-59 days	50%
15-29 days	75%
00-15 days	100%