8:00am Depart Christchurch. Drive out of Christchurch where you can observe the benefits of a city built on a great river plain. Graced by the Avon River gives it an Old English beauty not seen outside the United Kingdom.

School Tour Continue on towards Arthur’s Pass. Cross the alluvial Canterbury Plains, famous for fat lamb and crop farming. Travel on towards the Southern Alps and then up into the mountains, over the upper reaches of the Waimakariri River past sparkling snow-fed streams, rock formations and crystal clear lakes to the Arthur’s Pass National Park. Notice the starkness, the steepness and the vast river valleys sprawled among the alpine flora.

Stop in the township of Arthur’s Pass, view the Devil’s Punchbowl Falls and visit the National Park Visitor Centre. See an audio-visual display of this unique area. Mt. Rolleston towers over the western side of the Pass.

Travel on to a land of Natural Contrasts - a world of Adventures set in unspoilt National Parks and wild coastlines. You are heading for Greymouth, a coastal town with a heritage of sailing ships and gold rushes. Now the main service centre for the West Coast, this will be your base for the next couple of days.

12:30 Arrive at Greymouth where a packed lunch will be waiting for you. We will continue for the afternoon up the Coast Road.

Punakiaki We travel from Greymouth north along the stunning Coast Road to Punakaiki, being the Maori word for "food basket" and the home of the fascinating Pancake Rocks.

As near as possible to high tide take a stroll around the Pancake Rocks Walkway to see the unique rock structures layered here 30 million years ago. Watch also for the roaring Geysers that heave their way from the Ocean floor up out through the Rock Blowholes.

Take time also to view the award winning audio visual show at the Visitors Centre and to browse around some of New Zealand’s finest craft displays.

We will try beach combing for NZ Jade. This wild landscape is the home of NZ’s Pounamu-the jade greenstone treasured by the Maori people.

Walk along a secluded beach beside the thundering Tasman Sea surf in a search for your own souvenir piece of this treasured gemstone.

5.30pm Arrive Seaside Holiday Park. Your accommodation is right beside the beach where you will be able to view magnificent sunsets above the pounding surf.

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Day 2

8.00am Breakfast - we will make our own cut lunch before heading out for a day of adventure and intrigue with the Dragons Cave Rafting team amongst the castles of the underworld.

Start with a thirty minute interpretative rainforest wilderness walk to the Taniwha Caves. There are many options: We will gear up into wet-suits, helmets and headlamps to float through underground passageways. Experience the splendour and roar as you slide down waterfalls and drift across subterranean lakes lit only be the sparkle of a million glow-worms. It’s like floating down the Milky Way Galaxy. This Living Cave offers opportunities for a dive down "The Throat", a squeeze through the "Love Tunnel" and a wild ride down the Natural Rock Hydroslide.

The choice is yours: Fast and Wild or Gentle and Sedate, either way - go for it!!! This is Black Water Cave Rafting at its best.

4.30pm Later in the afternoon we travel on to Shantytown - a replica of a West Coast gold mining town at the turn of the last century, complete with its own operational sluicing claim. Set amidst beautiful native bush, it is a unique tourist attraction. Ride the steam train, pan for gold, visit the old time saloon, the blacksmith, livery stables, hospital, waterwheel, stage-coach and much, much more.

5.30pm Tonight’s dinner will be at the Golden Nugget Saloon, Shanty Town

Accommodation: Seaside Holiday Park.

Day 3

7.00am Breakfast - again we will make our own lunch before hitting the road for Fox Glacier. The three hour drive takes you past the verdant pastures of dairy farms, through towering rainforest and around picturesque mirror lakes. On the way we will stop at the Bushmans Centre which is managed by a wild pig!!! Here you can have morning tea (at own extra cost) and you will learn the ins and outs of pit-sawing, axe throwing and the use of a hunting bow - all the skills needed by New Zealand’s first pioneers of a hundred years ago.

1.30pm On arrival at Fox Glacier, you will be met by your Alpine Guides who will gear you up in boots, alpenstocks and all the appropriate equipment (included) before you start your walk. Access is easy and your glacier guide will take you safely onto this massive white glacier, which flows 2,600 metres from the top of the mountains to the sea. Listen to your guide, use your alpenstocks and walk out onto the millions of tonnes of moving ice to what is a very different world.

Learn about the ice flows and the Pinnacles, how they are formed and push the glacier towards the out wash of the Fox River and on to the sea. Learn about the heat generated by the up-thrusting of the adjoining tectonic plates.

You will find today quite unique, very educational and a lot of fun.

Ride back to the Alpine Guides hut, drop your gear and head for your accommodation house.

6.00pm Dinner tonight is at "The Hobnail" - home of the Alpine Guides

Accommodation is at Ivory Towers Hostel, adults share twin, students multi-share.

Glacier

Day 4

7.30am Breakfast. Today we make our way back towards Christchurch.

Bring a sack with you today! We are going to hit the gold-fields where you will learn the geology of gold formation, where to find pay-dirt and how to use your gold pan to recover your own gold (which you can take home with you -watch out for claim jumpers!)

Your last adventure on the Wild West Coast will be a thrilling jet boat ride where you skim the narrow river gorges and experience the excitement of high speed river running.

6.30pm Arrive Christchurch.

Total price is $661 per person with two staff travelling free of charge.

Prices are based on at least 35 Paying Students & include Government Tax.

The price includes:

Meals - 4 lunches, 3 dinners, 3 breakfasts

Accommodation - 3 nights

Tour Director,

Transport and Activities:
Punakaiki, Pancake Rocks, Rainforest Walk, Jade Beach Search, Audio-visual Show of Geography and Maori Legends, Dragons Blackwater Cave Rafting, Shantytown visit (included in meal cost), Glacier Walk, Gold Discovery Tour, Jetboat trip.

Cancellations: Tours paid for and cancelled within 30 days of or during travel will not be refunded under any circumstances. We recommend you have travel insurance & can arrange this for you.

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