11-Day Deep South: The Ultimate South Island New Zealand Loop (Christchurch Start)

What our customers ask about this tour

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• J

  Jonathan

  Asked on July 18th, 2026

  I am 50 and my mum is 73. Is this tour for younger people?. My mum and i are moderatley fit and young at heart. I noted the the first hike is 8 hours total. Is there much to do if we dont want to walk for 8 hour?. Also at milford sound there is the keplar track walk. How long is this walk?. Just wanting to know if my mum and i will fit in with the demigraphic of the tour?

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    Stray TravelOperator•Written July 2026

    Our average age on our Select Tours is between 40-65 at the moment. It sounds like you would both fit in well on this tour from what we discussed.
    
    The first hike (I believe you're referring to the one in Abel Tasman), is completely optional and this is a free day for you to spend as you choose. There are shorter walks, kayaking, sailing, or an aqua taxi. Or, its just a beautiful place to hang out at the accommodation too!
    
    With the Kelper Track in Te Anau, it is a 10KM walk. Its about 2.5 hours, and is listed as being suitable for the whole family.
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  Glenn

  Asked on July 10th, 2026

  I am very interested in this tour. But was wondering what the average age of tourist are? I am 45 and dont want to be the only old one lol

  Age Range
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written July 2026

    On our Select Tours, you actually fit in the exact age range :) Lately, our average age on these tours has been ranging from 35-60.
    
    We do get ages outside of this too, but this is where majority of our travellers sit at the moment.
• B

  Brooke

  Asked on March 12th, 2026

  We are flying into Auckland. What would you recommend for travel to start this tour. We would love to add on fun places to see in the north if you have recommendations.

  Flights / Transfers

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    Stray TravelOperator•Written March 2026

    I can see you are flying into Auckland, and have some time in the North Island too. How long do you have to travel in total? We do also have tours of the North Island and also a combination of both, would you be potentially interested in hearing about those?
    
    Alternatively, if you just want to stick with a tour on the South Island, you can either start this Takahe tour in Wellington, Christchurch or Picton. If you're going to be in the North Island, Wellington would be my suggestion!
• M

  Marina

  Asked on February 19th, 2026

  Is there an additional fee if I travel solo?

  Single supplement
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written February 2026

    There is no additional fee if you travel solo, you will be placed in a twin room as standard with another traveller of the same gender, however, there is an additional fee if you decide to upgrade to a single room supplement.
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    Marina

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    How much is the additional fee?
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written February 2026

    The current price for the Takahe tour is $4695NZD. The single room supplement costs an additional $1300NZD bringing the full cost to $5995NZD for the tour with private room accommodation.
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• L

  Lawrence

  Asked on February 16th, 2026

  after we land in christchurch do we go to where we meet the tour guide. is there bus i can take from the airport to get to the hotel

  Accommodation

  Flights / Transfers
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written February 2026

    With our Takahe Tour, if you choose to start in Christchurch this begins with an unguided portion on the Intercity bus up to Blenheim. Your Stray guide would then pick you up in Blenheim and this is where your Stray tour begins.
    
    As the Intercity bus departs Christchurch early morning, you would be best to arrive into Christchurch the night before (accommodation not included).
    
    Depending on where you choose to stay, there are definitely buses/ shuttles/ ubers & taxis that are easy to get from Christchurch Airport.
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    Lawrence

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    I still am having a hard time understanding how and where to go to finally meet up with the tour group. I understand to come into Christchurch a day or two before and then it is my responsibility to get myself to Blenheim how long does that take and what kind of transportation do I use, and do I go to a hotel that the tour is going to provide or do I have to get another hotel myself?
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written February 2026

    If you choose to start in Christchurch, we would book your Intercity bus ticket for the day the tour begins. This will get you up to Blenheim to then meet your Stray guide. Your accommodation in Christchurch the night before the tour begins is not included in the tour and you would need to book that.
    
    From the first day of the tour (the day you would be on the Intercity bus to Blenheim), your accommodation would be included with the tour :)
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• T

  Tracey

  Asked on December 10th, 2025

  I am very interested in this tour of your beautiful country. Never been to NZ - I am a very active 73 year old woman. Love walks and hikes but no bungy jumping or other sports please. Do you think this is a good choice for a first time visit of NZ? After this tour my plan is to meet friends in Australia for a few weeks. Is the accommodation comfortable? Don't need fancy just comfy and clean. Looks like we spend 3 nights in one place... sounds great. Is this tour rushed?

  Accommodation

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    Stray TravelOperator•Written December 2025

    Being an active 73 year old, I think the Takahe is an excellent choice. There is a mix of hikes on route but also a good level of 2 night stays along the way for comfort and to ensure you're not on the move every single day. All the activities such as bungy jumping are optional activities so there is no need at all to add them on if you're not interested. The average age on our select tours are about 35-50. However, we very commonly get people in their late 60s-late 70s on board too. The accommodation on this tour is 3 star motel/hotel style. You can opt to book your own room if you prefer, or the standard option is that we will pair you up with another solo female traveller on the tour.
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  Grace

  Asked on October 15th, 2025

  Can I extend my stay at Mt Cook for one more night?

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    Grace

    Traveler•Written October 2025

    Does this route include Arthur's pass route?
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written October 2025

    The tour does not include Arthurs Pass, however our Kaka Tour does. The tour does not allow for extending stay in Mt Cook as the tour continues along the route after the 1 night stay here. I can also confirm there is still availability on this departure date.
  
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• R

  Rick

  Asked on October 14th, 2025

  Is there an error description from the start and end destination. From the itinerary, the tour starts and ends in Christchurch, but it also mentions that the tour starts in Picton?

  Tour Details
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written October 2025

    For the Takahe Tour, the tour can be started from Christchurch (with an Intercity bus up to Blenheim to join the tour from there), Wellington (with the ferry across to Picton), or from Picton (making your own way to Picton to be picked up here). And the tour does finish in Christchurch. So you are 3 different starting options depending on what works best for your plans.
• H

  Harry

  Asked on October 5th, 2025

  What are the room options for three people (2 parents and one child)? Will there be additional costs for the three of us to be in the same room? How large is the tour group roughly? What kind of transport/buses will be used throughout the trip? Is there any more detailed itinerary of the vehicle travel times between locations? Is there any more details on the accommodation? Is the daily breakfast included refer to a hotel buffet at our accommodation or something else? What is the weather like in December? Are there likely to be weather issues that lead to detours or road closures?

  Accommodation

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  Transport
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written October 2025

    Our max group size is 24 people, in December, on average we are probably looking at 10-16 people. We use either a Yutong D7 or a Rosa with a luggage trailer. These are 18-22 seater buses. On average a travel day is about 3 hours. We try to make stops about every 2-3 hours to ensure comfort stops/ bathroom stops/ stretch of legs. A stop could be a quick 5-10 minute stop or a bit longer up to 1 hour depending on the day. It is a mix between hotel buffet breakfasts & continental breakfasts. New Zealand weather in December is generally warm, with average daytime highs of 20-25°C. Expect generally sunny conditions, especially in the South Island, but be prepared for variable weather, with the potential for cool nights, wind, and some rain, particularly in certain parts of the South Island like the West Coast.
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    Harry

    Traveler•Written October 2025

    The child is 21 years old so we are ideally looking for a single room for 3 adults. I'd be grateful if you could let us know if this is possible with hotels, and if not, the other options. In terms of details on the accommodation, I was wondering if there is a list of the accommodation you usually book for each point just so I can see what the accommodation is like beforehand.
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written October 2025

    Unfortunately, there are not triple rooms available. The accommodation used is usually the following: Mercure in Queenstown, The Barn - Abel Tasman Coast, Blue Duck Station - Retaruke, Distinction in Rotorua. Would a Double/Twin room and a private single room be okay for you?
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    Harry

    Traveler•Written October 2025

    A double/twin room and a private single room would work. How would the pricing change then if we were to take that option?
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    Harry

    Traveler•Written October 2025

    We were actually looking at the 9 Day 'Kaka' South Island Select Tour and we think this might be a better option as 11 days is a bit longer than we would like. Is the transport used similar to the 11 day trip? And what are the accommodation usually booked for this trip? Is the twin/double room plus a single private room possible with this trip as well?
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written October 2025

    Yes, the transport is the exact same as the 11 day tour. With your child being 21 years old they are absolutely welcome to travel with us. We can ask the hotels to have the rooms next door to each other if preferred to ensure you're all sticking close. For the 13th December Kaka Tour departure, the hotels are: Beachfront Hotel, Scenic Franz, Mercure Queenstown (2 nights), Distinction Te Anau Luxemore (2 nights), Mt Cook Lodge, Cotswold Christchurch.
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  Lawrence

  Asked on September 1st, 2025

  1.Accommodation for day 1 & 2 is at barn. Does it mean sleeping on the floor, no room or divider to separate? Any bathroom?

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    Lawrence

    Traveler•Written September 2025

    Are we supposed to get on a public bus from Christchurch to Picton on our own to meet Stray guide group? How long does it take and How many more hours of driving from Picton to MARAHAU (ABEL TASMAN) on day 1?
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written September 2025

    The Barn is just the name of the accommodation. We are booked to stay in Cabins with double beds in the rooms, these are private rooms and will just be 1 or 2 people per room. No sleeping on the floor. The room itself does not have an ensuite bathroom, the bathrooms are shared and are in a different building from your cabin.
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    Stray TravelOperator•Written September 2025

    If you opt to start this tour in Christchurch, we will book you an Intercity bus ticket (unguided) and you will then meet your tour guide in Blenheim when you get off the Intercity bus. This ticket is included in your tour so no additional cost. The drive from Christchurch - Blenheim on the Intercity bus is about 3-4 hours. And from there to Abel Tasman (The Barn), the drive is an additional 3 hours.
  
  
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