South Island: Queenstown, Fiordland, Mount Cook
Queenstown sells adrenaline, which suits one market and puts off another. The same town is the base for Central Otago pinot, the Gibbston valley, and a helicopter onto the Tasman ice before breakfast. We write the route for whichever client is buying.
Fiordland is the reason to come this far south, and Doubtful Sound overnight is the reason to skip Milford as a day trip. The boat that stays out is the one where, at four in the morning, the whole sound goes silent.
The drive north to Aoraki closes it: Lindis pass, the turquoise of Pukaki, and a hut walk up the Hooker valley with the mountain at the end of it. Eleven days, one island, no internal flights.
In from the north, a first night by the Botanic Gardens, and the rebuilt city centre on foot.
The alpine crossing by road or rail, the braided rivers, and down to the west coast rainforest at Hokitika.
South past Franz Josef and Fox, a heli-hike onto the ice if the cloud allows, and the reflections at Lake Matheson.
The Haast pass through the beech forest, the Blue Pools, and an evening on the Wanaka lakefront.
The Crown Range road over the top, and an afternoon in the Gibbston valley with two small pinot growers.
The lake road to Glenorchy, a jet boat up the Dart river or a walk into the Routeburn, and the gondola at dusk.
West to Manapouri, across the lake and over Wilmot pass to board the overnight boat on Doubtful Sound.
Kayaks at dawn, bottlenose dolphins in the arms of the fiord, and back over the pass by afternoon.
The Lindis pass through the tussock, the turquoise of Lake Pukaki, and the mountain at the head of the valley.
The walk to the terminal lake with Aoraki above, and a ski-plane landing on the Tasman glacier if the weather holds.
East across the Mackenzie country to Christchurch for the flight home.
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