Wine, Food & Sounds - May 2024 - Flipbook - Page 2
Following our successful Autumn fly-cruise tours Bon Voyage
Cruises & Travel is delighted to present our 2024 in-depth
Autumn discovery tour of the Marlborough Sounds. We have
again partnered with NZ’s leading expedition cruise company,
Heritage Expeditions, for the third season of their delightful
small-ship - Heritage Explorer. Discover the tranquil
waterways, wildlife and rich history of New Zealand’s
Marlborough Sounds on an unforgettable 9 night fly-cruise
adventure, exploring Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds,
French Pass, and d’Urville Island.
Famed for the breath-taking beauty of their winding cobalt
waterways, iconic landscapes, lush native forests, wildlife and
remote coastlines these regions are also rich in early New
Zealand history and the location of some of the country’s most
important conservation efforts.
Formed by a system of submerged valleys carved out
following the last ice age around 10,000 years ago, the scenic
playground of Marlborough Sounds encompasses some 1500
kilometres of forested coastline, sheltered inlets and bays
awaiting exploration, many only accessible by sea. The union
of three main bodies of water – Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru
and Pelorus Sounds – Marlborough Sounds has more than 50
Department of Conservation managed reserves and several
predatorfree wildlife sanctuaries.
8 Nights/9 Days – Wine, Food & Sounds
ITINERARY
Day 1: Saturday 11 May – Auckland to Blenheim
Fly with Air New Zealand to Blenheim late morning. On arrival we
meet our local guide Dennise. We will start with a casual lunch
before visiting Peter Jackson’s Omaka Heritage Centre, NZ’s world
class WW1 & WW2 aviation museum, If aviation is not your thing,
we have a couple of tasty alternatives! Later in the afternoon we
transfer to our hotel for the next two nights.
Just 500 treacherous metres from the mainland, d’Urville
Island was named after French admiral Jules Sebastian
Cesar Dumont d’Urville and his ill fated passage of the
infamous French Pass in January 1827. After several near
misses while seeking passage inside the island, he came
close to losing his ship Astrolabe after hitting the reef. Now a
possum, rat and weasel-free conservation reserve, d’Urville
Island is one of the last strongholds of the critically
endangered Long-tailed Bat and provides a respite for the
world’s rarest shag – the King Shag – and several other species
of rare birds and geckos.
Chateau Marlborough,
95-117 Highstreet, Blenheim
2 nights in Chateau studios including breakfast
This evening we head to The Wine Kitchen for
our special wine-matched Bon Voyage Dinner.
Day 2: Sunday 12 May – Blenheim Wine Country
After a leisurely start we explore Blenheim and the beautiful
surrounding Marlborough wine region, with several stops at
the best of the best venues and vineyards, with a casual
lunch. This afternoon we will have a special exclusive tour and
tasting at one of Marlborough’s special boutique wineries before
On this sailing the chef is preparing special daily menus
featuring local Marlborough and NZ foods. Dinners will be
wine-matched each night, Prior to the cruise we have a special
wine-country stopover with exclusive access to one of
Marlborough’s special boutique wineries and a special Bon
Voyage dinner at The Wine Kitchen.
returning to the hotel mid-afternoon.
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