From the Southern
Alps to Paradise

Land at Auckland International and transfer to the Park Hyatt on the Waitematā Harbour waterfront, looking across to the Hauraki Gulf.

Auckland is built on a field of extinct volcanoes, and the cones dotted through the suburbs are a constant reminder of the geology underneath. The Sky Tower rises over everything, and the harbour is full of boats — there are more per head here than anywhere in the world.

The evening walks the waterfront: the Viaduct Harbour, where superyachts and fishing boats share the water; the Wynyard Quarter with its restaurants and public art; and Queen Street. Dinner is New Zealand seafood — Bluff oysters, green-lipped mussels or crayfish — with a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc or a Central Otago Pinot Noir.

A domestic flight of about an hour forty-five south, descending into the Southern Alps on one of the more spectacular commercial approaches anywhere.

Check in at The Rees on Lake Wakatipu, with the Remarkables directly across the water. Queenstown’s setting — an 80-kilometre glacier-fed lake bent like a finger, ringed by mountains including Cecil Peak and Ben Lomond — is among the most dramatic town sites in the world.

The afternoon explores the town and the Queenstown Gardens, then takes the Skyline gondola 450 metres up to Bob’s Peak for the whole panorama. Dinner over the lake.

Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world by reputation and by volume, and the day is yours to shape. The Shotover Jet runs at speed through the Shotover Canyon with rock walls close on both sides. The Kawarau Gorge holds one of the original commercial bungy sites, on a glacier-carved schist slot. There is also ziplining, skydiving over the Remarkables, and white-water rafting on both the Shotover and the Kawarau.

The luxury alternative is a private scenic helicopter over the Southern Alps and the glaciers, landing on a remote peak or on the ice.

The evening is free. The Onsen Hot Pools at Arthurs Point, with indoor-outdoor tubs above the Shotover canyon, are best booked for sunset.

An early departure from Queenstown into Fiordland National Park, part of the 2.6-million-hectare Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area and one of the great wilderness regions on Earth. The drive is half the experience: the Eglinton Valley, carved flat by ancient glaciers; the Mirror Lakes, which do exactly what the name says on a still morning; and the Homer Tunnel, bored straight through solid rock.

Then the cruise itself, through Milford Sound — Piopiotahi — where cliffs rise vertically out of the water and waterfalls come off them in every direction. Mitre Peak stands 1,692 metres straight up from the sea and is the most photographed mountain in the country. Stirling Falls and Fairy Falls are close enough to feel the spray.

Rainforest clings to the rock at impossible angles. New Zealand fur seals lie on the ledges, bottlenose dolphins ride the bow wave, and Fiordland crested penguins — among the rarest in the world — nest along the shore between July and November. The cruise runs out to the open Tasman Sea and back.

The afternoon continues to Te Anau and Fiordland Lodge, on the edge of the national park above the lake.

A relaxed morning around Te Anau. For those who want it, the Glowworm Caves are worth the trip — a boat across the lake, then an underground river system beneath the limestone hills where thousands of glowworms hang in the dark like a fixed constellation.

The afternoon returns to Queenstown along one of the most scenic drives in New Zealand, through alpine valleys and along the shore of Lake Wakatipu.

Dinner over the lake at The Rees, with Central Otago wine and local produce.

Transfer to Queenstown Airport and fly north, connecting through Auckland — from where the direct service to Nadi takes about three hours.

At Nadi International your transfer takes you onward to Malolo Island, either by speedboat or, better, by helicopter: ten minutes over Viti Levu and the Mamanucas with the reef visible the whole way down.

Yesterday was the snow-capped Southern Alps and the fiords. Today is turquoise water, white sand and the warmth of the South Pacific. The evening is a Fijian dinner and cultural welcome.

The first full day is about slowing down, which after five days of alpine adventure takes a little practice. Breakfast over a white-sand beach backed by native vegetation.

The day is swimming, snorkelling straight off the shore, paddleboarding and kayaking — all of it complimentary and all of it available whenever you feel like it. The spa runs singing bowl meditation and Marma massage alongside daily yoga.

A private beachfront lunch on the sand, then sunset cocktails and dinner beside the ocean.

A private boat into the surrounding islands. The Mamanucas are known for their coral reefs, small tropical islands and beaches reachable only from the water.

Snorkelling over living reef, swimming off empty sand, and a visit to a local village — Fijian hospitality is not a marketing line, and a village welcome here is a genuine one. Lunch is a feast of local specialities.

The afternoon returns to the resort. Six Senses runs an Experiences Centre with open-water diving certification, water sports and year-round surfing for all abilities, and an Earth Lab explaining how the island is run. The resort is also home to 39 Fijian crested iguanas as part of a species recovery programme.

A deliberately slow final day. The morning is wellness — yoga, meditation, a detox or fitness session, or simply the spa.

The afternoon is whatever you want it to be: diving on the reef for beginners or certified divers, a last snorkel, a jet ski, a paddleboard along the coast, or a hammock and nothing at all.

A farewell Fijian dinner as the sun goes into the Pacific closes a journey that began in the snow.

Breakfast at the resort and a final swim or beach walk on Malolo, then a private transfer to Nadi International Airport.