2023 September Chatham Island Seafood Extravaganza

*** SOLD OUT *** Come join Girls on the Road Again founder Lesley and husband Rob on our September 2023 Chatham Island Seafood Extravaganza for our seven night, six full day (eight days including travel days) tour and of course, on this tour your bloke is welcome to join you. This is a small group tour – minimum 7, maximum 12 and on this tour there is no additional cost if you’re a solo traveller.

Lesley is incredibly familiar with the Chatham Islands, is on the Tourism Chatham Island committee, the feature photographer in Air Chatham’s inflight magazine, leads around 7-10 tours to Chatham Islands each year, works very closely with Air Chathams and Hotel Chathams to deliver you an amazing experience.

Chatham Islands scenery is beautifully raw, the green colour is unlike what you’ve seen on mainland NZ, the history is inspiring and Girls on the Road Again can’t get enough of these islands, so much so, we have to keep coming back each year. September is the season for the Chatham Island’s Forget Me Not flowers to be in bloom which is why we want you to join us and see these beautiful flowers in their full glory.

While you’re at Chatham Islands, there are lots of places we take you:

Splatter Rock where you’ll also be looking for the two pairs of Chatham Island’s Oyster Catcher’s who nest amongst the sand and tussock
Basalt Columns which has giant kelp swaying around the columns, here we watch waves crashing over the columns
Visit Tommy Solomon statue, hear from his grandson Maui Solomon who will guide us across the Solomon land, hearing about the restorative tree planting they’ve undertaken and finally walk to the headland to view the ”awe inspiring” headland views
Visit the Moriori Marae where you learn about the history of the Chatham Island Moriori
View Moriori tree carvings at Hapupu and understand the significance of why these were carved
Port Hutt to view the two ship wrecks, understand their history and importance to the island
Visit Waitangi West
Admiral Gardens for a garden tour and sumptuous seafood bbq. Bring your credit card as the gift shop here has amazing Chatham Island gifts for you to take back home
Wade the shallow waters at Blind Jim’s looking for fossilised sharks teeth and sea urchin spines
Walk across farmland to the historic stone cottage at situated at the bottom of the towering Maunganui bluff
South Coast – for a bit of spotting, looking for the Chatham Island’s Kereru and look out to the South where the closest land is Antarctica
Kaingaroa, where depending on the time of the day we watch the fishermen loading and unloading their catch
Point Munning where we view the masses of seals sunning themselves on the rocks and swimming in the secluded pools
Mission Bay whaling station ruins
Sunderland museum where you can see how far the restoration of the plane that crashed in the lagoon in 1959 is coming along
The newly opened Chatham Island Museum where you can become immersed in the island’s history
In your downtime visit Cottage Crafts & River Onion Cafe
Exploring the life of the Chatham Island Bees and endemic flora, followed by an award-winning honey tasting at Wild Apiary – here we hear about the British Black bees which produce the honey
Visiting Chatham Island Foods, here you have an opportunity to purchase a range of their seafoods and have shipped back home plus enjoy a tasty hot iconic Chatham Island Paua pie
A couple of quiz night with prizes
Weather permitting spend a morning out fishing for Blue Cod aboard one of the local fishing boats
Plus lots more.

Girls on the Road Again supports the Chatham Islands’ philosophy of leaving footprints and only taking photos – when foraging we do not take any artefacts.

This group is limited to 12 and if you are a solo traveller there is no additional cost for a room on your own.

From the time you step onboard the Air Chatham’s flight in Auckland until you step off back in Auckland, there are no other costs unless you want to buy something from one of the island’s local shops – simply pack your bag and bring your credit card. An ATM machine at the local store allows you to take cash out during their opening hours.

This tour includes

Air Chatham flights departing & returning to Auckland, value $1,156
Seven nights accommodation at Hotel Chatham’s Forget Me Not suites and Travellers’ Rest – 60 seconds walk to the waterfront and the hotel
Own room if you’re travelling by yourself at no additional cost
7 cooked breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners with wines & beer
Chatham Islands airport transfers
Chatham Island book which explains the history of the island
Coach transport with a dedicated Chatham Island guide. We will be exploring the island looking at wildlife, botany, geology and learn about the the island’s unique history, culture plus of course, you will experience breathtaking scenery and meet many locals
Department of Conservation and landowner concession fees – $300 per person
Voluntary Chatham Islands visitor levy which goes towards the island’s infrastructure maintenance is included – $25 per person
Quiz nights with prizes.

Excludes

Purchases of a personal nature
Alcohol over and above provided with dinners and spirits

Deposit

NZ$500 per person secures your place
Balance is due 6 weeks prior, payable on invoice by credit card.

Some fun facts

A Journey Back in Time – the Chatham Islands is a place with no supermarkets, retail stores, skyscrapers, traffic jams or McDonald’s, instead you’ll experience a friendly fishing & farming island community.

Chatham Islanders will likely call you a New Zealander
They refer to New Zealand as if it is a different country
Chatham Islanders call themselves Weka’s not Kiwi’s
Locals wave to each other when passing on the road, its polite to wave back

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel the amount you have paid is refundable only if we are able sell your seat, less a $250 fee.
If for any reason we have to cancel, what you’ve paid is fully refundable.

Insurance & Other Items

Chatham Islands weather can occasionally cause flight delays, we recommend you take travel insurance and book fully flexible Air New Zealand airfares for your flights to Auckland and home from Auckland. Girls on the Road Again will not be held responsible for additional costs relating to flight changes should your Air Chatham flights be changed or disrupted due to delays.

Our outbound flight departs Auckland at 1.30pm – meet us at midday and our return flight lands back in Auckland at 10.30am