AUCKLAND SHOWS, TRAIN AND
BOATS TOUR
24 - 28 September 2024
Four night tour in Auckland featuring 5 great music events: New Zealand Opera’s Rigoletto, the whimsical Matilda the Musical, and our own shows Puttin’ on the Ritz, Down at the old Bull and Bush and A Spotlight on Amanda and Ben.
$3380 per person twin share
Single Room Supplement Add $920
Initial Deposit On Booking $1000
Final Balance Due: 5 July 2024
Days
4 Nights
Highlights
Rigoletto, Matilda the Musical, Glenbrook Private Steam Train, Matakana Day Trip
Group Size
1 Coachload
Meals
All Breakfasts
1 High Tea
2 Lunches
3 Dinners
Mobility
Easy Tour
SPECIAL FEATURES
• Rigoletto, featuring NZ’s own superstar international Tenor Amitai Pati of Sol3 Mio fame in the role of The Duke of Mantua. This tragic tale of love, power and revenge is set in a 1950’s Mafia style production presented by arrangement with Opera Australia. Sue and John have seen this production and it is fantastic!
• Matilda the Musical is the whimsical tale of Matilda, based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl. Presented by an all NZ cast, this wonderful show has won over 100 awards and travelled the world having been seen by 11 million people since it premiered.
• Plus other great activities including Glenbrook private steam train ride, Riverhead cruise and pub lunch, Devonport and Matakana day trip and our own 3 great shows!
TRIP ITINERARY
Experience the Exceptional:
TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2024 (HT, D)
Four Points by Sheraton Hotel (4 nights)
Highlights Include:
• Meet at the airport from our various parts of New Zealand and transfer to Glenbrook Railway for a ‘step back in time’ experience - a ride on their historic carriages pulled by a steam engine, while enjoying the scenery and high tea.
• After check in and a freshen up at the hotel, time to put on those glad rags as we are off to Sails, one of Auckland’s award winning restaurants for fine dining and a concert: Puttin’ on the Ritz, a selection of great songs from the 20s and 30s.
WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2024 (B, L)
Highlights Include:
• Depart hotel for Westhaven Marina where we will take a private cruise up to Riverhead, west of Auckland, enjoying beautiful scenery along the way.
• We also enjoy our special guest artist, piano accordionist Tracey Collins, getting us in the mood for fun and frolicking with some great music and a singalong: Down at the old Bull and Bush!
• Today it’s lunch at the Riverhead Pub with a great atmosphere and good food.
• Tonight our premium event: Rigoletto at Aotea Centre, presented by New Zealand Opera. Rigoletto is one of Verdi’s most beloved operas, featuring hit after hit including La Donna e Mobile, Rigoletto quartet, Caro Nome and Quest o Quella.
THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2024 (B, D)
Highlights Include:
• Free morning to meet friends or enjoy a bit of shopping.
• Then it’s off to the Ferry Building and a ferry ride to the historic waterfront suburb of Devonport with free time for shopping, coffee or a lovely walk along the waterfront.
• Then we transfer to Takapuna for a light dinner before the second of our shows Matilda the Musical at the Bruce Mason Theatre, Takapuna.
• Inspired by the beloved book by Roald Dahl,
Matilda the Musical is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination, a sharp mind and psychokinetic powers, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2024 (B, L, D)
Highlights Include:
• A leisurely start to the day after our late night before transferring to Matakana, one hour north of Auckland.
• Activities in this beloved day trip destination include The Sculptureum Experience which is made up of three sculpture gardens and six art galleries spanning over 1.4km of flat paths. The private collection includes over 800 works of art by local and international artists.
• Lunch at Morris and James Pottery plus a tour and a chance to shop.
• Visit to Matakana Botanicals to enjoy factory shop pricing of this lovely product as well as free time for shopping in the little township.
• Our final night dinner at the famous Plume Restaurant with a private concert from our artists and special guest Benjamin Makisi: A Spotlight on Amanda and Ben, featuring opera, music theatre and famous duets and solos.
SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2024 (B)
Transfer to the airport today. We are replete after a wealth of musical events, five in total and great experiences.
This Trip Includes:
• 4 nights at the 4 star Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Auckland.
• 5 great music events: New Zealand Opera’s Rigoletto, the whimsical Matilda the Musical, and our own shows Puttin’ on the Ritz, Down at the old Bull and Bush and A Spotlight on Amanda and Ben.
• Dinner at Sails, one of Auckland’s award winning restaurants for fine dining and a concert: Puttin’ on the Ritz, a selection of great songs from the 20s and 30s.
• A private cruise up to Riverhead, west of Auckland with Down at the old Bull and Bush! Then lunch at the Riverhead Pub.
• Ferry ride to Devonport with free time for shopping.
• Day trip to Matakana including The Sculptureum Experience, lunch at Morris and James Pottery, visit to Matakana Botanicals and our final night dinner at the famous Plume Restaurant with a private concert from our artists and special guest Benjamin Makisi: A Spotlight on Amanda and Ben, featuring opera, music theatre and famous duets and solos.
• Glenbrook Railway for a ‘step back in time’ experience - a ride on their historic carriages pulled by a steam engine, while enjoying the scenery and high tea.
• All tours as listed plus transfers to and from airport.
• All breakfasts, one high tea, 2 lunches and 3 dinners are included.
• Escorted by John Cameron, Alex Milligan, Amanda Atlas, Paul Carnegie-Jones with special guest appearances by tenor Benjamin Makisi and piano accordionist Tracey Collins.
• Please note that as our travellers are coming from all over NZ, airfares are not included.
Important Information
• All itinerary details are subject to change, but changes will be replaced with a comparable or better option.
• Initial & Second deposits are fully refundable up until final balance due date, minus an administration fee of up to $500 plus any non-recoverable costs.
• All monies are non-refundable at final balance due date. This becomes an insurance claim.
• Bank transfer payments incur no surcharge. Credit card payments incur surcharge of 1.5%.
• Travellers need to be independently mobile and fit to travel.
• Bookings will only be accepted with initial deposit & booking form.
• All travellers must obtain comprehensive travel insurance for international travel and insurance for domestic travel is recommended.
• Please refer to our terms and conditions on booking form.
Mobility - Easy Tour
This trip has a little more walking than an easy tour. It is a moderate tour for one of the following reasons - you may need to walk with ease for up to one hour at a slow pace or be able to climb stairs or be able to get on and off boats, trains This tour will suit people with a stick, but not a walker or in a wheelchair. You will be required to walk to get from place to place and stand in museums and gardens, but it is designed to be an easy tour with lots of time to rest, travel on a coach and walk easy leisurely distances. You will need to be able to get on and off a bus with ease. If you are unsure, please ring the office to discuss your suitability for our tours. This trip will not suit those on walkers and a moderate level of mobility is required.