Join Bonnie, Alex Milligan and special guests as we combine mystic, magical, musical experiences including a unique gala under the cathedral like canopy of the giant Redwoods, with the rugged East Cape, vineyards in Tauranga, and a St Patrick’s crazy concert.
Experience the Exceptional
2019 is the 250th celebration of Cook’s Landing - a perfect time to visit the East Cape and Bay of Plenty region. Join Bonnie and Tainui with appearances from special guest artists including Jessica Hindin on this musical journey through spectacular scenery culminating in Mystic, Magic and Majesty in the majestic Redwood Forest.
Crazy celebration concert on St Patrick’s Day, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Bubbles and Bling in Mills Reef vineyard and Not Too Heavy, Not Too Light in the Blue Baths, Rotorua with special guest artists.
Scenic Drives including one of the most rugged and least explored parts of New Zealand: The East Cape.
Numerous other experiences include vintage scenic rail, gondola ride, lake lunch cruise, historic houses, Kiwi fruit farms and museum.
Gisborne ~ Emerald Hotel (2 nights)
• Tairawhiti Museum visit to learn about history of the region.
• City tour of Gisborne with Botanical Gardens and Titirangi Domain.
• Private dinner at Marina Restaurant with entertainment from our escorts: Music be the Food of Love, featuring famous love songs.
• Gisborne Vintage railway trip for 2 hours this morning, giving us fabulous views of this scenic region.
• Wine tasting and lunch at The Vines, Bushmere Estate.
• Small concert and movie screening at the unique Dome Theatre, filled with bean bags. (Don’t worry we will have some real chairs there too!).
Te Kaha ~ Te Kaha Beach Resort (1 night)
• This morning we embark on our journey of the East Cape, one of the most deserted and beautiful parts of New Zealand.
• Highlights today include a scenic drive, visit to Cooks Landing with Powhiri and talk on Cooks Landing.
• Lunch at East Cape Manuka Company including tour with a focus on honey.
• Drive through many bays until we reach our accommodation this evening.
Tauranga ~ Hotel on Devonport (3 nights)
• Today we drive on towards Whakatane and then to Ohope Beach.
• Lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf with views over Ohope Beach.
• Buffet dinner at the Tauranga Club.
• Morning visit to Athenree Homestead for High Tea & Tour.
• Wine Tasting and Food Platters at Leverette Estate Vineyard & Cellar Door in Katikati.
• Gala celebration of all that is Irish with Jess on fiddle, and Bonnie, Tai and special guests working to keep up. When Irish Eyes are Smiling! And maybe the odd Irish joke!
• Visit the historic Elms Mission House.
• Fun and frivolity at Kiwi Country and your chance to ride on a giant kiwi plus tour and tastings.
• Tonight, it’s time to put on your glad rags and dancing shoes for Bubbles and Bling, an evening of entertainment at Mills Reef Winery.
Rotorua ~ Novotel Lakeside Hotel (3 nights)
• Drive to Rotorua with stop at Rotorua Skyline for gondola ride, lunch and view of Rotorua.
• City tour including Government Gardens.
• Visit to Buried Village of Te Wairoa, with historic talk.
• Lake cruise on Lakeland Queen on Lake Rotorua.
• Evening concert of Not Too Heavy, Not Too Light at the famous historic Blue Baths with guest artists.
• Rainbow springs visit.
• Free time for shopping.
• Final night gala under the cathedral like canopy of the giant Redwoods with special guest artists including violinist Jessica Hindin creating the atmosphere in Mystic, Magic and Majesty.
• Leave Rotorua and travel to Hobbiton for tour and special lunch - maybe the odd hobbit will appear?
• Then onwards to Auckland for flights and transfers home.
Special events including final night gala concert under the cathedral canopy of Redwoods: Mystic, Magic and Majesty, Bubbles and Bling at Mills Reef Winery, Not Too Heavy, Not Too Light at the beautiful Blue Baths, and Music be the Food of Love welcome dinner.
Magnificent scenic drives through East Cape and the East Coast of NZ North Island.
Historic experiences. Learn about Captain Cook Landing, historic houses and museums.
10 day tour of the East Cape, Gisborne, Bay of Plenty: Ohope Beach, Whakatane, Tauranga and Rotorua.
Accommodation Emerald Hotel Gisborne (2 nights), Te Kaha Beach Resort (1 night), Hotel at Devonport, Tauranga (3 nights), Novotel Lakeside Rotorua (3 nights)
All experiences as listed including lake cruise, driving tours, Kiwi fruit tour, historic houses tours, Rainbow Springs, Vintage rail.
Meals as listed in itinerary: all breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners and 4 morning teas.
Escorted by Bonnie and Hamish McGreogor with special guest appearances by Jessica Hindin, Penny Dodd and other musicians.
EASY TOUR
This tour will suit people with a stick, but not a walker. You will be required to walk to get from place to place and stand in museums, but it is designed to be an easy tour with lots of times to rest, travel on a coach and walk easy leisurely distances.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
•All trips are subject to change but any changes will be of equal or greater value.
•Deposits refundable until final payment date minus any costs incurred, or an administration fee of up to $150.
•Travellers need to be independently mobile and fit to travel. This tour will suit people with a stick but not a walker. You will be required to walk to get from place to place and stand in museums but it is designed to be an easy tour with lots of times to rest, travel on a coach and walk easy leisurely distances.
•Travellers are required to obtain comprehensive travel insurance for all international trips.
Please refer to terms & conditions on our booking form.
MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Mystic, Magic and Majesty under the canopy of the Redwoods.
Bubbles and Bling at Mills Reef Winery.
Not too heavy, not too light at the beautiful Blue Baths.
Music be the Food of Love welcome dinner.
Every customer is required to take out insurance for all international travel when taking a trip with Operatunity Ltd.
DOMESTIC INSURANCE
Insurance for Domestic travel is currently available from many companies. Insurance for New Zealand trips is entirely at your discretion. Please email our office for our current recommendation if you wish our advice.
INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE
Insurance for International travel is currently available from many companies. For our trips overseas it is a requirement that proof of cover be sent to our office some time before departure from NZ. We can not accept travellers who hold no cover for international travel as per our term and conditions.
Please email our office for our current recommendation if you wish our advice. Email travelbookings@operatunity.co.nz Phone 0508 886 489
Operatunity provides group senior travel and with this in mind we plan trips to suit our target market. But not every trip is created equal in terms of mobility. We want to give you the best possible experience but that will only be achieved if you are able to enjoy everything that our trips have to offer.
Most of our long haul trips require a better level of mobility. We will look after everyone as well as we possibly can, but we cannot look after one at the expense of the rest of the group. We also cannot have one person slowing the rest of group to the point where the group is not able to enjoy every experience we are able to provide.
With this in mind we have put a mobility clause into every trip. Under each explanation here I have popped a statement. Ask yourself if this is ‘you’, when booking on a trip.
None of the following mobility clauses preclude you from ordering a wheelchair at the airport if required.
1. GENTLE TOUR This tour will suit most people, even with a stick or a walker, but sorry not someone in a wheelchair. The activity level is gently paced, but you still need to be able to get on and off buses easily. There will be walking, but not a lot. “I love travelling, but at a gentle pace. I like to avoid stairs or too much activity, but I am able to get on and off buses easily.”
2. EASY TOUR This tour will suit people with a stick, but not a walker. You will be required to walk to get from place to place and stand in museums, but it is designed to be an easy tour with lots of times to rest, travel on a coach and walk easy leisurely distances. ”Walking is fine. I can get on and off a coach. I am happy to stand for an hour or two in museums and galleries and gently stroll through places of interest. I am happy to climb the odd set of stairs.”
3. MODERATE WALKING TOUR This tour requires a better level of fitness with no wheelchairs or walkers. Generally, there may be times when we can’t get the coach close. In some of our Pacific Island tours we will need you to transfer onto a tender and walk on soft sand. We also will have much longer flights and long walks through airports. “I like walking at a moderate pace. I love to keep my days full and experience everything the tour has to offer. Stairs, tender transfers and cobblestones don’t bother me.”
4. EXPLORING TOUR This is still a moderately paced tour, but you will be required to walk longer distances, walk on cobblestones and stand in museums. To really get the best out of this tour you need to be able to stand or walk for a couple of hours comfortably, be it at a leisurely pace. “I like to spend most of the day exploring. Whether walking historic neighbourhoods on cobblestones at a moderate pace or out and about on a coach, I want my days full. Stairs don’t bother me and I am keen to see and do as much as I can with the odd day off to recuperate.”
Operatunity is a company specialising in music lovers tours to the senior market. Each trip has been especially planned to include music and arts experiences and has a level of friendliness and care which cannot be found anywhere else! Our trips are packed with features not found anywhere else
Yes we have lots of people who travel on their own. We endeavour to match you up with someone who lives close to you or is close in age to you. Often you will get a chance to meet with your matchup or ring them before you leave on your trip. You also may prefer to travel solo and pay the single supplement price. We travel as a happy band so there will be lots of chances to meet people. You will find fellow music lovers and those with other similar interests. In fact those like the nicer things of life so you will travel with like-minded people. It is also important to remember that our singers are our escorts so you will see at least a couple of familiar faces as you leave.
If you live outside of Auckland, we can arrange travel and accommodation on your way to meet up with our group. We have access and can book domestic airfares in conjunction with Air New Zealand international airfares. Plus we can book your pre and post tour accommodation if required.
It is compulsory for our international trips and highly recommended for our domestic tours.
No as most airlines offer various special meals and any restaurants we visit are happy to accommodate special dietary requirements.
We seek to accommodate the needs of guests with disabilities whenever possible. However in most cases we are unable to take customers with walkers, wheelchairs or other mobility issues. Certain trips may be unsuitable due to walking or limited availability of accommodation with disabled facilities. We cannot be responsible for the care of customers suffering from significant cognitive illness (such as dementia). We ask such customers to consult with your doctor to obtain medical clearance. Guests needing assistance mustbe accompanied by an able companion who will be available to assist them and assume full responsibility for their wellbeing.
We ask that you can walk at least 100 metres unaided and be able to get on and off buses with little or no assistance. We cater for a senior market but it is important that you do not jeopardise the enjoyment of others by requiring more care and holding up the rest of the group. Talk to our office or staff at concerts and any advisory notes for individual trips to get a better idea of your suitability for each trip.
We stay at 4 and 5 star character hotels, avoiding package, tourist or big hotel chains. We choose hotels with a more personal feel often with historic content or hotels of beauty and character, centrally located or in parks, by the water, or with beautiful gardens.
Breakfast is included daily, and many dinners and lunches are also included as per our itinerary.
There are no hidden costs. Included in the trip are tips, taxes, porterage, breakfast, meals where specified, inclusions listed in the itinerary, entry fees where listed in the itinerary, concert/show tickets where listed in the itinerary, tour escorts and local specialised guides.
Some of our trips sell out very quickly and we recommend you make your booking as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
We will ask you to pay an initial deposit when making your booking. We will then follow up for a second deposit and then a final balance payment prior to travel.
All deposits up until final payment are refundable minus an administration fee of up to $500 plus any non-recoverable costs the company may incur.
After final deposit refunds are unlikely and the refund becomes an insurance claim.
Our numbers vary from destination to destination, please contact our office for further information. We have a minimum number required to operate a tour. Should minimum numbers not be met, a full refund will be made.
For international trips, all guests must have a valid passport that does not expire earlier than at least 6 months beyond their intended stay.
Music is a key element in making our experiences special. There are special experiences and events every day, such as themed dinners, impromptu concerts, music, art tours with art experts and garden tours with garden experts.
Most hotels now have internet connection and all hotels have telephones in the room or at reception. If using your mobile telephone check calling and text rates, and disable data roaming before leaving New Zealand. Consider purchasing a prepaid SIM card. And you can keep in touch using social media such as Facebook. We have a copy of your next of kin details in case of emergency and we are also happy to help out with texts, phone calls and emails if you can’t get in touch with your family and need to while away. We are also happy to help out with getting your phones, ipads and cameras to work if needed while away.
We spend less time travelling between regions, allowing more time to enjoy experiences when you arrive. We avoid one night stops and “conveyor belt” travel, so you really can capture the local colour and vitality of the region. Our trips are planned so that there is a balance of included activities and free time for you to relax or do some exploring on your own.
Contact Operatunity Travel
Phone toll free: 0508 886 489
Mail your booking form to PO BOX 132 150, Sylvia Park, Auckland 1644
Email: travel@operatunity.co.nz
Phone toll free: 0508 886 489
Email: travelbookings@operatunity.co.nz
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