New Zealand Photo Adventure 2027

Embark on an unforgettable 13-day photographic adventure through New Zealand's breathtaking South Island. This tour is perfectly timed for astrophotography and winter landscapes, offering the best season to capture the region's spectacular scenery. From glittering glaciers and majestic mountains to deep fjords and ancient rainforests, the South Island abounds with pristine natural beauty and incredible diversity. Winter brings stable, often clear days and nights, making it ideal for astrophotography.

This tour will help you expand your landscape and astrophotography portfolio as you explore some of New Zealand's most iconic locations. Highlights include New Zealand's highest peak, Aoraki/Mt. Cook, and Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its towering peaks, cascading waterfalls, and fairytale-like ancient beech forests.

With three to four nights in most locations, you'll have ample time to fully immerse yourself in the South Island's extraordinary natural beauty and capture it (astro)photographically.

Experience breathtaking landscapes by day and by night!

The trip is aimed at all photography enthusiasts and lovers of landscape and especially night/astrophotography. The difficulty of the trip is easy to moderate, and a sufficient level of fitness is required. This is a photography-focused trip. You will visit and photograph the most beautiful places on New Zealand's South Island. During the trip, you will gain knowledge regarding astro and landscape photography, from the theory of image capture and planning to post-processing. We will start with the theoretical and technical fundamentals and apply them in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The goal of the trip is to return home with fascinating images.

The program may be subject to changes due to, for example, weather conditions.

Please fly from your departure location in good time to arrive in Queenstown promptly.

Day 1 and Day 2
Queenstown

The tour begins in Queenstown, where you can arrive at your leisure on this day. (Queenstown International Airport (ZQN))
We will meet for dinner to get to know each other before heading out the next day to explore the Queenstown area – including a trip to Glenorchy, where we will photograph at the head of Lake Wakatipu and the start of the famous Routeburn Track.

Day 3, Day 4, Day 5
Fiordland and Milford Sound

We will spend three nights in the charming lakeside town of Te Anau, using it as a base to explore the surrounding region. As the gateway to Fiordland National Park, Te Anau offers access to a variety of unique, diverse, and dramatic landscapes. During our stay, we will capture the serene beauty of Lake Te Anau, the South Island's largest lake, and take a scenic walk along the Kepler Track, one of New Zealand's "Great Walks," offering stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Our journeys will take us to a variety of breathtaking locations, including the spectacular Milford Highway through the Eglinton Valley. Along the way, we will encounter dark, mysterious lakes and moss-covered beech forests clinging to steep, dramatic slopes.

We will also explore pristine rainforests and the stunning vistas of Milford Sound, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Te Wāhipounamu – Southwest New Zealand. Milford Sound is renowned for its exceptional natural beauty with its dreamlike granite cliffs rising steeply from mirror-smooth waters, adorned with cascading waterfalls and surrounded by lush rainforest and towering peaks. We will take a boat trip on the Sound, giving you the opportunity to photograph the massive waterfalls plunging into the sea, conveying a sense of vastness and grandeur that is truly impressive. Whether bathed in sunlight, shrouded in mist, or glittering in the spray of its many waterfalls – this untouched wilderness offers unparalleled photographic opportunities.

Day 6, Day 7, Day 8
Wanaka and West Coast

You will stay for three nights at the picturesque lakeside Edgewater Hotel in Wānaka, perfectly located for exploring the region's legendary landscape. Capture the famous Wānaka tree and mountain scenery, and discover breathtaking locations that reflect the beauty of the region.

During our stay in Wānaka, we will take an extended day trip to the West Coast. We will stop on the highway to photograph some of the impressive waterfalls and forests along this road before continuing to one of the wild, rugged beaches of the West Coast.

Day 9 and Day 10
Twizel

We will spend two nights in Twizel, the gateway to Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park and the stunning Mackenzie Country – the perfect starting point for exploring and photographing the dramatic views of New Zealand's highest peaks, as well as engaging in astrophotography.

Day 11 and Day 12
Mt Cook

The final two nights of our tour will be spent in Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park. We will explore the park's landmarks, including the Tasman Valley, the breathtaking Hooker Valley, and the impressive landscape around Aoraki/Mt. Cook. The photo opportunities are endless – from the turquoise glacial waters of Lake Pukaki to the alpine lakes and the towering peaks of the Southern Alps.

Day 13
Departure

The tour concludes in Queenstown in time for late afternoon flights.

Optional Extras:
Fiordland Helicopter Landing:

Experience the unique thrill of landing amidst Fiordland's majestic mountains to photograph the high alpine sunrise with views of fjords and mountain lakes. Enjoy breathtaking vistas of Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau, and the rugged beauty of the Kepler Mountains.

To provide the best possible care, the maximum number of participants is limited to 8 people. The minimum number of participants for the tour is 6 people.

Participation is possible with English and German language skills.

Costs include:
-Accommodation (double room)
-Breakfast
-Licensed transport with our private van with local driver
-Airport transfer
-Photographer supervision
-Local guide
-Boat trip on Milford Sound
-National Park fees
-Photo editing lesson
-WhatsApp group

Costs do NOT include:
- Travel insurance covering health/luggage insurance (recommended)
- International flights
- Local expenses
- Visa
- Other meals
- Single room (surcharge: 1100 Euros)
- Anything not explicitly mentioned as "included."

The recommended photo equipment consists of a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a fast wide-angle lens (f < 2.8, ideally f < 2.0), a standard zoom lens (e.g., 28-70mm), and a telephoto lens (e.g., 100-400mm), as well as a tripod.
Optional recommendations: photo filters (ND and polarizing filters), remote shutter release with interval function, laptop.

It's winter on the South Island of New Zealand, and daytime temperatures are often in the single digits, dropping well below 0 °C at night. It's best to dress in layers so you can add or remove clothing depending on the weather conditions. For example: thermal underwear, wool or fleece mid-layer, wind and waterproof jacket and trousers. Spare socks and hiking boots are required.

- Passport / ID card valid for international travel
- Any necessary visa
- International health insurance and recommended travel cancellation insurance
- The local currency is the New Zealand Dollar.
- Credit cards (Master/Visa) are widely used, accepted almost everywhere, and serve as the primary means of payment.

The total price of the trip is 6900 EUR.

To book the trip, a deposit of 1700 EUR is required, and the remaining balance must be paid 30 days before the start of the trip.

The single room supplement is 1100 EUR.

Cancellation & Refund

If the entire trip has to be cancelled (e.g., due to safety concerns, operational restrictions, or a change in the political situation making the trip impossible to carry out), an alternative date will be sought, or you will receive a full refund of all payments made for the trip. Nevertheless, it is recommended to take out travel insurance that covers trip cancellation/interruption.

If a participant decides to cancel their reservation and booking, they can do so at any time. However, you should bear in mind that a cancellation by a participant leads to administrative difficulties with bookings as well as the risk of not reaching the minimum number of participants for the trip (and consequently the need to find a new person). In this case, deposits/payments will be handled according to the cancellation policy:

If the cancellation is submitted MORE than 3 months (before departure), you will receive a full refund.

If the cancellation is submitted LESS than 3 months (3-1 months) before departure,
you will receive 50% of the trip price as a refund.

If the cancellation is submitted LESS than 1 month before departure,
it is NOT possible to receive a refund.

*Unless the customer who wishes to cancel their booking brings another person who is willing to take their place by paying the total amount of the trip themselves.

Liability

Stefan Liebermann (www.stefanliebermann.de) acts as an intermediary for the trip. The trip is organised and conducted by New Zealand Photography Workshops (www.photographyworkshops.co.nz).