Kea Heritage Tours, 152 Golf Links Rd. (tel. 0800/532-868 in NZ, or 03/768-9292; www.keatours.co.nz), has a number of half- and 1-day tours to the glaciers, Punakaiki, Shantytown, and Blackball. These range in price from NZ$75 per person to NZ$287 per person for the Twin Glaciers and Lake Matheson Tour.
Off Beat Tours (tel. 0800/270-960 in NZ, or 03/731-1424; www.offbeattours.co.nz) goes all the way south to the glaciers and all the way north to Karamea and the spectacular Oparara Limestone Arches. Prices range from NZ$105 for a half-day tour to NZ$2,475 for the full-day glacier trip.
For one of the best-value scenic flights, seek out Air West Coast at Greymouth Airport (tel. 03/738-0524; www.airwestcoast.co.nz). The four-seater Cessna 172 takes you all the way down to Milford Sound. It's a full figure-eight trip that also covers the glaciers, Mount Cook, valleys, rivers, forests, and lakes. They also connect with cruise boats at Milford Sound and helicopter flights at Franz Josef to land on the snow. To fly to Mount Cook, the glaciers, Milford, and back to Christchurch (an advantage if you've traveled to Greymouth via the TranzAlpine and need to get back for connecting flights) costs NZ$890 per person (minimum two people). Keep in mind that you'll pay close to that for some of the scenic flights out of Queenstown that are shorter and cover far less territory. A shorter flight to Mount Cook and the glaciers will cost NZ$352 per person, minimum two people.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
