01 / THE PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY
Go beyond the view.
As winter winds begin to blow in the Northern Hemisphere, New Zealand welcomes the warmth of spring and the energy of summer. Lupins bloom beside clear lakes like the Earth's gentle embrace. Under blue skies, pink and purple flower spikes sway like wind chimes, nature's amethysts adorning New Zealand's dreamlike landscapes.
Lupins and South Island lakes
Photograph lupins and lake scenery around Tekapo and Twizel, subject to local flowering conditions.
West Coast and glacier lakes
Photograph coastal scenery, mist and mountain reflections around Greymouth, Pancake Rocks and Lake Matheson. Optional glacier activities require separate confirmation.
Wanaka and Queenstown
Explore lakes, mountains and streets from Wanaka to Arrowtown, Queenstown and Glenorchy, working with changing natural light.
The journey in pictures
Leading photographers: XAVI Zhuang →CC P →
Destination illustrations · select a photo to explore
02 / IN GOOD COMPANY
A different way of seeing.
XAVI Zhuang
Graduated from the Photography Department of South China Normal University. Specializes in landscape, documentary, mobile and drone photography. He has provided photography lectures and training for the municipal library, the Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, the news agency of South China Normal University, the Senior Photographers Association, China Southern Power Grid, the Bao'an land bureau, UnionPay International, Standard Chartered, Ping An Bank, Bank of China, Industrial Bank, China Merchants Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of Jiangsu, the coastal administration, the Capital Institute, SF Express and local community offices. Photography journeys He has led photography groups to Turkey, the Balkans, Japan, Eastern Europe, Semporna, Israel, Cuba, Iran, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Spain, Namibia, Bangladesh, Russia, Cambodia, Chiang Mai, Myanmar, Italy, Portugal and Morocco. Destinations in China include Longji, Weizhou Island, Yuanyang, Puzhehei, Bashang, Xuexiang, Beijing, Niubei Mountain, Guangwu Mountain, Huangshan, Wuyuan, Poyang Lake, Nanjing, Wuxi, Nyingchi, the Yellow River in Shaanxi, the Qiantang River, Hainan, Xiaodongjiang, Zhangjiajie, Zhongwei, Xiapu, Daocheng–Shangri-La and Ejina Banner. Selected awards and exhibitions 15th National Art Photography Competition; 2nd Shenzhen Photography Annual Exhibition; 10th PSAChina International Photography event; 2015 Toronto International TIPF Annual Excellence Award; multiple acceptances in the Austrian circuit, 2017–2019; exhibition at the 7th Dali International Photography Festival, 2018; silver award in the first Beautiful China Aerial Photography competition; second prize in the People category of the China division of the 2019 National Geographic Global Photography Contest.
CC P
Specializes in filmmaking, writing and directing, production, planning, documentary photography, portraiture and landscapes. Gold award in the folk customs category of the 4th Asia-Pacific Cup International Photography Art Exhibition. She has extensive experience directing and producing promotional films and documentaries, and leads photography trips within China and overseas each year. Her photography post-production training has included more than 400 sessions and 20,000 participant attendances for organizations including the Futian urban management bureau, the water group, the Nanshan publicity department, the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration, Peking University's MBA programme, the Hangcheng, Xixiang, Yutang and Taoyuan community offices, the Guangming New District Photography Association and the Shenzhen Senior Photographers Association.
03 / THE DAYS AHEAD
A rhythm shaped by light.
Shooting locations, accommodation and transport are subject to confirmation before departure and may change with the weather.
Note: itinerary timings above are for reference only. The photography leader may make suitable adjustments according to local weather, conditions and other factors to achieve the best photographic results. Days 9–11 are provisionally planned around Twizel and Aoraki / Mount Cook; daily connections, accommodation and the day 12 route to Lake Tekapo await operator confirmation.
Itinerary dates and text times without their own zone use: Pacific/Auckland。Exact times use your selected timezone; dates alone and descriptions such as “morning” are not converted.
DAY 01Dec 8 · Pacific/AucklandDay 1: December 8, Tuesday, Guangzhou–Christchurch
Meet at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport for travel to New Zealand. Reference services are listed under transport; meeting, departure and local arrival dates await operator confirmation.
Accommodation:in flight
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 02Dec 9 · Pacific/AucklandDay 2: December 9, Wednesday, arrive in Christchurch
Normally, customs clearance is completed before 7 in the evening. Take a short rest in Christchurch, then have dinner and check in at the hotel. Rest early to build energy for the relatively intensive photography days ahead.
Accommodation:Christchurch
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 03Dec 10 · Pacific/AucklandDay 3: December 10, Thursday, Christchurch–Greymouth
After breakfast, drive to Greymouth, reaching the hotel at approximately 3 in the afternoon. Check in, then drive another 1 hour to the Pancake Rocks in Paparoa National Park for sunset. This productive photographic location is a famous spot on New Zealand's West Coast. Return to the hotel for a somewhat late dinner after sunset photography. The accommodation is comfortable, with standard rooms for two or three people.
Accommodation:Greymouth
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 04Dec 11 · Pacific/AucklandDay 4: Greymouth–glacier lakes–Lake Matheson
Driving over the next two days is relatively short, around 2–3 hours, leaving plenty of time for photography along the way. Visit the national park for sunrise and morning mist, then continue along the West Coast into the glacier area. Some locations require walking closer to the glaciers, with attractive scenery en route. Time is planned for photographing New Zealand glowworms, a distinctive species whose adults resemble large mosquitoes and whose larvae emit blue light from their tails. They can make beautiful time-lapse subjects, although success depends on luck. The hotel area also offers attractive night skies. If glowworm photography is unsuccessful during the day and time permits, visit the lake for night-sky reflections with Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain, as the backdrop.
Accommodation:Franz Josef
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 05Dec 12 · Pacific/AucklandDay 5: Lake Matheson and glacier lakes
Photograph morning mist at Lake Matheson. Weather permitting, a glacier walk or helicopter flight onto the glacier is recommended. This optional activity is paid separately; confirm the amount before booking. It must be booked early because helicopter places are popular. Around two hours on the clear, ancient ice provide access to views that many visitors cannot photograph. With two days in the glacier-lake area, there are two opportunities to reach the ice. Higher locations reveal translucent and blue glacier ice that cannot be seen by walking only to the glacier's lower end.
Accommodation:Franz Josef
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 06Dec 13 · Pacific/AucklandDay 6: Lake Matheson–Wanaka
If possible, anyone who has not reached the glacier may have one final opportunity. Continue photographing dramatic scenery along the West Coast before entering the Lake Wānaka area. Along the way, photograph waterfalls, deep-blue rivers, spring vineyards and the lone willow. Stay at a hotel near the lake. At night, use the lone willow as a foreground for the stars, although surrounding lights make a full Milky Way image less likely.
Accommodation:hotel near Lake Wānaka
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 07Dec 14 · Pacific/AucklandDay 7: December 14, Monday, Wānaka–Queenstown
Leave Lake Wānaka via Cardrona and the bra fence, then photograph Arrowtown's old streets and the nearby artists' village. Reach the Queenstown apartment hotel before 5 in the afternoon. Have a mountaintop buffet dinner and photograph sunset over Queenstown. Stay for 2 days; the moon is beginning to wane, making this a favorable period for night-sky photography.
Accommodation:apartment hotel in Queenstown
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 08Dec 15 · Pacific/AucklandDay 8: December 15, Tuesday, Queenstown
Head early to the Remarkables for sunrise views over Queenstown and photographs of hot-air balloons rising near Arrowtown. Then travel to Glenorchy, another Lord of the Rings filming location, and photograph native forest. A settlement aptly named Paradise adds to the atmosphere. Like the native forest around Lake Matheson, this is a distinctive photographic setting. Return in the afternoon for Queenstown street photography, then photograph lakeside lupins and a wooden jetty extending into the water in the evening.
Accommodation:apartment hotel in Queenstown
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 09Dec 16 · Pacific/AucklandDay 9: Queenstown–Cromwell–Twizel lakes
If the first sunrise was disappointing, take a second opportunity to photograph from the Remarkables. Leave Queenstown and photograph the atmospheric old streets of Cromwell beside the lake. The coming days enter a world of lupins, whose colors complement many different landscapes. Reach Twizel in the evening, where several nights are planned. Its lake district offers varied scenes: dead willows standing in some lakes, mirror-like calm in others. Photography requires driving to a number of locations, too numerous to describe individually here.
Accommodation:Planned stay in the Twizel lake area; final location and hotel await operator confirmation.
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 10Dec 17 · Pacific/AucklandDay 10: Twizel lakes
Continue photographing around Twizel, a region rich in mountains and lakes. Staying here for 2 days allows time to capture the golden hour each morning and evening. The pastures are also beautiful, with abundant cattle and sheep and impressive irrigation systems. Favorable weather offers many opportunities to photograph stars above the lakes at night.
Accommodation:Planned stay in the Twizel lake area; final location and hotel await operator confirmation.
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 11Dec 18 · Pacific/AucklandDay 11: Twizel–Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
Depart Twizel for Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, a principal photography destination on this trip. Options include a boat excursion close to the glacier, with a chance, if lucky, to photograph calving ice and the waves it creates. This is an optional activity; those who have already visited a glacier may prefer to concentrate on Mount Cook. It is also a distinctive New Zealand experience: an iceberg-filled lake among the few glacial lakes open to visitors worldwide. Approach the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand's largest, on a specially designed MAC boat with an experienced guide explaining the changing glacial landscape. Icebergs of different sizes regularly break from the glacier's once-imposing face into the rapidly rising lake. Lateral moraines up to 200 meters high recall its former scale. Stay within the national park for close views of sunset on Mount Cook, golden light on the summit, the night sky and sunrise. Expect an intensive photography day with some walking.
Accommodation:A stay inside Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is planned; availability and hotel await operator confirmation.
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 12Dec 19 · Pacific/AucklandDay 12: December 19, Saturday, Lake Tekapo–Christchurch
On the final day in New Zealand, try once more for favorable sunrise conditions at Lake Tekapo, including the thin mist rising from its surface. Continue photographing around the lake with the instructor after breakfast, then return to Christchurch by vehicle in the afternoon.
Accommodation:Christchurch
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 13Dec 20 · Pacific/AucklandDay 13: December 20, Sunday, Christchurch–Guangzhou
Photograph Christchurch in the morning, then transfer to the airport according to the confirmed flight schedule. See transport for reference services.
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 14Dec 21 · Pacific/AucklandDay 14: Arrive in Guangzhou
Arrive at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, concluding the New Zealand photography trip. The final arrival date and time follow the confirmed flight arrangements.
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefWhere we stay
Four-star standard twin rooms are planned; hotels and room types await operator confirmation. Day 1: in flight Day 2: Christchurch Day 3: Greymouth Day 4: Franz Josef Day 5: Franz Josef Day 6: hotel near Lake Wānaka Day 7: apartment hotel in Queenstown Day 8: apartment hotel in Queenstown Day 9: Planned stay in the Twizel lake area; final location and hotel await operator confirmation. Day 10: Planned stay in the Twizel lake area; final location and hotel await operator confirmation. Day 11: A stay inside Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is planned; availability and hotel await operator confirmation. Day 12: Christchurch Final hotels and stay arrangements await operator confirmation.
Getting there
The instructor will take the following flights: Outbound: December 8, Guangzhou–Christchurch, CZ617 / 00:50 / 17:20 Return: December 20, Christchurch–Guangzhou, CZ618 / 22:30 / 05:30 +1 day Before booking transport, please confirm the departure and travel arrangements through this website. These services are for reference and do not constitute confirmed group transport. Final services and meeting times await operator confirmation.
04 / A CLEAR PICTURE
Know what is included.
Platform service fee to be confirmed
Deposit USD 2,986.12 Original CNY 20,000 · Reference rates 2026-09-18 · Frankfurter / person
Included
Standard twin rooms in four-star hotels throughout;
Transport: a 12-seat Mercedes-Benz business vehicle throughout;
Photography instruction and services throughout;
Driver-guide services and tips throughout;
保险：旅行社责任险、以及团体旅游意外保险（最高保额30万/人）；
Unlimited daily drinking water, with no waste permitted.
Not included
Flights and taxes between cities in China and New Zealand;
New Zealand visa fees;
All meal expenses, shared among participants;
Hotel porter, restaurant staff and similar tips, paid individually;
A single supplement applies if a roommate is unavailable or a private room is requested. The amount awaits operator confirmation.
Other unspecified additional service charges and personal expenses;
In force majeure circumstances such as natural disasters, war or strikes, or exceptional events including flight delays or cancellations and consular visa delays, the organizing team reserves the right to cancel or modify the itinerary. Additional expenses, including visas, accommodation, meals, transport and national airfare adjustments, may be charged at expense. We will nevertheless try within our ability to minimize participants' losses;
Tax is excluded; the applicable invoice tax must be paid additionally if an invoice is required.
Service fees, supplements, taxes and the final total are subject to written confirmation.
05 / BEFORE YOU GO
Clarity before departure.
Availability and registration
This website accepts expressions of interest in this trip and does not synchronize the operator's remaining places in real time. Please contact us to confirm group departure, availability, the final quotation and booking conditions.
Cancellation and breach provisions
Before departure, participants and the organizing team may sign a written travel contract or give notice terminating the trip agreement. The contract is legally binding. If termination is requested more than 30 days before departure, excluding day 30, neither party is liable for breach. Days are calculated by subtracting the date the termination notice is received from the departure date; the same calculation applies below. If the organizing team terminates the agreement, all travel fees must be refunded without deducting visa or entry-permit fees. If a participant terminates after a visa or entry permit has been processed or a flight booked, the relevant visa, entry-permit and flight cancellation charges are deducted. The organizing team must refund the travel fees within 5 working days of receiving the termination notice. If either party terminates within 30 days of departure, including day 30, the terminating party bears liability for breach. [Liability of the organizing team] If the organizing team terminates the trip agreement within 30 days of departure, including day 30, it must refund all travel fees without deducting visa, entry-permit or similar charges, and pay compensation according to the following schedule: 30 to 15 days before departure: compensation of 2% of the total trip fee; 14 to 7 days before departure: compensation of 5% of the total trip fee; 6 to 4 days before departure: compensation of 10% of the total trip fee; 3 to 1 days before departure: compensation of 15% of the total trip fee; On the departure date: compensation of 20% of the total trip fee. If this compensation does not cover the participant's actual losses, the organizing team must compensate those actual losses. The organizing team must refund the full trip fee and pay compensation within 5 working days of receipt of the cancellation notice. [Participant liability] Participants terminating the agreement within 30 days of departure must pay the organizing team a business-loss charge according to the following schedule: 30 to 15 days before departure: 5% of the total trip fee; 14 to 7 days before departure: 15% of the total trip fee; 6 to 4 days before departure: 70% of the total trip fee; 3 to 1 days before departure: 85% of the total trip fee; On the departure date: 90% of the total trip fee; If these percentages do not cover the organizing team's actual losses, the participant must compensate the actual losses, up to the total trip fee. After deducting the business-loss charge, the organizing team must refund the remaining travel fees within 5 working days of receiving the participant's cancellation notice.
Trip information
[Registration] Registration for this trip is confirmed upon receipt of the deposit. [Transport] 1. Flights booked by the organizing team are economy-class group tickets. Once issued, they cannot be endorsed to another carrier or refunded. 2. Actual flight, driving and boat travel times on the day apply. 3. Airlines and flight schedules above are for reference only. Changes to flight times may require minor itinerary adjustments; the departure notice takes precedence. [Accommodation] Accommodation is based on 2 people sharing 1 room. We will try to pair solo participants with another participant of the same gender. Participants who do not wish to share, or cannot be matched, must pay the single supplement for a room of their own. [Group meals] We try to choose meals suited to Chinese tastes and ensure that every guest receives an adequate portion. [Photography] 1. Photography activities follow the itinerary. In exceptional circumstances, time spent photographing each location will depend on the actual conditions that day. 2. Please read this itinerary carefully and choose a photography trip suited to your circumstances. If you give up part of the itinerary for personal reasons, including health, or request to forgo accommodation or transport, this is considered voluntary withdrawal. expenses already incurred are non-refundable. You are responsible for your personal safety while not participating in the itinerary. 3. Participants may not leave the group without permission during group photography activities, except during free time. Leaving partway through the trip is considered a breach by the participant. Unused photography activities, meals, accommodation and vehicle services are non-refundable, and the organizing team is not responsible for accidents occurring while the participant is away from the group. 4. If force majeure events such as typhoons or blizzards prevent travel according to the agreed itinerary, additional or reduced expenses following changes will be settled according to the travel agency's actual group operating expenses. [Payment adjustments] the organizing team reserves the right to adjust the amount payable if major fluctuations in international oil benchmarks cause substantial increases in fuel surcharges. If the increase is within what we can absorb, the trip fee will not be adjusted. [Departure notice] 1. The departure notice will be sent no later than 1 day before departure. If arrangements are confirmed earlier, we will notify you as soon as possible. 2. If the online itinerary differs from the departure notice, the departure notice takes precedence. [Optional activities at your own expense] Under the Tourism Law provisions prohibiting travel agencies from organizing or arranging optional activities at additional expense, guests wishing to join such activities should contact the service provider themselves for information, payment details and participation. If language difficulties lead you to ask a guide or tour leader for additional assistance, any paid or unpaid help is provided solely in that person's individual capacity, not on behalf of the organizing team or the local receiving agency. the organizing team has no involvement in the expenses, transaction amounts or service standards of free-time activities; guests bear the outcomes themselves.
Travel arrangements to confirm
The trip is provisionally scheduled for December 8–21, 2026. Please confirm the meeting date and time, final flights, and accommodation for days 9–11 before booking.
Fitness, equipment and conditions
Equipment and fitness requirements will be provided by the operator.