Kiwi Pass for Air, Land

Mount Cook Line, which offers air and land travel services in New Zealand, has introduced super Kiwi passes for two people traveling together, including unlimited air flights and accommodations or land transportation on scheduled motor coach services, plus accommodations.

You can buy the super Kiwi air pass from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 for 7, 10, 15 or 25 nights for $545, $615, $719 and $939, respectively. Until Sept. 30 the rates are $498, $559, $655 and $859, respectively.

Rates from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 for the super Kiwi coach pass are $245 for seven nights, $335 for 10 nights, $485 for 15 nights and $785 for 25 nights. Until the end of September the coach pass rates are $229, $315, $449 and $729 for the 7, 10, 15 and 25 nights respectively.

Vouchers are provided for use at more than 160 Best Western properties throughout New Zealand. Reservations for the hotels as well as air travel can be made in the United States or in New Zealand. It’s a good idea to at least make your first night’s reservation before arrival.

With the air portion, you can fly anywhere on Mount Cook’s system for 30 days, starting from the day of your first flight. However, you can’t backtrack to a city that you’ve already been to, unless it’s for a connecting flight.

Mount Cook flies to such major resort destinations as Auckland, Rotorua, Bay of Islands, Christchurch, Dunedin, Te Anau, Queenstown and Mt. Cook.

The same company also offers Kiwi air or Kiwi coach passes that provide unlimited air or land transportation without accommodations.

You can backtrack with motor coach travel but not with flights. The Kiwi air pass, good for 30 days from your first flight, costs $349. The Kiwi coach pass costs $95 for seven days, $119 for 10 days, $155 for 15 days and $235 for 25 days. These rates are good until the end of the year.

These passes have to be bought in the United States and also offer several other perks.

For example, with the Kiwi super air pass you get a choice of one complimentary excursion from a list, including a flightseeing trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound, a ski-plane flight from Mt. Cook that lands on a glacier or a daylong cruise in the Bay of Islands.

Various other discounts, depending on the season and pass, also are available. Contact travel agents or Mount Cook Line, 9841 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles 90045. For more information call (800) 468-2665 or (213) 649-6185.

SI- JACK ADLER