From the Coat Hanger to the Cake Tin, if you haven't got enough time to explore the Northland, don't worry, we've got you covered!
Blending effortlessly with natural as well as active, geothermal volcanic wonders, start off & return to Auckland on this 11-day blitz of NZ's North Island.
Wakey wakey! For those of you hiding under the sheets from the sun like something out of Twilight, after last night, we’re taking it easy on you. As we detox over a late breakfast, we leave the City of Sails and head south for a day of beach relaxation.
If one beach wasn’t enough, try two! And what better way than to escape a hangover than lying in nature's jacuzzi - Hot Water Beach.
If you didn’t already guess, this beach gets its name from the geothermal hot springs that rise up through the sand. If the tides right, grab your spades and start digging.
Packed full of rugged coastlines and exotic beaches, sit back on this scenic drive as we pass through the Coromandel over to our next spot, Cathedral Cove. Arguably one of the most popular beaches in the North Island, with its pristine sands and golden cliffs, be sure to test the acoustics under the Te Hoho rock as we stop at the cove for the morning.
Putting the beaches behind us, we sashay south through the Bay of Plenty and the coastal town of Tauranga. Here you can kick back on the beach or catch the sunset from the top of Mt Maunganui for the rest of the arvo (Kiwi for afternoon).
If you didn't already venture up last night for an epic sunset, todays your day! Standing at an impressive 761ft, the 'mount' as it's known is challenging as it is beautiful.
Winding our way out of the hills of Waikato, for our next culture injection, we head down to the geothermal capital of New Zealand, Rotorua! Smell that? No, that wasn’t your buddy’s meal from last night, that my eager Beavers’ is Sulphur, so get out your nose pegs kids.
Just down the road from our next stop, we'll take a dip in the natural hot spring - Kerosene Creek, famous for it's hot spring waterfall!
Famed for it’s boiling mud pools, hot springs and spurting geysers, we give you – Wai O Tapu! A wonderland of natural beauty that will leave you mesmerized! Hmmm, or maybe that’s just the Sulphur?!
Which brings us onto Taupo (“Toe-Paw”). This monster of a lake is claimed to be bigger than the size of Singapore and twice the size of the second largest lake in New Zealand! This central North Island town sits on the south shore where you’ll find 220,000 litres of water gushing over the Huka Falls every second!
Wait, who's got the ring? Strap up your boots troops, ‘cause this is going to be a long day! We rise at the crack of dawn, for your next journey takes you unexpected Hobbits to the top of Mount Doom! This eight-hour shoe shredder isn’t for the faint-hearted, as you’ll hike above the clouds through 19km of unforgiving volcanic terrain called, the Tongariro Crossing!
But don’t sweat couch potatoes, we’ve got you covered. If you weren't brave enough to journey south, we’ve lined up kayaking around the Mine Bay Maori Rock carvings to skydives and white water rafting to keep your mind off what you’re missing.
Later, relax for a well-deserved dip in the Otumheke thermal stream amongst your mates.
After yesterday, you’re probably wanting a break. Start practising your spitting (off the bus), ‘cause we’re showing you exactly what put New Zealand's wine on the map with an epic Hawkes Bay wine & brewery tour! Visit two of Hawkes Bay's best wineries including one of NZ's oldest, plus visit a quirky craft brewery which hosts a variety of worldwide styles.
Whether your legs are wobbly from the wine or yesterday's crossing, get settled into the art deco city of New Zealand, Napier.
Home to the annual Gumboot Day, welcome to New Zealand's Gumboot capital! Here we'll test your throwing skills in a "boot off" before heading into our last stop, River Valley Adventure Lodge!
Adventure lodges aren't complete without grade 5 water rafting & amazing horse treks, so kick back and settle in for the arvo as we enjoy some good ol'fashioned kiwi country.
For those still thirsty from Hawkes Bay, we'll make a quick stop off at the famous Tui Brewery to send us on our way.
As much as we love nature, it’s time for another city… and boy is this one windy!
Windy? That’s right, if you haven’t already blown over, welcome to the NZ's capital - Wellington. Sitting on top of the Cook Strait, don’t let the wind scare you off! Welly’s chilled atmosphere, stunning promenade and vibrant nightlife will be sure to keep you distracted.
Home to a myriad of surprises, for those who can’t sit still, check out the Weta Caves before you get settled in for the night.
Finally a free day! We’re handing the reins back to you for today, but if you're stuck for ideas - start off the morning with a walk up to the top of Mt Victoria to get your bearings in check. From here, you can head into the city for a guided tour and another Kiwi culture shot at the famous Te Papa Museum.
Later, take a trip up the iconic Wellington Cable Car where you can check out the views from the Botanical gardens. If you didn’t already get accustomed to the town last night, no worries, after dinner we’re cracking out our drinking boots for an epic bar crawl.
Goblins? Where? Thriving off the neck of the mighty volcano, we come to our next Middle Earth treasure, the Goblin Forest. Found deep in the Egmont National Park, look out for orcs, elves or hung-over backpackers. Oh wait, that’s us!
After a short walk around the Kamahi loop, we'll take the arvo off where you can stroll through the Botanical Gardens or check out the Paritutu Rock as we explore New Plymouth, a city shadowed by our second volcano, Mt Taranaki!
Peeps, you’ve earned it. Lie in and slow sip that coffee before we head back up north for a Kiwi classic, the glow-worm capital, Waitomo! Strange as they are beautiful, glow-worms are the stars of the underworld. Today we’re putting on our headlamps and taking to the caves on this epic journey below! Climb into the unknown, sail under blue-lit caves or black water raft down into the abyss, this place has it all.
Home to New Zealand's coolest surf town, this arvo we'll get stuck in with those beach vibes before we end our last night with an awesome sunset boat party & BBQ.
For those hiding from the sun after last night, before we say “poroporoaki” (Maori for goodbye) to our last stop, hire out a board or take a surf lesson for the morning.
After a well-deserved bite for lunch, we'll arrive back in Auckland around 15:00 to end this epic trip off. So, this is it folks, the final piece of the puzzle! So steady your feet, hold on to something tight… no not us! Amigos, welcome back to Auckland!
It’s time for you culture pros to say ciao to the tribe and in years to come remember what we did in the land of the Long White Cloud.
Meet at approx 06:30 at 229, Queen St, Auckland. Bus stop on the corner of Darby & Queen St. Coach departs at 07:00.
Arrive back in Auckland for around 15:00 at the bus stop on the corner of Darby & Queen St, 229 Queen St, Auckland.
Tour includes all:
and heaps of optional extras to take your getaway to the next level.
The weather can be glorious as much as it is harsh, so to make sure you’re suited and booted for the trip and it’s ‘4 seasons in one day’, we've put together a Packing List as a rough guide to get you started.
See Terms & Conditions: 6.0 & 7.0.