Journey through New Zealand's natural wonderland on an 11-day road trip from the far north of the North Island all the way to the bottom of the South Island. Travelling in a small group of no more than 18, we take in kauri forests, Māori culture, glacier country and the adventure capital at a relaxed, personal pace.
We swim in the crystal-clear Kai Iwi Lakes, stand beneath Tāne Mahuta in the Waipoua Forest, explore the Waitangi Treaty Grounds over a traditional Hāngī dinner, then head south for the world's largest Dark Sky Reserve at Tekapo, three nights in Queenstown, a Milford Sound cruise and the icy formations of Franz Josef.
Days
- 11 days, 10 nights
Group size
- Max 18
Start / finish
- Auckland / Christchurch
Return
- See itinerary for details
Accommodation
- 10 nights in 3-star hotels and flashpacker dorms — one beachfront at Omapere, two at Paihia, one in Christchurch, one at Lake Tekapo, three in Queenstown and two at Franz Josef.
Transport
- A Mercedes Sprinter with your guide, the flight from Auckland to Christchurch after day 4, and a cruise boat at Milford Sound.
Meals
- A traditional hāngī dinner at Waitangi on day 3. No other meals are named in the itinerary.
Route
Included experiences
- Milford Sound — a fiord cruise past waterfalls and towering mountainscapes
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds — with an included combo pass, and a hāngī dinner that evening
- Tāne Mahuta — the largest living kauri tree, in the Waipoua Forest
- Bay of Islands — a free day for cruising, dolphin spotting or kayaking to secluded beaches
- Franz Josef — a free day for a glacier hike, a helicopter flight or the hot pools
- Lake Tekapo — lakeside hot springs and stargazing in the Dark Sky Reserve
- Queenstown — three nights and a free day for skydiving, luging or jet boating
- Kai Iwi Lakes — clear freshwater ringed by native forest
- Kauri Museum at Matakohe — the story of the kauri and the early pioneers
- Marsden Winery and Matakana Village — wine tasting in the Far North
- Wanaka and Haast Pass on the drive up to glacier country
- Arthur's Pass — the crossing back through the snow-capped Southern Alps
- Hokitika — the town known for its jade carving
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