Explore the very best of New Zealand's North Island on an 11-day road trip from the far north down through glowworm country to the surf coast. Travelling in a small group of no more than 18, we take in kauri forests, Māori culture, geothermal wonders and coastal towns 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, dig our own pool at Hot Water Beach, wander the colourful Wai-O-Tapu geothermal wonderland, and finish with the glowworm caves of Waitomo and the surf breaks of Raglan.
Days
- 11 days, 10 nights
Group size
- Max 21
Start / finish
- Auckland / Auckland
- Auckland airport, late afternoon on day 11
Return
- Auckland airport, late afternoon on day 11
Accommodation
- 10 nights in 3-star hotels and flashpacker dorms — one beachfront at Omapere, two at Paihia, one in Auckland, one at Hahei on the Coromandel, two in Rotorua, two in Taupō and one in Raglan.
Transport
- A Mercedes Sprinter with your guide, north from Auckland and back again, finishing at the airport in the late afternoon on day 11.
Meals
- A fish and chips dinner on the beachfront at Omapere on the first night, and a traditional hāngī dinner at Waitangi on day 3.
Route
Included experiences
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds — with an included combo pass, and a hāngī dinner that evening
- Tāne Mahuta — the largest living kauri tree in the country, in the Waipoua Forest
- Hobbiton — the movie set on the road to Taupō
- Cathedral Cove — the gateway to Narnia, with kayaking or a swim at Hahei
- Hot Water Beach — digging your own pool at sunset, tide permitting
- Waitomo — glowworm caves, wet or dry, from crawling to abseiling
- Raglan — a surf lesson on the world's longest left-hand break
- Bay of Islands — a free day for cruising, dolphin spotting or kayaking to secluded beaches
- Wai-O-Tapu — the most colourful geothermal features in the country
- Rotorua — luging, zorbing and rafting, or an optional Mitai Māori Village hāngī
- Huka Falls, then a sunset beer beside Lake Taupō
- Taupō — a free day for the Tongariro Crossing, jetboating or a 15,000ft skydive
- Kai Iwi Lakes and the Kauri Museum at Matakohe in the Far North
- Marsden Winery and Matakana Village — wine tasting on the way north and back
Pictures / Videos
