You will see it all in the ultimate week-long North Island holiday; volcanoes, beautiful beaches, glow-worm caves, Lord of the Rings locations, bubbling mud pools and rich forests whilst learning about our proud Maori culture.

Tour Inclusions

• Check out the views from Matairangi/Mount Victoria, Wellington
• Fall in love with Wellington’s cafe and craft beer culture
• Discover what makes Huka Falls the most visited natural attraction in NZ
• Experience a Maori cultural performance
• Learn a haka and poi performancelearn to weave flax with a local iwi (tribe)
• Visit Te Puia – a local cultural centre – to learn more about traditional Maori culture and discover Rotorua’s geothermal wonders
• Traditional Maori hangi meal cooked in an underground oven
• Follow your nose to Rotorua’s bubbling mud pools
• Stunning walk to the spectacular arched cavern of Coromandel’s Cathedral Cove
• Walk up Maungawhau/Mt Eden for stunning 360 degree views of all of Auckland
• Plus many surprise stops along the way

PLEASE NOTE – THERE IS 1 NIGHT ON THIS TOUR WHERE PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION UPGRADES ARE NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO LIMITED AVAILABILITY. THIS IS DAY 3 IN MURUPARA. IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES ARRANGEMENTS MAY BE POSSIBLE – PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] FOR MORE INFORMATION

DAY 1 – WELLINGTON TO TAUPŌ

In the morning your tour guide will give you a tour of Wellington city and the surrounding bays. This can include a trip to Weta Workshop, where films like Lord of the Rings have been made. We also may visit the parliament buildings, cable car and Mount Victoria.

On the way to Taupō we drive along the Desert Road that divides the Rangipo Desert (an area with poor vegetation because of bad soil conditions and drying winds). The climate is harsh and in winter it is not unusual to see snow. However, the biggest attractions on this road are that of Mount Ruapehu, Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe, the volcano better known as Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. On the other side of the road is the lesser noticed Kaimanawa Range, home to a breed of wild horses that can be spotted on rare occasions.

We arrive at the accommodation by evening. With a whole day to explore Taupō tomorrow, feel free to relax at the hostel or go out to experience some of the town’s best nightlife!

DAY 2 – TAUPŌ

Lake Taupō is actually a giant volcanic crater created 70,000 years ago in one of the biggest eruptions in history. Nowadays, it’s one of NZ’s best spots for a holiday escape. And being New Zealand, there are plenty of adventure sports to be found there too!

If you’re looking for a thrill, we suggest skydiving over the lake or bungy jumping over New Zealand’s longest river (and, for the really brave, getting dunked in). There are heaps of other activities on offer such as quad biking, cruising the lake to see Māori rock carvings, hiking along the shores, mountain biking and even the chance to soak in some of the local geothermal pools.

New Zealand’s most famous day hike is also in the area. The 19.4 km Tongariro Crossing is an alpine crossing around Tongariro, one of the country’s most famous and most beautiful volcanoes. It’s a serious leg workout, but but it’s worth every minute for the incredible views and landscape. Turquoise and green lakes greet you at the top, along with vistas that stretch all the way to the coast.

DAY 3 – TAUPŌ TO MURUPARA

After our morning in Taupō we head to Kohutapu Lodge in Murupara – a living Māori village – where you will be taken on a tribal tour by a village elder.

Here you’ll also have a chance to learn the world-famous haka dance, and weave your own dinner plate using flax (a type of plant). Tonight’s dinner is a traditional hāngi meal. Cooked in an underground earth oven you can expect tender meat and delicious vegetables infused with a smoky, earthy fragrance – it will fill your puku (belly) right up! The best part about spending the evening at Kohutapu Lodge. The majority of proceeds from this activity go back to the local community.

Please note: Private accommodation upgrades are not available for this night of the tour due to the limited availability of accommodation in the area. In special circumstances other arrangements may be possible – please contact [email protected] for more information. * *DAY 4 – MURUPARA TO ROTORUA

While the majority of the North Island is volcanic in some way, Rotorua is exceptional for its geothermal activity. With neon blue and red lakes, steaming rivers, active volcanoes and geysers galore, there are more unique natural wonders to be found in Rotorua than many other places in the world.

On the way to Rotorua, we stop at what really makes the town famous, along with giving it its unique smell: one of several extraordinary geyserlands and thermal parks.

There’s heaps of time to get amongst Rotorua’s diverse attractions while you’re here. We’ll get you started with an orientation tour, including a stroll through the flower- filled Government Gardens by the lakefront.

Lord of the Rings fans, channel your inner hobbit with an optional visit to picturesque Hobbiton – have a ginger beer at the Green Dragon pub for us!

If adrenalin’s your thing, the highest commercial waterfall drop in the world, on the Kaituna River, is begging to be conquered on an exhilarating rafting trip. Or let your guide coax you into thundering down grassy hills in a giant air-cushioned inflatable ball (or OGO) – you won’t regret it!

DAY 5 – ROTORUA TO WAITOMO

We’ll start out our day with a visit to Te Puia – a well-known Maori culture centre.

At Te Puia you can explore Whakarewarewa geothermal valley, visit New Zealand’s native kiwi birds, and learn about Maori history & culture.

Waitomo is a distinctive limestone region where surface water and underground streams have dissolved the rock over tens of thousands of years, creating an amazing system of underground caves.

As the small town is only two hours from Rotorua, we reach our accommodation by late afternoon.

DAY 6 – WAITOMO TO COROMANDEL

Have you been caving in a place with twinkling glowworms on the ceiling? Now’s your chance!

Daredevils can abseil 100 metres into the caverns on an epic 4-hour caving adventure. Or float along on an underground river on an optional Cave Tubing trip as the glowworms light your way. There are also excellent guided walking tours of the caves available if heights or wet feet aren’t your thing.

It’s no secret that many blockbuster hits have been filmed in New Zealand due to our incredible landscapes. Around lunchtime, we head of to the Coromandel to discover them first-hand.

We’ll walk together out along the cliffs down to Cathedral Cove (which you might recognise from the Chronicles of Narnia films). Beautiful in its own right, with perfect beaches and massive rock arches and columns it’s one of the most popular spots in the Coromandel and for good reason!

DAY 7 – COROMANDEL TO AUCKLAND

Beautiful remote beaches, dense wooded forest and clear blue waters make the Coromandel one of New Zealand’s favourite getaways. At low tide, we’ll make our way out to the world-famous Hot Water Beach.

When the tide’s out, you can dig a hole in the sand where natural hot springs bubble up to create your own personal hot tub!

Finally, we head to Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city. Auckland sits on the narrow sliver of land where the Northland peninsula tapers south to meet the rest of the North Island. So the sea is always nearby, and it isn’t difficult to guess the origin of its nickname ‘City of Sails’.

We arrive around 5pm, where we’ll say our final farewells before a final night of accommodation – you don’t want to pass up the chance to sleep in! Or if you have a few spare days, why not hop on our three day Bay of Islands tour?

DAY 8 – AUCKLAND

Your tour ends after breakfast on Day 8.

We’re sure you’ll have a whole lot of incredible memories to take home with you.

We’ve shown you our New Zealand – we hope we will see you again.

Haere tū atu, hoki tū mai.