Outline Itinerary

 

Our holiday will include some of best sights in the North Island of New Zealand.  After the long flight, we will spend a couple of days in and around Auckland to acclimatise before heading south to Rotorua geothermal area. During our 3 days here we will see some of the geysers, mud pools and thermal springs which have been attracting visitors to Rotorua since the 1800s. We will also take a 4 wheel drive trip to the top of Mt Tarawera, which last erupted in 1886.

 

Our next destination is Tongariro National Park, the volcanic plateau in the centre of the North Island. We look forward to 2 days walking here, including the Tongariro Crossing with its dramatic volcanic landscape and views of the 3 main peaks – Mts. Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro.

We then return to Auckland for another couple of days.  During this time we could visit Tiritiri Matangi Island, 20 miles north east of Auckland.  We will also include a walk in the Waitakere Ranges (west of Auckland) – an area of native rainforest with breathtaking vistas.

 

Our final destination is the Bay of Islands, 150 miles north of Auckland.  During our 3 days here we will take the dolphin cruise to the ‘Hole in the Rock’, and the scenic coach tour to Cape Reinga via Ninety Mile Beach.  We will also visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between the Maori and the British Crown.

 

Finally, we return to Auckland for the last couple of nights before heading home.