Day 1: New Plymouth to Taranaki
Upon arrival to New Plymouth airport proceed to collect your rental vehicle and drive yourself to your centrally located hotel, which is only short 15 minute drive. After checking in the rest of your day is at your leisure.
New Plymouth has many impressive parks and gardens and from many parts of the city you can see the symmetrical profile of the dormant volcano Mt Taranaki (2518 m). The surrounding lands form one of New Zealand’s most productive dairying districts and the port of New Plymouth was reputedly once the world’s largest exporter of cheese. New Plymouth used to be the site of several Maori Pas including Paritutu, the prominent peak next to the port. Today the city is an important provincial centre boosted in recent years by the growth of the oil, gas and petro-chemical industries in the region.
Day 2: Pouakai Crossing Hike
This morning you will join your first hike of Pouakai Crossing.
This one-day walk across the northern side of Mount Taranaki takes you on a 19km/12 mile trek through landscapes ranging from the montane forest and subalpine crub, beneath towering lava columns, across active erosion scars, and through a scenic alpine wetland. The unique flora along the route make it a lesson in botanical adaptation. After crossing the unique Ahukawakawa Wetland, the climb up on to the Pouakai Plateau offers breath-taking views of the route, with Mt Taranaki as a backdrop, and the opportunity for the postcard-perfect shot of the mountain reflected in the tarns – alpine lakes – on top of the plateau.
After the hike return to you hotel for well deserved rest.
Day 3: New Plymouth to Turangi
Your journey continues today from New Plymouth to the small township of Waitara, which has been boosted in recent years by the development of petro-chemical industries in the area. Proceed along flat and open country to Uruti where you ascend Mt Messenger. Head inland through Ohura, a former coal-mining town, and Taumarunui, best known for its railway history, farming, weaving, golf and more recently, its cycle trails. From Taumarunui, head through the southern edges of Pureroa Forest Park down to the shores of Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake, and on to Turangi. Here you will check in to your hotel for next 3 nights.
Day 4: Tongariro Crossing Hike
Today you have an early morning start, as you venture out for your next trek - Tongariro Crossing. This 19 kilometre trek is New Zealand’s best one day walk. The track leads up to the saddle between Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro and then diverts over Mt Tongariro. Mt Tongariro is not a single volcano, but a complex of craters that have been active at different periods. The landscape on Tongariro is peppered with the different coloured and shaped craters, scoured volcanic rocks, mountain springs, and brightly coloured emerald lakes. Summer offers a majestic landscape with a vast array of colors and textures created from Sulfur, Aluminum, Silica and many other mineral deposits released from within the Earth’s Crust. Winter provides the luxury of few other walkers and the fun of sliding on snow, with the opportunity to walk through the magnificent snow covered landscape.
Day 5: Turangi
Today is free to explore the area at your leisure or enjoy a day at River Birches. The Tongariro River passes right behind your accommodation and is a fantastic playground for fly-fishing.
Day 6: Turangi to Rotorua
Depart Turangi, and head to Rotorua via the Great Lake Taupo - most of the drive takes you along the lake edge and has plenty of lookout points and places to stop along the way to break up the drive. On your way out of Taupo, you may like to take a quick stop at the Huka Falls where you can witness the phenomenon of natural hydro power with more than 220,000 litres of water per second barrelling over an 11-metre high waterfall. From here, there are plenty of places along the way to keep you entertained with its unusual, volcanic geography and refreshing tracts of plantation pine forest.
Stop at Waimangu Volcanic Valley, a geothermal park, along the way. You'll discover geysers, silica terraces and craters of boiling mud. The city of Rotorua sits squarely on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so there's evidence of volcanic activity everywhere you look. Here you will join a shared Waimangu Valley Walk and Hike tour, followed by Lake Rotomahana Boat Cruise.
Easy walking tours along the Waimangu Volcanic Valley Crater walkways, mainly down hill and flat. There is an option to include an easy hike on our Mt Haszard Trail. You can use the internal shuttle bus to transfer between points in Waimangu Volcanic Valley or from the end of your walk to the Lake Rotomahana Boat Cruise. Enjoy the 45 minute cruise, voyaging around beautiful Lake Rotomahana. Learn about the 1886 Mount Tarawera Volcanic Eruption. View the beautiful geothermal sights that can only be seen from the boat. Lake Rotomahana is a protected Wildlife Refuge and Scenic Reserve. Return from boat to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley entrance on the internal shuttle bus.
Continue your drive to your next hotel located in Rotorua.
Day 7: Rotorua
Today is free to explore Rotorua at your leisure. Rotorua, in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island is an adventure playground, geothermal wonderland and a hot spot for experiencing traditional Maori culture.
To find your bearings, take a walk along the lakeshore, through government gardens and the casual dining hot spot that is Eat Streat.
For the adventurous, Rotorua isn’t short of adrenaline activities and superlatives. River raft down the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. Or roll down grassy tracks inside a big, inflatable plastic ball (and proud New Zealand invention). Take a journey through prehistoric native forest exploring the canopy as you fly on a network of ziplines (the highest, the longest and the scariest...), swing bridges, cliff-walks, tree top platforms and more.
We recommend a visit of Mount Tarawera for an unforgettable volcanic hike and scenic helicopter flight. This activity is at extra cost; pre-bookings recommended.
To find out why Rotorua was declared one of only six gold level mountain bike ride centres in the world, head out on the mountain bike trails in the Redwoods Forest or the Gravity Skyline Park. Whether you are a novice or experienced biker, there are suitable options, including family-friendly trails.
Maori culture can be experienced in many ways in Rotorua. One of the most popular ways being a visit of an authentic traditional Maori village for an interactive cultural performance and traditional hangi meal.
Rotorua’s geothermal features range from volcanic crater lakes, spouting geysers, bubbling mud pools, and colourful sinter terraces. These can be seen in a number of geothermal parks in the wider Rotorua region, including Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Orakei Korako Hidden Valley or Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley.
To round off a busy day, visit Polynesian Spa for a relaxing geothermal bathing experience or head to Redwoods Forest for an enchanting, magical, mesmerizing treewalk and lights display.
Day 8: Rotorua to Auckland airport
Depart the thermal wonderland of Rotorua and take the short drive to Middle-Earth! Travel across the bush-clad Mamaku Range, and through the picturesque tunnel of native bush, the Fitzgerald Glade. As you make your way around the farmlands, you will start to see the rolling hills as you approach Matamata.
If time permits, we recommend a stop at the Hobbiton Movie Set for a tour. This activity is at extra cost; pre-bookings recommended.
From Matamata, continue your journey through the green countryside past the head of Lake Karapiro. As you travel towards Gordonton, you may like to take a short detour to new Zealand's only commercial tea estate, Zealong Tea Estate. You may like to stop for a wonderful cup of tea, or just to take in the serene views around the estate. Continue North through the dairy farming region of the North Island, Waikato, where you will pass numerous butter and cheese processing centres en route to the City of Sails. Following the mighty Waikato River (New Zealand's longest River), arrive into the Auckland, continue to the airport where you will drop of your rental vehicle and depart on your flight.
