Kia Ora New Zealand

Explore waterfront precincts filled with yachts or just meet fellow travel companions for a Welcome Reception tonight.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express.

Say goodbye to the ‘City of Sails’ as you journey north to the Bay of Islands – 140 islands ringed by turquoise sea. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical significance; this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Your guide, perhaps a descendent of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial canoe and a carved meeting house.
Hotel: Copthorne Hotel & Resort, 2 nights. B D

Today, head off in whatever direction you please. Perhaps travel up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, enjoy a cruise to the iconic Hole in the Rock or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands (all own expense). B

Whangarei is like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Look around before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express. B

After viewing Auckland City highlights set you sights on the Waitomo Caves. Cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands.
Hotel: Ibis, 2 nights. B D

Explore at your own pace today. Want a bit of down time? Why not bliss out at the Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa (own expense). B

View Huka Falls, to see 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-metrehigh waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of mint-blue Lake Taupo. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from, you’ll need a guidebook. Wait, you have an in-the-know Travel Director to talk to.
Hotel: Travelodge. B

Wellington is known for its uber-cool cafés, designed to fuel you through your city sights tour.. Onwards to the Interislander for a cruise across Cook Strait, from the North Island to the South, through a maze of arms and inlets.
Hotel: Beachcomber Inn. B D

There aren’t many beaches more dramatic than the sands of Kaikoura. Bonus points if you spot a sea lion or sperm whale frolicking offshore, Kaikoura is the marine wildlife centre of New Zealand.
Hotel: Ibis. B

On your city tour view the mind-bending Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. From here, your outlook is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snowcapped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience in Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You’ll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the
universe.
Hotel: Distinction Heritage Gateway. B D

Oamaru, with its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings, stands proud before you journey further south toward the ‘Edinburgh of the South’. Dunedin’s Scottish ancestry is everywhere you look, from the manicured grounds of Otago University to Larnach Castle. While away the afternoon in the city’s art-lined alleys, or venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives here – fur seals and penguins among them.
Hotel: Scenic Dunedin City. B

Weave your way into Fiordland National Park and the South Island’s biggest lake and the town of Te Anau. Hotel: Luxmore. B D

Your route through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and mirror-like lakes. All roads lead to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, where a string of waterfalls create a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Venture out into the Fiord on a sightseeing cruise, where dolphins and seals are a common sight.
Hotel: Copthorne Hotel & Resort, 2 nights. B

Take Queenstown at your own pace today. Feel the wind in your hair on a high octane jet boat ride, perhaps (own expense). Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner. B D

Leaving Lake Wakatipu behind, Arrowtown and Lake Dunstan appear on the horizon, then there’s Lake Hawea. Over the Haast Pass, the pretty town of Franz Josef/Waiau awaits.
Hotel: Scenic Franz Josef Glacier. B D

Swap snow for pounamu (native greenstone or jade) in Hokitika: the pounamu found here is the stuff jewellery dreams are made of. Just when you thought your adventure couldn’t get any better, you’ll aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Christchurch, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views. Hotel: Wyndham Garden. B D

Two islands, glaciers, lakes, thermal springs and a parade of wildlife... We hope you find the words to describe this epic adventure. B