MON 18 November | No Meals

Day 1  Arrive in Wellington by flight or ferry. You will be transferred to the hotel by a local shuttle bus.

Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the southernmost tip of the North Island point. Due to the strong winds in the Cook Strait the city is often referred to as Windy Wellington.

Accommodation for two nights in a standard room is at TRYP Wellington

Free time for the remainder of today .         

TUE 19 November |  CBD

Day 2   Light Breakfast in the hotel lounge

This morning it is a short walk to the Te Papa Museum – New Zealand’s National Museum, to view the Gallipoli exhibition (early entry) and afterwards take an introductory guided tour. Free time after the tour to discover more on your own. Te Papa has a mixture of long-term exhibitions of cultural objects and interactive exhibitions, cultural spaces and touring exhibitions. The long-term exhibitions of cultural objects focus on New Zealand history and Maori culture. 

Afterwards, take the sort walk to the Lambton Quay Wellington Cable Car Terminal.

The Cable Car is a funicular railway rising 120 metres over a length of 612 metres with the ride taking only five minutes. The line rises at a constant grade of 1 in 5, through three tunnels and over three bridges. Take time to visit the cable car museum or botanic gardens, and enjoy the panoramic views from the summit. Return on the cable car to the Lambton Quay terminal at your leisure, with the remainder of this afternoon to enjoy as you choose.

Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant

WED 20 November | CB

Day 3   Boxed breakfast due to early transfer departure

Check out of your room, and transfer by shuttle bus to the Wellington train station. The Northern Explorer train departs Wellington at 7.55am and arrives at the National Park train station at 1.15pm.

Our coach will meet our group at the station and transfer us to Napier. There will be a comfort stop along the way.       

Napier is set amid the renowned wine-producing region of Hawke’s Bay. Rebuilt after a 1931 earthquake, the city is known for its art deco buildings.

Accommodation for two nights in a studio room is at the Quest Napier

Free time for the remainder of today

THU 21 November | BLD

Day 4 Breakfast in a local café

This morning we will be taken on a tour of Napier’s iconic Art Deco architecture. Experience Napier’s fascinating heritage and hear the dramatic story of this city’s rebirth. In February 1931, Napier was levelled by earthquake and fire but was rebuilt in just two years. Nowhere else in the world can you see such a concentration of buildings in the styles of the 1930s: Art Deco, Spanish Mission and Stripped Classical.       

Transfer to Te Mata Figs for a Figgery tour and light lunch.

Then visit Elephant Hill Winery, for a structured group wine tasting. This stunning and innovative winery estate is located on the idyllic Te Awanga coast in Hawkes Bay. Take in the beautiful and expansive views of the vineyard, Cape Kidnappers and the Pacific Ocean. Return to our accommodation this afternoon. You will have a some time to relax before our dinner transfer at 6.00pm.

Dinner tonight is at Mission Estate Winery’s Restaurant – one of Hawkes Bay’s premier venues. Featuring local produce, the style of cuisine is contemporary fine dining. Return transfer to the Quest Napier will be provided after dinner.

FRI 22 November | CBLD

Day 5 Continental breakfast provisions for you to enjoy in your room

Depart Napier early this morning for today’s tour from Napier to Rotorua

First stop is in Taupo, where we view the Ngātoroirangi Māori carvings on a Lake Taupo cruise. Learn about the history and cultural significance of the carvings.

Stop for a photo at the famous LOVE TAUPO sign on Taupo’s lakefront, before driving the short distance to the Huka Falls lookout, to see the largest falls on the Waikato River. At Lava Glass enjoy a light lunch in the café. Take a stroll around their garden featuring unique glass sculptures or watch the glassblowing process in the studio. Afterwards travel onto Rotorua.    

Rotorua is renowned for it’s spa and wellness experiences, rich Māori culture, geothermal landscapes including: geysers, bubbling mud pools, steaming vents plus beautiful forests and lakes.

Accommodation for two nights in a standard room is at Jet Park Rotorua

A special dinner tour this evening; Te Pa Tu, journey back in time to experience Māori culture, traditions and traditional performances at the Tamaki Māori Village.

SAT 23 November | CBL

Day 6 Continental Breakfast in the hotel restaurant

Early this morning, we will be transferred to the National Kiwi Hatchery,where our group will be taken on a 45-minute tour of this facility, which plays a vital role in saving kiwi. See kiwi eggs being incubated, the hatching process and newly hatched kiwi chicks (subject to availability)

The next stop is the Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. This attraction has been named as “one of the 20 most surreal places in the world” and is considered to be New Zealand’s most colourful and diverse geothermal sightseeing attraction. View unique volcanic features including the naturally coloured hot and cold springs and the famous Champagne Pool, as you walk at your own pace along well-maintained tracks. See the largest mud pool in New Zealand, originally the site of a large mud volcano which was destroyed through erosion in the 1920’s.

  Our lunch stop today is at the celebrated Ciabatta café and Bakery, enjoy a light lunch before being transferred to our final stop at the Redwoods treewalk. Experience the serenity of the majestic Redwood Forest (Whakarewarewa Forest). Walk high amongst 120 year old Redwoods on a 700m walkway, across 28 bridges & 27 platforms.

  Return to our Rotorua accommodation where you will free time for the remainder of this afternoon to enjoy at your leisure. You may choose to take a walk around the nearby Geothermal walkway, or perhaps visit the Polynesian spa for a swim in the thermal pools (additional cost).

SUN 24 November | CBL

Day 7 Continental Breakfast in the hotel restaurant

Check out of your room, for an early morning departure.

Drive to Shires Rest for the Hobbiton Movie-set walking tour and lunch. The Hobbiton Movie Set is a location used for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. The guide will escort us past the most famous filming locations. Visit the Green Dragon Inn for a beverage before proceeding to the adjoining venue for a delicious “hobbit fare” lunch.

Travel on to Hamilton Gardens, a 54-hectare public garden park on the banks of the Waikato River that includes enclosed gardens, open lawns and a lake. We will be taken on a guided tour of the Hamilton Gardens, who will share their behind-the-scenes knowledge and reveal the secrets of their most popular themed gardens. The emphasis is on different types of garden design, with the unique concept of showcasing the cultural meaning and context of gardens over the past 4,000 years. Each garden tells a story and offers an insight into a different civilisation.

Drive onto Auckland, arriving at our accommodation early this evening.

Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city and is located in the North Island. Known as the ‘city of sails’, Auckland has a beautiful harbour and a spectacular skyline.

Accommodation for two nights in a Superior hotel room (TWIN) or Deluxe hotel room is at the Nesuto Stadium Apartment Hotel Auckland

 Free time for the remainder of today

MON 25 November | BL

Day 8 Breakfast at the onsite Nook Restaurant

Morning to enjoy at your leisure.

At 11.20 am we will walk the short distance to the ferry terminal, for the cruise to Waiheke Island.

At Noon depart on Fullers ferry to Waiheke where we will be collected and taken on an afternoon scenic wine and lunch tour.

During the tour, we visit up to three vineyards for wine tasting along with a delicious vineyard platter-style lunch. If time allows, we will visit Onetangi, a 1.87-kilometre-long, north-facing beach with beautiful old Pohutukawa trees on the foreshore. The final stop is at a picturesque vineyard overlooking the Hauraki Gulf.

Return to Auckland on the 4.45 pm ferry. Stoll back to our accommodation at your leisure.

Free time for the remainder of today      

TUE 26 November | B

Day 9 Breakfast at the onsite Nook Restaurant

This morning, check out of your room and leave your luggage at reception.

Take a short walk into the city centre. Choose to visit one of the following Auckland attractions (your chosen experience – must be pre-booked and is subject to availability)

•  Skytower OR
• All Blacks Experience (90 mins) OR
• Weta Unleashed (90mins)

Return to the hotel to collect luggage and meet the airport shuttle bus. Transfer to Auckland International Airport for a late afternoon flight (flight own arrangements)