Auckland-Auckland (14 nights/15 days)
New Zealand tour information supplied by our colleagues at drivingnz.com, experts in New Zealand self-drive tours.
Day 1: Auckland
- Arrive into Auckland, pick-up your campervan and drive to your accommodation or holiday park.
- Auckland is New Zealand's largest city with a population of 1.3 million. It is situated between the Manukau and Waitamata Harbours and is built around more than 40 volcano cones, creating a beautiful landscape.
Day 2: Auckland
- Exploring Auckland's highlights including Auckland Museum, Kelly Tarlton's Underwater and Antarctic Centre, views from Mt Eden and One Tree Hill and the waterfront to name a few.
- Visit the wild west coast beaches of Piha, Murawai and Karekare which are located only 45 minutes from the city centre. Visit Bees on Line in Kumeu which is located on the way to Murawai and is a great cafe and beehive.
- Visit the great wineries in the West Auckland area, which produce some of New Zealand's most popular wines.
- Ensure you make the most of the fantastic restaurant districts of Parnell, Ponsonby and the Viaduct Basin.
Day 3: Auckland - Whangarei - Paihia (216km/3:00hr)
- Head north to Bay of Islands in the sunny Northland. You could take an alternative route via East Coast beaches also an option but will add an additional two hours to the trip.
- You could also travel via the marine reserve of Goat Island if you want to try some snorkeling.
- Continue onto Whangarei, where just east of this town you will find Tutukaka, which is the access to the great diving area of the Poor Knights.
- Travel further north and into Paihia.
Day 4: Paihia
- Stay in Pahia today and explore the beautiful bay area including Russell and the historic sight of and Treaty Grounds at Waitangi.
- You could take one of the Fullers cruises for the Hole in the Rock tour to Cape Brett.
Day 5: Paihia - Cape Reinga (223km/3:00hr) - Kaitiai (116km/1:15hr) - Ahipara (14km/0:15hr) - Opononi (142km/2:00hr)*
- Continue up State Highway 1 through to the most northern tip of New Zealand, Cape Reinga, to experience one of the sunsets over the horizon.
- Travel out to Ahipara to visit Ninety Mile Beach on the west coast, where you can could also try you hand at dune surfing.
- Then continue back through Kaitaia and back south and west through to Opononi located on the Hokianga Harbour.
- Visit the Waipoua Forrest to view Tane Mahuta, New Zealand's largest tree at 51m tall with a girth of 13m.
- You may want to do the Footprints of Waipoua tour in the evening, which is a great cultural experience and unique way to view the Kauri forests
* Alternatively, you could just drive straight from Paihia to Opononi which would take just over 1 hour (90km).
Day 6: Opononi - Auckland (188km/2:30hr) - Whitianga (187km/2:30hr) - Hotwater Beach (32km 0:30hr)
- Continue south back through Auckland, over the Bombay Hills and across the Hauraki Plains to the Coromandel Peninsula on onto Whitianga, on the east coast.
- You may want to take the alternative route up through the inside of the Firth of Thames, through Coromandel township. If you do, stop at Kuaotunu for one of the Kuaotuno Killer ice creams (5 scoops and a lovely beach to have them on).
- Continue onto Whitianga, then Hotwater Beach.
Day 7: Hotwater Beach - Mt Maunganui (164km/2:15hr)
- Before you carry on south, you could visit some of the beaches north, including Pauanui or Cooks Beach, which is near Cathedral Cove, one of the opening scenes from the latest Narnia movie.
- Head down through the mining town of Waihi, and onto the portside town of Tauranga where New Zealand most popular surf beach is located, Mt Maunganui.
- Mt Maunganui is the home to Active Aviation, where you can go for a flight over the Mount in an authentic M*A*S*H helicopter, or even a helicopter which was actually used by Elvis Presley in one of this Hawaiian movies.
- You may want to take a walk up Mt Maunganui for spectacular views down the coast or just relax on the beach.
Day 8: Mt Maunganui - Te Puke (30km/0:30hr) - Rotorua (56km/0:45hr)
- Drive through to Te Puke today to visit the Looking Glass Garden - This is a garden on a grand scale - twenty acres spread over valleys and hillsides.
- Continue onto New Zealand's geothermal city of Rotorua.
Day 9: Rotorua
- Visit highlights of Rotorua including the geysers and bubbling mud pools of Te Puia's geothermal and Maori cultural centre.
- Your children will enjoy the Agrodome Sheep Show which is very entertaining and worth visiting.
- In the evening visit you will drive out to Maitai Maori Village to experience a traditional hangi meal and a cultural show.
- Rainbow Springs is also very well worth visiting, and children especially are fascinated by the pools of trout and of course the chance to see a real kiwi. They also are open at night which is spectacular under lights and open until 9pm.
Day 10: Rotorua - Taupo (76km/1:00hr)
- A short drive onto New Zealand's largest lake, Lake Taupo which is located in the centre of the North Island.
- It is well worth stopping at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal park located between Rotorua and Taupo.
- Approximately 10km before you reach Taupo on SH5, you will come across a turn off to The Aratiatia Rapids and at several specific times each day spill gates from a dam are opened at the top of the Aratiatia rapids and the narrow gorge fills with turbulent water surging past. There are several excellent vantage points on the high rock bluffs that dominate this turbulent stretch of the river.
Day 11: Taupo
- You may want to take a Chris Jolley Cruise out to view the Maori Carvings on Lake Taupo. This is a 1.5hr trip.
- You may want to take a charter to try your hand at trout fishing on Lake Taupo.
- Visit the awesome Huka Falls at Taupo and then go for an exhilarating ride aboard the Huka Jet which takes you up the Waikato river up to the base of the falls.
Day 12: Taupo - Tongariro National Park (90km/1:15hr)
- Continue down the south side of Lake Taupo, then head west through to the Tongairo National Park.
- For a spectacular walk, drive into the Tongariro National Park to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing which is 18.5km and takes 7-9 hours. You will need to be delivered back to your car after this hike, and this can be organized for you prior to your departure as can other necessities for this excursion.
- Drive up to the ski fields at Whakapapa Village for amazing views back out across the central plateau area where you will also find some great walking tracks around the mountain, all of varying degrees.
Day 13: Tongariro National Park - Taumaranui (59km/0:45hr) - New Plymouth (185km/2:30hr)
- Then head west through to Stratford, past Mt Taranaki and into New Plymouth.
- New Plymouth is the location of Mt Taranaki, a majestic snow capped mountain sitting on its own on the edge of the Tasman sea.
- New Plymouth is the main city of Taranaki growing from a farming centre to a city rich in the arts, dining, sports and outdoor lifestyle. It is well known for its great parks, including the magnificent Pukekura Park, Nga Motu/Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Park, Tupare Gardens, and the nearby Egmont National Park and Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust.
- There are several heritage trails and city walkways also located in the area so New Plymouth and around Mt Taranaki.
Day 14: New Plymouth - Raglan (270km/3:45hr) - Auckland (159km/2:15hr)
- Today you will continue north up the west coast through to Waitomo Caves where you could take a tour of the glowworm caves.
- Continue onto Raglan, and great little surf beach located just west of Hamilton.
- Drive east then north through to Auckland for your last night.
- You may want to travel via Hamilton and have lunch on the banks of the Waikato River.
Day 15: Auckland
- Return your campervan to the airport depot where your arrangements conclude.
