New Zealand Northern Trail

Welcome to Aotearoa (New Zealand) – the land of the long white cloud! Your adventure begins in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city on the North Island. Meet your local leader and new travel friends at your accommodation at 6 pm for a welcome meeting tonight. If you arrive with time to spare, maybe check out the beach down at Mission Bay or take a stroll along the restaurant-lined waterfront. After the meeting, maybe dip into Auckland’s nightlife with your fellow travellers.

This morning, leave the city in the rear-view mirror as you drive to the Coromandel Peninsula, following the coastline. A land of white-sand beaches and rainforests, the Coromandel Peninsula feels a world away from where your journey began. Make a stop at Hot Water Beach, named after the famous warm water that’s found beneath its golden sand. If the tide allows, you can dig a hole on the beach and enjoy your own natural hot tub! After a visit to Cathedral Cove, you’ll arrive at your accommodation in the afternoon.

Hit the road and make the scenic drive along the Coromandel Peninsula. Join your local leader as they show you some of the most beautiful beaches in the area. This afternoon, maybe stop into Kuaotunu to try their famous ice cream and check out Coromandel Township. Tonight, maybe find a local restaurant for dinner – your leader will have the best recommendations!

This morning, watch the landscape change from beach to farmland as you drive to Waikato. Stop at Karangahake Gorge to see the remains of gold mining tunnels and railway tracks. Then, continue to Hobbiton – the living set where part of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films were shot. After wandering through Middle Earth, continue your journey to Rotorua, known for its Maori heritage and hotbed of geothermal activity with its distinctive sulphur smell (you’ll get used to it!). When you arrive, take a treetop walk through an ancient redwood forest over a network of suspension bridges, reaching 12 m at the highest point.

Spend the day discovering the natural and cultural wonders of Rotorua – home to simmering mud pools, dramatic geysers and fluorescent lakes. If you’ve got a head for heights, ziplining through Rotorua’s ancient forests is an unbeatable way to take it all in. This evening, you’ll get a true taste of Maori culture during a visit to a cultural and geothermal wonderland. Here, you’ll enjoy a hangi dinner alongside a soul-stirring haka performance.

Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa is the perfect place to unwind with your free morning. Or, maybe head to Kuirau Park to walk through a landscape of hissing natural hot pools. This afternoon, say goodbye to Rotorua and hit the road for Taupo, stopping at the thundering Huka Falls along the way. Set on the shores of the mighty Lake Taupo – New Zealand’s largest lake – this town is one of the most scenic spots in the North Island. You’ll spend two nights here, as it’s the perfect base to explore the area and the nearby Tongariro National Park.

A volcanic eruption 70,000 years ago created the magnificent Lake Taupo, which now hosts visitors from around New Zealand and the world. With a free day here, you’ll have plenty of activities to choose from – maybe go sailing on Lake Taupo, or if you’re a keen hiker, you may want to consider the Tongariro Crossing – New Zealand’s most famous day hike. The path takes you around a volcano, past lakes, craters and through bushland.