Lucky for you, weve put together the ultimate new zealand road trip itinerary. Discover new zealand north island on a selfdrive holiday. Our epic new zealand south island road trip if like me youre a lord of the rings fan, new zealand is probably pretty high up on your travel bucket list. Or if youre not as big a nerd as me you might just want to visit new zealand regardless of your movie passions. Our modern selfdrive travel itineraries have routes specifically for the north island as well as the south island, ranging from 5 to 11 days, plus there are some travel routes that take in both the north and south islands. New zealand north island or south island is always a question difficult to answer. With multiple islands and miles of beautiful landscapes and adventures to be had, it can be hard to decide how to plan for a trip to new zealand. Cross to the south island and its rugged mountains, glaciers and lakes. This new zealand south island itinerary is designed for those that have decided to see the island through the lens of a campervan, but anyone looking for things to do on the nz south island would also find it useful. Aug 07, 2017 the number in the brackets indicate the year the post was published.
The best way to see the caves is by walking or joining a boat tour. Waiheke island, at the eastern end of the harbour, was a remote getaway in the 1960s. Even if you only have 7 days in the area, however, you can make the most of it and have a grand adventure. Many of the itineraries start in new zealands biggest city, auckland, and showcases some of the best north island visual attractions and maori culture, including visits to rotorua, taupo, waitomo caves, the beautiful coromandel and coastal destinations such as tauranga, paihia and whitiangia, as well as whangarei, napier, dargaville, new. Two of new zealands sunniest areas can be found on north island. Your self drive itinerary starts in auckland, new zealand s largest city, before driving north to the spectacular bay of islands region. If you have extra days, turn it into a 10 day new zealand north island itinerary day 79 bay of islands. Contact us for advice and a new cost by clicking on the book now icon for each tour. With stunning landscapes to explore and adventurous activities to enjoy, youre in the driving seat to craft your perfect new zealand itinerary its a long distance to circumnavigate the north island so you certainly need 2 weeks to cover all the ground. I finally finished building my itinerary for the north island part of my trip. Go on a hobbiton tour from auckland and see the waitomo glowworm caves, starting with a scenic drive through new zealands north island aboard a luxury coach. Auckland is the largest city in new zealand but it is easy to explore and a very pleasant place to visit especially in summer with its many inner city beaches and beautiful north shore bays.
North island adventure tour by haka tours with 75 tour. Within the park lies a volcanic plateau where dormant volcanoes are used as ski fields in winter and hiking trails in summer. Sail around the islands, visit the first british settlement at russell and if you have the time, take a trip to cape reinga, at the top of the north island, including a drive down 90mile beach and surfing down sand dunes. The essential north island 14 day tour at a glance see detailed itinerary day 1. While a week in the north island isnt nearly enough to see everything it has to offer, with a little rushing and quite some driving, it is enough to see the highlights. Our range of north island travel itineraries cover a diverse range of touring options, each includes information regarding travel distances and time to ensure that you can make the best of your time in new zealand, no longer how short your visit. We have travelled to new zealand before but now are a family with 2 kids. Best of the north island includes accommodation in a hostel as well as an expert guide, meals, transport and more. Here is my perfect tenday selfdrive itinerary which should be on everyones bucket list. Stay in a superb selection of 5 star hotels, luxury and boutique lodges. Looking to do less driving in a day, visit places not seen before. Take the ferry or board a luxury super yacht and cruise to waiheke island for a fullday guided tour of the islands awardwinning vineyards, olive groves and beautiful golden beaches. As summer inches closer and closer to us every day and following on from our south island 10 day selfdrive itinerary that we did with my parents last summer i thought it was about time to share with you all my favourite spots on the north island. From auckland to wellington, and everything in between, weve created a perfect road trip itinerary for your first visit to new zealand.
New zealand north island highlights explore the wonders of new zealand on this journey across the north island. Sep 25, 2019 new zealand two week road trip itinerary part 1. The complete guide the road trip guide new zealand includes everything that is inside the north island ebook do not purchase both. There is a new world supermarket right in hokitika. Visit a pair of new zealands mustsee attractions with this combo tour from auckland to the hobbiton movie set and waitomo glowworm caves. Tours to the island are fully commentated and include tailored lunch options for groups. In the first post, i also explained all the logistics of our road trip in new zealand. Weve handpicked all the mustsee spots and most popular attractions for your driving holiday itinerary in the north. Download tour itinerary pdf paradise motorcycle tours yumpu. Short break itineraries that suggest how to get the most out of a shorter holiday to new. From the city of sails to the golden sand beaches of the coromandel and the adventure and culture of rotorua, the wine regions of napier and the capital of wellington.
Experience a cruise on the bay before driving south to the geothermal wonderland of rotorua and experiencing the culture. Exploring the wonders of the north island is what this itinerary is all about. The guide does not contains any hotel or restaurant recommendations because 1 i have not been to many of them 2 owners change 3 i dont know your taste and priorities however it does indicate the closest townarea with accommodations. North island as i mentioned earlier starting your trip in auckland will not only be the most economical way to do it, but auckland is also very well connected to the places you will visit on the first part of this trip. We depart auckland and head south east to the pristine sands of hahei beach, from which you can access the famous cathedral cove.
North island trip planner plan your north island vacation. New zealand north island contrasts cruise the bay of islands, explore the parliament buildings in wellington, sample fine wines on waiheke island, and join a traditional maori feast in rotorua on this selfdrive tour of new zealands beautiful north island. This itinerary covers the entire country and is broken down into 30 easytofollow days. This is a great option for those interested in a 7 day itinerary in the south island on a budget. It is also popular for its forest walks and cycle trails, many located less than 30. Depending on the airport you arrive into nz, and depart from i would focus on remaining put according to this factor. With stunning landscapes to explore and adventurous activities to enjoy, youre in the driving seat to craft your perfect new zealand itinerary. It is also popular for its forest walks and cycle trails, many located less than 30 minutes from the city centre. I am arriving to nz at the end of october for 9 weeks. Visitor profiles are one of the practical ways tourism new zealand. Your self drive itinerary starts in auckland, new zealands largest city, before driving north to the spectacular bay of islands region.
Visit the te puia maori village for a hangi and concert, explore the matakohe kauri museum and learn about farm life at the agrodome. The north island has the bay of islands and auckland regions with their fantastic. New zealand 12 days holiday planning with full itinerary details. Or for an alternative north island itinerary, theres more to see within a couple of hours drive of auckland. A perfect new zealand north island itinerary for 710 days. North island self drive start your holiday go new zealand.
Following the recommendations in the forums ive decided to divide my time 2. This tour is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the island, from. Located in the heart of central north island is the tongariro national park, a unesco dual world heritage site and one of the most visually impressive places in all of new zealand. North island self drive tours discover new zealand. Travelling across new zealands north island will take you on an adventure of a lifetime. The number in the brackets indicate the year the post was published. North island self drive itineraries and tours nzs north. You can choose to travel from auckland through to wellington, or take the reverse itinerary. In general the weather is milder and more pleasant in new zealand s north island than in the south. I lived in auckland for 5 years and loved both but for very different reasons. New zealand north island 4 day road trip itinerary to. We spent hours creating this super helpful pdf just for you.
This itinerary covers the premier locations at a pace you will enjoy. Thanks to a 45minute ferry trip, now boasts fine restaurants, wineries and spectacular private residences. Hi all, trying to come up with an nz north island itinerary for almost 2 weeks. New zealand s north island known in maori as te ikaamaui is the smaller but more populated of the two main islands. With the adventure tour north island adventure tour, you have a 7 day tour package taking you through auckland, new zealand and 10 other destinations in new zealand. Time to relax with the must see activities taken care of.
Epic 2week south island new zealand itinerary road trip. Rain is considerably more likely during the winter months of june to august, with rotorua experiencing an average rainfall of mm 5. You can grab ingredients for a picnic, then you can head to the waterfront where there are benches. Three days on the north island is perfect for a short tour to the bay of. For a personalised itinerary give us details of your ideas,interests, how long you need, places or activities you. Planning the trip herself, she wants freedom to choose how they spend their time. Accessible only by foot, boat or kayak, youll discover some of new zealands most spectacular scenery and stunning sea views in this beautiful coastal spot. Youll be spending a fair amount of time travelling most days, including the flight from auckland to christchurch.
North island itineraries new zealands information network. Peek into hobbit holes, frolic in the shire, and get a drink at the green dragon inn on a guided tour of. North island adventure tour includes accommodation in a hostel as well as an expert guide, meals, transport and more. Filter by timescale all 3 days 4 days 5 days 6 days 7 days 8 days 9 days 10 days 11 days 12 days days 14 days 15 days 17 days 21 days 22 days 23 days 1 month 24 days 37 days.
New zealand can be mellow or actionpacked, but its always epic. Even though just a small island nation, the absurd amount of choices that it offers makes it hard to decide. Our range of travel itineraries include information regarding travel distances and time to ensure that you can make the best of your time in new zealand, no. Weve created a perfect north island new zealand itinerary that brings you to all. For an adrenalin rush try a rafting trip on the rangitikei river. In fact, it is the worlds 14th largest island and contains auckland and wellington, our biggest cities. During their 9day holiday, theyll travel around both the north and south island. Your journey kicks off in new zealands largest city auckland. Discover new zealand information about new zealand.
There are so many things to do in the north island of new zealand that youre bound to want to stay for longer, and wander down to the south island. And now for the practicalities when is the best time to travel to new zealand s north island. So when we decided on new zealand for our short holiday last year we had to make the tough choice between north island and south island. Travel through the heart of the north island on this short highlights new zealand selfdrive tour. New zealand is a truly unique and remarkable travel destination with so much to offer. Welcome to auckland, transfer to your accommodation, then spend the rest of the day at your leisure accommodation. Visit the te puia maori village for a hangi and concert, explore the matakohe kauri museum and. Jan 23, 2017 travelling across new zealand s north island will take you on an adventure of a lifetime. I have a couple do suggestions in auckland on one day either go to waiheke island or rotoroa island depending on your interests.
If arriving christchurch, it makes for better time use if you stop here, do some local sightseeing until you gain your bearings and overcome any travel fatigue before hiring a car and driving to queenstown, or the west coast. Before we missed the coromandel peninsula and went pretty much in a straight line from top to the bottom of the north island via rotorua, taupo and wellington. Best of the north island, you have a 7 day tour package taking you through auckland, new zealand and 4 other destinations in new zealand. North island trips new zealand travel and new zealand. But our flights stopped in auckland on the way home from the cook islands, we added a week to see what we could and i promise you, this oneweek north island itinerary was worth it this itinerary covers a few of the north islands top mustsees.
Discover new zealand have over 400 touring ideas to inspire you and our experts can create the perfect itinerary. After an hour boat ride to the island, you will get a 2 hour guided tour of the island learning about the history of the miners in the island, the volcanic importance of the island and even get close to the active crater. Get ready for mammoth national parks, dynamic maori culture, and worldclass surfing and skiing. Two of new zealand s sunniest areas can be found on north island. This 9 day itinerary from auckland to wanaka offers the ultimate new zealand hospitality experience for those short on time but still wanting to experience the best of new zealand. Look, i know a week is not enough to see new zealand. All three of the regions cities are known for their beautiful gardens, art galleries and innovative museums. Palmerston north to wellington via martinborough detailed itinerary day 1 auckland to hamilton via hobbiton 3 hrs the hobbiton movie set is an absolute mustdo for fans of the lord of the rings and hobbit. Information about new zealands regions, how to get around the country and. New zealand north island tour north island haka tours. This smallgroup guided new zealand north island tour will visit coromandel, rotorua, taupo, and wellington, with the option to visit hobbiton, waitomo glowworm caves and the tongariro crossing along the way. As a visitor, youll want to enjoy a hasslefree, authentic experience of aotearoa and well make sure you get just that a trip of a lifetime. I am a kiwi now living overseas your itinerary looks good.
Lower north island the lower north island is a great place for indulging your. It is also home to connells bay sculpture park, with an. New zealand is for the greater part made up of two large islands theres the north. From auckland journey south through the waikato countryside to rotorua, the maori culture capital of new zealand. New zealand touring map new zealand travel and new. Id have liked to see the glow worm caves in waitomo you can take a guided walk or boat tour, or go black water rafting through the subterranean maze. The first part focussed on the south island, and this part takes details our new zealand north island itinerary. Youll be enthralled by the illuminated glowworm grotto during an underground boat ride on the waitomo river. Active volcanoes, worldrenowned wineries, beautiful beaches and two of new zealands largest cities are all part of this seven day north island new zealand itinerary. In my opinion, though, a campervan is the best way to explore.
Follow this route, and youll explore the north islands biggest highlights, and youll also have some off the beaten path adventures. Waiheke island is a small island about 30min ferry from auckland center really easy day trip with regular ferries. Its then on to the art deco city of napier in the hawkes bay, home to new zealands oldest vineyards. North island itinerary new zealand forum tripadvisor. This 14 day itinerary ensures you get to experience the essential must see destinations of each island. As you tour auckland and rotorua, youll cruise across the hauraki gulf to explore the diversity of waiheke island, delve into the illuminated glowworm tunnels of the waitomo caves, and see the bubbling mud pools and spouting geysers of the whakarewarewa.
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