5 Day Northern Lights Tour

We leave Auckland at 8 am and drive south towards the Coromandel Peninsula. The Coromandel is a popular holiday spot for us Kiwi and it’s not hard to see why. With stunning white sandy beaches, dense fern forests and rich history of both Maori and European settlements, the Coromandel Peninsula is the perfect place to start your trip!

After a lunch stop in the seaside town of Tairua, we’ll travel to Hahei Beach – the gateway to Cathedral Cove. You can either walk along the coastline or get stuck in to the first optional activity on your trip with one of the best sea kayak options in the country. Cathedral Cove has a stunning limestone archway that is featured as the gateway to Narnia in the movie ‘Prince Caspian’ and is a great place take a dip in the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean before heading back to Hahei and on to camp at another iconic location, Hot Water Beach. Our campground is a short walk away from the beach where, at low tide, you can grab a shovel and head down to dig your very own hot pool in the sand! This is all thanks to a unique geothermal reservoir of hot water under the sand, what a way to round off your first day on tour!

Meals: Dinner
Bike Rides: 8km road cycling
Walks and Hikes: Stunning coastal walk with views over the Pacific – distances vary
Optional Activities: Sea Kayaking
Available Upgrades: Yes
Drive Distance: Approx 3 hours

After breakfast, we’ll start our journey towards the central area of the North Island but before that, we’ll explore a little more of the Coromandel Peninsula. We’ll drive down to the historic gold mining town of Waihi and take a look at the huge ‘Martha’s Mine’, a working gold mine! Afterward, the cyclists among us will have the chance to ride a section of the Hauraki Rail Trail and the rest of us will head to the Karangahake Gorge for a historic walk. We’ll look through the ‘windows of the past’ of mining history and see some pretty spectacular landscapes along the way. When everyone is back together we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch in the gorge before continuing on to Rotorua.

There are heaps of optional activities in Rotorua including a zipline eco tour, zorbing, luging or relaxing in a thermal spa. If you’d prefer to explore the natural geothermal features of the area, there’s plenty of world-famous bike trails and walks in the area too. In the evening, we recommend immersing yourself in Maori culture at the Tamaki Village where you’ll learn about Maori culture, experience an equally stunning and terrifying Haka and feast on a traditional Hangi meal.

There’s a lot to pack into one day but we promise it’ll leave you wanting more!

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Bike Rides: Peddle through subtropical forest, mining heritage and don’t forget your headlamp for the tunnels and bridges (trail ride)! In the afternoon, ride through Rotorua to a world class Mountain Bike Forest
Walks and Hikes: Enjoy an awesome little walk through Coromandel lush forest and explore early mining history through caves, tunnels and a pretty beautiful waterfall to complete a great walk!
Optional Activities: Hobbiton, Tamaki Maori Village, OGO, Luge, hot pools, Zipline canopy tour
Available Upgrades: Yes
Drive Distance: Approx 3-4 hours

We begin the day with a short drive to visit some of the North Island’s most impressive geothermal sites. We’ll see bubbling mud pools, a huge Geyser and then take some time to explore the Wai o Tapu Geothermal Wonderland, home to an impressive array of multi-coloured rock formations and pools created by superheated water bringing minerals to the surface creating this otherworldly landscape.

Our next stop on the way into Taupo is the mighty Huka Falls, an impressive waterfall found along the Waikato river. This is also our drop-off point for those wanting to go white water rafting or skydiving! If you’re not doing these activities there’s a great walk or a bike ride into the city along the river’s edge – be sure to stop off at the natural hot spring along the way or get an adrenaline buzz from the Taupo bungy which is conveniently located on your way into town. You’ll have some time in Taupo to grab some lunch and check out New Zealand’s largest lake, Lake Taupo, before we make our way to camp later that afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Bike Rides: Ride an awesome single track from Huka Falls stopping in for a quick soak in a natural hot stream on your way into Taupo or grab the bike in the city for a cruisey ride around the edge of the lake.
Walks and Hikes: Follow the trail from an iconic waterfall alongside the mighty Waikato River winding past a natural hot spring that you can soak in followed by walking past a bungy jump watching adrenaline junkies dive into the river!
Optional Activities: Skydiving, bungy, giant swing, Wai-O-Tapu (free – this one is on us)
Available Upgrades: Yes
Drive Distance: Approx. 2 hours

Voted one of the best day hikes in the world, today’s 19.4km walk takes in some of New Zealand’s most impressive and diverse landscapes. The challenging Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike covers a small section of the country’s oldest national park and dual UNESCO world heritage area, the Tongariro National Park. On a fine day, you’ll be able to see Mt Ruapehu, the North Island’s highest peak which stands at a towering 2797 metres. You’ll also be able to see Mt Ngauruhoe, which is featured in Lord of the Rings as Mount Doom.

If you’d prefer not to do this hike, there are cycle options or a walk along the Tongariro river where you’ll have a beautiful mountainous backdrop. When everyone is back together after the hike we’ll start making our way to our camp, situated along the Kapiti Coast.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Bike Rides: If you’re not doing the Tongariro Crossing, leave camp on a bike and head towards to the Tongariro River Trail. Cycle this loop, over bridges and past huts or a trout centre, keep an eye out for trout fishermen as this is the capital for trout fishing!
Walks and Hikes: The best one day hike in New Zealand! Traverse the Tongariro, steam vents, crater lakes and more!
Optional Activities: Tongariro Alpine Crossing, white water rafting (grade 3 rapids)
Available Upgrades: Yes
Drive Distance: Approx. 4 hours

This morning it’s a short drive to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city where your tour ends. We’ll arrive before 9am and you can spend your day exploring the Te Papa Museum, Zealandia and the Botanical Gardens. The capital is also home to the Beehive, our government building, as well as great shopping areas and a thriving café culture to explore – Wellington is renowned for serving NZ’s best cup of coffee.

Meals: Breakfast
Bike Rides: n/a
Walks and Hikes: n/a
Available Upgrades: n/a
Drive Distance: Approx. 1 hour