Northern Light from Auckland

Pickup locations:

7:45am Outside Haka House, 5 Turner Street, Auckland CBD

8:00am Outside Nesuto Stadium Hotel, 40 Beach Road, Auckland CBD

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

We’ll arrive at our Hot Water Beach campsite, where we’ll spend the next two nights. Go for a walk along the beach once we’ve set up camp, and this evening we’ll enjoy our very first group dinner together.

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Meals included: Dinner

Walks: Stunning coastal walk with views over the Pacific

Bike Rides: 8km scenic road cycling from Hahei Beach to Hot Water Beach camp

Today you have a full free day to spend relaxing or exploring. We’ll head to Hahei Beach where you can go for a walk along the shoreline or take a boat or kayak to see the iconic Cathedral Cove. Later, we’ll head back to Hot Water Beach, so-named because there is a unique geothermal reservoir of hot water under the sand. At low tide, we’ll grab our shovels and head down to dig our very own hot pools in the sand - the cheapest spa day ever!

Meals included: Breakfast 

Walks: Stunning coastal walk with views over the Pacific 

Bike rides: 8km scenic road cycling from Hahei Beach to Hot Water Beach camp

Optional Activities: Sea kayaking, Hahei Explorer

This morning after breakfast, we'll make our way down to the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula where we’ll stop at the historic Karangahake Gorge which offers great biking and hiking options through old mining relics. This stunning region combines the natural beauty of the area with some NZ history and is a must-see on the North Island. 

Afterwards we’ll continue on to Rotorua, famous for its geothermal activity, adventure activities and cultural experiences. This evening we’ll set up camp and enjoy a group meal together. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Walks: Stroll through Karangahake Gorge & unique thermal landscapes in Rotorua

Bike rides: Karangahake Gorge

Optional Activities: Polynesian Spa, Te Puia

Today you have a full day to enjoy everything that Rotorua has to offer. There are heaps of optional activities in Rotorua and something for everyone. If you’re interested in adventure, we recommend the award winning Canopy Tours eco zipline tour, or go white water rafting down the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall. If you’d prefer to relax, opt for a healing soak at the Polynesian spa, or if you’d like to explore the natural geothermal features of the area, there's plenty of walks where you can see the activity for free. This evening, we recommend heading to the incredible Te Puia where you'll learn about Maori culture, experience the breathtaking Haka and feast on a traditional Hangi meal. 

Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner

Walks: Walk through Kuirau Park or the Whakarewarewa Forest to see the towering redwoods

Bike rides: Whakarewarewa Forest Loop (33 km)

Optional Activities: Zipline Canopy Tour, Rotorua Rafting

We begin the day with a drive to visit Wai-o-Tapu bubbling mud, a unique experience not to be missed. Next we’ll stop at the mighty Huka Falls, an impressive waterfall found along the Waikato river. This is also our drop off point for those wanting to go skydiving! If you’re not going skydiving there's a great bike ride to Spa Park 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 Tongariro National Park, where we’ll be spending the night.

Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner

Walks: Walks of various distances past dramatic waterfalls and around Lake Taupo        

Bike rides: Huka Falls to Spa Park

Optional Activities: Skydiving, bungy, giant swing

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 featured in the Lord of the Rings movies as Mount Doom.

If you'd prefer not to do this hike, your Guide will take you to see some lesser known but equally stunning views and offer up some cycle options for our bikers. When everyone is back together after the hike we'll make our way to our camp, situated on the beach.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Walks: Tongariro Alpine Crossing 

Bike rides: Marton Sash & Door (if not doing the Tongariro Crossing)

Included Activities: Tongariro Alpine Crossing (transfers only)

This morning we’ll drive down to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand! We'll arrive early, giving you most of the morning to explore. We recommend checking out the exhibits at the famous Te Papa Museum, getting to some Lord of the Rings locations on Mt Victoria or taking the iconic red cable car up to the Botanical Gardens. The capital also boasts a thriving café culture, as Wellington is renowned for serving NZ's best cup of coffee.

Meals included: Breakfast

Optional Activities: Te Papa National Museum of NZ (free), Cable car