Highlights

Day 1

• DEPART AUCKLAND:
  Travel the main Southern Highway through small rural townships steeped in early pioneer history. Your host serves morning tea during this sector.
• WAIKATO:
  Travel through New Zealand's largest dairy and sheep farming province. Travel the outskirts of Hamilton City via the small farming settlements towards the King Country, birthplace of the Maori Monarchy.
• WAITOMO GLOW WORM CAVES:
  Join a guided tour through this world-famous cave formation, climaxed by drifting silently in a boat through a glow worm cavern lit up with thousands of tiny glow worm lights.
• LIGHT LUNCH:
  Served on-board as we make our way to Rotorua through magnificent rural farmland with its vast numbers of grazing animals.*
• ROTORUA:
  New Zealand's highest city, 305 meters (1000 feet) above sea level, located inside the rim of a volcanic crater. An area of great geothermal activity. We visit the following attractions:
• AGRODOME FARM TOUR:
  An introduction to New Zealand farming, with a 45-minute tour of an authentic working farm in all-weather, all-terrain vehicles. Watch a sheep being shorn and hand-feed the animals.
• LAKE ROTORUA:
  Drive through the foreshore park past the hundreds of ducks and swans. Then through the beautiful historic Government Gardens.
• TE PUIA INSTITUTE (MAORI ARTS & CRAFTS AND WHAKAREWAREWA THERMAL RESERVE):
  One of Rotorua's most famous attractions. See woodcarving, weaving displays, Maori village and the thermal valley with the famous Pohutu Geyser, fumaroles, colourful silica deposits and boiling mud pools.
• PARK HERITAGE ROTORUA HOTEL:
  Your accommodation tonight is located close to the geothermal activity of Whakarewarewa. Spend the evening with a buffet dinner or a Hangi where the food is cooked underground by geothermal steam followed by a Maori Concert featuring colourful dance and song.

Day 2

• KAINGAROA FORESTS:
  Travel along the largest man-made radiate pine forest in the world – the Kaingaroa Forest.
• TAUPO:
  Your coach travels along the eastern shores of Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest lake formed by a massive volcanic explosion 1800 years ago. Lake Taupo is world renowned for it fighting rainbow trout.
• NAPIER:
  Population 54,000, has one of the highest concentrations of Striped Classical, Spanish Mission and Art Deco building styles in the world. The commercial centre was completely rebuilt following a catastrophic earthquake in 1931. Napier is also at the centre of one of the largest and most vibrant wine-producing areas in New Zealand.
• SCENIC CIRCLE TE PANIA HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Te Pania Hotel is located conveniently located on Napier's waterfront and central shopping area which is within walking distance to many of the local attractions. If Te Pania Hotel is not available, a similar hotel will be booked.

Day 3

• NAPIER WINE TOUR:
  This morning join a local guide from Bay Tours whose background in the wine industry ensures that you will experience the very best of Hawke’s Bay’s hand-crafted wine styles when visiting a combination of boutique and historic wineries.
• COACH TO WELLINGTON:
  Arrive early evening in New Zealand’s capital, the country’s second largest city with a population of 340,000.

Tour Operates Daily

• From 172 Quay St opposite the Ferry Building or from your hotel / motel lobby.
• Departs: 7.30am. Terminates: 6.30pm (approx)
• Fare includes: Hotel / Motel pick ups, Admissions, Morning Tea, Light Lunch, Buffet Dinner or Hangi and Concert on Day 1, Twin Share Accommodation (2 nights), Scehduled Coach Transport