Highlights of New Zealand: From South to North

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Pick Up Your Car and Explore the City

  Welcome to New Zealand!

  After picking up your rental car at Christchurch airport, drive to your accommodation.

  After settlement in the hotel, you can hop on the historic tram to explore the heart of Christchurch's reconstructed city center, a unique mixture of old and new. One of the trams also has a restaurant wagon and you may like to have a stylish dinner in the restored tram.

  Alternatively, take the modern Gondola cable car up to Mount Cavendish for a breathtaking 360-degree panorama over the Southern Alps, the Port Hills and Lyttelton, and the port of Christchurch. There is the Canterbury Museum for you to learn about the history of the Banks Peninsula and the first settlers.

  In the evening, you can visit Willowbank Scenic Reserve and see kiwis in their natural environment on a guided tour or enjoy the Maori Show on which you will be greeted with a traditional Powhiri.

  • Christchurch

• Day 2: Christchurch - Lake Tekapo

  At Lake Tekapo, you can visit the "The Church of the Good Shepherd" that impresses with its seclusion and history.

  The nearby Pukaki Glacier Lake is an ideal vantage point to Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain at 3,724 m. In good weather, driving along the lake, you can see the snow-capped 3,000 m peaks of the Southern Alps are reflected in the turquoise and glassy lake.

  You can also make an excursion to Mount Cook National Park, a hiking paradise where you can choose between different long and different strenuous hikes.

  In the evening, you can take part in an Earth & Sky Tour to admire the southern night sky and, with a little luck, even the Milky Way.

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  • Lake Tekapo

• Day 3: Lake Tekapo - Queenstown

  Today's trip takes you further south into New Zealand. You drive along the scenic Pukaki Lake and then on to Omarama with its bizarre siltstone rocks and over the Lindis Pass (971 m) through the McKenzie Basin. Sparse precipitation makes this highland look like a barren steppe landscape. Wide "Tussock" corridors, which span the hills like a carpet, transform the landscape into a strange-looking inner alpine basin landscape.

  Shortly before Queenstown, you can make a stop in the former gold mining town of Arrowtown.

  Queenstown is a popular tourist destination on the South Island due to its beautiful mountain location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, a long lake stretching between steeply rising mountain ranges.

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  • Queenstown

• Day 4: Queenstown

  The day is at your free disposal to discover Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world.

  Take a trip on the steamboat "TSS Earnslaw" and cross Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station. Here you can join a farm tour or take the gondola up to the Queenstown skyline and enjoy a fantastic view over the surrounding mountains.

  Alternatively, you can take a jeep tour with an experienced SUV driver to explore the impassable terrain of the Skipper Canyon and learn about the gold-digging history. Also, tours to the Lord of the Rings tours are available.

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  • Queenstown

• Day 5: Queenstown - Te Anau

  Today, you drive to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park, New Zealand's largest and most unspoiled national park. To the west, 14 fjords rise like long sea tongues into the primeval forest of a rugged alpine world. Not far from there, snow-capped mountain peaks rise over alpine grass mats to 2,700 meters. At the entrance to Te Anau is the Bird Sanctuary where you will find some endangered native birds that are difficult to see in the wild.

  You can also take a trip to Te Anau Glowworm Caves to discover an astonishing underground world filled with sculpted rock, whirlpools, and a roaring underground waterfall. Deep inside the caves, guests will be taken into a hidden grotto illuminated by thousands of fireflies.

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  • Te Anau

• Day 6: Te Anau - Wanaka

  Continue and pass the Kawarau Gorge boasting the world's first commercial Bungy Jump (43 m, jump optional). The trip leads to the former glacier lake Wanaka, where you will spend the night today.

  The area is dominated by Mt. Aspiring and its fascinating glacial wilderness. Surrounded by unwooded, grass-covered mountains, the place is a New Zealanders holiday home. In summer, thousands of people romp around the lake; however, in contrast to Queenstown, Wanaka is otherwise much more peaceful. It is also a hiking paradise with trails of varying lengths and difficulty.

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  • Wanaka

• Day 7: Wanaka - Franz Josef

  Today, you will drive through the mountains of the Aspiring National Park, over the Haast Pass and through the Westland National Park. This is one of the most diverse and fascinating national parks in New Zealand.

  Along the west coast, you drive through the evergreen rainforest to the glacier region of the Southern Alps. The Fox Glacier and the Franz Josef Glacier - unique in the temperate latitudes - slide down to a height of 300 m above sea level. Spend the night in Franz Josef at the foot of the glacier.

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  • Franz Josef Glacier

• Day 8: Franz Josef - Hokitika

  Today's trip takes you along the west coast past the forgotten gold mining towns of Hari Hari and Ross, where you can take a tour of old gold mines.

  Afterwards, continue to Hokitika, which was established in 1865-1895 on the basis of several gold finds. Today it is above all the center of the processing of the green stone. You have the opportunity to visit a jade manufactory ("Greenstone" or "Pounamu"), watching the artists up close and buy precious jewelry. The cozy town is situated directly by the sea, on a beach dotted with driftwood in bizarre shapes. Apart from a walk along the beach, you can also visit the aquarium and the kiwi house.

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  • Hokitika

• Day 9: Hokitika - Kaikoura

  Drive across the South Island from the west - to the east coast today. On the way, you will pass through the harbor town of Greymouth and a landscape characterized by pasture and forestry as well as historic gold prospecting areas.

  The journey then continues into the hinterland, along quiet forest roads and over the alpine Lewis Pass and dense southern beech forests to the west coast.

  Then continues to your day's destination Kaikoura. Here, taking a whale watch tour, you are usually able to see sperm whales as they use the deep waters off Kaikoura's coast for their passage from/to Antarctica and warm ocean currents are rich sources of food. With a little luck, you will be accompanied by Hector or Dusky dolphins. You may also see fur seals lying on the rocks along the highway.

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  • Kaikoura

• Day 10: Kaikoura - Marlborough Sounds

  Today you will drive north along the east coast, passing Blenheim in the Marlborough Plain. Viticulture in this region began in the 1970s when Montana Wines was on the lookout for new land. The composition of the earth, high sunshine, long autumn, and cold winter, are excellent conditions for premium wine, especially for Sauvignon Blanc.

  Finally, reach Picton. Here you park your rental car and then are taken by boat transfer to your idyllic accommodation in the Marlborough Sounds. Situated directly on the water, you will discover a world without roads and everyday noise, which guarantees you pure relaxation. In this unique atmosphere, you will enjoy a tasty dinner at the end of the day.

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  • Marlborough Sounds

• Day 11: Marlborough Sounds - Wellington

  The water taxi will pick you up from your accommodation and transfer you back to Picton, where you will cross Cook Strait by the Interislander ferry and reach Wellington, the capital of New Zealand since 1865.

  In this tiny capital city, you can get an insight into the history and culture of New Zealand at the Te Papa National Museum, take a cable car up to the botanical garden for a fantastic view over the city, or take a trip to the Weta Workshop or Peter Jackson Workshop, where characters and props from films such as The Hobbit and Narnia were brought to life.

  In the evening, an easy walk through Zealandia with a local guide will bring you the chance to see various animals, including the endangered Kiwi bird, that only become active in the evening hours.

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  • Wellington

• Day 12: Wellington - Lake Taupo

  Driving along Kapiti Coast and through the fertile farm area of Manawatu to the north, you will reach the edge of Tongariro National Park. Lingered with numerous Maori legends and consisting of three picturesque volcanoes, a landscape of black ash, brown dust desert, and the mountain streams lined with native beeches, in 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Various scenes of the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings were shot in the Tongariro National Park.

  Keep driving a little bit further north to your today's destination - Lake Taupo.

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  • Lake Taupo

• Day 13: Lake Taupo - Rotorua

  Today, you will drive to Rotorua to admire its exotic Maori culture and rich geothermal resource, including geysers, steaming lakes and rivers, bubbling mud holes, and multicolored hot springs.

  In the evening we recommend a visit to a Maori village with participation in a marae (traditional Maori meeting place). Here you will be greeted with a traditional challenge at the gate of the Marae and then experience Maori rituals. After the concert in the Meeting House, you are invited to the "Hangi", an earth oven meal with food cooked on glowing stones.

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  • Rotorua

• Day 14: Rotorua

  Today is for your free disposal.

  We highly recommend a visit to the Te Puia Maori Village where you can learn more about the Maori Culture.

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  • Rotorua

• Day 15: Rotorua - Hahei

  Move on north further until to the Coromandel Peninsula in Hahei. You will drive along the Bay of Plenty, past Kiwi plantations, and through Katikati, the main avocado growing area that is famous for its many murals painted on walls. Before heading inland to Matamata, you may like a small stop at Tauranga.

  In Matamata, you can take a 2-hour tour to the film set of the "Lord of the Rings" and the "Hobbit" trilogies, which may be better known as the "Shire". During the tour, you will see the Hobbit Caves, "The Green Dragon Inn", and many other highlights.

  Later on, continue to the Coromandel Peninsula and explore it with all its contrasts between white beaches and lush green cultivated land, as well as cliffs and mild mountain ranges covered with jungle. The Hot Water Beaches are particularly worth a visit, where you can dig a nature spa pool to relax in the hot water. Afterward, cool off by jumping into the sea.

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  • Hahei

• Day 16: Hahei

  Today you have the option to discover the Cathedral Cove, one of the backdrops of the film "The Chronicles of Narnia" by boat, kayak, or on foot.

  You can also take a ride on New Zealand's only narrow-gauge railway, which takes you over viaducts and through tunnels along with beautiful landscapes. The Schlängel course takes you about 2.7 km through lush primary forest to a "railway station" high up on the mountain that offers fantastic views of the Coromandel Peninsula.

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  • Hahei

• Day 17: Hahei

  Today, you can take a guided tour walking along the Coastal Walkway (20 km round trip, 7 hours) to discover the remote northern part with great sea views of the Coromandel Peninsula.

  On the way to the northern bays, Mount Moehau rises above huge Pohutukawa trees. The way back often coincides with the breathtaking sunsets over the Gulf of Hauraki.

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  • Hahei

• Day 18: Hahei - Auckland

  Continue the journey further into Auckland, the City of Sails built around two large harbors.

  In the city, from the 328 m high Sky City Tower you can enjoy incomparable views over Auckland and the surrounding area. Standing on a glass floor above Auckland, you can test your courage on the Skywalk.

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  • Auckland

• Day 19: Auckland - Departure

  Your New Zealand trip ends today. You drive to the airport and hand in your rental car at the car rental. We hope you enjoyed your trip and wish you a good onward or home flight.

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