General Information

Duration:

16 Days

Location Start:

Auckland

Location Finish:

Christchurch

Phone:

0844 800 9256

Fax:

0161 819 2343

Payment Types:

Paypal, Payment Transfer

We Speak:

English

Itinerary

Day 1

Auckland
Kia Ora! Wherever you stay in Auckland, you're never far from breathtaking scenery, beautiful beaches, invigorating walks, idyllic holiday islands, outstanding food and wine, great shopping, exciting nightlife and adventure activities! Our accommodation in Auckland is located in the hub of Auckland city so everything New Zealand's largest and most vibrant city can offer is literally on your doorstep!

Today, your Haka Tour Guide will be on hand to advise you on the best options available to you depending on your preferences. There is a HUGE amount to see in Auckland and your Haka Tour Bible is packed to the rafters with discounted activities from sightseeing to outdoor adventures.

Some of the options available to you (all at an exclusively discounted rate) are: abseiling down waterfalls surrounded by rain forest in Piha Canyon, climbing Auckland bridge, shark diving, sailing an America’s Cup yacht and learning to surf Auckland’s wild west coast beaches... to name a few! Your Haka Tour guide will advise you on what activities are best to combine today to make sure you maximize your New Zealand experience!

Day 2

Auckland to Waitomo
Journey underground on a subterranean adventure through limestone chambers and passages. Be suspended in awe and silence, surrounded by cave decorations and a galaxy of tiny living lights found in the Waitomo Glow-worm Caves. As you glide quietly beneath the lights of thousands of glow-worms, it is only the gentle sound of dripping water that reminds you that you are deep underground and not beneath a star filled sky...

For over 100 years Waitomo Glow-worm Caves have attracted millions of people from all over the world. The moment you enter this subterranean wonderland you'll discover an ancient underground labyrinth of limestone caves and grottos, and marvel at amazing stalactites and stalagmites - mother nature's decorations. You’ll have the chance to experience a boat trip like no other, journeying through the starry expanse of the Glow-worm Grotto, whilst your way is lit by a multitude of tiny glow-worm lights.

Day 3

Waitomo to Rotorua
On day 3 we make a short two-hour journey to Rotoura, one of New Zealand’s original tourist destinations. At nearby geothermal hotspots, there are spouting geysers, boiling mud pools and warm geothermal springs. Silica terraces are naturally decorated with a kaleidoscope of colours. The Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley can shoot water 30 metres (100 feet).

Rotorua is also at the heartland of New Zealand Maori culture, and visitors have the opportunity to experience the warm spirit of Te Maori. There are about 35 marae (meeting grounds) in the Rotorua district. Tonight we experience first hand the Maori culture as we spend the evening at a marae where we will taste a hangi and witness a haka performance. The "hangi" is a traditional Maori feast - the food is cooked below the ground in earthen ovens and has the most amazing taste.

One of our favourites activities here is the Zorb: an activity that fully encapsulates the kiwi spirit! You can also experience the sledging (which is bodyboarding down rapids with specialised plastic bodyboards), the Rotorua luge, a number of very inexpensive geothermal hot spring baths, or how about a spot of trout fishing in a volcanic crater lake? Whatever takes your fancy we say!

Day 4

Rotorua to Taupo
Located just 20 minutes from South Rotorua is our first stop for today: The Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Reserve.

Wai-O-Tapu lays claim to be New Zealand's most colourful and diverse volcanic area. The reserve is covered with collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumeroles. You can walk at your own pace and absorb the unique features including the world famous champagne pool, geysers, bubbling mud, steaming ground, expansive vistas, huge volcanic craters and sinter terrace formations. The natural bush setting adds another dimension to the experience, as does the guaranteed daily eruption of the Lady Knox Geyser at 10.15am.

Next stop is The Huka Falls in the Wairakei Tourist Park, New Zealand's most visited natural attraction. The thundering Huka Falls provides a fantastic photo opportunity - more than 220,000 liter’s of water tumbles over the cliff face per second!

For those of you that want to up the ante’ - feel the exhilaration and the power of a Huka Jet boat ride. You will get up close and personal to the Huka Falls as you enjoy the sensation as you skim past cliffs and trees at 80km per hour. Then get ready for a 360-degree spin, as the boat turns on its own length!

Day 5

Free day in Taupo
A few thousand years ago Lake Taupo itself was created by the largest volcanic eruption of the past 5,000 years - it was so big records say the sun went hazy in China. Today, what remains is a lake the size of Singapore and the largest fresh water lake in Australasia.

Here in Taupo, you can really experience the insane to the sedate. You can sky dive over the Lake Taupo, four wheel drive on volcanic farm land, check out the constantly active geothermal landscape, taste geothermally bred prawns, learn about local authentic Maori culture and myths, play golf on internationally acclaimed golf courses (costs breadcrumbs compared with the UK), enjoy a flight over a world heritage area, ski on an active volcano or even bungy jump over New Zealand’s largest River – the Waikato.

Or if your prefer your activities a little more sedate today, why not soak in a thermal hot spring, take a cruise to the famous Maori Rock carvings at Mine Bay, find a secluded beach, indulge in boutique shopping, enjoy delectable cuisine at one of the many restaurants, cafes or indulge in a cocktail at one of the groovy lounge bars.

We have all your options covered! As always, a large number of our suggestions and activities are free of charge and for those that are not, we have secured the best discounted rates possible, exclusive to Haka Tour participants.

Day 6

Taupo to Wellington
Today we continue our journey South as we head around the beautiful Lake Taupo and travel past the very active Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe – the classical conical volcano most commonly recognized as Mt Doom from the epic “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. We reach the nation’s capital and go for a drive along the harbour and up Mt. Victoria for a 360-degree view of Wellington and surrounding landscapes.

Day 7

Free day in Wellington
Wellington - New Zealand’s capital city and home of the Government since 1865.

Perched on the edge of a spectacular harbor, encircled by green, towering hills, Wellington is a stunning and compact city. Vibrant, exciting and cultured, the nation’s capital combines the stimulation and sophistication of a big city with the quirkiness of a charming village. Extending just two kilometers in diameter, Wellington is a truly 'walking city'.

The city is known as the windy city (even has a radio station known as Radio Windy) due to the high winds flowing across Cook Strait. Being built on a fault line and the ever-popular cable car, it stands to reason that Wellington’s sister city is San Francisco. Scores of walking and mountain-biking tracks around the city give a 360-degree perspective on this sparkling waterway and a view of the original colonial villas that fringe the city’s edge. For those wanting a more rugged perspective, there are four-wheel drive or horseback tours at the head of the Harbor overlooking Cook Strait.

Wellington has a feast of cultural attractions and its crowning glory is Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand. Situated on Wellington’s magnificent waterfront, this internationally acclaimed museum combines leading edge technology with traditional exhibits to tell the stories of New Zealand’s land and people.

And for all of you Lord of the Rings buffs, how about a half day tour to the filming locations for Rivendell where Frodo recovered from his knife attack, the Anduin River where Aragorn was washed ashore after the attack of the Wargs, the Gardens of Isengard, and the site of the Orcs Felling the Trees and where Gandalf rode to see Saruman. Go to the Mount Victoria lookout and Hobbiton Woods where you can race to the Ferry and get off the Road, Buckland Forest where the Hobbits hid from the Nazgul/Black Riders and where they found the mushrooms on the Road, Dunharrow Rohirrim encampment, visit the quarry for the filming of Helms Deep, the fortified ravine in Rohan and Minas Tirith. The list goes on...!

Day 8

Wellington to Kaikoura
Today we board the Inter-island Ferry. The 92km journey between Wellington and Picton takes three hours and has been described as “one the most beautiful ferry rides in the world”.

The seaside settlement of Kaikoura is overlooked by majestic mountains, which are snow-capped for many months of the year as well as being one of the only places in the world located next to a deep-sea trench. This unique combination of ocean and mountains offers stunning coastal alpine scenery and a host of eco-tourism oriented activities.

The speciality here is whale watching and Dolphin swimming. Here you will have the opportunity to view or swim with the Dusky Dolphins, one of the world's most playful and acrobatic dolphin species. A significant number of our groups have also witnessed other marine mammals such as orca (killer whales), pilot whales, New Zealand fur seals and Hector Dolphins.

The town of Kaikoura is strongly aware of the importance of the natural environment, and is very proactive in its protection. One of its methods is to become Green Globe Accredited, which is an environmental certification system recognized across the globe. To this end, one way to help the environment while you are in Kaikoura is by taking part in "trees for travellers", where you can choose, and then sponsor, a native tree that will be planted in your name. Now that is way to leave your mark in New Zealand and is a popular choice with Haka Tour participants and an activity we support 100%.

Day 9

Kaikoura to Christchurch
As we meander South, we hug the edge of rugged coastal ranges along fascinating cliff formations. The landscape becomes more gentle as you approach Waipara – a region known for its vineyards and olive groves. The last leg of your journey takes you past the surf beaches of Amberley, Leithfield, Waikuku and Woodend until we arrive in “The Garden City”.

Day 10

Free day in Christchurch
Internationally famed 'The Garden City', Christchurch's well-established expansive parks and public gardens are guaranteed to impress. Wide tree-lined avenues, beautifully maintained gardens, ambling inner-city rivers and restored heritage buildings make Christchurch a picture-perfect city. The centrally-located 161 hectare Hagley Park, the Botanic Gardens, the four leafy inner-city avenues, Victoria Square and spectacular gardens such as Mona Vale on the banks of the River Avon bear testimony to this reputation.

Centre-piece of the central city, the Christchurch Cathedral is a Canterbury icon. Built in the neo-Gothic period, the Cathedral is a testament to the city’s early English settlers. Climb the steeple for a great 360-degree view of Cathedral Square and the surrounding city.

The bars, cafés and nightclubs here are some of the best in New Zealand and are hugely popular with the locals. Located along Oxford Terrace against the Avon River, there is a huge selection of clubs and bars for all tastes, aligned against a serene backdrop.

Day 11

Christchurch to Franz Josef
The scenery will amaze you today as we head off across the Canterbury Plains and into the Southern Alps. We’ll stop for a break at Arthur’s Pass, deep in the heart of the Southern Alps. Its high mountains with steep gorges and wide braided rivers, straddles the main divide – the ‘back bone’ of the South Island – between Canterbury and the West Coast. It’s a park of contrasts, with dry beech/tawhai forest in the east, luxuriant rainforest on western slopes and is the South Island’s first national park.

Day 12

Free day in Franz Josef
From high in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, The Franz Josef Glacier descends deep into the lush rainforest of Westland’s National Park, giving you the opportunity to experience the most dramatic glacial environment available to the general public anywhere in the world!

While many glaciers world-wide have been retreating, the Franz Josef Glacier still flows almost to sea level, through a temperate rainforest of ancient podocarp trees and other evergreen species. This combination of ice and temperate rainforest is a unique feature of New Zealand's glacier country, and is an ecosystem found nowhere else in the world.

The glacier slides forward at rates up to 10 times faster than most valley glaciers, presenting the visitor with a spectacular and unique icefall of crevasses, pinnacles, ice caves and canyons.

We have negotiated a discounted half-day glacier trek, which is by far the most popular way to experience Franz Josef Glacier. Please believe us when we say that this is no where near as strenuous as it sounds! If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, no problem. There is a load to see and do in Franz Josef. The scenery in this region is so spectacular you can not help to just be in awe of this natural phenomenon.

Day 13

Franz Josef to Queenstown
Today we cruise along the western reaches of the South Island, ambling towards Queenstown. Initially we pass through the rainforests in the Westland World Heritage Park then across the divide at the Haast Pass. The highlight of this journey is being greeted by the shores of picturesque Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. Over 1,300 feet deep and an incredible blue, both lakes are fringed by breathtaking mountain ranges.

Day 14

Free day Queenstown
Queenstown, so named in honour of Queen Victoria, is well established as the "jewel in NZ's tourism crown", with more adventure options per square meter than any other similarly-sized town across the globe hands down.

Nestled beside Lake Wakatipu in the Southern Lakes district, Queenstown is one of the most beautiful settings on earth, as well as the adventure tourism capital of the world. This place offers every adrenaline based activity you could imagine from Skiing, Jet Boating, White Water Rafting and of course, Bungy Jumping.

For a gentler pace, there are many scenic walks and the Gondola ride to the spectacular views from the top of Queenstown Hill is a must.

The truth of the matter is it really does not matter what you do here - this place is breathtaking. The nightlife is second to none and those 'Lord of the Rings' lads (who were honorary locals here whilst filming), state that this place is their favourite world destination. Now there is no better seal of approval than that!

Day 15

Queenstown to Lake Tekapo
The jewel of the Mackenzie Country, Lake Tekapo is a delightful alpine village in the heart of the South Island high country. A ski resort in winter and aquatic playground in summer, Lake Tekapo sits at the edge of its 20-kilometer glacial lake namesake, completely surrounded by the impressive Southern Alps.

The landscape is outstanding, sculpted by successive Ice Age glaciers, the remnants of which continue to discharge fine ‘rock flour’ giving the lake its intense turquoise hue. The sky is huge and of extraordinary clarity, making Lake Tekapo one of the world’s best locations to probe the heavens from its observatories atop Mt. John.

This striking landform of solid rock, Mt. John, overlooking the town, has stood firm against the onslaught of glacial action over thousands of years and now shelters a camping ground, ice-skating rink and a launching bay for boaties to enjoy family fun, fishing and water-skiing as well as providing 360° views of the uplands, lakes and mountains from its summit.

Tonight is the last night the group will be together, so our closing party (which is always something special), will be in Taupo. Whether you are returning back home or continuing your travels, it is time to celebrate and take stock the adventure we all have been on!

Day 16

Lake Tekapo to Christchurch
It’s just a short drive out to Christchurch travelling over the Burkes Pass and through the towns of Fairlie and Geraldine to arrive in Christchurch in the early afternoon.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

Transport. We have a selection of specific adventure touring vehicles ranging from late model Toyota Coasters, Nissan Civilians and all terrain 4 wheel drives! All are modern, roomy with all the mod-cons!

Exclusions -

Lunches and dinners though exclusive discounts have been negotiated in every city!

Extras -

We can also help you find flights as we have established relationships with major flight providers.

Check out our website for further details and other tour options!