Highlights
Auckland: Cameras at the ready folks, the views will be extraordinary here.
Auckland: With sailboats at every angle, this is a beaut view indeed.
Whangārei: See the work of the visionary Austrian painter, architect and ecological activist who made New Zealand his spiritual home.
Paihia: The Waitangi Treaty Grounds might just be NZ's most important historical site, marking the place where the British Crown and the Māori people signed their first accords back in 1840.
Paihia: A dinner of fish 'n' chips, enjoyed while overlooking the Bay of Islands in Paihia. Is this heaven? No sir, it's just salt and vinegar.
Rotorua: A traditional Māori cultural performance, topped off with a traditional Māori feast... this ought to satisfy even the keenest of culture vultures.
Rotorua: Wait til you see 'em. Wait til you smell 'em. These geothermic mudpools are a thing to behold.
Rotorua: On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience, we'll head to National Kiwi Hatchery near Rotorua to learn all about the locals' efforts to protect New Zealand's adorable national bird.
Rotorua: A traditional Māori cultural performance, topped off with a traditional Māori feast... this ought to satisfy even the keenest of culture vultures.
Rotorua: Wait til you see 'em. Wait til you smell 'em. These geothermic mudpools are a thing to behold.
Rotorua: On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience, we'll head to National Kiwi Hatchery near Rotorua to learn all about the locals' efforts to protect New Zealand's adorable national bird.
Itinerary
Over 20 optional adventures & a banquet of inclusions; this is going to be a week to remember. The brave will hurl themselves down a hill in an inflated Zorb ball, the more chilled will take a boat cruise around the Bay of Islands. Then we'll all compare notes of Hobbits, fish 'n' chips, the Haka over a few drinks in the city of Auckland.
day 1Auckland to Paihia via Whangrei
Welcome to the land of the long white cloud: New Zealand! Time to meet your Contiki crew in Auckland (Tmaki Makaurau) and cross the Harbour Bridge admiring the 'City of Sails' harbour before starting our journey north to Paihia.We'll stop off at the stunning yacht marina in Whangrei and check out the quirky exterior of the Hunderwasser art centre, a unique architectural project dedicated to the ecological activist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. After lunch we'll hit the road again towards the Bay of Islands.On arrival to the Bay of Islands we're starting off with a dose of Kiwi history on a guided tour at Waitangi Treaty grounds where in 1840 New Zealand officially became a nation of two communities. And because we like to give you that something extra, how about a free admission at the Treaty museum, in case you seek a bit more detail on Kiwi history. Tonight we'll feast like the locals as we enjoy a true Kiwiana fish'n'chips as we overlook the glittering Bay of Islands.
day 2Paihia
day 3Paihia to Auckland
day 4Auckland to Rotorua
day 5Rotorua
day 6Rotorua to Auckland
What's Included
Customer Reviews
Overall, this was a great trip! All of the included activities were culturally relevant to New Zealand - the kiwi hatchery, going to a Maori village and the tour of the founding grounds. It was really awesome to see the cultural significance embedded into it from the start. The free-time add ons also highlight the adventurousness of NZ as well! Our Trip Manager was extremely knowledgeable, laid back, and level headed. He worked as hard as he could to ensure everyone was able to get onto every single activity that they wanted to and really worked to accomodate everyone's needs and free time wants on the trip. One thing to mention is that this a modular trip - some people will be joining halfway through, and other will be leaving. There are obviously dynamics internally that will arise because of this. All in all, this was a fantastic trip with people that are kind and respectful. I would recommend it to others! I wish I had stayed on for the South Island as well :)
Perfect for a first time traveller to dip their toes in! Not too overwhelming or rushed, still very much a choose your own adventure type trip and a really good way to introduce yourself to the contiki vibe! Would love to do the panorama trip next to explore the rest of NZ!
The trip was great! It was organized and run seamlessly. Everyone was open, kind, and a pleasure to be around. 10/10 experience!
Sailing with everybody to start the trip is such an unbelievable experience. Such a well planned trip with an awesome guide! If you don’t book the full trip, you are going to wish you did.
I got to tick off some bucket list items during my short time in New Zealand on the sun and steam tour. I made lots of friends and the group manager and driver were excellent. It was tough to say goodbye when I was leaving as others were still continuing their trip. If you choose to do shorter trips definitely be prepared for some FOMO. In the future I would like to do the sweet as south trip so that I can explore the South Island. Also be prepared to spend some $$$. The free time add ons can really add up. Overall would recommend!
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