Glimpses of North Island (Self Drive)

Arrived in Auckland. Auckland is a multicultural urban oasis of food, music, arts, and culture. It’s where sparkling waters and lush landscapes meet city sophistication. Upon arrival, collect your rental vehicle and self-drive to your accommodation. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, set between two harbors with gentle sandy shores on the east coast and black sand, wild surf beaches on the west coast. Home to sheltered, sparkling blue waters dotted with beautiful emerald islands, we recommend getting out on the water when you are here. Overnight: Auckland .

Enjoy breakfast at your Hotel. Today we proceed to Rotorua. Journey through the rolling green hills of Waitomo and enjoy a tour through an underground wonderland of caves decorated with galaxies of glowworms. Continue to Matamata for a charming tour of unique, character Hobbit homes, gardens and the watering hole just as you see in the movies. Finishing off a visually fulfilling day, continue on to Rotorua, a bubbling and steaming destination like nowhere else. Overnight: Rotorua

Enjoy breakfast at your Hotel. Rotorua is surrounded by a fascinating geothermal landscape with its unique steam vents, spouting geysers and bubbling mud pool set alongside freshwater lakes and majestic native forests. oday you’ll visit one of the local geothermal attractions, Waimangu Geothermal Valley. Waimangu connects people with the beating heart of the world’s youngest geothermal valley, its unique history and legacy. Discover how the world began. Experience spectacular volcanic craters, enormous hot water springs, beautiful geothermal features, rare and unusual plant life, brilliantly coloured microbiology and a wide array of birds. Become immersed in the stories of the Mt Tarawera volcanic eruption, its people, and the resulting dramatic landscape changes that created the world’s youngest geothermal park. Explore Waimangu at your own pace on the easy, mainly downhill, 1.5km walk. Later we will enjoy Treewalk Nightlights. Forest and fantasy come to life within this magical illuminated evening treewalk. Redwoods Nightlights™ is one of New Zealand’s top design-led tourism experiences. Set high amongst the giant redwood trees, 30 exquisite lanterns float above the forest floor. Enjoy the mesmerizing forest at night on a 40-minute award-winning, eco-tourism walk that spans 28 platforms and suspension bridges.

Choose to spend the morning further exploring the lakes and forests of Rotorua or depart for Auckland to spend the afternoon in the city or out on the harbor. Overnight: Auckland