8-Day Upper North Island Adventure

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Starting in Auckland, you'll travel north to the Bay of Islands. Upon arrival in Paihia, you'll visit Waitangi for a guided tour of the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds, which gives a truly unique insight into New Zealand's early history. You'll explore the original Treaty House, one of the country's oldest and most visited historic homes. You'll then continue to Russell with a ferry ride across the harbour. After a mini-tour of Russell and a delicious picnic lunch, you'll return to Paihia.

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Let the driver of the purpose-built Dune Rider vehicle immerse you in the culture and history of the area while taking in the amazing scenery. Your full-day tour begins with an early morning pick-up at your accommodation and includes a freshly-prepared buffet-style lunch. The tour includes a visit to Cape Reinga lighthouse to see the meeting of the two oceans, a beach stop on 90-Mile Beach, boogie boarding down huge sand dunes at Te Paki stream and time at the Ancient Kauri Kingdom.

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Today, you'll board your cruise and take in the stunning views as you glide out through the islands and along the Rakaumangamanga Peninsula to Cape Brett, where a historic lighthouse keeps watch over the ‘Hole in the Rock’. Keep an eye out for common and bottlenose dolphins, whales and other marine life during your cruise, and have your camera ready as you get up close to the action. In the afternoon, you'll enjoy a relaxing sightseeing tour by coach from Paihia back to Auckland.

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Today, you'll drive south past the Bombay Hills and into the rolling farmland and pastures of Waikato. You’ll soon go through the town of Matamata where you can visit the fully intact Hobbiton film set used in the shooting of the Lord of The Rings and Hobbit trilogies. Continuing on, you’ll pass several small farming communities before telltale signs of steam and other geothermal activity signals your arrival into Rotorua. In the evening, you'll attend a cultural evening at Mitai Maori Village.

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Today, you'll enjoy a sightseeing tour of Rotorua, first visiting Te Puia to get an insight into Maori culture. Then, you'll enter Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley, a highlight is the famous Pohutu Geyser which shoots jets of vapour up to 30 metres in the air. You'll learn about rural life in New Zealand at the Agrodome, a working farm, and you'll get close to a wide range of native and exotic wildlife at Rainbow Springs Nature Park, including New Zealand's famous flightless bird, the kiwi.

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Today, you'll travel from Rotorua to Auckland with a stop at the fascinating Waitomo Glowworm Caves. You'll travel through lush farmland including the intriguing Fitzgerald Glade, a tunnel of natural greenery. In the small town of Waitomo, you'll enjoy a guided tour through the world-famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves with their amazing stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations. You'll then continue to Auckland, through the beautiful King Country and Waikato regions.