8 Day AAT Kings Northern Wonders 23/24

New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington is the kind of place you could easily lose yourself in for a day. Good thing you arrived early. Check out one of the city’s oh-so-hip cafés before exploring Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, home to an extraordinary collection of artefacts, including an eye-opening exhibit dedicated to Māori history. Time to meet your fellow adventure-seekers before your tour of the North Island of New Zealand.

Staying in:

• Travelodge Wellington (1 night)

The Kapiti Coast is the summer playground of Wellingtonians – for good reason. You’ll follow in local footsteps as you make your way along a road that unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, the largest (and perhaps bluest) of its kind in the country. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth.  Tonight, delve deep into Māori culture and traditions at Te Puia. Your dinner, a hangi cooked underground, is served while you overlook the spectacular geothermal valley. The highlight is a Māori cultural performance in the beautifully carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua.

Staying in:

• Ibis Rotorua Hotel (1 night)

If there’s a New Zealand city where you want free time, Rotorua is it. Go your own way today, perhaps blissing out in the Polynesian Spa’s thermal springs (we recommend a mud wrap). Who knew nature was this relaxing? Or discovering endangered birds on a working kiwi nursery and hatchery. And then there’s the natural drama at Whakarewarewa, a geothermal reserve and the country’s only living Māori village, home to famous Pohutu Geyser and the bubbling beauty of mud pools.  Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway.

Staying in:

• Ibis Rotorua Hotel (1 night)

The Waitomo Caves are radiant – quite literally. While cruising cavernous underground waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a fairytale start to your day. One that only gets better as you descend on Auckland, the ‘City of Sails’. You’ll discover how it got its moniker while gazing over its two yacht-studded harbours from the lookout at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. What a city, as your tour of Auckland reveals.

Staying in:

• Holiday Inn Express, Auckland (1 night)

Your journey north to New Zealand’s Bay of Islands is not short of drama – discover 140 droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea at the top of the country. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. Your guide, likely an ancestor of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house.

Staying in:

• Holiday Inn Express, Auckland (1 night)

Go as fast or as slow as you like today – there’s no rush, and no agenda. Talk to your Travel Director to organise leisurely jaunts up to Cape Reinga, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, enjoy local drops on a wine tour of the region. If you’re a history buff, you may want to join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. The choice is yours.

Staying in:

• Holiday Inn Express, Auckland (1 night)

You’re about to reach the very tip of New Zealand, as your tour takes you to Whangarei – the county’s northern-most city. This is and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your coach seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland. Ask your Travel Director for tips on where to dine; Auckland is a bit of a culinary hotspot.

Staying in:

• Holiday Inn Express, Auckland (1 night)

The only bad day in your Auckland tour is the one where you have to bid farewell. On your journey home, just remember how much pleasure you have packed into this last week.