24 day New Zealand Adventure Tour

Kia Ora (hello) and welcome to Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Today we meet your U.Guide and new travel buddies at 4pm at the hostel for an introduction to your tour and a welcome drink. Bring your questions and your smiles. Then to get to know each other better we will head out for a group meal.

Visit a unique volcanic island

Rise and shine your New Zealand adventure starts today with us immediately getting off the main tourist trail as we climb Auckland’s youngest volcano. Auckland is perilously situated on 44 volcanic cones, the youngest of which is the island Rangitoto which sits sentinel in the middle of the Waitemata Harbour protecting Auckland from the open sea.

The Waitemata Harbour is one of the most beautiful in the world. It’s sheltered islands are a playground for the boat crazy public. In fact, locals affectionately call Auckland the City of Sails because of the number of boats usually on the harbour, particularly in the weekend in the summer.

It’s a fun ferry ride across the harbour where you’ll see Auckland from a completely different perspective than most visitors. Enjoy the lovely leisurely walk to the top as you explore saltwater pools along the coast, volcanic caves, black lava and scoria fields, and one of New Zealand’s largest Pohutukawa forests. The views are simply stunning back to the Auckland city skyline out to the open sea of the Hauraki Gulf and surrounding islands.

(Breakfast included)

Hot water pools on the beach

Today’s the day you say ‘haere rā’ to Auckland and ‘kia ora!’ to our trip of a lifetime! You head southeast from Auckland over the Bombay Hills (the official end of sprawling greater Auckland) and through the rolling hills of lush farmland heading to the gorgeous beachside town of Hahei Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula. The beach has beautiful caves, pink beach shells, and some of the most stunning clear water you can imagine, teaming with sea life from the nearby marine reserve.

If the tide is right, you will head over to Hot Water Beach where you can dig your own all-natural hot pools in the sand. Who says backpackers can’t live luxuriously? We’ll stop at a supermarket on our way to stock up on supplies and tonight you have the option of creating your own meal or getting involved with a group beach BBQ.

(Breakfast included)

Stunning sunrise, bubbling mud pools and a beer with a Hobbit

We start early today to make the coastal trek to Cathedral Cove with plenty of time to sit up, relax and watch the sunrise. The pain of waking up super early evaporates when you witness the incredible sunrise. Breakfast is a picnic by the water as the waves lap against the shore and the sun warms your bones.

Then we are on the move heading in the direction of the cultural and geothermal town of Rotorua. But first, there is a walk through the native forest of the Karangahake Gorge where you explore the old gold mining relics, and then an expedition to meet a Hobbit. We head to Hobbiton, a fantastical land and the real movie set created right here in Middle Earth. Grab a beer at the Green Dragon – the original shire pub from the movie.

You will arrive in Rotorua late afternoon with hopefully enough time for a walk through the towering California redwoods in the Whakarewarewa Forest. Rotorua is the North Island’s geothermal hot spot… be warned and prepare those nostrils for a very special treat!

(Breakfast included)

Bubbling mud pools and a bite of LOTR

Before leaving Rotorua, you get to get close to the geothermal activity of Kuirau Park, where the earth’s crust is thinnest and steaming volcanic lakes and boiling mud ponds are surrounded by native wildlife. Aſter that, you have a very special trip to experience an extremely authentic slice of New Zealand Maori culture. Today we venture off the beaten track to the shores of Lake Aniwhenua where you are personally invited to Kohutapu Lodge by a local Maori family.

You’ll see sacred Maori rock carvings, share a hongi, play traditional stick games, learn to swing the poi, and taste the most amazing meal you have ever had – a traditional ground-cooked ‘hangi’! Our amazing hosts passionately share their Maori tribal heritage with you on a journey of education and discovery of their personal history and their Iwi (tribe). Be present and open to understanding Maori culture, beyond the familiar Haka, and you will be rewarded with new knowledge and a memorable shared meal – new friends and new experiences – that ends with a cosy night’s sleep in a lakeside cabin.

(Breakfast and dinner included)

Soak in thermal spring and jump out of the plane

Today it is a change of pace as you start an adventure day with a buffet breakfast before saying goodbye to our amazing hosts. Our first pit stop will both wake you up and give your sense a jolt. Kerosene Creek is a thermally heated river with a natural swimming pool – we strongly recommend that you wear togs (my what? Kiwi slang for swimwear), because we’re going swimming!

Then we are heading to Lake Taupo, the largest lake in Australasia and an adventure playground. Lake Taupo is actually a massive volcanic caldera, and at one stage its eruption was thought to have possibly contributed to the extinction of the dinosaur such as the size of the ash cloud that would have been generated. On our way to Taupo, we will stop at Huka Falls, the powerful waterfalls that flow into the lake. You will certainly hear them before you see them. Take the aſternoon to explore the shops and bars of the township or better still get an incredible view over the lake and snow covered mountains to the south with a skydive. Taupo is world renowned for its skydiving and scenery (must be pre-booked).

Tonight you can head into town for dinner or we will arrange a super-market stop where you can get supplies to cook for yourself or create a group meal.

(Breakfast included)

Optional activities for pre-booking: Skydive

Paddle off the beaten track

Today we continue our U. Promise of exceptional experiences off the beaten track. Today we plan to canoe on the epic Whanganui River. Situated in the Whanganui National Park you will be canoeing through waterfalls, spectacular sheer gorges, lush native forest, and through the heart of New Zealand premium famous farmland. The Whanganui River is rich with Maori and European history, the largest reminder of which is the famous ‘Bridge to Nowhere. Picnic lunch on the river is included and tonight we overnight in some awesome alpine chalets.

(Breakfast and lunch included)

One of the world’s best 1-day hikes

Limber up! Today you get the chance to tick off one of the world’s top 10 one day hikes, the epic Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The Tongariro Crossing is a 19km alpine hike taking you from bush and scrub to mountain tops. You’ll walk through open volcanic landscapes and around turquoise crater lakes – enough to bust an Instagram account for months. Experience the Taranaki Falls, the Volcanic Centre, and see Mount Ngarahoe (Mount Doom from LOTR) and Tawhi Falls (Gollum’s pool).

The Tongariro Crossing is high altitude terrain and on rare occasions, the weather may prevent you from doing the Crossing. Should the weather not play ball, we’ve designed a series of shorter walks in the area that are a wonderful and gently structured alternative. And aſter your epic day hike, we return to our alpine chalets where you can soak away the day’s sore muscles in the hot tub while enjoying the surrounding mountains at sunset.

(Breakfast included)

A city break in the capital

A change of pace today as we continue our route south to the ‘coolest little capital in the world’ – meet Wellington. The city has been New Zealand’s capital since 1865 and is a vibrant mix of a beautiful harbour with hip fun and an edgy modern scene. Of course, we can’t arrive in Wellington without a stop in Taihape to throw a gumboot (a what!!!).

You will have plenty of time to explore the funky downtown district of restaurants and bars along Cuba Street and Courtenay Place. Fill your aſternoon by exploring New Zealand’s heritage at Te Papa National Museum, grab a craſt beer at one of the many edgy Wellington breweries, climb to the top of Mt Victoria for panoramic views or take a stroll along the waterfront and Oriental Parade. Oh and, most importantly for those who seek 24/7 caffeination, you’ll be glad to know that Wellington’s coffee culture and cafe scene is considered one of the best in NZ.

(Breakfast included)

Crossing the Cook Strait

This morning it is haere rā to the North Island as you take an early ferry ride across Cook Strait, through Marlborough Sounds, and into Picton at the top of the South Island. If the weather is good, we highly recommend enjoying the spectacular views from the observation deck of the ferry. Marlborough Sounds is the collective name for Queen Charlotte Sounds, Kenepuru Sounds, Pelorus Sounds, and Mahau Sounds. The beautiful fiords are covered in natural forest reaching all the way down to a dark green sea.

Once on the so called “mainland” we travel through the picturesque Marlborough region famous for its wines and more recently hops to Marahau, situated right on the edge of the spectacular Abel Tasman National Park. You will instantly feel the slower pace of the South Island – made all the more perfect with a soak in an outdoor bath under the starry sky. On route, we will stop at a supermarket to get supplies and you can cook for yourself or get involved in an awesome group meal and wine tasting.

(Breakfast included)

More than just a bite sized chunk of New Zealand’s awesomeness

Named aſter Dutch explorer Able Tasman, this pocket-sized national park is the best introduction to the South Island you could imagine – today will be an epic day. From the hostel, you will be picked up for a 12km water taxi trip to Anchorage Bay. From there it is an amazing easy 4-hour hike across natural golden sand beaches and brilliant blue waters. You can enjoy a picnic on the beach before checking out Cleopatra’s Pools, a series of moss lined fresh water pools with a natural water slide. There is time in the aſternoon for some Sea Kayaking in the National park or return to the hostel and relax on the beach.

(Breakfast included)

The Rugged and Wild West Coast

Buckle up for an awesome day driving down the incredibly scenic ‘wild’ West Coast. It’s a unique day of winding canyons, dense but peaceful rainforests, and untamed beaches on a stunning coastline. We’ll drive through Buller Gorge, a drive that Lonely Planet has rightly put on its list of the world’s best road trips, and home to NZ’s longest swing bridge over the Buller River (110 meters!).

If we’re lucky, we might see fur seals at the colony on Cape Foulwind, and when in season, we’ll pass orcas, dolphins, whales and blue penguins. We stay close to the coast road until we encounter the rather curious limestone formations and blowholes that look like stacked pancakes at Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks). We might even meet an extremely rare breed – called the “West Coaster”. These locals know that life is not all cellphones, lattes and SoMe – they know how to slow down, have a pint, and deal with it tomorrow.

Your overnight is the rainforest village of Franz Josef, named aſter the enormous glacier on the outskirts of town, your base for the next two nights. Here we will lay on a group meal at the awesome Monsoon Bar.

(Breakfast & Dinner included)

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Unlike anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere, we have the unique opportunity to get up close to a “breathing” glacier. The Franz Josef Glacier is a West Coast icon, named by Julius von Haast in honour of the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I. Today you can hike through the thick rainforest of Westland Tai Poutini National Park, running along alpine streams until you reach the snow-capped glacier. The Franz Josef Glacier has the lowest elevation of any glacier in the world, flowing into a temperate rainforest, allowing you to experience two very different biologically diverse environments colliding.

Unfortunately, the glacier also provides a shocking jolt back to reality as you can see clearly its recession – over 3km in the last 80 years of which has been in the last 20 – much of this attributed to global warming. And to make the day even more special, you can soak in the Waiho Hot Tubs when you get home from exploring!

If you would like to get really up close to the glacier get one of the U.Team to book a heli-hike which takes you up on to the glacier itself to explore the ice caves and ravines.

(Breakfast included)

Optional activities for pre-booking: Heli-hike

Beautiful lakes and mountain passes through the Alps

Today is another journey through the scenic landscape for which New Zealand is world famous as we had back over the main divide towards Queenstown. We stretch our legs for a short walk at Lake Matheson, known for its calm and still waters that create a mirror reflection – doubling the epic ness of the stunning scenery! Our route is an alpine crossing over Haast Pass, down along picturesque Lake Hawea, where we pass by Lake Wanaka heading across to the self proclaimed adventure capital of the world.

Queenstown is famous for its amazing scenery, wild nightlife, intentional shopping and dining, and of course crazy adrenaline sports. None more so than bungy jumping. On our way into Queenstown, we stop where it all started at the iconic Karawau Bridge – the world’s first commercial bungy site all those years ago. Jump (we seriously recommend/dare it), swing or just watch. Then it’s on to Queenstown – note the Remarkables mountain range on your leſt as you approach the town. The Remarkables is one of only two ranges in the world that run true north to south.

Tonight you can hit the town for a group meal and then bring your dancing shoes – there are over 100 clubs and bars in Queenstown to choose from!!

(Breakfast included)

Yaaasssss – adventure day!!!

For those of us that partook way too much in Queenstown’s buzzy nightlife today might be the hardest day to wake up! But the beautiful mountain scenery and a huge range of things to do will wash away a hangover in no time. The list of activities on offer is extensive – from bungy jumping to jet boating, from canyon swinging to canyon swimming, hiking, mountain biking and from skiing to ice skating. Your level of adventure depends entirely on you!

We highly recommend you join the majority of the group on the Twilight wine and craſt beer tour. It is an awesome way to see Arrowtown and the Gibbston Valley of the Vines while also getting a few evening warm ups before another night in Queenstown. Please note the Twilight tour and adventure activities need to be pre-booked with us to ensure availability.

(Breakfast included)

Optional activities for pre-booking: Glenorchy day trip, Twilight wine and craſt beer tour, jet boating, other to be decided.

Magnificent Milford Sound day trip

So many international travel magazines regularly name Milford Sound as the most beautiful place on the planet to visit. You will leave Queenstown at sunrise to get into Fiordland National Park nice and early and before the crowds. The drive is spectacular though, as waterfalls tumble down from huge granite slabs, right beside the winding mountain road. Milford Sound was described by Rudyard Kipling as “the eighth wonder of the world”.

It is a massive fjord-cut valley 22km long and up to 2km wide at its mouth. We board a small chartered boat that takes us into the fjords where you see roaring waterfalls, playful seals, penguins and hopefully dolphins. There’s fun and informative commentary from a specialist nature guide on board the boat. Because you are in a smaller boat, there will be ample opportunity to get off the main route and plenty of time to explore away from the crowds.

Milford Sound’s vertical rock walls are breathtaking in any weather, waterfalls cascade nearly 1,000 feet down into the dark fjord’s waters. But when it rains, these stunning waterfalls multiply as these mountain peaks become wet with rain and become part of the dramatic aura of this incredibly remote place. Once again you arrive back in Queenstown with enough time to hit the town … again – if you are not already absolutely exhausted!!

(Breakfast included)

We’re in Queenstown Still

Today is another opportunity to cram in those adventure activities you did not get a chance to do before. Have you jumped off all the bridges, maybe hired a mountain bike and tried the awesome downhill tracks off the Queenstown gondola, or had your pants scared off in a jet boat? If you are looking for something very different a stand-up paddle board experience in a mountain alpine lake is one of our favourites.

Or for those of you looking for something more serene perhaps a lake boat cruise on the Earnslaw or a day trip to Glenorchy and more amazing Lord of the Rings landscapes should be on your list.

Please note many of the activities recommended here need to be pre-booked to get prices and availability.

(Breakfast included)

Insta-worthy day

We hope you did not stay out too late last night (again) as today we begin nice and early our trip back north. We start with a drive across the Crown Range to Wanaka. No other town in the world has as many Insta icons as Wanaka. Starting with a very quick photo-op at the Cardrona Pub on our way to everyone’s favourite at the top of Roys Peak, a reward for a quite significant uphill hike. It has to be one of the most famous NZ photos showing uninterrupted 360 degree views of Lake Wanaka and the town as well as the towering Mt Aspiring and the Aspiring National Park.

Once you roll back down off the peak there is some time to explore Wanaka and the many arts and craſts stores, or take a walk around the lake to the mouth of the Clutha River and another Insta-must-do – that Wanaka Tree, or better still hire a bike and cover more distance around the beautiful lake.

Aſter lunch we make our way over the Lindis Pass and into the alpine desert landscape of the Mackenzie Basin toward Tekapo. High alpine passes, deep valleys surrounded by towering mountain ranges, and turquoise clear lakes engulfed by glaciers are all on offer. We will pass the three great lakes of Tekapo, Ohau, and Pukaki. Each is a different colour of turquoise and fed from the enormous Southern Alps – the largest of which is Mt Cook/Aoraki (meaning Cloud Piercer in Maori).

We arrive late aſternoon in the sleepy village of Tekapo – the perfect place to recharge aſter the fun and frivolity of Queenstown. Take a beautiful lakeside walk to the famous Church of the Good Shepherd, a quaint stone church right on the edge of the lake with a bronze statue celebrating the New Zealand Collie sheepdog. And nowhere else in the world will you get to experience the Southern Hemisphere’s night sky of the Milky Way – stuffed with planets, stars, galaxies, and solar systems. In fact, the night sky around Tekapo is a World Heritage Site and protected by law from developing light pollution. Tonight, we’ll head to the virtual stargazing.

(Breakfast included)

Explore and discover the largest city in the South Islands

Heading back north and into the city of Christchurch – it feels like an eternity since we were last in the big city of Wellington. Christchurch is a stunningly colourful city where old meets new. In 2011 a huge earthquake levelled a large amount of the city. An incredible rebuild of the last 10 years and creating a beautiful showcase of old and new architecture, acknowledging its history while creating a new footprint for a city of the future.

This aſternoon you have time to explore Christchurch, from the reStart container centre that popped up aſter 2011, to the cardboard cathedral, to the botanical gardens. Explore the street art and hidden eateries, craſt beer and gin bars, and the earthquake memorial on Hereford Street of 185 White Chairs.

(Breakfast included)

East coast, seals, dolphins and the perfect fish ‘n’ chips!

We start the day early to get out of Christchurch and make our way up the rugged coast on our way to the town of Kaikoura. Another area heavily affected by earthquakes which as recently as 2016 was completely cut off from the rest of the country aſter earthquakes caused large landslides and subsidence of the road.

Built on the historic colonial practice of whaling, the town is now the epicentre of marine life conservation around the coast, including the breeding grounds of the great sperm whales. Take a trip out on the water and you can get up close to dusky dolphins, orcas, humpback whales and a host of other sea creatures. Or head out to the peninsula along the trail and walk past fur seal colonies or spot some of these whales against the backdrop of the bay and the Alps.

Tonight it’s all about the seafood. New Zealand is an archipelago of three main islands and hundreds of smaller ones, meaning that wonderful fresh seafood is available everywhere. Kaikoura ( meaning “crayfish food”; kai – food/meal, kōura – crayfish) is one of the most local and authentic places in New Zealand to indulge in all things seafood. If you want a touch of “Kiwiana”, try the fish ‘n’ chips, it’s real kiwi food!

(Breakfast included)

Optional activities for pre-booking: Whale watching

Heading back to the capital

Today the trip starts crawling along the coastal road spotting seals and maybe even dolphins in the bays. Then we move through the rolling vineyards, in the north of the South Island, until we meet the ferry again in Picton to take the Cook Strait ferry back to Wellington. The view from the deck, as you leave Picton, is surprisingly different from the view at your arrival over a week ago, so we suggest you stay outside, have your cameras ready and just enjoy a beautiful cruise.

We’ll spend the night in Wellington with many opportunities to hit those shops, cafes or bars that you might have missed before. If you didn’t try some of the nightlife around Cuba street, on your way down the country, we highly recommend that you make the most of it tonight.

(Breakfast included)

New Zealand’s surfing mecca

Today we will have a spectacular drive through the central North Island to the surf town of Raglan, a jewel on the west coast, where you will arrive late aſternoon. Raglan is the mecca for surfing in New Zealand and an artist’s paradise – life is gentle, even a little bit hippy, and the sunsets are just jaw-dropping. Hit a local cafe and soak up the relaxed atmosphere or take a slow walk along the beach at sunset, before you are back in Auckland tomorrow.

(Breakfast included)

Surf, hiking, surf shops and farewell drinks

We want to make the most of our last day, so we won’t be leaving Raglan until everyone had the chance to get a surf lesson in the famous leſt-hand break. For those of you not surfing, you can enjoy a relaxing morning exploring the many craſt shops and cafes in Raglan, or you can hire a sea kayak and explore the harbour.

On our way heading out of Raglan, and our final road trip, we will stop for just one more beautiful walk to the Bridal Veil falls – which is a great opportunity to reflect on just how amazing your New Zealand trip has been. It has been an incredible few weeks of exploring New Zealand and tonight back in Auckland, we hope you will join us for a final drink that may just turn into another late night of dancing – man, we love New Zealand!!!

(Breakfast included)