Day 1 - Arrival Auckland

Known as the 'City of Sails', Auckland City extends over a narrow isthmus between the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean, and the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea. Auckland has spectacular natural features, including 49 dormant volcanoes. This cosmopolitan city has a population of around 1.4 million and the city’s subtropical climate, lush vegetation easy access to the coast and outdoor activities consistently earn it a place in the top five rankings in international lifestyle surveys.

Private Car/Driver Airport to City Hotel -  Luxury Mini Van

On arrival at Auckland International Airport and after completing of customs formalities, collecting your luggage and passing through security, turn left as you enter the main arrivals hall where you will be met by our local representative at the pre-arranged transfers desk.

If arriving off a domestic flight our local representative will be waiting as you enter the arrivals halls.

Our representative will be holding a name board with your family or group name detailed. From here you will be transferred by private vehicle to your hotel.

Day 2 - Auckland

This morning you will be transferred to meet your helicopter

Waiheke Island Return Helicopter flight (Private Tour)

Enjoy a spectacular scenic helicopter flight viewing Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands, before landing at Reeves Airfield on Waiheke Island

Full-Day Private Wine Connoisseurs Tour (Private Tour)

Indulge your passion for fine wine in this exclusive tour of three of Waiheke's top wine producers. Taste a selection of premium wines and learn about them from the winemaker or senior team member. You will be accompanied by one of our experienced guides, all of whom are themselves great wine enthusiasts. Choose from Cable Bay, Mudbrick, Obsidian, Stonyridge, Kennedy Point and Jurassic Ridge, and finish with a superb lunch at any one of the delightful vineyard restaurants.

You will return to Auckland by Helicopter and a transfer will be waiting for your return to your hotel.

Day 3 - Auckland to Taupo

Today your private driver/guide will transfer you to Huka Lodge via Waitomo for your tour Full day scenic drive. 3-hour drive to Waitomo and 2-hour drive time to Huka Lodge/Taupo.

Footwhistle Glowworm Cave Private Tour (Private Tour)

Enjoy a scenic shuttle ride for 3.5 kilometres to the cave while your experienced guide reveals the rich history of Waitomo. On arrival, take a short walk through the breathtaking New Zealand native bush to the cave entrance. The guide will light candles setting the scene for an intimate cave experience. See glowworms and cave formations up close and appreciate the beauty of Footwhistle Cave (also known to local Maori as Te Anaroa Cave). Around a corner lie the bones of one of New Zealand's lost treasures, the ancient Moa. Formation lights cast a warm glow over the stunning cave formations as the guide tells of the insect life that lives here - titiwai, the glow worm and tuna, the eel. After enjoying a relaxed stroll through the cave, be seated in Footwhistle's Cathedral to see it lit up by a dazzling magnesium torch.

Day 4 - Taupo

Half-Day Private Kinloch to Kawakawa (Private Tour)

Hotel pick up & drop off, guide (for hike), cruise, lunch. A great way to exercise with a relaxing reward at the end! You will be met by an experienced guide at your local accommodation and transferred to the start of a spectacular two-hour hike to Kawakawa Bay in the beautiful Western Bays. Your launch will be waiting at the end of the hike, and once onboard you will enjoy a sumptuous luncheon, New Zealand wines and beverages, trout fishing, and clay target shooting (conditions apply). View the Maori rock carvings as you cruise back to Taupo Marina. 

Day 5 - Taupo to Hawkes Bay

Today your private driver/guide will collect you for your trip to the Farm at Cape Kidnappers stopping off at Craggy Range Winery for lunch. 2-hour 30-minute drive time. 

Set atop 6,000 rolling acres of stunning pastureland in Hawke’s Bay, this property affords spectacular 180-degree views of the Pacific Ocean. The cluster of luxury lodge buildings is suggestive of a working farm – a marriage of river stone and weathered wood, the buildings combine rustic and textured materials with comfortable modern furniture. The Lodge has 22 guest suites and a Four Bedroom
Owner's Cottage. Every suite offers its own private balcony and affords spectacular views of the property, golf course and Pacific Ocean.

Day 6 - Hawkes Bay

Kiwi Discovery Walk (Private Tour)

An experience like no other and exclusive to guests of Cape Kidnappers, this is your chance to see the rare, endangered kiwi in its own, natural habitat. Venture into the pine forests surrounding the lodge with an experienced guide as they carry out essential monitoring of kiwi chicks. Assist your guide as they check the kiwi’s radio transmitters, and weigh and measure the birds to monitor their wellbeing. Proceeds from this experience go to the Cape Kidnappers’ Sanctuary to ensure the continuation of their work preserving our native species. This is something many New Zealanders themselves will never have the chance to experience.

Day 7 - Hawkes Bay

Half Day Private Maori Culture & Heritage Tour (Private Tour)

Experience a spiritual welcome into the world of Maori. Spend time talking with Maori about their lives and find yourself drawn into their lives and find yourself drawn into their world on a deep level. They
are remarkable people with a wonderful sense of fun, a natural musical ability and very different values borne out of their close connection with their land and whakapapa (lineage), their strong connection with their ancestors, what they achieved and a perspective on the core of things.

Day 8 - Hawkes Bay to Christchurch

On your arrival at Christchurch Airport, make your way to the luggage collection area where you will be met by our representative who will be holding a sign with your names detailed. From here
transfer by private vehicle to your accommodation.

Day 9 - Christchurch

Half-Day Private Christchurch Tour (Private Tour)

Join your local guide for a half-day guided tour of Christchurch. Learn more about this English-influenced city and how it is rebuilding from the challenges of the earthquakes it experienced in 2010 & 2011.
Visit the Botanic Gardens, the Transitional Cathedral as well other compelling architecture in the city. Enjoy visiting central Christchurch, as well as a guided drive to see some of the wonderful
parks and buildings which make up the largest city on the South Island, as well as spectacular views from the Port Hills across the city to the Southern Alps.

Day 10 - Christchurch to Wanaka

On arrival at Queenstown Airport, you will be met and transferred to meet your Pilot and helicopter for a short transfer to Minaret Station

Day 11 - Wanaka

Full-Day Fiordland Heli Traverse (Private Tour)

Explore this famously remote and untouched part of New Zealand by helicopter. Pass through majestic fiords, get up close to huge waterfalls and see the region’s unique wildlife in its otherwise inaccessible natural habitat. Hover over glaciers of ancient blue ice and land in the snow at the beautiful, isolated mountain lakes for photographs and memories you will treasure forever. Featuring a gourmet BBQ picnic lunch with a spectacular mountain backdrop, this is a magnificent experience and unquestionably a highlight of any trip to this region of New Zealand.

Day 12 - Wanaka to Queenstown

Today you will return to Queenstown by helicopter where a local Driver will meet you for a transfer.

Just seven minutes from Queenstown is an alpine lakeside retreat nestled in one of the world’s most serenely beautiful landscapes. The luxury lodge offers accommodation in eight outlying cottages and
four suites located in the main lodge. The suites are nestled in a native forest overlooking the lake and the mountain panorama. The Owner’s Cottage features four suites in a freestanding residence, private
Jacuzzi, lounge, kitchen and grand courtyard.

Day 13 - Queenstown

Today you will be collected from your accommodation and transferred by private vehicle for a sightseeing tour of stunning Queenstown. Queenstown is one of those rare places where it doesn’t matter how old you are or what season it is, you are sure to be enthralled and delighted by the scenic majesty and the vibrancy of this year-round adventure playground. Known as the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown is an exciting place to visit during any season. Visit the historic Arrowtown, and enjoy a private wine tasting at Wet Jacket winery, there are very few places you can see Wet Jacket in its natural habitat, only being available for purchase or consumption at our Cellar Door or in an elite handful of New Zealand's best restaurants. Stop in at a local winery for lunch then we enjoy a scenic drive into Skippers Canyon, travel in the footsteps of the pioneers that dug the gold out of this harsh yet stunning landscape. The Shotover River rushes hundreds of feet below as you wind your way along the single-lane track deep into the mountains.

Day 14 - Queenstown

Today are free to explore Queenstown at your leisure. Queenstown and its surroundings are a true outdoor playground with much to offer for adrenaline-seekers, the active, wine lovers, and families alike.
Known as the adventure capital of the world, thrill-seekers have an abundance of options to choose from. Queenstown is ground zero for commercial bungy jumping anywhere in the world. Choose
between Kawarau Bridge, where it all started, or head to the Nevis Bungy site for the most daring and highest bungy jump in the world (134m high!) – or go for a combination of the two and supplement it
with a canyon swing or catapult experience. Experience the excitement of a high-speed jet boat ride: skim across the water, whizz around corners and shoot through narrow rocky gorges!

A busy soft-adventure playground is located on top of Bob’s Peak, high above town. It can be reached by the iconic Skyline Gondola and offers activities like lugeing (part go-kart, part toboggan), zip lining
(flying fox), dining with a view and stargazing. There is no better way to appreciate Queenstown's location amid the Southern Alps than from a bird's eye perspective. Take a scenic helicopter flight, or paraglide flight or take to the skies with a tandem skydive.

If you feel more comfortable on the ground, activities are plentiful, too. Cycling tours and mountain biking trails in Queenstown are a great way to explore and discover remote parts of this beautiful
region! Or take to one of the many walking and hiking trails along the lakeshore or up the many hills and mountains.

For heritage lovers, a cruise on Lake Wakatipu on board the iconic vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw is a must as is a visit to the historic town of Arrowtown, a gold-rush village. A little further afield lies scenic Glenorchy which can be reached by a 45-minute drive along the shores of Lake Wakatipu. The views are spectacular and Glenorchy itself offers a range of activities, including walks, scenic jetboating, horse-riding and film locations from Lord of the Rings and Narnia. These are best visited by 4x4 tour. Wine devotees should not miss a trip out to nearby Gibbston Valley, home to some of the world’s best Pinot Noir, to explore cellar doors and restaurants to find your favourite vintage. This can be done independently by car or bicycle or as part of a guided tour.

In winter, Queenstown transforms itself into a ski resort. Ski fields like The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and Cardrona offer options for experienced skiers snowboarders and novices alike. Or, if you
would like to try something new, why not head out for a snowshoeing experience?

Day 15 - Depart Queenstown
Private Car/Driver Domestic Airport to Matakauri Lodge