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Trip Report

One week in New Zealand - from Auckland to Wellington

Here's my itinerary of traveling New Zealand in a week. I visited the Northern Island with the company GAdventures.

  • Rotorua - White Water Rafting on the Kaituna River+ 49
  • Auckland
  • Auckland
  • One week in New Zealand - from Auckland to Wellington
johanna
About Me:Hi there, I'm Johanna, from Switzerland. I got into travelling when I was 19, when I went 6 mknths to Australie to learn English. Since then, I love discovering our beautiful world with friends, with a boyfriend or by myself. read more

OceaniaNew Zealand7 days / January 2017

Highs & Lows

The tour organized by GAdventure, always the best!

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Itinerary Overview

  • 1 Night: Auckland
    Tourism
  • Day trip: Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours
    Movie location
  • 1 Night: Hahei
    Tourism
  • 1 Night: Rotorua
    Tourism
  • 1 Night: Tongariro National Park
    Tourism
  • 1 Night: Whanganui River
    Tourism
  • 2 Nights: Wellington
    Tourism
Auckland - Tourism
1

Auckland Tourism

Auckland - Tourism - Auckland
Auckland
Auckland - Tourism - Auckland
Auckland
Auckland - Tourism - Auckland
Auckland

I arrived in Auckland, two days before the beginning of the trip with GAdventure. For my first evening and the next day, I walked around the city of Auckland, by the pier, by Queen Street and though different parks. There was an open air cinema by the pier with different foodtrucks, that was really nice. 

Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours - Movie location
2

Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours Movie location

Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours - Movie location - Hobbiton
Hobbiton
Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours - Movie location - Hobbiton
Hobbiton
Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours - Movie location - Hobbiton1+
Hobbiton

Also, I absolutely wanted to visit Hobbitown, being a huge fan of The Lord of the Ring.  I booked a one day-tour to visit this cute village, which has been left exactly like it the movie. I really really enjoyed visiting this place. I also took the time to visit Auckland, which is a beautiful city.

Hahei - Tourism
3

Hahei Tourism

Hahei - Tourism - Bike ride in the Karangahake Gorge
Bike ride in the Karangahake Gorge
Hahei - Tourism - Bike ride in the Karangahake Gorge
Bike ride in the Karangahake Gorge
Hahei - Tourism - Bike ride in the Karangahake Gorge9+
Bike ride in the Karangahake Gorge

After, that my tour with GAdventure began. We were a group of about 13 people from all over the world, that was really cool. We had a private bus and a tour guide for the entire week and all the hotels and other things were already booked by them. 

We started with a bike ride in the Karangahake Gorge and then went to have a walk by the beach of Hahei and visited the town. Then, we went to the Tamaki Maori Village, we had a Maori show and dinner and slept in the village all together in a "Maori dormitory", they even have an outdoor jacuzzi which is really cool.

Rotorua - Tourism
4

Rotorua Tourism

Rotorua - Tourism - Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua - Tourism - Rotorua - White Water Rafting on the Kaituna River
Rotorua - White Water Rafting on the Kaituna River
Rotorua - Tourism - Rotorua - White Water Rafting on the Kaituna River
Rotorua - White Water Rafting on the Kaituna River

At the subsequent time, we headed to Rotorua, which is really famous for different outdoor activities and the hot springs. I personally did White Water Rafting on the Kaituna River and really enjoyed it, the rafting instructors were amazing and very respectful of the river according to Maori beliefs.

Tongariro National Park - Tourism
5

Tongariro National Park Tourism

Tongariro National Park - Tourism - Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Tongariro National Park - Tourism - Tongariro Alpine Crossing - Mont Doom
Tongariro Alpine Crossing - Mont Doom
Tongariro National Park - Tourism - Tongariro Alpine Crossing5+
Tongariro Alpine Crossing

In due course, we drove to Tongariro National Park and did the hike "Tongariro Alpine Crossing" of 19.4 kilometers. However, be aware this is not a loop hike, so you should organize a taxi or a bus to drop you off at the start or/and to pick you up at the end. This hike is really amazing, with spectacular landscapes. For the fans of The Lord of the Ring, the path pass by the volcano that is the Mont Doom in the movie. 

Whanganui River - Tourism
6

Whanganui River Tourism

Whanganui River - Tourism - Whanganui River - Canoe
Whanganui River - Canoe
Whanganui River - Tourism - Whanganui River - Canoe
Whanganui River - Canoe
Whanganui River - Tourism - Whanganui River - Canoe9+
Whanganui River - Canoe

Hereinafter, we went to the Whanganui River, where we canoed to a nice lodge, where we spent the night. The next day we did some jet boat on the same river and had a walk in the Whanganui National Park and to the "Bridge to where?". We had a friendly and cultivated local guide who explained us a lot about the history or this river. 

Wellington - Tourism
7

Wellington Tourism

Wellington - Tourism - Wellington - dinner in the city
Wellington - dinner in the city
Wellington - Tourism - Wellington
Wellington
Wellington - Tourism - Wellington7+
Wellington

We finally arrived at our last destination; Wellington. I took a few days more by myself to visit the town and make another The Lord of the Ring tour, where I visited different places where some scenes of the movie have been shot.

Q & A

  • Restaurant recommendations?

    Must do: go for dinner to a Maori village, to try their local food
  • Packing tips?

    Hiking shoes, windproof jacket
  • Transportation Tips?

    We had a private minibus for all the tour, really good!
  • Booking details?

    Everything was booked through GAdventure, which was really good!

Lodging