Kauri: Complete itinerary
Explore volcanoes · Maori culture · Hike Tongariro Crossing · Hike historic river, beach and headland · Bike Whakarewarewa Forest · Hiking alongside Rotorua's lakes · Caving in Waitomo
| kauri |    |
5 days - north island | US$1499 + tax |
| pronounced "COW-ree" | currency converter | ||
New Zealand’s North Island, named Te Ika-a-Maui by the Maori, is remarkably different to the South Island. It is a land of active volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, waterfalls, and unique flora and fauna. Favored by the Maori people for its bountiful resources, the North Island has a rich cultural history which has been shaped by this dynamic and surprising land. Our Kauri trip packs loads of adventure into just five days - from hiking to biking to caving - you’ll be amazed by the diversity and culture of our northern island. The Kauri allows you to see the “other side” of New Zealand, and we have designed it with departure dates that link up with most of our South Island trips. |
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| Trip dates available | Printable version (PDF) | ||
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Tuesday - Arrive, hike Karangahake Gorge and Orokawa Beach
Most people leave the Northern hemisphere on a Sunday evening and arrive in Auckland early on Tuesday morning. You’ll lose a day to the dateline - but you get it back on the way home! We’ll pick you up in central Auckland at 8am, or at the airport at 9am on our way out of the city. If you join us in town, we’ll immediately head up Mount Eden to check out the spectacular views from the top of this volcano. We’ll be able to see the point where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea are less than a mile apart. Here the North Island narrows to a strategic isthmus, which gave Auckland great importance to both the Maori and the early European settlers. After picking up folks from the airport, we travel east across the Hauraki Plains to the historic Karangahake Gorge (we’ll teach you the pronunciation!) for a hike through this historic gold mining area, followed by a picnic lunch. In the afternoon we’ll head out to the coast near Waihi to hike around a series of headlands clad in native Pohutakawa trees to the impressive and secluded Orokawa Beach. We’ll look out over the sweeping coastline and scattered islands of the Bay of Plenty, which was aptly named by Captain Cook when he visited in 1777. After the hike we’ll head south through kiwifruit-growing country to Rotorua. There’s a great deal of geothermal activity beneath Rotorua, so you’ll see steaming pools of mud, fumaroles and smell the distinctive whiff of sulfur that characterizes the town.
ACCOMMODATION: Cedar Wood Lodge, Rotorua. (L,D)
Wednesday - Hike Lakes Okataina and Tarawera, Maori feast and culture
Today we’ll explore the virgin forest around Lake Okataina, an area sacred to the Maori but still unknown to many New Zealanders. We’ll hike alongside its deep blue waters to explore the site of an ancient Maori settlement. We’ll then continue over the ridge to the shores of Lake Tarawera. The entire area has been sculpted by intermittent volcanic activity, which continues in various forms to this day. Mount Tarawera was the scene of an enormous eruption in the late 19th century, and we’ll be able to see the effects of this cataclysmic event during our time here. Tonight we’ll head out to a Maori cultural experience and traditional hangi feast where you’ll experience the Ngati Rongomai tribe’s method of cooking. Food is prepared by wrapping the items and burying them in the earth over hot stones several hours beforehand. This method is very healthy - akin to steaming - but hangi food has a wonderful smoky flavor. Vegetarians, of course, are well catered for.
ACCOMMODATION: Cedar Wood Lodge (B,L,D)
Thursday - Mountain bike Whakarewarewa Forest, hike to Huka Falls
Rotorua is the centre of Maori culture in New Zealand and the influence of the Maori people can be seen everywhere here. Although it’s a well-known tourist destination, there’s plenty going on behind the glitz that is well worth checking out. We’ll show you some of our favorite highlights of Rotorua, before heading out for some biking on the smooth trails in Whakarewarewa Forest that girdles the town. We have biking options to suit all abilities and levels of interest. We think you’ll find the biking to be a highlight of your Kauri trip, although you’re welcome to hike in the area or stay in Rotorua if you prefer. We then go hiking up the Waikato River (New Zealand’s longest) to the impressive Huka Falls. After this we head south for the short drive down the length of Lake Taupo, the biggest volcanic crater in the world, to Turangi which is on the southern shore of the lake. Our hosts for the next two nights, John and Lyn, are a lovely local couple, and can point out some of the best walks, or fishing spots to check out, alongside one of the country’s most famous trout fishing rivers, the Tongariro. Dinner tonight is a real kiwi favorite - fish and chips (with fresh salads too of course)!
ACCOMMODATION: Creel Lodge, Turangi. (B,L,D) Click here for a photo of where you'll be staying.
Friday - Hike Tongariro Crossing, Tongariro
National Park, hot pools
Turangi is nestled between Lake Taupo and three massive volcanoes in the central plateau of the North Island; Mount Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. We have two options here - if the weather is good, we can hike the well-marked Tongariro Crossing, a 7-hour unguided trek known as the best one-day mountain hike in New Zealand. The Crossing is an awesome hike on a less than perfect day, but it’s even better on a clear one! If you prefer, you and your guide can do a couple of shorter walks in Tongariro National Park. Firstly, you’ll hike through the native tussock to a waterfall at the base of Mt Ruapehu, the highest active volcano in New Zealand. Then, you’ll hike around an isolated mountain lake in the middle of the virgin prehistoric rainforest. However you choose to spend your day, we’ll all head to some thermal springs tonight to soak tired muscles in natural hot water. Later, your guide will prepare a well-earned barbeque for our last night together!
ACCOMMODATION: Creel Lodge (B,L,D)
Andrew: “I once spent quite a bit time hiking around the three great volcanoes of the central North Island plateau, and I can say that this challenging day hike is worth every drop of sweat! The Crossing is very different to the majority of our hikes - you'll feel like you're walking on Mars!”
Saturday - Caving at Waitomo Caves, depart for home
This is the last day of the trip. We’ll head over the spectacular Pureora Forest Range through groves of huge native trees, then into sheep farming country, before arriving at Waitomo Caves. After a café lunch, it’s an afternoon of caving (a.k.a. spelunking)! You have two options here. For the more adventurous, you’ll head “down under” to explore an underground cave system. You’ll be fitted with a wetsuit, helmet, headlamp and floatation device to float down a subterranean stream, slide down waterfalls and at one point, switch off your headlamp to check out the incredible glow worms that live on the limestone ceiling of the cave. If wet-caving is not really your thing, you can take a more cruisy boat ride through one of the larger caves to see the glow worms and amazing rock formations. After a shower and some hot soup, we’ll head back to Auckland, where we’ll have you at the airport in time to catch evening flights back home, or down south for one of our South Island trips. (B,L)
Important Information
ACCOMMODATIONS: Both of the places you’ll be staying on the Kauri are comfortable waterside lodges with modern facilities. Rooming is based on twin-share, although single rooms are available upon request.
RECOMMENDED FLIGHTS: If you’re flying in on the first day of the trip, or out on the last day, we recommend arriving in Auckland by 8am on Tuesday, and departing from Auckland after 7pm on Saturday. Other flight times may also be possible - if you are considering alternative flight times please let us know.
PICK-UP INFORMATION: On the first day of the trip we can either pick you up from the Quest Hotel, 363 Queen St at 8am, or at the Auckland international airport at 9am.
DROP OFF INFORMATION: On the last day of the trip we’ll drop you back at Auckland airport in time for the flights above, or anywhere in central Auckland in the late afternoon/early evening.
FITNESS: Our focus is on getting you out of the vehicle, out of stress-mode, and into the scenery! So we incorporate plenty of adventure activities. Like all our trips, you don’t need to be young or really fit - but this trip has lots of action at a reasonable pace, and it’s not designed for couch potatoes. Every one of the days on the trip will be unforgettable. We manage the level of commitment to suit your experience (nothing is compulsory!), and we have an impeccable safety record. We hold all relevant government transport and outdoor guiding licenses and our staff are highly trained and experienced.
EXPERIENCE: You don’t have to have any outdoor experience to take our trips. We offer trips that allow you to make the most of New Zealand’s incredible outdoor environment. Our experienced staff will look after you! You don’t need to be a serious cyclist to enjoy the rides we have available. There are plenty of active options, but if you’d rather fish or just laze around one day, we can make that happen too! All we ask is that you be energetic and in reasonable shape - and we guarantee you’ll have an incredible time.
FLEXIBILITY: Because of the off-the-beaten-path and non-commercial nature of some of our accommodations on this trip, we sometimes need to change a night stop. But we try to make as few changes as possible.
INCLUDED: The trip fare is US$1499 + 12.5% NZ government taxes. We quote all prices in US dollars, so our guests from all over the world can more easily relate prices to their own currencies. The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:
- All guiding services. We operate with small groups, and we generally have two guides per trip, a lead guide/driver and a co-guide who looks after your meals and accommodations. This means we can really make sure you have a great time! (Click here to read what our previous clients have said about their guides)
- Comfortable accommodation for the entire period you are with us. We can also Comfortable accommodation for the entire period you are with us. We can also organize accommodation for you if you want to arrive earlier or leave later.
- Just about all your meals, except where we’ve found our people prefer to check out the range of restaurants. Alcohol is not generally included, although we do spring for a few drinks here and there!
- All hiking, caving and biking as described in the itinerary.
NOT INCLUDED: This is your holiday, and we are serious about not nickel-and-diming you! You’ll have a few extra activities to cover, if you choose them, and you’ll probably feel like tipping your guides at the end of a fabulous time, but you won’t be pulling out your wallet every few minutes on your ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND trip!
We’ll see you soon!
Itinerary valid through April 2008
If you have any questions, feel free to , or call us at 1.800.661.9073
If you have questions about getting down to New Zealand, basic questions about our trips, how to pack, what to do with extra time in the country, or have general questions about New Zealand, click here to read answers to frequently asked questions.