Itinerary
On arrival at Wellington airport you pick up your car and drive to Martinborough. This will take a little over 1 hour. Martinborough has a large number of vineyards producing wines, notably Pinot noir. Martinborough has a warm micro-climate, with hills to the east and west.
After 2 nights in Martinborough you drive to Napier, where you will spend 2 nights at the 4.5 * crown hotel. Napier is a popular tourist city, with a unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco architecture.
It also has one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, a statue on Marine Parade called Pania of the Reef. Thousands of people flock to Napier every February for the Art Deco Weekend event, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history. Other notable tourist events attracting many outsiders include the region's annual GEON Art Deco Weekend, and Mission Estate Concert at Mission Estate and Winery in the suburb of Greenmeadows.
Then you continue on your New Zealand multi-centre holiday and drive the 1 hour 40 minutes to Taupo. Here you will stay 1 night at the 4* Millennium hotel. Taupo is a centre of volcanic and geothermal activity and hot springs suitable for bathing are located at several places in the vicinity. The volcanic mountain of Mount Tauhara lies six kilometers (4 mi) to the east.
After 1 nights stay in Taupo you will drive the 1 hour and 50 minutes to Tauranga. You will stay at the 4* Trinity Wharf. Located at the entrance to a beautiful natural harbor in the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga is a thriving commercial centre with a passion for good food, wine and stylish shopping.
Next Stop is Auckland. This drive will take 2 and half hours. Here you will stay at the 5* Langham hotel. Auckland it’s the largest city. A stylish blend of modern architecture, such as the recognisable Sky Tower, and natural drama from the surrounding Auckland Volcanic Field with its land mass of volcanoes, cones, lakes and lagoons.
Your final stop will be in Paihia. This drive will take 2 hours 50 minutes through some of the best countryside the north island has to offer. In Paihia you will stay 3 nights at the 3.5* Avalon Resort. Paihia is the main tourist town in the Bay of Islands in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. Swim with the dolphins. Go kayaking, swimming, fishing, or picnic along secluded beaches. Walk or drive to the spectacular Haruru Falls. Learn about early New Zealand history where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed. Discover authentic Maori culture.
Take the ferry to 'Romantic Russell', visit the bustling but relaxed town of Kerikeri, check out the world famous Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa, and the historic Pioneer Village in nearby Kaikohe.
Or just chill out and take a cruise through the famous 'Hole in the Rock'. Bus tours can takes you to see 2,000 year old Tane Mahuta - a majestic lord of the Waipoua Kauri Forest. Or go further north to Cape Reinga - the departing place of the spirits in Maori legend. There is always something happening in Paihia!
After your 3 nights in Paihia, you drive to Auckland airport (2 hours 50 mins) where you drop your car off, and check in for your flights back to the uk.