Auckland to Hokianga & Bay of Islands 3 Day Private Tour

Itinerary

Day 1: Auckland to Hokianga and Waipoua Forest

Stop At: SkyTower, Victoria Street Corner Federal Streets, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010 New Zealand
Begin your Private Luxury Tour in Auckland when we pick you up at your Auckland accommodation (we suggest 9am) in a Mercedes luxury vehicle. Drive north through lovely countryside with rolling hills and typical New Zealand farmland. Along the way, visit the wonderful Kauri Museum in Matakohe, which features interesting exhibits about colonial New Zealand and allows you to learn about some of the world’s greatest trees that you are about to see later this evening!

Drive along the Kaipara, known as the largest natural harbour in the southern hemisphere on the way to Dargaville, “The Kumara (Sweet Potato) Capital of New Zealand”. Here we stop briefly at the Dargaville Museum, so you can see the original masts from the famous Greenpeace ship “The Rainbow Warrior”, which was sunk in Auckland harbour in 1985.

Continue on through the amazing Waipoua Forest in daylight and arrive in Opononi on the shores of the stunning Hokianga Harbour. Here you can enjoy an early dinner before departing on the Footprints Waipoua Twilight Encounter Tour (own cost if you decide to include it - see more information below). Located on Northland’s rugged West Coast, let Kupe’s (NZ’s first discoverer) descendants take you on a night guided walk. Friendly, experienced local Maori guides willingly share their knowledge, stories, song and the playing of musical instruments to enlighten and enhance this tranquil and spiritual location.

Stand before some of the world’s largest trees Tane Mahuta (God of the forest) and Te Matua Ngahere (Lord of the forest) and learn about their very special significance to Maori. Return to your Hokianga accommodation after a magical day and evening.

Duration: 8 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 2: Hokianga and the Bay of Islands

Stop At: Hokianga i-SITE Visitor Information Centre, 29 State Highway 12 Hokianga, Opononi New Zealand
After breakfast, leave the beautiful Hokianga Harbour to drive across Northland, arriving in the Bay of Islands at around lunchtime. Here you have the option of boarding a cruise to see the very best of the Bay of Islands including the famous Hole in the Rock and possibly some Dolphins and Whales that call this area home.

Depending on sea conditions, you can also book as an option a Swim with the Dolphins for a once-in-a-lifetime experience with these amazing animals. Or how about combining a fishing trip with a sightseeing cruise in this famous fishing destination, or seeing the Bay of Islands from the comfort of a sailing boat? We will be happy to advise and incorporate a suitable cruise for you. Please note this cruise can also be booked for the next morning and is of course dependent on weather conditions.

Arrive back in Paihia or Russell and take a stroll along either lovely waterfront. Finish the day with a nice bottle of wine in one of the several romantic

restaurants in this area. Or take a passenger ferry across to Paihia or romantic Russell with its lovely restaurants before taking the ferry back for a well-deserved rest at your accommodation in the Bay of Islands.

Duration: 8 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 3: Bay of Islands back to Auckland

Stop At: Bay of Islands i-SITE Visitor Information Centre, The Wharf 101 Marsden Road, Paihia 0252 New Zealand
Start the last day of your Private Tour with a nice breakfast before you have the option of visiting the historic Waitangi Treaty House to explore more about New Zealand's unique history. The Waitangi Treaty House is set in rolling lawns and gardens overlooking the turquoise waters of the Bay of Islands – the place where Governor Hobson and the Paramount Chiefs of Aotearoa (New Zealand) signed the document which formed our bi-cultural nation in 1840.

You can visit Te Tii, New Zealand’s most famous Marae, or meeting place, where every year on Waitangi Day (February 6) the Prime Minister, the chiefs of Maoridom and the people of Aotearoa New Zealand meet to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Below the Treaty House and the Marae near the water’s edge lies Ngatokimatawhaorua, the huge, beautifully carved waka of the Ngapuhi Iwi (Maori tribe) who are the tangata whenua (local people) here.

Then we slowly make our way back towards Auckland, which is a 3-hour drive away. This takes you past lush agricultural land, stands of beautiful native bush and a coastline which boasts some of the world’s most stunning beaches.

Stop at the iconic Hundertwasser toilets at Kawakawa – a living piece of art created by the world-famous Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who spent the last years of his life near Kawakawa.

Just south of Kawakawa we pass the Kawiti Caves. Here you have the opportunity to go underground to see pure white limestone formations as you follow networks of Stalactites and Stalagmites to hidden chambers with Glowworms that light up the roof of the cave in some places. They are a great addition for those who are unable to see the famous Waitomo Caves south of Auckland. Further south we drive along Bream Bay with its glorious white sandy beaches and views across to the volcanic islands Marotini and Taranga (The Hen and Chicken Islands), as well as the aptly-named Sail Rock. We then continue towards Auckland via Whangarei, Northland’s largest town, and the Brynderwyn Ranges, from where it is only 1 ½ hours to Auckland. Its iconic Skytower appears on the horizon as we approach Auckland. A short time later we drop you off at your Auckland accommodation (or the airport?) after a wonderful 3 days exploring some of the most beautiful and culturally significant places in New Zealand in the “Winterless North”.

Duration: 8 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.