Trip Overview
Worth noting…
On this trip, you'll get two in one - your Trip Leader is also your Driver. On night 5 we'll be staying in a traditional marae, where all accommodation is shared (no single supplement available).
Tales From Topdeckers
Trip itinerary
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Auckland – Whangarei Falls – Paihia (Bay of Islands)
2Wave goodbye to Auckland for now – we’re heading for the jaw-dropping Bay of Islands. Fancy swinging by a natural wonder en route? You’re in luck: the thundering Whangarei Falls awaits. Plunging into the Hatea River from a height of 26 metres, the waterfall’s surrounded by giant kauri trees – sacred to the Maori people as protectors of the forest. Later, when we arrive in Paihia the evening's yours for exploring: we rec you hunt down some seafood chowder or ‘fush and chups’ along the harbour *chef’s kiss*.
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Included Today
- Visit Whangarei Falls
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Paihia
3Today = options. Get a bird’s-eye view of the islands with an adrenalin-pumping skydive. Jump on a cruise around the ‘Hole in the Rock’ – no prizes for guessing what this is – to spot the area’s celebrity dolphins. Or stick to solid ground with a tour of Cape Reinga (the tip of the island) and Ninety Mile Beach (lied on its CV – actually 55 miles long). All the adventuring got your stomach rumbling? Round up the fam and head to a waterfront bar for craft beer and burgers.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Skydiving in the Bay of Islands: from $299
- Hole in the Rock cruise: from $120
- Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach tour: from $145
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Meals
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Paihia – Auckland
4Guess who’s back, back again? It’s you – back in Auckland. Heck yes. First up: we’ll climb the city’s friendly neighbourhood volcano Mt Eden for incred panoramic views. Then: prepare to engage explorer mode – the rest of the day’s up to you. Jump on the ferry to Rangitoto Island for more volcanic vibes. Drop by the hipster Ponsonby district for boho boutiques and quirky cafes. Soak up some culture at Auckland Art Gallery. Or switch off Google Maps and simply get lost in the unknown. And this evening? Make a beeline for Britomart: a foodie’s heaven jam-packed with local eateries. Go get ‘em.
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Included Today
- Visit Mt Eden
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Auckland – Waitomo – Marae Stay
5Waitomo Caves. A glowworm-studded labyrinth of underground caves and rivers – this place is like something out of a sci-fi movie. Spend your free time exploring Ruakuri Cave on foot. Cruise through the magical grotto. Or strap in for a unique blackwater rafting experience (disclaimer: you’re gonna get wet). Later, we’ll receive a traditional welcome at the marae (Maori meeting ground) and will tuck into a hangi with the gang. Hear local Maori stories and learn the meaning of whanau as we bunk down in this sacred ancestral meeting place. This is as authentic as it gets.
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Included Today
- Visit Waitomo Caves
- Overnight stay in a traditional Maori marae and hangi dinner
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Optional extras
- Visit Ruakuri Cave: from $70
- Blackwater rafting at Waitomo Caves: from $109
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Included Today
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Marae – Rotorua
6To say Rotorua has it ‘going on’ would be the understatement of the century. We’re talking: adrenalin-pumping activities and mind-boggling movie sets. And you’ve got 24 hrs to embrace it all. For the LOTR fans (or closet fans), take a walk through Tolkien’s dreams at the Hobbiton movie set. Adrenalin junkie? Get your hit on a rapid ride down the mighty Kaituna River. Play Tarzan on a sky-high canopy tour. Or race your trip mates inside a giant Zorb ball (when in NZ, right?). Tonight is up to you, so gather the gang and compare today’s thrills and spills at one of the local haunts in town.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Visit the Hobbiton movie set: from $150
- Canopy tour: from $169
- Zorbing in Rotorua: from $145
- Whitewater rafting in Rotorua: from $119
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Meals
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Rotorua – Lake Taupo – Tongariro National Park
7Before we make tracks today, there’s a steamy visit to the geothermal valley of Te Puia on the cards. We’ll check out Pohutu (think: poor-hoo-too) – the largest geyser in the Southern Hemisphere. Then: we’ll make a stop at booming Huka Falls and play spot-the-extreme-kayaker as they tackle the immense 11-metre plunge down the canyon falls. Finally, we’ll take in the A-Mazing views over Lake Taupo before putting our feet up at our accommodation near Tongariro National Park. What. A. Day.
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Included Today
- Visit Te Puia geothermal reserve
- Visit Lake Taupo and Huka Falls
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Tongariro National Park
8Dramatic volcanic peaks dominating the horizon. Rugged terrain that looks like you landed on Mars. And intense turquoise lakes gathered in steep valleys. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of the best one-day hikes in the world – and it 100% deserves the rep. You’ve got a full day to find your Samwise up Mt Ngauruhoe (aka Mt Doom), soak up all the I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E views and wish you’d broken in those new hiking boots. If four-wheeled adventuring is more your style, there’s a quad biking excursion on the cards too. This evening, we’ll give this legendary trip the send-off it deserves with one final group dinner.
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Included Today
- Orientation walk of Tongariro National Park with Trip Leader
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Optional extras
- Hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing with a local guide (June to September): from $295
- Quad biking in Tongariro National Park: from $155
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Included Today
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Tongariro National Park – Wellington
9Local culture? Tick. Epic landscapes? Tick. Time to leave? Tick. Sad face. Today we’re making our way to Wellington where our North Island adventure draws to a close. BUT: it doesn’t have to end like this. Hop on a flight to Christchurch and join our New Zealand South Island trip – the timings work out perfectly, we checked. You know you want to...
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Meals
What's included
Included experiences
- - Visit Whangarei Falls
- - Visit Mt Eden
- - Visit Waitomo Caves
- - Overnight stay in a traditional Maori marae and hangi dinner
- - Visit Te Puia geothermal reserve
- - Visit Lake Taupo and Huka Falls
- - Orientation walk of Tongariro National Park with Trip Leader
Accommodation
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-7 nights in hotel-style accommodation (twin or double), 1 night in a traditional Maori marae (multi-share)
Transport
Optional activities
- FYI: these are optional activities available locally. Things might change – prices are here to give you a rough idea.
- Skydiving in the Bay of Islands: from $299
- Hole in the Rock cruise: from $120
- Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach tour: from $145
- Visit Ruakuri Cave: from $70
- Blackwater rafting at Waitomo Caves: from $109
- Visit the Hobbiton movie set: from $150
- Canopy tour: from $169
- Zorbing in Rotorua: from $145
- Whitewater rafting in Rotorua: from $119
- Hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing with a local guide (June to September): from $295
- Quad biking in Tongariro National Park: from $155
Views & Reviews
Latest Reviews
Average rating based on 5 reviews
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Anonymous February 2023
The driver/guide did not normally work for the company (they were understaffed) and so they weren’t very organised. I think Top Deck should have given us the option for a refund of the tour or at least given us a discount because it was not the experience we paid for. If we didn’t want this tour guide we should have had the option of getting a refund but instead they said absolutely nothing.
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Anonymous October 2022
The trip leader was great he was very helpful and tried his best to make it fun and had a really great mixture of people in my group. Loved the activities and spending time in all sorts of places in New Zealand.
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Mitchell Ho October 2022
The tour guide Phil was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable about all the locations we went to, great a fostering a community amongst travellers in the group and good taste in music! Even when the trip was effected by adverse events such as weather, Phil went above and beyond to ensure that trip went smoothly and that we were able to still experience all that New Zealand has to offer. I can not recommend doing this trip with Phil enough, he was vital to making this trip all it could be.
If anything the trip itself could be a little longer, ideally spending more time in Rotorua and other locations so that activities can be rescheduled when the weather impacts plans.
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