14 day north and south island tours nz
Auckland to Christchurch and Christchurch to Auckland, New Zealand.
Auckland accommodation is provided the night prior to the tour - explore this vibrant city - take a sailing trip around the Hauraki Gulf on an Americas Cup Yacht. Look at our 'Add-on Tour Activities' page for lots of exciting Auckland activities. Meet up with us in the evening to fill out your paperwork and get to know your New Zealand tour guides.
On this tour we ride from Auckland to Rotorua, where the incredible thermal activity produces bubbling mud and huge geysers. Here we experience Maori culture and join a traditional 'Hangi' - a feast cooked on hot rocks. This unique experience is included in your New Zealand tour.
Lake Taupo, New Zealand 's largest lake in the centre of the North Island, is our next stop. Lake Taupo is the holiday playground of the North Island where Kiwis come to boat, fish, swim and have a good time. In winter and early spring nearby Mount Ruapehu provides snow sports fun.
From Taupo we ride long straight stretches and sweeping bends through delightful undulations, up and down hills until we reach the vineyards of Eskdale and on to the famous Art Deco town of Napier which was completely rebuilt following the 1931 New Zealand earthquake.
We continue our journey south, passing through the famous Rimutakas - a bikers dream that winds its way through the mountain ranges just north of Wellington.
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. Pretty houses cling to the hillsides and the city looks over the lovely Wellington Harbour. See the famous Beehive building - home of our Government and fabulous Te Papa Museum. Great shopping and sophisticated restaurants and cafes are to be had here.
We cross the Cook Straight by ferry, arriving at Picton via the wonderful Marlborough Sounds - your first taste of the tranquility and beauty of the South Island. Renowned as one of the most beautiful ferry crossings in the world, the Cook Straight ferry crossing is included in your New Zealand tour.
Then ride along the coastline on the picturesque and twisting Queen Charlotte Drive. We enjoy sweeping curves en route to Nelson through vineyard and orchard country. Nelson, the biggest fishing port in New Zealand and the second largest city in the South Island, is an attractive cosmopolitan city with up-market shopping and restaurants and its own 'Mediterranean' microclimate.
Moving south we ride alongside rushing ice blue rivers and through thick lush forest and deep gorges, onto the legendary Lewis Pass with its amazing scenery, sweeping curves and undulations. We arrive at Hanmer Springs, where we can rest our weary bodies in natural hot spring spas - it's the main thermal resort of the South Island of New Zealand set in a lovely scenic area.
We move on to Kaikoura on the east coast, famous for whale watching. You can see these magnificent creatures either by boat or by air. A typical whale watch tour may encounter New Zealand Fur Seals, pods of Dusky Dolphins, endangered Wandering Albatross and depending on the season, migrating Humpback Whales, Pilot Whales, Blue Whales and the New Zealand Southern Right Whales.
Kaikoura often hosts the world's largest dolphin - the Orca - and is home to the world's smallest and rarest - the Hector's. Kaikoura also attracts the largest concentration of seabirds on mainland New Zealand including 13 species of Albatross, 14 varieties of Petrels and 7 types of Shearwater.
It's a lovely ride through pasture land, over the Hundalee Hills and across the lush green Canterbury plains, to the city of Christchurch, the most English New Zealand city, built around the picturesque Avon River and renowned for its wonderful gardens.
We head for the west coast across the Canterbury plains and over the famous Arthur's Pass - the scenery changing with every passing mile through fertile valleys to the dramatic towering mountain crags of the Southern Alps of New Zealand.
Reputably 'The best motorcycling in the world' is our next experience on the West Coast Road, designed by the grandfather of famous motorcycle designer John Britten - breathtaking fun all the way to New Zealand Glacier country.
Nowhere else in the world at this latitude have glaciers advanced so close to the coast. These majestic, awe inspiring spectacles are amazing seen from the ground, and even more stunning seen from above. A helicopter trip can take you around Mount Cook and land on the New Zealand glazier - a trip you'll never forget.
The famous motorcycle heaven of Haast Pass is next on our tour agenda. We ride through river plains, alongside clear blue lakes with a backdrop of the snow capped Southern Alps on our way to Queenstown - the 'adventure playground of the world'.
Queenstown nestles above Lake Wakatipu with stunning views across the lake to the Remarkables. This is one of the most scenic places on earth. We'll give you plenty of time to explore and experience the delights of this fantastic spot before we ride around the crystal clear waters of Lake Wakatipu on our way to Fiordland.
Fiordland is 1.2 million hectares of remote, primaeval beauty. This is one of the few places on the planet of untouched wilderness. Waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres into pristine forested valleys. The mirror surfaces of the fiords reflect the majestic towering mountains enclosing them, dolphins, seals and Fiordland crested penguins make their home here. This is where the word 'silence' takes on a different meaning. Take the opportunity of a day or overnight cruise on Milford to really appreciate the wonder of this magical place in New Zealand.
The ‘Pig Route’ (so called because the many streams in the area were all named after breeds of pigs) takes us through the 1860’s gold rush settlements on our way to the very Scottish New Zealand city of Dunedin where Victorian architecture and the lovely Otago Peninsula makes this an attractive place to visit
If you can take any more excitement, our next adventure is riding the famous Lindis Pass, a curvaceous and undulating ride that takes us to central Otago, then onto the crystal clear lake Tekapo where we have fantastic views of the tallest mountain in New Zealand - Mount Cook.
Sadly, our New Zealand tour heads back to Christchurch, where we say our goodbyes. It may be the end of your tour, but you’ll have memories to last a lifetime.
A reverse itinerary applies to New Zealand tours commencing in Christchurch.
