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  4. New Zealand North Island: Hike, Bike & Canyon

Pack your sense of adventure and get away from the everyday

Join Intrepid on this active escape to the coasts and lakes of the North Island. In just five-days you’ll head from Auckland to hike the trails and chill out on the beaches of the Coromandel Peninsula, cycle the lakes and explore the redwood forests of geothermal Rotorua, and cross to the coast to canyon in caves filled with glow worms in Raglan. Add in the chance to immerse yourself in the Maoritanga of Te Ika-a-Maui at a marae and you’ve got everything you need in a local adventure.

Start
Auckland, New Zealand
Finish
Auckland, New Zealand
Destination
New Zealand
Style
Original
Theme
Active Adventures, Explorer
Code
PHXN
Physical rating
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 4, Max 15

Why you'll love this trip

  • Hike to secluded coves on the east coast of the deeply forested Coromandel Peninsula and marvel at the towering natural arches.

  • Luxuriate in the bubbling waters of a natural sand hot spa, dug with your own hands right on the beach.

  • Cycle round glistening lakes and wonder at the heights of towering redwood trees on a night-time hike though a lantern-lit forest.

  • Learn more about Maori culture with a night spent at a marae, where you’ll enjoy a traditional dinner as you learn about the customs and protocols of the marae.

  • Canyon though caves in search of countless glow worms on an invigorating and dazzling active adventure.

Is this trip right for you?

  • Please ensure you consult your local government’s advice regarding domestic travel prior to booking this trip.

  • Accommodation on this trip isn't luxurious but it's comfortable enough for you to relax after a day of adventure.

  • Lots of time allocated for optional activities means freedom and flexibility, but it does require a level of independence. Your leader is always on hand to give advice, point you in the right direction and help you book optional activities.

  • Your accommodation at the Maori marae will be multishare. You may be required to share with group members of a different gender and couples, and people travelling together may occasionally be separated due to rooming configurations.

Map of New Zealand North Island: Hike, Bike & Canyon including New Zealand
PHXN_New Zealand_Coromandel-hiking_2020
PHXN_New Zealand_Raglan-beach_2020
PHXN_New Zealand_Rotorua-geyser_2020
PHXN_New Zealand_Rotorua-MaoriExperience_2020

Itinerary
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Welcome to your active exploration of the North Island. Kick off this adventure with a 10 am meeting at a centrally located hotel in Auckland. Meet your leader and group and get a bit more info on the upcoming itinerary. Make a u-shaped trip to the Coromandel Peninsula, where the dramatic ridges of extinct volcanoes mark the skyline. Pass the deep rainforest of the park on your way to the east coast and Tairua, where the almost touching peninsulas house Mt Paku and the town of Pauanui. Enjoy some free time for lunch in the harbour setting, then continue north up the coast to Cathedral Cove, part of the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve. Take a walk (approximately 3 hours) along a hilly coastal track and be rewarded with the view of two secluded white-cliffed coves separated by an impressive arched cavern. Head to Hahei and your hotel for the evening. Just a few minutes away is the unusual Hot Water Beach where, if the time and tides are right tonight, you can dig your own spa from the hot springs that bubble beneath the sands. Otherwise we’ll try the following morning. This evening’s free for dinner – maybe try a beer from the local brewery.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • The Coromandel - Leader-led to Cathedral Cove (Te Whanganui-A-Hei)
  • The Coromandel - Visit to Hahei Hot Sand Beach
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Leave the peninsula and head south to Rotorua – Maori heartland and still home to many ancient traditions. While this is a land of extensive geothermal activity, of geysers and boiling mud pools, it’s also home to the Blue Spring, a source of incredibly pure fresh water that’s been filtered through rock over decades from a natural underground aquifer. Take a walk through the vibrant green plantlife to see the beautifully clear waters. Arrive in Rotorua in time for some lunch and an afternoon free for whatever activity matches your interests, whether that’s a walk through the tops of a forest canopy or through famous movie sets. This evening, after an optional dinner, perhaps grab a torch for a guided walk through the nearby redwood forests. Get a bird’s-eye view of the canopy as you stroll along suspended walkways in the light of lanterns hung in the 100-year-old trees.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Putaruru - Blue Springs
Optional Activities
  • Rotorua - Canopy Tour (From price) - NZD159
  • Rotorua - Hells Gate Thermal Area and Spa (From price) - NZD35
  • Rotorua - Hobbiton: Lord of The Rings Set - NZD120
  • Rotorua: Agrodome Farm Culture Show - NZD36
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Get some fuel onboard this morning at breakfast in preparation for a guided bike ride around a couple of the numerous lakes that surround Rotorua. Nicknamed after the green and blue colours of their water, Lake Tikitapu and Lake Rotokakahi are beautiful collapsed volcanic craters surrounded by native bush and pines. The latter is sacred and its island of Motutawa is the burial ground for ancestors of the local tribe. Find a scenic spot to stop for an included picnic lunch and soak up the beautiful surroundings. This afternoon you’ll head to a Maori marae, where you’ll spend the night. A marae is a communal and sacred meeting ground, a place to catch up with family and news, and a place of connection with the ancestors and to history. Make the most of the opportunity to learn more about Maori culture and to speak with members of the tribe. There’ll be a formal welcoming ceremony and you can learn about the protocols and customs of the marae before a dinner cooked using traditional geothermal techniques.
Accommodation
  • Maori Marae (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Rotorua - Leader-led Bicycle Ride around Green and Blue Lakes including picnic lunch
  • Rotorua - Maori Marae Overnight Stay
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Communal sleeping is a big part life on the marae, so accommodation here is basic with shared rooms and facilities.

Say ka kite ano to the marae after breakfast this morning as you head to the west coast and Raglan, the Whaingaroa harbour-hugging town that was one of the stopping points of the great migratory canoe Tainui in Maori tradition. Stop for optional lunch on the way and get a taste for the region and its bounty of fresh produce, meat and dairy. Get ready to soak up the outdoors (and maybe get soaked) with one of the highlights of the trip – glow worm canyoning. Equipped with all the gear to keep you safe and dry, you’ll make your way through the freshwater streams that descend from the peak of Mt Karioi, clamber up and rappel down cascading waterfalls as you spot the little green dots of the glow worm tails. Eventually you’ll all turn off your headtorches and be greeted by what feels like millions, shining like a galaxy of stars, like a net of fairy lights strung up on a ceiling. The rest of the evening is free, and your body will surely be calling out for a hot meal and cold drink after all that fresh water.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kaniwhaniwha - Glow Worm Caves Canyon Experience
  • Raglan - Leader-led orientation walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

This morning you’ll leave early after breakfast and return to a centrally located hotel where you trip will come to an end (approximately 10 am). If you’ve got some more time, why not stay in Raglan for some beach time – the surfing here has some of the best left-hand breaks in the world.
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Meals

1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Transport

Private vehicle

Accommodation

Hotel (3 nights), Maori Marae Multishare (1 night)

Included activities

  • The Coromandel - Leader-led to Cathedral Cove (Te Whanganui-A-Hei)
  • The Coromandel - Visit to Hahei Hot Sand Beach
  • Putaruru - Blue Springs
  • Rotorua - Leader-led Bicycle Ride around Green and Blue Lakes including picnic lunch
  • Rotorua - Maori Marae Overnight Stay
  • Kaniwhaniwha - Glow Worm Caves Canyon Experience
  • Raglan - Leader-led orientation walk

Dates & availability

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Travel lightly with Intrepid. We’ve offset the main sources of carbon emissions from this trip on your behalf, including transport, accommodation & waste. Read more

Important notes

1.This trip will begin on Day 1 at 10 am at the Haka Hotel Newmarket. Please make your own way to the meeting point - refer to the Essential Trip Information for further details.
2. The trip concludes at 10:30 am on Day 5. Please take this into account when making onward travel arrangements.
3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 3 (Maori Marae) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
4. Multishare typically includes triple and quad rooms. You may be required to share with group members of the opposite sex and couples, and people travelling together may occasionally be separated due to rooming configurations.
5. Minimum numbers: this trip requires a minimum of 4 clients booked and confirmed in order to depart

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

View Essential Trip Information

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