Welcome to Auckland, the City of Sails! Unwind after the flight and enjoy this harbour side city. Explore at your leisure, take in panoramic views from the top of the Sky tower or take a boat trip across the harbour to one of the neighbouring islands.
New Zealand - Maui, Apollo & Britz - 2026-2027 Special Offer
Book by 31st October 2026 and get 10% off the daily vehicle hire rates
Discover the very best of New Zealand on this unforgettable 50-day journey. From the golden beaches of the Coromandel Peninsula, the geothermal wonders of Rotorua to the vibrant cities of Wellington and Christchurch, every day brings a new and unforgettable experience.
Duration: 50 days
Holiday Type:
Escorted Motorhome Tours
Departure dates:
Make an enquiryHighlights
- Bay of Islands's coastal scenery
- Waitomo's glowworms
- Abel Tasman National Park's beaches
- Franz Josef Glacier ice formations
- Vintage steamship cruise and BBQ
- Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise
- Arthur’s Pass TranzAlpine Rail journey
- Kaikour's whale watching experience
- Māori cultural evening with Hangi meal
- Coromandel Peninsula’s rugged beaches
Route Map
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What's Included
- Return economy flights from the UK to Auckland
- All transfers
- Welcome Dinner
- 3 nights Auckland hotel with breakfast
- 43 nights pre-booked campsites
- Ferry crossings with lounge
- TSS Earnslaw with BBQ
- Doubtful Sound Cruise with Picnic Lunch
- Arthur’s Pass Guided Day tour including TranzAlpine Train
- Maori Evening Experience and Hangi Dinner
- Farewell Dinner
- Professional and experienced New Zealand tour hosts
- McRent Compact Urban Plus motorhome for 44 days includes:
- Full Inclusive Package
- Unlimited Kilometres
- Insurance
- Collisions Damage Waiver (reduced to NZ$0)
- Additional driver
- Linen & Bedding
- Kitchen kit & General equipment
- Camping table and chairs
- Mobile travel app with offline maps and real-time itinerary updates.
Itinerary
Distance: 142km (88miles)
After collecting your motorhome, head northwards to Pākiri for an overnight’s stay by the beach. Spend your first night enjoying the kiwi outdoors lifestyle and settle into your new home on wheels.
Distance: 182km (113miles)
Onto the Bay of Islands, a National Maritime Park. The scenic Bay of Islands is home to 144 islands and is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the views during your stay. Learn about the history of the region with nearby Waitangi, the location for the signing of the unique treaty between the British and the Māori people in 1840.
Distance: 202km (125miles)
Leaving Northland, return to Red Beach located on the Hibiscus Coast. Spend a night next to a beautiful 2km stretch of beach.
Distance: 225km (140miles)
Waitomo is best known for its labyrinth of limestone caves where you can walk or take a boat ride to see the incredible natural spectacle of the glow worms which illuminate the caves in their thousands. The delicate canopy of light above your head is truly magical.
Nearby is the Otorohanga Kiwi House which shelters several rare species of the native kiwi.
Available Excursions:
Distance: 170km (105miles)
Continuing south, you will pass through idyllic lush countryside dotted with dairy farms, picturesque little towns and views over to Mt Taranaki. To get closer to Mt Taranaki take a hike along one of the walking trails on its lower slopes.
New Plymouth is an interesting place with the well-known Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre. It’s an impressive contemporary gallery housing one of the artist’s most famous kinetic sculptures.
Distance: 188km (117miles)
In Whanganui take a river cruise on the Steamer Waimarie or visit Whanganui National Park and the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’, a picturesque spot in lush, native forest. Hike, cycle or catch a jet boat to reach the remote wooden swing bridge and views along the forest valley.
Distance: 196km (122miles)
Travel along the Kapiti coast to Wellington where you will board the ferry to the South Island. Passing through the Marlborough Sounds, this is a scenic crossing into the pretty harbour town of Picton.
Explore the bays around Picton with a cruise and track day where you can walk a section of the beautiful Queen Charlotte Track.
Distance: 168km (105miles)
It is a very pleasant, interesting drive from Picton, so take your time skirting round Nelson on the coast road, with sublime seascapes as you traverse along twisting mountain passes.
The Abel Tasman National Park enjoys New Zealand’s highest levels of sunshine, and the beaches here have a distinctly Mediterranean feel. Enjoy some superb walking trails or take a leisurely water taxi or catamaran to see the coast from a different perspective.
Kaiteriteri is a great place for picking up kayaks and taking a paddle around the headland. Why not join a guided excursion to the incredible Split Apple Rock?
Distance: 250km (155miles)
Leaving the fertile orchards and forested slopes of South Island’s north coast, head towards the winding roads and mountains of the west coast. Wander the Westport streets and check out the art deco buildings, rebuilt after an earthquake in 1929 or hike the nearby Cape Foulwind Walkway.
Distance: 275km (170miles)
Driving south on the spectacular Great Coast Road, be sure to stop at Punakaiki along the way. The easy loop walks around the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes are impressive at high tide when the high waves crash against the cliffs and burst up through the blowholes.
Spend the next two nights in Franz Josef for your glacier adventure. See the glaciers with a valley walk to the base or take a heli-hike to grasp the beauty of this mighty glacier.
Distance: 289km (180miles)
View incredible scenery as you travel through the jaw-dropping and diverse landscapes from rugged coastline to mountains. Travel through Haast which sits within the Te Wāhipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. Overnight in Wanaka to relax and enjoy its breath-taking mountains and lake views.
Distance: 56km (34miles)
With a shorter distance to your next campsite, take your time with a stop in Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town worth exploring.
On Day 23, board the TSS Earnslaw on an included tour to Walter Peak Farm. Enjoy a quintessential Kiwi experience with a farm demonstration and a BBQ buffet dinner.
Distance: 180km (112miles)
Skirt the shores of Lake Wakatipu as you make your way to Te Anau, the gateway to the Fiordland National Park. Nestled on the edge of a lake, this picturesque town is the perfect place to explore the area.
Join an included excursion on Day 25 to soak up the remote wilderness of Doubtful Sound with its rugged peaks and verdant rainforest. During your cruise, listen to knowledgeable nature guides and enjoy a picnic lunch.
Available Excursions:
Distance: 152km (94miles)
Travel along the Southern Scenic Route as you make your way to Invercargill, fondly dubbed the ‘City of Water and Light’ due to its long summer daylight hours. No visit is complete without a stop at Bill Richardson’s Transport World which has the largest motoring collection of its kind in the world.
Distance: 208km (129miles)
Today you may opt to take the slightly longer worthwhile route continuing along the Southern Scenic Route (or the Catlins Coastal Heritage Trail) which takes you via rugged coastline, hidden lakes, and magical waterfalls.
Dunedin is known as the wildlife capital of New Zealand so there will be an opportunity to see the world’s smallest penguins and the Royal Albatross amongst other native bird and marine life.
Distance: 116km (70miles)
From Dunedin follow the coast northwards making sure you have time for a stop at the mysterious Moeraki Boulders. Oamaru is best known for its complete Victorian streetscapes and 19th century architecture.
Distance: 178km (110miles)
Leaving Oamaru, you will head across the Canterbury plains to the charming town of Lake Tekapo and its turquoise waters. Located in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, you can join fellow stargazers at the Mount John Observatory.
If exploring New Zealand’s highest mountain is on your bucket list, head to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park where there’s a wide choice of hikes with impressive views.
Distance: 232km (144miles)
Spend the next three nights in Christchurch to explore the heritage of this laid-back city and its surrounds. Listen to stories about the Canterbury earthquakes at the Quake City Museum or take a leisurely punt along the pretty Avon River.
On Day 34, an included trip on the TranzAlpine train allows you to experience the stunning scenery of Arthur's Pass followed with a guided tour along the old stagecoach route to Christchurch.
Available Excursions:
Distance: 176km (109miles)
At Kaikoura you’ll find a natural playground of aquatic mammals feeding in the rich coastal waters. There are whales and dolphins passing close to the shore and often visible from the coastal walkway. A popular option is to join a whale watching cruise where you have a better chance of getting up close.
Available Excursions:
Distance: 156km (97miles)
Return to Picton for your ferry crossing to the North Island and the vibrant city of Wellington. Explore the country’s capital city with a visit to the Te Papa Museum, New Zealand’s national museum, or take a trip up Mount Victoria for views across the city.
Distance: 70km (43miles)
Leave Wellington for the quieter charm of Martinborough, a wine village at the heart of the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail. Known for its heritage buildings, Martinborough is ideally located to leave the motorhome behind for some wine tasting.
Distance: 270km (167miles)
Heading north, visit historic Greytown with its restored Victorian buildings and a cup of tea at one of its quaint cafes. Alternatively take a break in Masterson and visit The Wool Shed Museum to learn about sheep farming in New Zealand.
Continue through the Wairarapa region and, if time permits, make a stop in the Pūkaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre where you can see some of the country’s native animals. Onto your destination for the day, you will be greeted with some of New Zealand’s richest dairy farmland in the Manawatu Gorge before reaching the rolling countryside of Hawke's Bay and Napier.
Often referred to as the Art-Deco capital of the world, Napier is famous for its many vineyards that serve gourmet food to accompany award-winning wines. Take the opportunity to view the world’s largest mainland gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers.
Available Excursions:
Distance: 226km (140miles)
Next stop is the fascinating geothermal region of Rotorua. A highlight is the Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Reserve with its bubbling mud pools, colourful mineral pools, the 62-metre-deep Champagne Pool, and the famous Lady Knox geyser.
Take the cable car ‘gondola’ up Mount Ngongotaha and in return you will get amazing views. Rotorua is a key part of the Māori heartland so there’s always the chance to learn about Māori culture and traditions.
Go along to an included evening experience on Day 44 for an evening’s cultural experience with stories shared through haka, song and drama before tasting a sumptuous traditional hangi dinner.
Available Excursions:
Distance: 231km (144miles)
Welcome to the Coromandel Peninsula, a beautifully rugged area fringed with dozens of attractive beaches. It is a place where many Kiwis choose to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and is home to arts, crafts and stunning scenery.
You can dig out your very own hot pool metres from the Pacific Ocean at world-famous Hot Water Beach, or head for Cathedral Cove where a huge arched cavern passes through the headland, joining up two secluded coves. Relax in the cafes and enjoy the art galleries or just taking in the wonderful scenery.
Distance: 181km (112miles)
Return your home on wheels to the depot and transfer to your final night’s stay in Auckland. The afternoon will be free for sightseeing before joining your fellow travellers and tour hosts for dinner together.
Time to bid farewell to newfound friends, leaving New Zealand with treasured memories that will last a lifetime.
Additional Information
Price per person is based on two people sharing. Upgrade to a Comfort Standard motorhome from £200 per person
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Within GB:
01580 214 089
International:
+44 (0)1580 214 089
