New Zealand Adventure - 13 Days

Welcome to New Zealand, the country that EVERYONE dreams of visiting! Kia Ora! It's probably been a long journey here so drop your bags off at the hostel and relax before the adventure of a lifetime begins. We're starting in Auckland, a city famous for its skyline, awesome islands that are just a stone's throw away AND volcanoes that sit nearby. You'll meet the rest of the group in the afternoon and start to explore the local area and maybe even check out some of the local bars overlooking the city at night!

It's our first full day on tour and it's an epic one! We're up bright and early, as the Kiwis do, ready to head over to Waitomo. Waitomo is a small village just over 2 hours away from Auckland and it's famous for its insane underground cave system. These caves aren't just any caves, they are GLOWWORM CAVES! It's like something straight out of a Disney film, the caves are home to thousands of glowworms that light up and glitter throughout the caves. After this we'll head towards our next stop: Hobbiton. After a picnic along the way (it's giving nature) we'll arrive at this 14-acre family-run farm which is now famous all around the world for being part of the set for one of the most iconic film series of all time. After an afternoon of exploring we will head on the road again towards Rotorua Our hostel here is super cool - if you like rock climbing you are in for on hell of a treat!

We're in for a treat with even more nature today! We can take things a little bit more chilled this morning and relax before heading out to today's first activity: The Redwoods. It's a beautiful Forest which is dedicated to fallen soldiers and it is an amazing reflective place to wander around. Then after finding some inner peace and of course having some lunch we're off the the geothermal wander that is Kuirau Park. We'll explore this steaming and bubbling park crater lake and maybe even have a foot bath too. This evening, after some free time we're heading over to Mitai Maori Village for a cultural evening. We'll be immersed in the culture, watch a haka and even share a traditional hangi feast too - the perfect way to learn more about their way of life!

This morning we have some free time to explore a bit more of Rotorua. Whether you fancy exploring more of Rotorua's geothermal sites or you want to hit up a local supermarket (the MOST underrated activity) you have some time to get to know New Zealand a little better. Our next location is the awesome Taupo which has luscious views over Lake Taupō (the largest freshwater Lake in New Zealand.) We'll arrive at our accommodation mid-afternoon and we're staying just one minute away from the lake - get your swimming trunks out ready for an afternoon by the lake!

Get ready cause this morning we are going full-on TLC...and by that we mean we're chasing waterfall of course! At 100 meters wide Huka Waterfalls is a TOTALLY awesome sight - get ready for the noise, it's epic. Then we're heading over to get steamy at the Otumuheke Stream and explore the Spa Thermal Park. Dip your toes in, have a swim, relax and soak in the amazing views! After a very zen day, we'll end it with a sunset kayak on Lake Taupo - what a dreamy dreamy day!

Today's a travel day from Taupo to Auckland! It's quite a long journey so get your TimTams ready and some Netflix downloaded, unless you want to spend the journey sharing "Would You Rathers" and finding out each other's darkest secrets - you do you! We'll arrive later in the afternoon and have some free time in the evening! We'll get an early night because we are up early tomorrow for our flight over to Christchurch.

Are you ready to switch islands? We'll arrive in Christchurch in the early afternoon. This city is famous for its amazing surroundings, culture and its nightlife too! Our accommodation here is an old prison - don't be put off - it's super cool! Once we have checked into our cells rooms we'll head out for a walking tour and a wander around the botanical gardens. Then it's time to hit the city's best bars and explore the world-famous nightlife!

This morning we are headed over to Tekapo. Tekapo is known for having one of the clearest night skies in the world and for its lake which is a huge 27 km long! Once we arrive in the early afternoon we'll drop our bags off and start exploring. Whether you want to explore the township (which is only a 10-minute walk away) or you want to head straight into nature the hostel has PLENTY of options. This evening we will take a short walk up to the Church of Good Shepherd. This small stone church sits on the shores of Lake Tekapo and it's the perfect place to watch the sun go down. Get ready to pinch yourself - yes this really is real life!

Ever heard of the Hooker Valley Track walk? Well, you're in for a treat. If you are anything like us and you love a walk with epic views then you'll LOVE today! Hooker Valley is an unmissable (and mostly flat) track through some of the most insane views in New Zealand. We'll be here for a few hours so take your time and enjoy this peaceful walk. Then after stretching our legs, we'll travel a couple of hours towards our cosy accommodation in Wanaka.

Ever heard of the Hooker Valley Track walk? Well, you're in for a treat. If you are anything like us and you love a walk with epic views then you'll LOVE today! Hooker Valley is an unmissable (and mostly flat) track through some of the most insane views in New Zealand. We'll be here for a few hours so take your time and enjoy this peaceful walk. Then after stretching our legs, we'll travel a couple of hours towards our cosy accommodation in Wanaka.

After a busy, nature-filled day yesterday, we have some free time this morning to catch up on some zzz's or for the Duracell Bunny in the group, you can explore more of Wanaka. We'll meet mid-day to travel to Queenstown. Sat on the shores of Lake Wakatipu this is one of the most famous spots in New Zealand! We'll arrive at our hostel in the early evening and luckily for us, we are located right by the social heart of Queenstown, Searle Lane. Drop your bags, freshen up and head out for a cracking night!

Wakey wakey! It's our last full day - can you even believe it? Time really does fly by when you're having fun! Today we are up early to head over towards Milford, are you ready, we've been saving the best until last. Milford Sound is an incredible fiord that is often referred to as the "Eight Wonder of the World". The perfect way to see this sight is on a day cruise so we're jumping on board with our cameras at the ready. We'll see epic cliffs, alpine peaks and misty waterfalls - the perfect way to close our awesome time in New Zealand. Throughout we've seen incredible view after incredible view but this one might just be the best...Tonight we will head back to Queenstown and hit the town ready for a celebration of our adventures and the amazing friendships that have been made over the last 12 days. We're not crying you are!

It's checkout day! It's been the most incredible 13 days but our adventure must end here. Whether you are headed home or are off to explore more of Oceania your amazing Tru Leader will be able to help you with transport and inspiration for your next steps. It's not goodbye it's see you later...we've got memories and friendships to last a lifetime and most importantly one hell of an instagram dump that's incoming...all that's left to do is think of a caption...