New Zealand Holidays

Depart from Rotorua for Matamata, home to the Hobbiton Movie Set. Drive through a working sheep farm to the Shire’s rest where you will join a tour of the famous film set. Learn how the set was created as you discover 44 hobbit holes, the Mill and double arch bridge and the party tree. You can also have your picture taken by Bilbo’s front door at Bag End. Finish your tour with a drink at the cosy Green Dragon Inn and take in the view across the lake to the mill and Bag End.

Depart from Blenheim for this full-day tour which journeys through the renowned Marlborough wine region. Visit wineries and enjoy two fine wine experiences including the region’s iconic winery, Cloudy Bay. Continue through the Marlborough Sounds for a unique seafood cruise. Learn about the local history, visit a marine farm and stop to sample some fresh seafood paired with a glass of sauvignon blanc before your return journey.

Depart from Wellington and drive through the picturesque Hutt Valley and the Rimutaka Range to Martinborough for this full-day guided tour of the famous wine region. The tour includes tastings at award-winning boutique wineries including Murdoch James, Te Kairanga, Palliser, Muirlea Rise, Tirohana, Alana Estate and Martinborough. Meet local winemakers and have a bistro lunch at a vineyard.

Depart from Queenstown and travel along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and through rolling countryside to Te Anau. Continue along the scenic Milford Road and board the Milford Mariner to sail the length of Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea. Admire spectacular alpine scenery and look out for wildlife including dolphins and seals. Anchor overnight in Harrison Cove where dinner will be served. After breakfast the next morning, disembark and return to Queenstown.

Enjoy a scenic drive from Dunedin to the Otago Peninsula where you will board the MV Monarch and cruise the length of the beautiful Otago Harbour. Soak up the scenery and spot diverse wildlife basking at Taiaroa Head – the world’s only mainland nesting place for the Northen Royal Albatross. The region is also home to fur seals, dolphins and sea lions and the peninsula is rich in bird life including penguins and nesting birds such as spotted shags.

Discover locations from The Lord of the Rings films on this 4x4 off-road adventure which departs from Queenstown. See The Remarkables (The Misty Mountains), Deer Park Heights (The Battle of the Wargs) and the Kawarau Gorge (Argonath/Pillars of the King). Continue to Arrowtown and experience some off roading as you follow a gold mining road up the river where you can try gold panning before enjoying views of the Wakatipu Basin from Skippers Canyon.

Enjoy a guided tour of Rotorua's Tamaki Maori Village where you will experience a traditional welcome before entering the village. Whilst here you will have the opportunity to learn the haka, try poi, play stick games, experience warrior training, weaving and learn about tattooing and carving. You will also enjoy a traditional performance, hangi buffet feast and a closing ceremony of speeches and songs.

Depart from National Park Village, Whakapapa Village or Taupo for this full-day hiking tour to Mount Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park. Ride the scenic chair lift (weather permitting) to the starting point of your guided walk (approx. 6-7 hours) across the volcanic terrain. Enjoy lunch and spectacular views at the top of the volcano while observing the changing colours of the geothermal lake - it can transform from green to pale blue or grey depending on the temperature.

Journey aboard the renowned TranzAlpine train from Christchurch and Greymouth via Arthur’s Pass. Enjoy the magnificent alpine scenery as the train crosses the Canterbury Plains and heads through the Southern Alps where it wind its way through the Waimakariri Gorge. The train arrives in Greymouth at 12:45pm which allows you plenty of time to pick up a hire car and continue your journey to the glacier region. The excursion also operates in reverse or as a return.

Immerse yourself in a world of visual effects at the award-winning Weta Workshop, the gateway to filmmaking experiences in New Zealand, famous for creating the costumes, weapons and props for films such as District 9 and King Kong, as well as The Chronicles of Narnia films and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. There are different visiting options available, but we recommend the four-hour ‘There and Back Again: The Full Experience’. It includes two 45-minute guided tours – the Weta Cave Workshop Tour and the Miniatures Stage Tour: Thunderbirds Are Go, showing how a TV show is brought to life. You’ll also have guided return shuttle transfers from central Wellington to the studio in Miramar; access to the incredible Weta Cave shop with life-sized sculptures and mini museum; and a documentary viewing featuring co-founders, Richard Taylor and Peter Jackson.

Every whale watching tour is different. Sperm whales are yearround residents so your chances of spotting one are very high. You can also see dusky dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and albatross year round. Dependent on season you can also spot Humpback whales, Pilot whales, Blue whales and Southern Right whales. There are also opportunities to see orcas as well as the world's smallest and rarest dolphin - the Hector's dolphin.

Depart from Christchurch for the historic French settlement of Akaroa and travel over the unique Banks Peninsula area. Admire the incredible views of Lyttelton and Akaroa Harbours, the Canterbury Plains and the distant Southern Alps from the high summit road and stop for lunch at a café in Akaroa. Board a catamaran for a nature cruise in the harbour and the chance to spot rare Hector’s dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, little blue penguins and other birdlife.

Learn about Napier’s fascinating heritage during this guided walking tour of the city’s colourful Art Deco Quarter. Depart from Napier’s Art Deco Centre and discover striking examples of the city’s distinctive architecture. Hear stories of the 1931 earthquake that destroyed the city, the people that were affected, and how the city made a remarkable recovery and was rebuilt within two years. The walk is followed by an optional short film screening and a tea or coffee.

Join your guide at Princes Wharf to begin a tour of two of Auckland’s most vibrant inner city foodie locations. The Britomart precinct is surrounded by beautiful heritage buildings and full of restaurants, cafés, bars, and a fantastic city farmers’ market (Saturdays only). Stroll to the Viaduct Harbour, where restaurants and bars line the yacht-studded waterfront. The tour includes lunch, a glass of wine and tastings such as seafood, cheese and ice-cream.

Depart from Napier for this private guided tour of Hawke’s Bay which can be customised to suit your interests. Admire Napier's diverse collection of art deco buildings and visit local artists to view their paintings and sculptures. Meet innovative food producers and enjoy tastings of locally grown delicacies. Visit a rural coastal settlement to expeience a traditional welcome and learn about Maori culture and heritage before enjoying tastings at some prestigious wineries.

Depart from Paihia or Keri Keri for a full-day trip to Cape Reinga on the northern tip of the North Island.  Stroll through the ancient Puketi Kauri Forest and enjoy the thrill of sand-boarding down massive dunes at Te Paki Stream. Drive along the famous Ninety-Mile Beach to Cape Reinga where you can watch the Pacific Ocean collide with the Tasman Sea and enjoy spectacular views over the ocean.

Enjoy a guided tour through the renowned glow-worm caves, with a boat ride through the grotto itself. Enjoy a picnic lunch before you see New Zealand’s agricultural industry in action with sheep dog trials at the Agrodome, plus an organic farm tour. You will then continue to Te Puia for a Maori cultural performance and a guided tour around the mighty geysers and boiling mud pools for which the area is famed.

Swim and snorkel with dolphins in the wild during this half-day tour in the beautiful Bay of Islands. At Russell Wharf board the purpose-built Tutunui boat, which has a low viewing deck and underwater microphones, and head out to the sheltered waters of the bay in search of playful dolphins. Don a wetsuit and enjoy the experience of interacting with them in their natural environment.

Depart from Queenstown for this scenic full-day tour. Drive along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, cross the waters of Lake Manapouri and travel across Wilmot Pass. Upon arrival at Deep Cove, board a catamaran for a three-hour cruise around Doubtful Sound. Glide past waterfalls, rainforest and mountains, looking out for fur seals, bottlenose dolphins and rare Fiordland crested penguins. On the return cruise, the vessel’s engines are turned off so that you can enjoy ‘The Sound of Silence’.

Depart from Queenstown for this full-day tour of the Central Otago Wine Region which includes a mid-morning cheese tasting in a vineyard garden and a gourmet platter lunch. Visit five premier vineyards in the Gibbston Valley and Bannockburn for tastings, explore New Zealand’s largest underground wine cave and enjoy an interactive experience at The Big Picture Wine Adventure which offers the world’s first visual and sensory wine experience.

Glide high above the beautiful Aoraki/Mount Cook and Westland National Parks on this scenic flight which departs from Mount Cook Village. Fly over an enchanting world of ice and snow, turquoise glacial lakes, river systems, remote sheep stations and rainforest. Highlights include some of New Zealand’s highest mountains and largest glaciers including the famous Tasman, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Every passenger on board can enjoy a window seat.

Explore Franz Josef Glacier, departing from the Franz Josef Glacier base. From here you will enjoy a ten minute helicopter flight to Franz Josef icefall where you will land on the glacier to enjoy up to a two hour hike amongst glacial ice formations with an experienced guide. Equipment will be provided including glacier boots, crampons, socks and a waterproof jacket, but make sure you dress warmly.

Travel south from Auckland to the Waikato region where you will arrive at the Shire's rest to embark on your Hobbiton film set tour. You will see 44 hobbit holes, the Mill and double arch bridge, the party tree and visit the Green Dragon Inn. You can also get a picture taken at Bilbo's front door at Bag End. After the tour your lunch is included at Shire's Rest Cafe before heading back to Auckland.