Christmas in Taranaki Tour

We depart Auckland and travel south to Waitomo, stopping for lunch at Huhu Cafe in Waitomo.From Te Kuiti we continue through the scenic Awakino Gorge to the Tasman coast and south to Mokau, over bush clad Mt Messenger, reaching New Plymouth in the late afternoon. Your hotel is right on the seafront just across from “Len Lye’s Wind Wand kinetic sculpture and the waterfront boardwalk. We dine in the hotel’s restaurant.

Meals & Drinks : Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in your hotel before taking a short stroll on the boardwalk. We celebrate Christmas with lunch at the acclaimed Table Restaurant at the Nice Hotel. In the mid afternoon we return to our hotel to refresh and relax. This evening we soak up the atmosphere at the Pukekura Park Festival of Lights.

Meals & Drinks : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We head out with Chaddy on an old English life boat (built in the Isle of Wight in 1953) for a one hour tour in the Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Park, home to an array of wildlife including New Zealand’s northern-most fur seal colony. We sightsee in New Plymouth, both Puke Ariki museum and the Govett-Brewster gallery are excellent. We take a leisurely drive to Pukeiti rhododendron park.

Meals & Drinks : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Morning tea at Cairnhill Garden with Colin and June on SH43, the “Forgotten World Highway” before continuing through rugged scenery to Whangamomona where in 1988 residents declared the town a republic after boundary changes put half the district into the Manawatu. We lunch with Rae and Bruce at “Bushlands” in Tangarakau. Then travel on to Taumarunui and the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. We arrive at The Chateau Tongariro in time to enjoy the views before dining in this classic, landmark hotel.

Meals & Drinks : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We drive around the shores of Lake Taupo and on to Orakei Korako to board the charming 1908 Whanganui riverboat “Waireka” to cruise the unseen reaches of the Waikato River with lunch along the way. We continue to Auckland, returning in the early evening.

Meals & Drinks : Breakfast, Lunch