After landing in Auckland, you are welcomed and escorted through a priority lane for Customs and Security clearance.

Once you’ve collected your luggage, you’ll be escorted into the Arrivals Hall where you will meet your driver for a private transfer to Auckland’s CBD, spending four nights at Hilton Auckland including a full breakfast each morning.

With a population of more than 1.5 million in the Greater Auckland area, Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. Here you will find a vibrant city with a diverse mix of culture, landscapes and tastes. Nestled between two harbours, Auckland boasts an array of amazing bays, beaches, harbours, islands and vineyards.

Unwind at Hilton Hotel and admire stunning ocean views 900 ft (300 meters) out to sea. Positioned on the waterfront within Auckland’s city center, the Hilton offers luxury accommodation just a five-minute walk from the Viaduct, home to a wide range of good restaurants and bars.

This morning you are met by your guide for a private 8-hour tour, experiencing the best of Auckland sightseeing with an Auckland city tour in the morning combined with an afternoon nature tour – a day of contrasts.

Your morning Auckland city tour is designed to explore the history and sights of the city as well as see how Aucklanders live and play. Auckland is set on over 50 dormant volcanos and between two harbors.

Known as the City of Sails, it’s New Zealand’s largest and busiest city. There’s a variety of places you can choose to visit including Wynyard Quarter, the seaside village of Devonport, Auckland Museum, the Auckland Domain, trendy Parnell Village, Bastion Point, Tamaki Drive and Mission Bay. After lunch, move on to experience the power of the wild and rugged West Coast.

Auckland’s windswept west coast black-sand beaches, a magnet for surfers, photographers and nature lovers. Visit Muriwai Beach to see the impressive clifftop gannet colonies (from August to March), or nearby Te Henga (Bethells Beach) to stroll the sand and explore the enormous sand dunes at Lake Wainamu.

Down the coast is Piha, a popular surf beach watched over by majestic Lion Rock, and Karekare, made famous as a backdrop for the film The Piano.

After breakfast, stroll across to the Viaduct Basin (5-min walk) to meet your skipper and crew aboard the classic Haparanda yacht. Join them for a cruise around the beautiful Hauraki Gulf, home to an array of islands and beautiful beaches (6-hour cruise).

Auckland is also called the city of sails. What better way of learning about the city and Hauraki gulf and its sailing history than cruising on Haparanda. A 70ft classic schooner with a long family history.

You can either join in with the sailing and operations of the vessel or sit back and enjoy the ride whilst the crew do all the work.

This morning you’ll be met by your private driver who will take you to Auckland’s city heli-port, Mechanics Bay. From here you’ll take a 10-minute scenic flight, enabling you to see the stunning Hauraki Gulf from the air enroute to Waiheke Island. You’ll be met by your guide from Ananda tours who will show you around the Island over the next six hours before flying back to the bright lights of Auckland.

This is tailor made itinerary based on your interests. It could be a visit to an artist’s studio or sculpture garden, a scenic coastal walk, a beach excursion or a combination of premium wine tastings.

Choose from a range of winery, art and landscape tours. The island itself is an eclectic mix of lifestylers, wealthy commuters and a base for high-end secondary residences and has a growing reputation for quality wine and art collections.

This evening, back in Auckland, is your first of two contrasting transformational philanthropic experiences: you have dinner with an All Blacks rugby legend in return for a donation to his mental health foundation.

Be enthralled by his stories, including winning a World Cup and enjoy a fascinating dinner with superb wines.

Once again, you’ll be driven to Mechanics Bay to board your helicopter for the magnificent Bay of Islands. Witness some of the most amazing scenery as you fly to the “Winterless North” – renowned for its clear waters and sea life (approximately 1-hour flight). Settle in for two nights at The Landing Residences.

The Landing is a unique heritage and conservation property in New Zealand’s stunning Bay of Islands; a thousand acres of beaches, rolling hills, wildlife sanctuaries and historic sites. Here you’ll find the finest luxury accommodation, a small group of beautifully appointed holiday houses surrounded by quiet beaches, farmland and bush. Offering superb hospitality and a range of exceptional activities and experiences to choose from, The Landing Residences promise you privacy, total flexibility and the finest personal service.

This evening is another transformational philanthropic encounter. In exchange for a donation to WWF New Zealand, you are taken out in search of native Kiwi birds.

The kiwi is New Zealand’s most iconic native species.
The small, flightless birds adorn everything from New Zealand’s one dollar coin to it’s Air Force. But they need your help.

Kiwi are a family of birds endemic to New Zealand. There are five species of kiwi: Great Spotted, Okarito Brown (Rowi), Tokoeka, Little Spotted and North Island Brown.

Almost everything about them is unique. Over millions of years, kiwi adapted to live in an environment unlike anywhere else on Earth, free from the threats of mammals. It’s pretty safe to say the kiwi is a biological oddity.

All species of kiwi are threatened, the rarest of these is Rowi, a species found only in a small area of the South Island which number less than 400 individuals.

A life spent on the ground carries with it many risks, and the characteristics that make our kiwi unique have also put it in danger of extinction. As many as 95% of kiwi chicks born outside of pest controlled areas do not survive past six months. The biggest threats to kiwi are introduced predators such as dogs and stoats, loss of habitat, and us.

Your donation helps create more predator free reserves where kiwi can thrive – you help secure the future of this most iconic of species.

Your private chef will prepare breakfast prior to you heading out for a day’s sailing on the luxurious Ata Rangi.

With her exceptional fishing credentials, sophisticated electronics, modern luxury amenities and expert crew, Ata Rangi offers a charter fishing or cruising experience that is unmatched by any other yacht in her class.

Your full day charter can include local islands from Tutukaka and the Poor Knights Islands to stunning Whangaroa Harbour. The Cavalli Islands, the remote Three Kings Islands, Cape Karikari and North Cape are also fantastic fishing and cruising destinations.

Today you’ll fly south to the central North Island with a helicopter transfer to Huka Lodge (flight time approximately 2hr 15 min). Four special days and nights await you at Lake Taupo.

The Great Lake Taupo region is ‘Nature’s Ultimate Playground’, centrally located in the middle of the North Island, it’s an adventure and sporting mecca and a nature-lover’s paradise. The region is one of New Zealand’s top tourist destinations with beautiful forests, volcanic mountains and the stunning Lake Taupo.

Long regarded as one of the country’s top lodges, Huka Lodge is a lovely place of style and character evolved from a fishing lodge. A combination of superb design, smooth service and the all-important human touch make this place really quite special. The 17-acre grounds have always been faultless, and the lodge’s positioning on a particularly beautiful stretch of the Waikato River near Taupo puts it close to many fresh and exciting activities.

Clients leave Huka saying it was the best experience of their lives, confirming its position as a well worthwhile luxury travel destination.

This morning you’ll embark on the “Ultimate Huka Experience”. You’ll travel north via helicopter, over the famous Huka Falls, following the Waikato River to the Wai-O-Tapu and Waimangu geothermal regions.

Fly over and around the dormant volcanic cone of Mt. Tarawera, which last erupted in 1886. Return to Lake Taupo via some of the spectacularly lush farm and forest lands of the central North Island.

After your 1 hour 20 minute flight, your vessel will be found awaiting your arrival in a remote bay on Lake Taupo. Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch and whilst cruising back to the Taupo Marina try your hand at trout fishing as you take in the spectacular scenery.

Such a special day ahead of you today. After enjoying breakfast at Huka Lodge, your driver will pick you up, heading to Mt Titiaupenga for what’s certain to be a very memorable experience.

Mount Titiraupenga, long known by Maori to be the centre of the North Island, is home to a sacred area of mature native bush, 600 year old Totara trees. This mystical and totally private setting is where we like to arrange a formal welcome, followed by a ‘sharing session’.

The main warrior is the master carver for the local Ngati Tuwharetoa tribe – Delani Brown. A gentle, humble and spiritual man. In Maori tribes, the carver is second only to the chief as the carver is the guardian of the stories and traditions, which he keeps alive in his work.

Delani Brown is acknowledged as a master carver of his Taupo-based Tuwharetoa tribe. A gentle, humble and spiritual man, he is happy to spend some time with our clients introducing them to carving.

In addition to carving, Delani is often called upon to welcome visiting dignitaries and is delighted to welcome you.

Kai Waho “Ko tahi Te ra” Exclusive Full Day Experience.

Learn about Maori culture with Tom Loughlin – legendary tangata whenua (person of the land), host, chef and hunter at Orakei Korako Geothermal park.

Orakei Korako boasts the most active geysers of any geothermal park in New Zealand. Up to 23 active natural geysers play freely through the area, which is constantly changing.

Marvel at the number of boiling hot springs and the vibrant colours all around you, or take a native bushwalk through this untouched geothermal paradise

You can participate in the traditional food preparation and cooking of the hangi (feast). Alternatively, just sit back, relax with a drink and leave the work to Tom, who is an expert hunter, gatherer and professional chef.

Farewell the North Island this morning, boarding your helicopter for a 2-hour flight to the Nelson/Tasman region, spending three nights at Split Apple Retreat.

The popular Abel Tasman National Park entices with its clear sheltered coastline, crystal clear turquoise waters and the Abel Tasman Coast Track – one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks.”

The diverse landscape of the huge Kahurangi National Park, to the west of the region offers remote adventure in a pristine environment, including another of New Zealand’s “Great Walks”, the Heaphy Track.

Nelson Lakes National Park to the south offers an alpine landscape with majestic mountains and lakeside walks.

Split Apple Retreat is one of our favorite places to stay. A lovely small three-bedroomed lodge on a cliff overlooking the sea and Abel Tasman National Park. With a sensitive and sophisticated oriental feel inside, the point of difference here is in a revolutionary healthy yet very tasty cuisine. A place to enjoy some peace and let your body recover after the big meals at all the other lodges.

This morning you’ll make your way down to Split Apple’s private beach where you will enjoy a private day on the water, cruising the Abel Tasman’s hidden bays and beaches with the skipper as your personal guide.

You’ll have the freedom to create your own itinerary for the day and options include; kayaking, SUP, swimming, snorkeling, bush walks and hiking on golden sand beaches.

After breakfast you’ll be escorted to the nearby helipad for a flight to Kaikoura on the South Island’s East Coast (approximately 1-hour flight). Upon arrival, you’ll join the team at Encounter Kaikoura for a 3-hour private charter to swim with the dolphins.

Private Charter Dolphin Encounter.

In the rich and fresh waters of Kaikoura you can participate in a unique experience by swimming with the Dolphins. The Dusky Dolphins are prevalent in the Oceans of the southern Hemisphere.

It is an impressive view when sometimes hundreds of them gather and perform incredible evolutions. Here you have the opportunity to get up close to these fascinating mammals in the water or just enjoying their evolutions from the boat.

After spotting marine life from your sea adventure, you’ll have a chance to view whales and dolphins from the air during your 30-minute flight with Wings Over Whales.

In a typical flight you will see the majestic Sperm Whale preparing for his next dive and up to 500 Dusky Dolphins playfully swimming. Occasional sightings include Southern Right, Humpback, Fin, Sei, Brydes, Pilot, Southern Bottlenose and Blue Whales. Other, less frequent, visitors to the area include Common, Hectors, Risso’s and Southern Right Whale Dolphins, and Orca.

Your pilot, Harvey Hutton arrives this morning to whisk you south to Hokitika. Leaving the Abel Tasman National Park behind, you will enter the Kahurangi National Park (a Maori name meaning prized, precious, treasured) which is the second largest of New Zealand’s national parks.

It hosts a large variety of animals and plants unique to this region. Highlights along the way include Mt Arthur which is one of the highest mountains in the Nelson region, Mokihinui River which flows through to the West Coast, possible sightings of Red Deer which abide in the Alpine and beech forest, and onto the world renown Punakaiki “Pancake” Rocks.

Upon landing at Hokitika you’ll be greeted by Bevan Climo (flight time approximately 1hr15 – 1hr30 min).

Bevan Climo is the son of the Paramount Chief in the Hokitika area. This is the centre of pounamu (greenstone) in New Zealand. The local sacred river, the Arahura, is only accessible by Maori and Bevan will take you up it, looking for pounamu, explaining how it is found and its properties as well as how to work it.

Bevan is acknowledged as one of the foremost carvers in New Zealand. We like to keep our days with him loose as they can go in a variety of directions, although we recommend a walk up the Arahura. Bevan is a local character, knows many of the local characters, fronts an excellent bluegrass band, and can provide a unique introduction to life on the West Coast.

This area, home to a frontier mentality is notoriously difficult to get in on the inside of, unless your guide is someone like Bevan. 4WD transfers are included.

After lifting off from Hokitika you’ll fly along the West Coast enroute to Queenstown, potentially sighting whales and dolphins below. You’ll have views of Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers and, weather permitting, possibly even Mt Cook – New Zealand’s highest mountain. Heading inland over the World Heritage listed Westland National Park, you’ll fly via the Cascade Plateau (Greenstone fields) towards the icon of the Southern Alps – Mt Aspiring, The Matterhorn of the South. Known to Maori as “Tititea” meaning “Steep Peak of glistening White” it boasts two of the largest glaciers in the Southern Alps – The Bonar and Volta Glaciers. Greenstone trails along mountain passes are still in use today, one being the main tourist route through the Southern Alps from Haast to Makarora, known as the “valley of healing waters”. Land on the Tyndall Glacier for a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity before heading down into the Wakatipu Basin to Queenstown where you’ll spend four nights at Matakauri Lodge (flight time not including landing approximately 1hr30min – 1hr45min).

Spectacularly situated on Lake Wakatipu, Matakauri Lodge offers stunning views from every angle of the Remarkable, Cecil and Walter Peak mountain ranges. This luxurious alpine lakeside retreat spares no attention to detail, with the focus on making your life easy being nothing short of breathtaking. Arguably the best food in Queenstown can be found here in one of the world’s most beautiful landscapes. With just a seven minute drive to the centre, you can also explore some of Queenstown’s restaurants and bars if you are here for a number of nights.

Following breakfast, you’ll embark on a 6-hour adventure to breathtakingly beautiful Fiordland National Park.

On this exclusive trip you will fly with one of the legendary brothers, Kim or Mark Hollows. No-one knows the Fiordland better than these two, making them perfect guides for your introduction to the history and serenity of the fiords.

Responsible for the filming of the beautiful short film Ata Whenua, the brothers have a deep connection to the area – to secret places, and strong relationships with those involved with this very remote area, such as the Department of Conservation.

Preservation Inlet will be your first destination; at the bottom of New Zealand’s rugged West Coast, this is Fordland’s southernmost Fiord – remote, wild and rich in history.

From here you will fly over Dusky Sound, shipwrecks, seal colonies, pre-European Maori battlegrounds and more, with landings scattered amongst these locations.

On Spit Island you will stop for a gourmet lunch, prepared on-site and ideally accompanied by freshly caught seafood. Hunger satisfied, you will finish your day in the fiords with a visit to the untouched wilderness of Doubtful Sound.

Prepare for a full day today (8-hours) as you explore Ben Lomond Station with your Prestige Adventure Guide who will pick you up at Matakauri Lodge.

Exclusive 4WD Farm Expedition on Ben Lomond High Country Sheep Station.

Ben Lomond Station is a 13,500-hectare merino sheep station beautifully kept with grazing lands, native beech forest, lakes, rivers, mining huts and tracks from the gold mining era. It is owned by John Foster who has specialised in the farming and production of the finest merino wool for many years.

You will be taken to Moke Lake which marks the beginning of Ben Lomond Station and the private access only road. Your ATV vehicles will take you through the river route with its gold mining history and the mountain pass overlooking the rugged land sculptured by gold mining and sheep farming. Above the tree line, panoramic views open up in alpine style. Several river crossings later at Moonlight Lodge you will catch up with John Foster himself. He will give you an insight into the art of farming and tell great yarns of the early settlers and the mining history that made this land rich.

Enjoy a gourmet lunch at Moonlight Lodge to keep you fueled for the afternoon. Where you can embark on nature walks following the water races in beautiful old Beech Forest, try some lake fishing, gold mining, tackle some farming or relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Enjoy a free day exploring Queenstown at your leisure. Perhaps take a ride on the infamous Skyline Gondola for spectacular views over Lake Wakatipu. Stroll around the lake, explore the shops and galleries in central Queenstown, have a bite to eat at any of the many restaurants and cafes, or take a cruise on the historic TSS Earnslaw.

Your New Zealand Adventure has come to an end – time to farewell Aotearoa. Your driver will pick you up at Matakauri Lodge, escorting you to Queenstown Airport for today’s flight home.

This is merely a suggested itinerary. We can change any aspect of it – length, pace or cost.

We know New Zealand very well, and once we understand you very well, your itinerary will be exactly what you want.