Ultimate North Island Adventure

If you leave the northern hemisphere on a Sunday evening, you'll arrive into Auckland early on Tuesday morning where we'll meet you. You'll lose a day to the dateline, but you get it back on the way home! Leaving the city behind us, we'll follow the road along the banks of the Wairoa River and head north to Waipoua Forest, where we'll stretch our legs, greeted by native birdlife as we pass beneath huge kauri trees. We'll then continue through to the west coast settlement of Opononi, a harbour town made famous in the mid-1950s by the tame dolphin, Opo, who used to let children ride on his back. Later, after dinner we'll head back out into the Waipoua Forest for a twilight walk, where we'll be joined by local Maori guides. It's a memorable and spiritual experience to witness the greeting of these colossal trees with a spine-tingling waiata (sacred chant). We'll also visit Tane Mahuta (meaning Lord of the Forest), New Zealand's largest known living kauri tree. At a height of 51.2 metres (168 feet), and with a trunk girth of 13.7 metres (45 feet), this silent giant, with ancient limbs, seems to grasp at the stars.The Heads, Hokianga Harbour (Lunch, Dinner)Hiking Time: 3 hours, relaxed stroll

After breakfast, we’ll board a water taxi to the other side of the Hokianga Harbour to walk the sand dunes at Te Pouahi Reserve. We’ll take some sandboards along too, for those who’re keen to take the fast route down! More than 1000 years ago, Maori warrior chief Kupe and his people were the first to arrive in New Zealand, landing on the shores of Hokianga Harbour. The area was also one of the first points of Maori and European contact. With our sandboarding fix satisfied, we'll head east to the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi and hike along the bush-clad banks of the Waitangi River to Haruru Falls. The journey features a boardwalk section which provides an opportunity to pass through the interior of a mature mangrove forest, and we know we'll be approaching the end of the walk as we'll hear the thundering roar of the Falls. Later, we’ll head to ‘the Jewel of the Bay of Islands’, Paihia, a bustling seaside town with golden sand beaches.Paihia Lodgings, Paihia (All meals)Hiking Distance: 12 kilometres (7.5 mile), 5 hoursElevation Gain: 20 metres (65 feet)Elevation Loss: 20 metres (65 feet)

This morning, we’ll take a water taxi from Paihia out to Deep Water Cove for a ridgeline hike to Cape Brett through the Manawahuna Scenic Reserve. On route, you’ll experience the Bay of Islands from the ridge tops and get magnificent views. This is a 3-4 hour hike with rewarding views of the Bay of Islands the entire way - you may even see dolphins and seals from your vantage point high up on the cliffs. The mountains that we’re crossing are very important to the local Iwi (Maori tribe). The mountain “Rakaumangamanga” is one point of the Polynesian Triangle - Hawaii and Rapanui are the other 2. If you’re not feeling up to the hike, have a chat to our guides and they can arrange an alternative boat trip around the Bay of Islands. Later, we’ll be picked up at Cape Brett, again by water taxi for the scenic cruise back to Paihia. This afternoon, we’ll head south and inland to Ruapekapeka. The Ruapekapeka Pã was the site of the final battle in the ‘War of the North’, fought between British colonial forces and northern Maori, and this is where the British first experienced trench warfare. This Pã is widely recognised as one of the most significant historical sites in New Zealand.Tutukaka Lodgings, Tutukaka (All meals)Hiking Distance: 5 kilometres (3 miles), 3 hoursElevation Gain: 473 metres (1,550 feet)Elevation Loss: 473 metres (1,550 feet)