12 Day Adventure Through New Zealand
ADVENTURE • GOURMET • WILDERNESS
New Zealand is renowned as an adrenaline-junkie’s paradise, and our action-packed Adventure Addict itinerary delivers incredible thrills alongside spectacular scenery.
Begin in Auckland, the City of Sails, where you’ll feel the rush of ocean spray and get your first tastes of Aotearoa. You’ll drive through the central North Island, have an adrenaline pumping pit stop that will leave you glowing, and head onto explore Rotorua.
In the South Island, explore Marlborough's wine haven, Christchurch's garden charm, and Queenstown's adrenaline-pumping escapades.
After each days awe-inspiring feats; rest, recharge and reward yourself at luxurious lodges and fine hotels. This itinerary is a bucket-list trip for thrill seekers and gourmets who want to experience the best of New Zealand’s in style.
Day 1-2: Arrive in Auckland
Meet your guide upon your arrival at the airport to transfer you to your hotel in the heart of the city. Drop your bags and head straight out to the harbour to experience the City of Sails from the water on an America’s Cup yacht. Dine at one of the city’s top restaurants and get to bed early for the adventures to come.
After trying New Zealand’s favorite morning beverage, the flat white, in the morning, take the ferry to the exclusive Waiheke Island, an island just 45 minutes from downtown Auckland known for it’s gorgeous beaches, local artists and dozens of Mediterranean like vineyards with world class cellar doors and restaurants. Taste the best the island has to offer on a privately guided tour.
Where to Stay: Park Hyatt Auckland
• SIZE: 195 ROOMS • ROOMS STYLE: CLASSIC • VIBE: SOPHISTICATED
Elegant spaces and impressive harbor views set the tone at the 5-star Park Hyatt Auckland. The 195-room hotel is designed as a Maori wharenui (meeting house) with the intention of creating a holistic ambiance that brings guests together. Interiors pay homage to New Zealand’s indigenous culture, while the hotel’s four restaurants highlight homegrown ingredients in dishes like Kumara Gnocchi & Lamb Ragout and Paua Risotto, each paired with local syrahs and sauvignon blancs.
✧ TIP: Watch the prestigious America’s Cup (held every March) from Wynyard Quarter, just steps from the hotel. Better yet, book the rooftop Presidential Suite and catch the races from your private balcony.
Day 3-5 : Rotorua
Collect your rental car and head south over the green rolling farmlands of Waikato, explore a subterranean wonderland of glowworm caves and black water rapids, guided by caving experts. Continue onto Rotorua where you’ll see volcanic activity such as boiling pools of mud and torrents of steam rising out of the ground. Discover Rotorua’s epic mountain bike trails, and hit the rivers by kayak before visiting a traditional Maori village to enjoy a cultural performance and feast on traditional foods. A private tour of Hobbiton, the incredible farmland movie set for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, will bring the movies to life.
Where to Stay: Treetops Lodge & Estate
• SIZE: 13 ROOMS • ROOMS STYLE: CLASSIC • VIBE: CASUAL
Nestled in 2,500 breathtaking acres of 800-year-old native forest, Treetops Lodge is a uniquely New Zealand experience. This wildlife sanctuary offers outdoor activities centered around seven streams, four lakes, and 43 miles of adventure trails. The spa combines traditional therapies with unique indigenous Maori treatments – the specialty Maori therapeutic massage is a must after a day on the nearby Kinloch Club. Adventures abound for the whole family: junior cooking classes, photography safaris, helicopter tours, Maori poi making and flax weaving, mountain biking, and hiking to spectacular waterfalls and active volcanoes.
✧ TIP: Learn about traditional Maori cuisine and forage edible native plants and Manuka honey with a local expert for a meal you’ll never forget.
Day 6-7: Marlborough
Board an early flight out of Rotorua to the South Island for a brand new adventure. The Marlborough region is synonymous with wine, most famously the world best Sauvignon Blanc. Stay amongst the vines in gorgeous boutique accommodations, and explore the cellar doors, tasting as you go, on a privately guided tour. Take a behind the scenes look at life as a winemaker, commencing with a tour of a select vineyard and inside a working winery where you'll learn about the winemaking process from vineyard to bottle. You'll then be guided through a wine blending session where you can create your very own signature bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, perfectly blended to suit your palate.
Where to Stay: The Marlborough
• SIZE: 10 ROOMS • ROOMS STYLE: CLASSIC • VIBE: SOPHISTICATED
Set beside a working vineyard in New Zealand’s most famous wine region, The Marlborough is a boutique hotel that beckons to oenophiles and outdoorsy-types alike. Inside this slate-hued clapboard stay, which once housed an early 20th-century convent, you’ll find 10 unique rooms, a cosy library and a farm-fresh restaurant. Make your way outside for dips in the pool, competitive-as-you’d-like tennis matches and as many wine tastings as you can handle. Head beyond the grounds for day hikes through the region’s dramatic landscape and sea kayaking through the Marlborough Sounds, then in the evenings, unwind on the veranda with your newfound favourite vintage.
✧ TIP: A former nunnery, one of the top-floor suites has the original stained glass windows, which fill the room with colour when the sun hits. You’ll find the spa in the chapel.
The next day, discover Marlborough’s other jewel, the meandering Marlborough Sounds. The spectacular maze of inlets, islands and bays makes up a staggering one fifth of New Zealand’s total coastline, and unsurprisingly is home to delicious seafood at every turn which you’ll enjoy on a seafood cruise through the Sounds.
Day 8-10: Christchurch
Drive south down the coast between the Southern Alps and the rocky and rugged beaches. Stop for lunch in Kaikoura and watch huge pods of dolphins numbering in the hundreds, numerous colonies of delightfully inquisitive seals, and majestic humpback and sperm whales which glide by year-round.
Arrive in scenic Christchurch, known as the "Garden City" for its expansive parks and well-tended gardens and enjoy an afternoon visit to the Riverside Market, a vibrant indoor farmers market overlooking the Avon River. A chef will take you on a guided tour of the market, where you can sample local delights as you go before exploring the rest of the city. Christchurch has fantastic new developments continue to open and bring vibrancy back to central city. Shop at the iconic department store of Ballantynes, and get lost in the maze of laneway stores that have opened up around Cashel Mall and get your culture fix at the restored Arts Centre or Canterbury Museum before a delicious dinner in a nearby restaurant.
Where to Stay: Otahuna Lodge
• SIZE: 7 ROOMS • ROOMS STYLE: CLASSIC • VIBE: SOPHISTICATED
At the exclusive country estate that is Otahuna Lodge, you'll feel as if you own the place. With just seven suites set in the ornate main lodge, there's ample room to spread out, and the attentive staff treat you like family. Enjoy the pleasures of your suite, from its deep bathtub and Penhaligon’s of London bath amenities, to the ornate original fireplace. Venture onto the grounds for a guided garden tour; each season brings with it new blooms – daffodils in September, vibrant gold-and-red foliage in May. The lodge offers mountain bikes, perfect for exploring local villages.
The next day, travel over the breathtaking Banks Peninsula, one of New Zealand's most unique landforms which affords glorious views of sprawling farmland, Akaroa and Lyttelton Harbours, the Canterbury Plains, set against a backdrop of the distant Southern Alps. You'll have the opportunity to wander around the charming 175-year-old French harbourside village of Akaroa with its museums, art and craft shops and studios before enjoying lunch at an award-winning cafe.
Day 10-12: Queenstown
Continue your journey south to Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand. A picturesque resort town, Queenstown is built on inlet around majestic Lake Wakatipu and set against the dramatic southern alps. Get your adrenaline fix with a thrilling jetboat ride or bungy-jumping, two must do Queenstown adventures.
This evening, take part in an indulgent progressive dinner hosted at a selection of iconic and hidden gems around Queenstown on a gourmet feast. With each venue comes a specially prepared course showcasing fine wine and delectable food perfectly complimented with Kiwi hospitality.
Where to Stay: Eichardt's Private Hotel
• SIZE: 14 ROOMS • ROOMS STYLE: CLASSIC • VIBE: SOPHISTICATED
A sumptuous retreat for the most discerning globetrotters, Eichardt’s Private Hotel, in its pristine lakefront setting, offers seven luxurious suites, four apartments, and one rooftop Penthouse suite in the heart of town, and four three-bedroom villas. Each abode, with a super-king bed, fireplace, and generous bathroom, is the perfect place to rest after a day of exploring this vibrant city’s historic sites, shops, and cafés. The latest additions to the Eichardt’s portfolio include an 80-foot cruising yacht Pacific Jemm, available for day charter or overnight, and The Grille by Eichardt’s, both of which are located on Lake Wakatipu.
✧ TIP: Eichardt's in-house Spa is a great option to enjoy a relaxing treatment after a day's adventure!
The next day, take a tour to Milford Sound, New Zealand’s most famous attraction. Ditch the eight hour drive and view breathtaking Fiordland National Park from the air as you fly over the cascading waterfalls, ancient glaciers and lush rainforests. Land for a cruise in the majestic fiord to experience its towering peaks, cascading waterfalls and jaw-dropping views.
On your final day, either dive into whiskey and wine or wellness. On the boozy route, witness the spectacular vistas of the Wakatipu Basin on a scenic drive from Queenstown to Cardrona driving on the Crown Range, the highest main road in New Zealand and undoubtedly one of the most picturesque. Visit the Cardrona Distillery and learn the whisky-making process from grain to glass and from there, descend into the charming Gibbston Valley, a world class Pinot Noir region. Enjoy wine tasting and a lunch at some of the region's top local wineries. If you take the wellness track, Take the Skyline Gondola up to Bob’s Peak to enjoy the breath-taking panoramic views of the Remarkables, Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and more. There are several activities you can enjoy in the Skyline complex, and it is a starting point for many hiking trails to the surronding peaks. From easy 30-minute walks to the 8 hour climb of Ben Lommond, it all starts here. End your trip with a massage or a stroll around the lakeside and a gourmet dinner before tucking into bed early for your early flight home.
ACERA BENEFITS EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU
No matter where you stay, you’ll enjoy some of these exclusive amenities. Our ‘preferred partner’ status with our travel partners gives you access to complimentary benefits and unadvertised experiences, at some of the finest hotels across the globe, and we're also a member of Virtuoso®, the world’s leading luxury travel network, giving our team access to the most renowned and unique properties.
✧ Buffet breakfast daily, for two guests per bedroom
✧ A $100 hotel credit per room
✧ Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
✧ Complimentary Wi-Fi
✧ A gourmet picnic lunch hamper for two with a bottle of New Zealand premium wine at Treetops
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