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ITINERARY

Duration: 22 days

PRICE & DEPARTURES

From £904

VEHICLES

Toyota Rav4 2.0 litre 5 door with air conditioning, or similar.
Toyota Prado 4.0 litres, 5 door automatic with air conditioning, or similar.

Other car types are available. Please call for further details.

Self Drive 4x4

The Real New Zealand

Outline Itinerary [2/3] >>
Day 9:	Rotorua-Napier For today’s drive you will appreciate the four wheel drive on your vehicle. The route traverses the heart of Urewera National Park, a sparsely inhabited region of extensive native forest and pretty lakes. Once you reach the coast, you are back on the main road and it is a short drive to Napier. This coastal town is situated in an important wine producing area and is famous for its art deco architecture, dating from when the city was rebuilt following an earthquake. Overnight in the area.
Day 10:	Napier-Mt. Ruapehu Drive the historic Gentle Annie Road, which used to link the inland farms and the harbour of Napier. Horse drawn carriages used to struggle on the route, which remains a challenging reminder of the past. Once you reach the Desert Road, you are almost in sight of Mt. Ruapehu, a splendid snow-capped volcano and the highest peak on the North Island. Overnight in the area.
Day 11:	Mt. Ruapehu-Wellington Take the Old Post Road, which follows the scenic valley of the Whanganui River through superb scenery. At the coastal town of Whanganui, a welcome stretch of sealed road brings you to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital and a cultured city of museums, performing arts and lively cafes and pubs. We recommend an (optional) visit to Te Papa, the National Museum. Overnight in the city.
Day 12:	Wellington-Cook Strait-St. Arnaud Drop off your rental vehicle at the ferry depot and take the early ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton on the South Island. Pick up your second rental vehicle and take the Queen Charlotte Drive for some stunning views of the Sound. Then head inland to St. Arnaud, where you stay overnight by Lake Rotoiti and the rugged Nelson Lakes National Park.
Day 13:	St Arnaud-Hanmer Springs Take the Maruia Saddle Road, a splendid four wheel drive route which winds among sparkling streams and rainforest. Join the main road at Lewis Pass and head east to Hanmer Springs, famous for its thermal pools. Overnight in the area.
Day 14:	Hanmer Springs-Kaikoura Take the inland road to Kaikoura, where your can enjoy the freshest of seafood and take a whale watching trip to see sperm whales or swim with seals or dusky dolphins. Overnight in Kaikoura.
Day 15:	Kaikoura-Canterbury Plains Cross the Canterbury Plains to the foot of the Southern Alps, where you stay overnight on a working sheep farm, a great way to find out about the ‘Kiwi’ way of life.
Day 16:	Canterbury Plains-Otago Leaving the Canterbury Plains, you’ll reach turquoise coloured Lake Tekapo. Take an optional scenic flight to the glaciers of Mt Cook before continuing the drive into Central Otago, where you stay overnight in an historic hotel.