Central Discoverer - 7 Day New Zealand Adventure Tour         

The Best of the Central North Island
A volcanic triangle of bubbling mud pools, raging rapids, active volcanoes and 100m cave shafts!

Get ready for the trip of your life as we take you to the ‘best of the best’ in New Zealand …but don’t relax too much - the next exhilarating challenge is just around the corner.

Your Tour Itinerary

Day 1 - Waitomo Caving and Abseiling with bush camp

Created over millions of years, running streams have methodically carved their way down through limestone bed to form what is now one of the most complex, intricate and visually spectacular caves in the Waitomo National Park. We are fortunate and have access to two privately owned caves miles away from the tourist busses.

Hike along craggy limestone ridges, scramble over huge blocks of limestone, wind your way through punga groves and catch your breath in fern-filled clearings. You will be surrounded by expansive views of the entire King Country and most of the Waikato from Mt Ruapehu to the south around to Mt Te Aroha in the north-east. The view from the top of the Waipuna cliffs is unbelievable, taking in a large portion of the North Island and you will get the chance to savour it as you control your own descent of the 90 vertical metres to our camp under the stars at the bottom.

Day Two - Waipuna Caving, bush walk and farmstay

Now that we have made it here there is only one way back and that’s through three kilometres of Cave. Properly equipped you will explore the Waipuna cave system. This involves a short but challenging rockclimb up through a waterfall to enter the cave. The challenge is now to follow the water upstream jumping through deep pools, scrambling over rocks, diving around 4-8m through an underwater sump (depending on the water level) and squeezing through gaps to emerge through the upstream entrance.

The final challenge is to complete the full circuit by using map and compass skills to navigate through the untracked bush back to the start.

Day Three - Taupo

This morning we are going to go hiking down the Waikato River (New Zealand's longest) to the impressive Huka Falls. After this we head south for the short drive down the length of Lake Taupo, the biggest volcanic crater in the world. Lake Taupo is set amidst clean, green countryside, spectacular mountain scenery, beautiful native bush and some of the largest pine forests in the Southern Hemisphere. Thermal activity in this region includes natural hot pools and springs, steaming craters and boiling mud pools. Taupo is the North Island adventure equivalent of Queenstown and because there is so much to do here so we are going to make the most of it - So you can choose do as much as you like or nothing at all.

Some options available are: Bungy Jumping, High Velocity River Drift Dive, Jet boating, Sky Diving, Kayak to the Carvings. Pure adrenalin!

Day Four - Tongariro National Park

Tongariro Crossing - New Zealand’s best one-day walk through a world heritage site. Fancy a walk on the Moon? Well here’s a more accessible option. The 12 mile Tongariro Crossing is considered the best hike in New Zealand. This untouched volcanic terrain offers a fascinating look at a very alien environment, complete with twisted lava formations, volcanic steam vents, vast craters, active volcanoes, boiling lakes, barren desert, lush forest, crystal-clear mountain streams, steaming geysers and emerald green lakes. Phew! Experience a diversity of landscapes unlikely to be found together anywhere else in the world.

Day Five - Redwood Forest, Hells Gate and the Mighty Kaituna

The Whakarewarewa Forest is a place where you can escape and unwind . . . or escape and energize!, Walk or Bike this Giant Redwood Forests alternatively there’s Hells Gate a fiery place you can meander through fields of roaring geezers and the boiling mud or simply sit back and wallow in a mud bath or soak and relax in an ancient medicinal sulphur lake.

This short sharp adrenalin shot will wake you up - The Kaituna River offers the most exhilarating white water rafting in New Zealand and is ranked a grade 4/5. Why? This river begins at the outlet of Lake Rotoiti and the sheer volume of water escaping the lake has created 15 fast and furious rapids - the adrenaline just keeps on pumping until you hit the highest commercially rafted waterfall known, “The Tutea Falls” at 7metres (23ft) - you couldn’t ask for a better finale.

Day Six - White Island Volcano - exploring or diving

Our unique and amazing 6-hour marine experience includes a comfortable 80 minute boat journey each way on one of our two purpose-built launches, and a two hour exploration of New Zealand's only live marine volcano with White Island's most experienced and knowledgeable guides. Sharing our knowledge of all the bird and marine life that we see is part of the day and as we have a permit to view dolphins and whales, we will spend time with these mammals whenever we see them.

If you are a certified scuba diver, there are very few places you can dive a live volcano, but White Island, which has been steaming away for centuries is something quite unique. Optionally explore the crater area of this active volcano in the interval between diving with huge Kingfish, Stingrays and Blue Maomao. But what makes this place truly unique are the bubbling underwater fissures creating an underwater Jacuzzi. Note that there is an additional charge of NZ$100 to cover the cost of diving and equipment hire.

Day Seven - Coromandel Peninsula

Paddle through amazing sea caves, explore offshore islands, snorkel the marine reserve. Paddle spectacular volcanic remains rarely seen by other travellers, littered with caves, tunnels & blowholes.

Anchor your kayak at the dive or snorkelling spot of your choice or beach the kayak and do a explore the shore. The 5km of coastline running south to hot water beach is a safe haven to enjoy an unspoilt marine environment. The stunning cliffs and islands provide ideal bays for exploring the marine environment. Reefs of hard rock, soft sediment, intricate caves, and underwater arches provide homes for complex communities of plants, crustaceans, molluscs and fish.

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 What's Included

Departure Dates

Tour Prices
Per Person in NZ$