New Zealand Self-Drive Explorer

Once you have arrived in Auckland, make your way to the pick-up desk to collect the car that will carry you south for the first leg of this journey. Check in to your accommodation for a two-night stay in the city, giving you time to settle in before the tour's first activity tomorrow.

Please note: A one-way drop-off fee applies to this rental car, payable directly to the pick-up office.

This morning, join a shared half-day tour of Auckland at 9 am, departing from Auckland CBD with a professional guide-driver for the next three hours. The route follows Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay, a waterfront suburb around five kilometres east of the city centre, with views across to Rangitoto Island, the largest and most recent volcano in the Hauraki Gulf.

From here, you continue to Bastion Point and the MJ Savage Memorial, overlooking the Harbour Bridge, Waitemata Harbour and the Auckland skyline, before stopping at Achilles Point for photographs with Rangitoto Island in the background. The tour then climbs to the summit of One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie), a 182-metre volcanic cone and the second-largest intact volcanic field in Auckland, where you learn about its history and take in the 360-degree views.

The final stop is Mount Eden, one of the most prominent volcanic cones in the region, with further views over the Hauraki Gulf, before returning to your hotel in Auckland CBD. Snacks and water are provided along the way, though tips and any meals or drinks outside the tour are at your own cost.

Today, you make the drive south from Auckland to Rotorua, arriving in time to check in to your accommodation for one night.

Later, you visit Secret Spot Hot Tubs beside Whakarewarewa Forest for a private cedar hot tub experience, a relaxing way to unwind away from the usual tourist trail. The booking includes a 45-minute soak with access to the cold plunge tubs, secure lockers and parking, plus complimentary drinking water.

Please note: Arrive 15 minutes before your booking to sign in and change. Bring your own towel and swimwear, or hire them on-site at reception. Food, drinks and hotel transfers are not included, though the venue's cafe and bar can be visited without a booking.

In the morning, you continue the drive from Rotorua to Napier, known for its concentration of 1930s Art Deco architecture, built after the city was largely rebuilt following the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

With the rest of the day free to explore independently, you might stroll along Marine Parade to see the Pania of the Reef statue, one of the country's most photographed landmarks, or wander the Art Deco streets around the city centre before checking in to your accommodation for the night.

From here, the drive continues to Wellington, New Zealand's compact, harbour-side capital, known for its strong arts scene and views across Wellington Harbour to the surrounding hills.

Once you check in to your accommodation, the rest of the day is yours to explore the compact city centre, with the Parliament Buildings in Thorndon - including the distinctive Beehive building - and the exhibits at Te Papa Museum both within easy reach on foot.

The day starts with returning your rental car in Wellington by 10 am, before boarding the Interislander ferry as foot passengers across Cook Strait to Picton. Onboard, you can make use of the locally sourced food and drinks, cinemas, free children's activities and premium lounges.

On arrival in Picton, collect your second rental car, which will take you through to Queenstown for the remainder of the tour. From here, it's a short drive to Blenheim, the heart of New Zealand's wine industry, where you check in to your accommodation for the night, with the rest of the day free to explore this sunny wine region independently.

Today, you drive from Blenheim to Kaikoura, a coastal town on State Highway 1 known for its abundant marine life, including sperm whales, dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and wandering albatross. Kaikoura was also the first local authority in the Southern Hemisphere to gain recognition under the EarthCheck Community Standard.

Check in to your accommodation for the night, with the rest of the day free to explore the town independently before tomorrow's kayaking adventure.

This morning, you take to the water for a seal kayaking adventure around the Kaikoura Peninsula, departing at 9:30 am for three hours with a local guide. Using hands-free pedal kayaks, the first of their kind in New Zealand, you get up close to New Zealand fur seals as they play in the water around you, with plenty of opportunity to photograph the encounter without needing to stop paddling.

Afterwards, you continue the drive south to Christchurch, the South Island's largest city, checking in to your accommodation for the night with time to explore independently - perhaps the Botanic Gardens, or Christchurch Cathedral in Cathedral Square and its replacement, the Cardboard Cathedral, a short walk to the north-west.

Please note: Passenger weight and height must be advised at the time of booking - a private tour is required for anyone weighing over 115 kg, and any passenger over 6'4" must also be declared in advance.

From here, you continue on to Lake Tekapo, a 20-kilometre turquoise glacial lake at the centre of the South Island, ringed by mountains including the Southern Alps - a ski resort in winter and a popular spot for water activities in summer.

The lake's striking colour comes from fine rock flour carried down by past glaciers, while the exceptionally clear night skies have made it one of the world's best locations for stargazing, with observatories atop nearby Mt John. After checking in to your accommodation, the rest of the day is free to take in the surroundings independently.

You can start the day with the drive to Wanaka, set among the alps of the South Island beside its own lake and close to Mount Aspiring National Park - a popular base for outdoor activities. Once you check in to your accommodation, the rest of the day is yours to explore, whether that means a wander through Wanaka's galleries and shops or a stop at one of its cafes and restaurants.

In the morning, the drive continues to Queenstown, a resort town built around Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long, Z-shaped glacial lake, with mountains including the Remarkables, Cecil Peak, Walter Peak, Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill rising close to the town.

One of the best views is from the top of Bob's Peak on the Skyline Gondola, looking out over Coronet Peak, the Remarkables and across the lake to Cecil and Walter Peaks. You check in to your accommodation for a three-night stay, with the rest of the day free to explore before the Milford Sound excursion later in the tour.

This morning, you depart Queenstown at 7:35 am aboard a glass-roofed coach for the five-hour journey to Milford Sound, with commentary from your driver on the history, geology and wildlife of the region along the way. The route follows the southern shores of Lake Wakatipu to Kingston, then through Garston and Athol and across the Waimea Plains, with a stop in Te Anau to stretch your legs and grab a coffee before continuing into Fiordland.

Further scenic stops follow at Mirror Lakes, Eglinton Valley and Monkey Creek, within the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area, giving plenty of opportunity for photographs, along with the chance to spot seals, dolphins, tawaki (Fiordland crested penguins) and native seabirds along the way. The coach then passes through the 1.2-kilometre Homer Tunnel before descending into Milford Sound.

By 1:55 pm, you board your cruise for around one and a half to two hours on the water, with commentary from an onboard guide and both indoor and outdoor viewing areas, plus barista coffee and a licensed bar available onboard at an additional cost. The cruise takes in Mitre Peak, rising 1,692 metres straight from the water, Lady Bowen Falls, which plunges 162 metres into the fiord, and Copper Point, the sound's narrowest and often windiest point, named for the copper veins visible in the rock.

Weather permitting, the cruise also ventures out towards the Tasman Sea, the point once avoided by early explorers such as Captain Cook due to its treacherous coastline, before passing Seal Rock, home to a resting colony of New Zealand fur seals, and Stirling Falls, a 146-metre glacier-fed waterfall named after Captain Stirling, who navigated the HMS Cleo through the sound in the 1870s.

A picnic lunch is included as part of the day; additional food and drinks can be purchased onboard the cruise at an additional cost. For the return to Queenstown, you can rejoin the coach back through Fiordland, or elevate the day with a scenic flight, available on request.

Please note: A scenic flight is available as an alternative to the coach for the return journey, on request.

Today, with no activities booked, the day is free to spend in Queenstown independently - perhaps riding the Skyline Gondola if you haven't already, or spending time along the lakefront and among the town's cafes and restaurants, before your final night in the resort town.

On your final morning, return your rental car in Queenstown by 10 am, bringing this 14-day self-drive journey from Auckland to Queenstown to a close.