Boutique tour , Mt Maunganui, NZ farm, Rotorua lakes/geothermal
Description
During your day's visit to Tauranga, experience the Geothermal wonderland of Rotorua. On the way there, marvel at beautiful beaches and beautiful homes, before a 45 minute drive ascending up the central plateau, through Kiwifruit plantations (we stop at one ...you'll be intrigued), and typical NZ farmland to our furthest inland destination, Rotorua. Take in the most popular sites of interest - Blue & Green lakes, view Mt Tarawera (erupted 1886) across the most gorgeous lake, walk through NZ native bush full of ferns and tall podocarps like an 1800's pioneer or Maori warrior. We highly recommend you upgrade to our P5 tour - Geothermal Rotorua w/ Maori cultural performance, an additional USD40 each and you will be entertained by a world renowned Maori troupe for their natural showmanship, and then walk through a stunning steaming living geothermally active zone). Alternative we visit kuirau park, also very active and culturally significa t. Stop lakeside for lunch.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Stop and enjoy NZ’s best beach , learn about the history as Capt Cook called this area the Bay of Plenty
We visit one of the original Kiwi orchards in this, the Kiwifruit growing capital of the world. We’re certain you’ll be impressed to see how laden these vines are with fruit, and the intense husbandry and care that goes into growing them - in part because they are such a valuable part of our local economy.
We head to Rotorua via a beautifully scenic route with excellent examples of native fauna of this region great views of the Pacific Ocean as we head down from the elevated central Plateau
Visit this once-bustling settlement on the shores of Lake Rotorua view the steaming pools, visit the old Church where Prince William and Kate were formally greeted. Admission is by donation
Browse the beautiful Government gardens, Rachels Pool and the Blue Baths
Enjoy a relaxing foot soak in Rotorua's famous mineral waters , steam steaming pools and picturesque gardens
We select one of 3 cafes in downtown Rotorua, all reputable with a nice ambience and great food to stop for lunch to relax, connect and enjoy
Here, you will enter immediately adjacent to the road that we travel on, another world that has similarities to Jurassic Park, a rainforest full of many different types of ferns, tall native trees and the sound of native birds chirping away. The experience will be similar to what the Maori who walked this country regularly or the first colonists experienced before much of our majestic forests were cut down to convert into pastoral land. We have a survey at the end of each tour and many customers pick this as their highlight, especially compared to the Redwood Forest that we also stop to experience.
We drive her past the blue and green lakes for a stunning vista of the lake and Mt. Tarawera. This is, on a clear blue day, the best location for a photo opportunity. We'll give you a brief run down on the Mt Tarawera eruption of 1886 that devastated the surrounding landscape, killed over 100 people and buried the famous Pink and White Terraces
Stroll through this famous Redwood forest planted in the early 1900's where the trees have grown with vigour in our conducive climate. We may not have time for this part of the tour, however we will always include the other visit to a grove of unique NZ native forest
If time allows and you are physically fit, we will escort you down some steep (and sometimes wet) stairs to witness the. Power of the Kaituna River and possibly joyriders on inflatable rafts, as it surges through this beautiful natural gully
We will travel here if time allows. It is a 25 minute drive to the centre of the North Island where you will delight in the mesmerising boiling mud pools that bless this part of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. This site is just a 20 m walk from where we park and you may walk another 100 m around the pool if you desire….therapeutic
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Generally we will find and greet you just after you've exited the Port customs gate for pedestrians about a 100 yard walk north of your gangway. If you've booked with us, and we haven't connected after you've exited this customs gate, please wait on the grassy knoll by the flagpoles and we should find you there, or call me on +64(21)960002 either whatsapp or traditional mobile or add me as a friend and facebook message “Toby Lerew:”
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(52)
We had an excellent tour with Toby and two other guides. A very friendly French man and English man. They made our tour very memorable by taking us to many different places and offering us much information at every location. We felt the tour was very much worth the money and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Thankyou to the three of them.
Very interesting visit to a kiwi farm. Loved seeing the countryside and the beautiful lakes in the area. Our guide Terry and driver were both excellent and we were very happy learning more about the Māori in the area.
Opted out of the visit to Māori village but the visit to geothermal city park was perfect for us. Overall great trip and Toby was excellent.
We booked this trip to take advantage of as much as we could in the short time that we were here. We were lucky to have had Toby as our guide, who is also the owner. After a short stop at the beach, we got to see a kiwi farm and the nice part was that nobody was trying to sell us anything- just a quick stop to see how they are grown and protected! Because our ship changed the times and someone decided to go back for her passport, we lost some time and were not able to visit the redwoods (but drove by them) but were able to visit the other important stops on the tour. Total tour time was still 7 hours and well worth it. Toby entertained us and was an excellent guide.
We loved the guide/driver’s insights and information about each of the sights we visited. Toby is great. He would take us to small, out of the way sights that were very significant for our enjoyment. Quick stops at the kiwi farm and at several key vantage points for excellent views of the countryside. It was a great day and we really appreciate his preparation for our trip.
Terry was knowledgeable and friendly that made the tour an amazing experience. Tauranga is a beautiful port with loads to offer be it nature or cultural experiences. Will be back!
Kerry was a wonderful driver/guide on your journey around Tauranga. Because of his love of New Zealand and the area where he was born, he conveyed enthusiasm and excitement for sharing the journey with us. Every element of the tour highlighted another aspect of this area. Highlights for us were a visit to a kiwi farm and the Māori cultural show. We highly recommend this all-day tour from our cruise ship with an easy meet-up to start the tour and a return right on time.
Enjoyed small group travel w Thiery. He was very personable and a great guide. Highest rating! Many great spots of beautiful scenery
All of the places visited were fantastic. Kiwi fruit farm, blue and green lakes, the Māori village welcome. Ceremony and the close up visit to the geyser, boiling mud and water.
Our driver/guide, Thierry, was very knowledgeable and engaging. The tour was fascinating and we were mesmerized by our chance viewing of a Maori funeral procession. However, we were quite surprised by all the commercial and residential development surrounding the Rotorua geyser field.
