*Popular Tour* - Bay of Islands: Nature Adventure - 4hrs
Description
Explore the captivating Bay of Islands on a comprehensive 4-hour Nature Adventure tour. Beginning in Paihia, the journey leads to Haruru Waterfalls for an up-close experience, followed by a visit to the Kawiti Glow Worm Caves. Accompanied by local guides, enjoy a scenic walk among the twinkling glow worms. We then take you for a walk with ancient Kauri trees, some over 800 years old through beautiful scenic nature walk. We also finish off at Waitangi Lookout, showcasing the beautiful Bay of Islands. The itinerary also includes a visit to the artistic Hundertwasser Toilets, ensuring a unique blend of nature and culture. This tour guarantees a timely return to the ship or Paihia for shopping. - 4-hour guided tour starting from Paihia Town - Visit Haruru Waterfalls, Kawiti Glow Worm Caves, and Kauri Forest, Waitangi Lookout & Hundtertwasser Artistic Toilets. - For bigger groups get in touch, we can accommodate with several vans. *Note bring a warm jacket for the Glow worm caves*
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will head out to the Kawiti Glow Worm Cave, where a Kawiti Local Tour Guide will take you through an easy walk. With just a few steps. Experiencing the Galaxy of Glow worms on a 45-min tour through the Cave.
short walk through the enchanted Forest of Kauri Trees of up to 800+ years old, settings of amazing nature.
Head to Haruru Waterfalls , getting up close to the falls, which mean "Roar" in the Maori language.
Lookout Point of the Beautiful Bay of Islands.
Hundertwasser Artistic Toilets & Centre, a tribute to the famous New Zealand architect and visual artist
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(8)
Terrific, varied day tour with Willie, an amazingly knowledgeable and engaging guide. We loved the glow worm cave, the introduction to Māori culture, and the beautiful scenery in this part of New Zealand.
Thanks for the great review Alan, Willi is truely an asset to our business. We are so pleased you enjoyed the 4 hour tour seeing our beautiful little towns.
The guide was new and he missed one of the stops. We had to turn around and go back, which cost us about 45 minutes length on the tour. We ended up being dropped off at the wharf instead of Pahia town to explore because we had to go back on the cruise ship. Would suggest to have more experienced tour guides. The glow worms caves was great
Hi Michael, thank you for your review. The guide was not new. He just thought he would go the back way due to "knowing the road" from previous jobs. What I advised him was we do not do that under any circumstance, and stick to route. As the forest is very well hidden, as you would of noticed when you arrived. He did apologise on several occassions to the group. And we went into more training to ensure this never happens again. You did not miss a stop however, you still did the entire tour. The reason your time went over was the delay at the Glow Worms, unfortunately that is out of our hands due to them being a third party. We find it very unfortunate you could not of reach out personally, as would of love to hear your feedback over email than a review, so we could get detailed feedback. Rest assure the guide has been retrained to ensure, he sticks to the route at all times. We really hope you could reconsider your 3/5 star review, as do not find this very fair.
Great tour. Driver/guide Willie was engaging and knowledgeable. Comfortable small bus with 22 people.
Thanks for the great review Colleen, we are so glad you enjoyed your tour with us & with Willie.
First, I have to say that our guide ‘Willie’ made all the difference. We had four couples total (none of us knew each other before the tour). We started out at the waterfall - now, truth be told, this was by far the least impressive part and honestly was pretty weak. After the waterfall we headed for the cave and the glowworms, which was totally cool! The glowworms were awesome - but not being able to take any photos was a negative. After the caves, we headed to the most photographed toilets in the world - they were actually pretty interesting, inside and out. Our last stop was at the Ōpua Forest Conservation Park for a hike. The scenery in the park was really great. Now - all that said, Willie made the difference. He was personable, funny and knowledgeable which took an average excursion and made it a good excursion. Without a really good guide, this excursion would be just okay.
Thanks for your feedback Shawn. We do think the tour guides make all the difference. I am so pleased you had a great time with Elite Excursions
Our guide Nicki was so smart and interesting. The van was comfortable and we enjoyed the small group size as we were coming off of a cruise ship
We really loved this tour! Even tough we were a small group it took place and everything was perfectly organized. Our guide Nikki was a true gem and made the tour funny and informative, caring for every group member. We really appreciated her warm nature and how she shared her knowledge and even insights into local life and culture! The waterfalls were really cool especially after the rain lately, the glow worm caves absolutely magical and the kauri forest relaxing and majestic! It's perfect to go around exploring and learning about many lovely places of this beautiful area while relaxing without driving yourself.
Thanks for the lovely review Iris. Nikki is exactly that, a true gem! We are so pleased you enjoyed your tour with Elite Excursions.
Glow worm cave was magnificent wonderful tour guides for whole tour, flexible for unusual heavy rain
Thanks for your review Rebecca. We are so pleased you enjoyed your tour with us.
Fantastic way to see just a wee bit of NZs natural beauty. Our tour guide, Willie, provided an insightful, interesting, informative and entertaining commentary throughout the tour. This tour had it all; glow worms, majestic forests, spectacular waterfalls and very unusual toilets! Highly recommend.
Thank you for such a wonderful review Heather! We really appreciate your business and your feedback. Willi is a star!
