Upon arriving in Auckland, we took the Air Bus to our hostel in the heart of the beautiful city. An advantage of travelling in low season was that our room was available right away. In a few moments, we were showered, changed, and ready to explore the city.

Auckland is very hilly; I recommend supportive walking shoes so you can get out and see everything. The city is very easy to get around. We stopped for coffee, but it took a while to 'translate' our orders – what we call a "Double Double" here in Canada is a flat-white over there. We came across Albert Park, a lush location full of fountains and vegetation that offers the best view of the city. From here we made our way back to the hostel to book our day tour for the next morning. The tour itself helped us figure out where we wanted to visit during the rest of our time in Auckland. If you are not afraid of heights, you can try the free bridge walk and receive a discount for A.J. Hackett Bungee off the Harbour Bridge. For the less daring, Victoria Park Market is a must for reasonably priced souvenirs.

After a few days in Auckland, we used pour Magic Travellers Network pass to take us towards Waitomo. We stopped for a few hours with for some optional activities offered, such as Black water rafting and glow worm cave tours. The glow worm cave tour was fascinating – at the end, you hop on a boat and silently float in the dark underneath a ceiling of glow worms. It was very cool to see! From here we made our way to Rotorua for the night, scenically located at the base of a dormant volcano. This is a great place to try one of the many adventure activities that New Zealand is known for. We pre-booked our hostel before leaving Canada, but you can put your name on a list on the bus and have the guide book your accommodation for you.

The next morning we left for Taupo, a beautiful town located on the shores of Lake Taupo. We stayed very close to the water in a guesthouse called Tiki Lodge, which was close to all the amenities. Bungee jumping and skydiving were both available there!

We left Taupo early in the morning while the fog was still lifting off the lake. On the drive to Wellington, New Zealand's Capital, we stopped along the Desert Road to take pictures of the tallest peaks on the North Island. It was spectacularly beautiful. We decided to spend two nights in Wellington in order to further see the sights. Upon arrival in each town, the bus takes you on a Mini Tour so you can get better acquainted with the area. Our hostel, the Base hostel, was in the perfect location and each room had a balcony overlooking the main street. It rained the entire second day, so we spent it indoors at the Te Papa Museum. Entry was free, but it would have been worth paying for – we could have spent another full day exploring if we hadn't been booked to leave the next day.

On the way to Napier in the Hawke's Bay region, we stopped at the Kiwi Wildlife refuge centre at Mt Bruce. In the early afternoon, we visited the Tui Beer Factory for a tasting. We were supposed to go for a wine tour at Mission Estate winery afterward, but it was closed for a private function. Napier is a charming little Art Deco coastal town, a great place for a relaxing stroll on the beach to recharge for the last leg rest of the trip. Upon leaving Napier we drove through Taupo and Rotorua to pick up passengers on our way to Mt Maunganui. It is a great little surfing town on the East Coast of the North Island, hiding million dollar homes and a great little Irish Pub full of friendly locals.

The next morning returned us to where we were dropped off over a week earlier. On our last day in Auckland, we walked around and shopped for last minute souvenirs and enjoyed one last night on the town. It was an unforgettable vacation.

Includes: transportation.

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