Kauri Multisport

Kauri Multisport - 5 days

Caving in Waitomo · Biking in Rotorua · Scree Jumping at Mt Tarawera · Hiking the Tongariro Crossing

The Kauri works well at the beginning or end of a South Island trip since the two islands are quite different. The North Island is a land of volcanoes, hot springs, waterfalls, and unique vegetation. It's also home to most of the Maori population of New Zealand. We offer the Kauri so you can see the "other side of New Zealand".

Tuesday - Waitomo Caves boat ride or caving
For those of you who are flying in this morning, we'll meet you at the airport. If you've just finished one of our South Island trips, we'll pick you up from your accommodation in Auckland for an early start. We'll immediately head up to the top of Mt Eden. This is a short diversion, on the way out of town, and the views from the top of this volcano are spectacular. From Mount Eden, we head down to the famous Waitomo Caves. We have two options here - you can take a boat ride on a river running through one of the larger caves, or take the more adventurous option and head 'down under' for some real caving. Either option is fine with us - caving is very exciting, but it's not for everyone. If you're doing the adventurous option, you'll don a wetsuit, helmet and headlamp to explore the system of underground caves. You'll float down a stream, jump off waterfalls, and lie on your back with your headlamp off to admire the glowworms. After this we'll have a picnic lunch and then take a short walk to the Arapuni Natural Land Bridge. We'll check out the interesting limestone formations that characterize the area. Finally it's an hour or so to Rotorua, where we'll arrive in the evening.
ACCOMMODATION: Cedar Wood Lodge, Rotorua. (L,D)

Wednesday - Mountain biking and Maori culture in Rotorua
Rotorua is the homeland of the Te Arawa tribe, and the influence of the Maori people can be seen everywhere. There's an excellent museum to visit, and all sorts of arts and crafts worth checking out. Rotorua is located right on a fault line, so there's a great deal of geothermal activity here. You'll see craters belching steam everywhere, and its distinctive smell of sulfur permeates the whole town. We'll spend the afternoon showing you some of our favorite spots in Rotorua. You can go mountain biking in the forest behind Rotorua, or do some great hiking today. Afterwards you'll have the evening to do your own thing. You may like to go out for a Maori concert and hangi to experience the Maoris' traditional method of cooking. Meats and vegetables are wrapped in linen, and buried in the earth with hot stones. Several hours later, it's uncovered and ready to eat. This method of cooking is very healthy - there's no additional fat used, so it's akin to steaming everything. The hangi is not for everyone (especially if you're a vegetarian!) so your guide can make reservations tonight at one of the many restaurants in town.
ACCOMMODATION: Cedar Wood Lodge, Rotorua. (B,L)

Thursday - Hiking and scree jumping at Mt. Tarawera, a dormant volcano
Today you'll have an early start for a challenging but extremely rewarding day. In fact, many of our clients have said this was their single most amazing day in New Zealand! We'll drive to the base of Mt Tarawera, a spectacular dormant volcano. It last erupted in 1886, and caused a great deal of damage to the surrounding area. The world famous Pink and White Terraces were destroyed by the eruption, and an entire Maori village was buried in mud. There's a trail to the top, so in typical style we eschew the 4WD option and hike to the rim of the crater. This alone is really spectacular - but it gets even better! We carry on walking around the rim, and climb some more to the peak of the volcano, then turn around and scree jump into the crater! This may be the only time in your life you will have the chance to picnic in a volcanic crater. After lunch, we climb out of the crater and hike down again. We'll have a quiet beer at the Waiotapu Tavern, then drive down to Turangi for a soak at some thermal pools before checking into our accommodation and enjoying a BBQ dinner.
ACCOMMODATION: Creel Lodge, Turangi. (B,L,D)

Friday - Hiking the Tongariro Crossing
Turangi is a lovely little place, perched between Lake Taupo and three massive volcanoes - Tongariro, Ngaruhoe and Ruapehu. Lake Taupo is New Zealand's largest lake, and it's also the biggest volcanic crater in the world. We'll spend two nights here to catch our breath, and do some more hiking. Today you have the option (weather permitting) to hike the Tongariro Crossing unguided, if you're still keen after yesterday's volcano-climbing extravaganza! This seven-hour trek is said to be the best one-day walk in New Zealand on a clear day! If you prefer, you can stay with your guide and do a couple of smaller though still very rewarding and unique walks. One is a hike around Lake Rotopounamu, an isolated mountain lake in the middle of the virgin prehistoric rainforest. The other is a walk through the native tussock to a waterfall at the base of Mt Ruapahu, the largest active volcano in New Zealand. At the end of the day, we'll have a great al fresco dinner at Creel Lodge.
ACCOMMODATION: Creel Lodge, Turangi. (B,L,D)

Saturday - Hiking to hot springs and depart
Last day of the trip! We'll head up the road to Taupo, where we'll walk down to the Waikato River for a soak in the hot river, and lunch. Then we'll head back to Auckland. We'll have you back in time for evening flights back to the United States, or to stay another night before shuttling to the South Island to start a Rimu, a Manuka, or a Tui. (B,L)

ACCOMMODATIONS: Both of the places you'll be staying are lakeside lodges with private bathrooms and modern facilities.

FITNESS: We incorporate plenty of adventure activities, and our focus is on getting you out of the vehicle, out of stress-mode, and into the scenery! Like all our trips, you don't need to be young or really fit - but this trip has lots of action at a good pace, and it's definitely not designed for couch potatoes. Every one of the days on the trip will be unforgettable. We manage the level of commitment to suit your experience (nothing is compulsory!), and we have an impeccable safety record. We hold all relevant government transport and outdoor guiding licenses, and our staff are highly trained and experienced.

EXPERIENCE: You don't have to have any outdoor experience at all to take our trips. We offer trips that allow you to make the most of New Zealand's incredible outdoor environment. Our staff are highly trained and very experienced outdoor guides, and we will look after you! You don't need to be a serious cyclist to enjoy the rides we have available. There's plenty of active options, but if you'd rather fish or just laze around one day, we can make that happen too! All we ask is that you be energetic and in reasonable shape - and we guarantee you'll have an incredible time.

PRICE: The trip fare is US$1399 + 12.5% government taxes.

The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:

All guiding services and we take no more than 14 clients per trip. This means we can really make sure you have a great time!
Comfortable accommodation for the entire period you are with us. We can also organize accommodation for you if you want to arrive earlier or leave later.
All your meals, except in one night in Rotorua. Alcohol is not generally included, although we do like to see the look on your face when we our turn up with an icebox full of beer (and juice, and water).…)
All hiking, caving and cycling described in the itinerary.

Dates: 2007- Jan. 30-Feb. 3, Feb. 13-17, Feb. 27-March 3, March 13-17, March 27-31, Oct. 23-27, Nov. 6-10, Nov. 20-24, Dec. 4-8, Dec. 11-15, Dec. 18-22

We'll see you soon!