Travel Innovations

New Zealand

Independent Bus and Self-drive Tours / Escorted Tours for 18-35 year olds
Classic Escorted Tours / Camping Tours / Hiking Tours / Biking Tours / Multisport Tours

10 day Volcanoes and Rainforest

Start: Auckland Visitors Centre, corner of Federal and Victoria St. 7.00am
Finish: Wellington 7.00 pm
Grade: Medium - River crossings, some rocky terrain

This tour visits an incredible number of hard-to-get-to or hard-to-know-about places. We explore the volcanic areas of the North Island, climb on the volcanoes and soak in hot-pools, and also visit New Zealand's best example of mature Jurassic rainforest. Many people are surprised at the extent of wilderness that is hidden in the North Island. We do not include Rotorua in our itinerary as this is an attraction that can easily be visited by yourself. On the first day we drive through Rotorua, and we can pick you up from here.

Day 1 (Wednesday): Join tour in Auckland 2 hours hiking.
We have a short briefing by our guide before driving south to Rotorua where we do a big food shop. Rotorua is also an optional pick-up point - by arrangement. A little further south we stop beside a forest lake for picnic lunch and to organise and pack our backpacks for the hike into Whirinaki Forest Park. This Park covers an area of 60 000 hectares and is famous for its Jurassic-like rain forest - these podocarp trees are an ancient off shoot of the conifer family and evolved before the flowering plants. It is thought that forests like this once covered the super-continent of Gondwanaland over 150 million years ago. Our first hike is an easy one, on a track through native beech forest, to a simple forest hut beside a river. While we cook our meal there is time to relax and your guide will brief you on what to expect over the coming 9 days. Introduction night.

Day 2 (Thursday): Whirinaki 6 hours hiking.
This morning we continue along the valley track for 1.5 hours. From here we hike up a side river through a beautiful gorge (learning river crossing techniques) to the next hut/camp. We stop for lunch on the way and often we have a quick swim in the cascades - crystal clear water you can drink. This remote wilderness is completely off the tourist trail. We often see rare blue duck, robins, and hear kaka (a large bush parrot). An evening campfire, and time to enjoy the surrounds.

Day 3(Friday): Whirinaki 5 hours hiking.
Our hike takes us out through cascading creeks on a rougher trail. We hike over a small pass into the world renowned Whirinaki rain forest of weeping ferns and forest giants. We are met at the track exit mid-day before driving to the Rotorua area. This amazing area is festooned with thermal activity. On the way we have a swim in a natural hot river hidden in bush - complete with a small waterfall. The evening is spent camped beside Blue Lake, one of Rotorua’s beautiful old crater lakes.

Day 4 (Saturday): Rotorua 5 hours kayaking.
Up early to kayak ($65) on Lake Tarawera, an ancient crater lake with beautiful sand beaches surrounded by forests. This area is rich in Maori history. We paddle past the site of a Maori village which was buried under the ash from the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption. There are numerous steaming thermal springs along the lake edge which we paddle through. At lunch we also soak in a hot stream in the bush. We drive south to a thermal area before vehicle-camping beside the impressive aqua-blue waters of the Waikato River.

Day 5 (Sunday): Taupo 1.5 hours hiking.
A leisurely breakfast before heading a short distance south to the clear waters of Lake Taupo for some swimming and relaxing. Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand - a 600 sq km volcanic caldera crater created when the largest volcanic explosion known to human-kind erupted in 186 AD. After lunch we drive to Tongariro National Park. Established in 1887, it is New Zealand’s first National Park, gifted to the people of New Zealand by a far-sighted Maori chief who saw this as a way of protecting the tapu (respect, sacredness, preciousness) of this land -in particular the summits of the active volcanoes. We have an afternoon hike across alpine grasslands between these volcanoes to a hut set in native beech forest beside a bubbling stream (in warm weather we usually camp nearby).

Day 6 (Monday): Tongariro World Heritage Area 4 hours hiking.
We explore this area of beech forests, springs, and desert landscapes before hiking to the next hut/camp on this remote side of Tongariro National Park. The volcanoes in the park rumble from time to time: the most recent was in September 1995 when Mt Ruapehu, the highest mountain in the Park at 2,797m spewed clouds of ash and steam. Another much younger volcano, Mt Ngauruhoe is almost perfectly symmetrical and stands 2,291m. All around this scarlet moonscape are turquoise and green-blue crater lakes, adding their surreal colours to the landscape.

Day 7: (Tuesday): Tongariro National Park 6 hour hiking.
We hike gently up through a moon valley of contorted lava flows and ash fields before a steep climb up the last steep section to the emerald lakes - our usual lunch stop. We cross this diverse volcanic plateau - lava valleys, scarlet moonscapes, steaming explosion craters, before descending on the western side. In good conditions, there is an option to climb one of the volcanic peaks. An evening drive takes us to a simple river-side lodge near the Park. We cook a big meal and relax after hot showers.

Day 8 (Wednesday): Waitomo 1 hour caving.
After an early start we drive 2 hours westwards through a hill country farming region to the Waitomo Caves area. The name Waitomo comes from the Maori wai (water) and tomo(shaft). This limestone area is famous for its thousands of caves. We explore a secret river cave - glow worms, waterfalls and limestone formations. Later we drive through the remote Waitomo back-country to the wild west coast, stopping on the way to look at rock formations in limestone scenic reserves. We camp beside the beach, swim, and cook our meal on the beach in a hangi (Maori earth oven). In the evening we light a beach fire and enjoy being beside the ocean.

Day 9 (Thursday): Mount Egmont National Park 1.5 hours hiking.
We spend the morning at the coast; clambering through the bush and exploring the site of an ancient Maori pa (fortified Village), After relaxing, swimming and exploring the cliffs and beaches we drive south to Mt Egmont National Park. This dormant volcano stands at 2518m. Its last eruption was in 1755 and it was smoking when Captain James Cook (British explorer) sailed past in 1769, naming it after the Earl of Egmont. Maori know the mountain as the spirit/god Taranaki. It is a considered a sacred place and the rocks represent his bones and vegetation represents his hair. We do a late afternoon hike through twisted moss covered forest to a cosy alpine hut high on the side of the volcano. From here there are spectacular views of Mt Egmont /Taranaki and across to Tongariro National Park - usually above the evening cloud.

Day 10 (Friday): Tour ends Wellington 2-5 hours hiking.
If the mountain conditions are reasonable, we get up early to climb up the side of Mt Egmont/Taranaki as far as Fanthams peak. There are commanding views from the summits of this solitary volcano. Late morning we descend on ancient lava flows covered in goblin forest back to the minibus. On the way south we stop at a wild Wanganui beach for lunch, a big sort out of gear and a swim. The drive to Wellington takes us through New Zealand’s flattest plains -it doesn’t last long! Arrive in Wellington 5-8pm. Head out for an evening meal and farewell drink in our capital city. Hostel or your preferred accommodation.

Note: People heading North after the safari. We connect in Stratford with an Auckland bound bus at 1pm. Please advise guide on Day 1 if this is required. Guide can arrange this booking - cost not included.

Price: NZ$1120 + NZ$20 per day for kitty (food +)
Dates: 2007 - Feb. 7,21,28, March 7,28, April 25, June 20, July 18, Aug. 15, Sept. 19, Oct. 3,17,31, Nov. 14,28, Dec. 12,19,26, 2008 - Jan. 2,9,16,23, Feb. 6,20,27, March 5,26, April 23

Hiking and Fitness
Grade : Medium - No previous hiking experience is required, but you need to be reasonably fit and enthusisatic
Hiking per day : Up to 7 hours - average 4-5 hours
Pack weight : Up to 12 kg
Altitude gain/day : Up to 700 metres - normally 200 metres
Terrain : Mostly tracks. Some may be slippery or rough; some off-track hiking and river crossings.

Accommodation will range from free wilderness camping to accommodation in some backcountry huts and cabins which you must pay for (allow $4 - $15 NZD per night).

Food is catered for by way of a food kitty system. Each person contributes approximately $10.00 NZD per day.

As walking tracks can be rough and slippery, good hiking boots are essential. You must also have a backpack (at least 50-litre capacity) and a warm sleeping bag. Both these can be hired for $50.00 NZD per item, per safari.

What to take
Essential items: Hiking boots (not shoes), backpack (at least 60 litres capacity), backpack liner (plastic bag), 3 season sleeping bag, waterproof raincoat, warm fleece / wool jersey (not cotton), shorts for hiking, polypro thermals - top and long-johns, 3 pairs of socks (they get wet), warm hat or balaclava, sunscreen and sunglasses, drink bottle (1 litre), spare shoes or sandals, flashlight / head lamp, insect repellent(sandflies like foreign blood), spare set of clothes.

Optional items: Therm-a-rest sleeping mat, gaiters, binoculars, gloves/mittens, earplugs, walking poles, camera.

We supply: Sleeping mats (dense foam), tents, cooking equipment, plates/cutlery, first aid kit, safety equipment and maps.

Luggage: We allow space for 120 litres per person (one large pack plus one day pack). You may be required to forward excess luggage if you exceed this. Any gear you do not need while hiking can be locked in the vehicle. Operator accepts no responsibility for security of your luggage. We highly recommend travel insurance.