On arrival at Auckland Airport you will be greeted with a private transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore this lively and ever developing city.

Sudima Auckland

This morning make your way to the rental car city depot where you will collect your car. Depart Auckland and journey through lush farming country to the rolling, grassy hills of Matamata. Experience the real Middle Earth with a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set, the bucolic setting for The Shire that featured in the Peter Jackson directed films The Lord of the Rings.

Your tour starts with a drive through the picturesque 1250 acre sheep farm with spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges. Your guide will escort you through the 10 acre site recounting fascinating details of how the Hobbiton set was created. After your tour, continue on to the bubbling belly of the North Island, geothermal, tempestuous Rotorua.

Novotel Rotorua

Today is a free day to experience the many sights and activities on offer.

Optional Sightseeing: Te Puia, New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute
This is a place of gushing waters, steaming vents, boiling mud pools and spectacular geysers. Gain deeper understanding as to how the wonders of the earth work in harmony with the powerful traditions of Maui Culture at Te Pui Art and Crafts Institute.
The region is also a great area to explore the great outdoors, with plenty of walking tracks for all abilities available.

Novotel Rotorua

Travel from a peaceful wonderland of rivers and lakes to a desolate, tortured landscape of volcanic ash where Mt Ngauruhoe is instantly recognisable as Mt Doom, and Mt Ruapehu the embodiment of Mordor.

Plateau Lodge

Travel via Waitarere Forest, Kapiti Coast and picture yourself in Osgiliath Wood and Trollshaw Forest. Enjoy the transformation of scenery through Otaki Gorge, reminiscent of the outer reaches of the Shire. You may choose to visit Queen Elizabeth Park, where some of the scenes of the battle of the Pelennor Fields were filmed, before arriving in Wellington, the base for Peter Jackson’s film studios and the Weta Workshop.

Rydges Wellington

Today enjoy a wonderful half day film location experience at the Weta Workshop which famously created much of the costumes and special effects for the Lord of the Rings films, as well as subsequent Hollywood blockbusters.

Rydges Wellington

This morning take the Interislander ferry journey across the Cook Strait from the dynamic, hilly cityscape of Wellington to the pretty town of Picton and drive to Richmond, Nelson. Nelson is home to Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith, designers of the One Ring and where one of the original rings is on display.

The Rutherford

Spend today at leisure.

Optional Sightseeing: Mt Olympus Helicopter Tour
This site is extremely remote and can only be reached by helicopter. Mt Olympus sprouts rocky outcrops which over time have been eroded by weather to form incredible columnar shapes. These strange pinnacle rock formations were used to portray the rugged country “South of Rivendell”.

The Rutherford

The road south is breathtaking with white capped breakers and rugged rocks on one side, bush-clad mountains on the other. Travel via Punakaiki, famous for its pancake rock formations which date back about 30 million years.

Beachfront Hotel

Continue on down the West Coast home to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, unique relics of the last ice age. Mighty rivers of solid white, tumbling down ice-hewn rock valleys, they are classically beautiful in the glacial sense. Nowhere else in the world have glaciers advanced so close to the sea at this latitude.

Bella Vista

Enjoy waterfalls and beautifully scenic rivers and lakes as you head towards the lakeside town of Wanaka.

Edgewater

Today’s half day wilderness jet boating adventure is set amongst spectacular scenery. Travel past towering mountains, waterfalls and Lord of The Rings film locations on the pristine, glacier fed river.

Edgewater

Journey south over the Clutha and Cardrona Rivers and via Lake Dunstan to Cromwell. Continue through the Kawarau Gorge before arriving at New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown. An alternative route today is via the Crown Range Road which is New Zealand’s highest sealed highway. This route is shorter than the one via Cromwell, however travel time may take longer due to the winding nature of the road (note: this route is not recommended over winter).

Copthorne Lakefront

Today enjoy a half day off road adventure with exciting Lord of the Rings film locations. The 4WD tour takes you into the heart of New Zealand’s high country, the embodiment of the Middle Earth of Tolkien’s imagination. Enjoy a spectacular look at the diversity of the scenery in this area. Based around several of the specific sites where filming took place.

Copthorne Lakefront

Enjoy the scenic journey to the quaint inland town of Twizel nestled between impressive mountain ranges. Marvel at the awesome sight of Mount Cook.

Mackenzie Country Hotel

Time is available this morning to explore Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak located in the heart of New Zealand’s most spectacular mountain region, the Southern Alps. One of the most spectacular features of this area is the Tasman Glacier which is 30kms long. Also well worth seeing is the Hochstetter Ice Fall. There are a wide variety of walking trips available where mountain and glacier scenery are at their best. Depart Mount Cook and drive over the farms, fields and braided rivers of the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch.

Crowne Plaza

Today’s tour takes you to remote and beautiful Mt Potts high country station where its peaceful mountain was transformed into Edoras. Immerse yourself in the natural, unspoilt beauty of this breathtaking area with its sparkling clear lakes, glistening blue rivers and fresh, crisp mountain air. Exciting 4WD adventure and short guided walk to breathtaking 360 degree views. See the Misty Mountains and handle movie replicas.

Crowne Plaza

Tour concludes with the return of your rental car to the Christchurch airport depot.

Breakfast