Itinerary
The tour departs from
the ship side, our staff wait at the foot of the gangway and will have a TRG-8 name board displayed. After a short drive through the beach suburb of Mount Maunganui we head over the Harbour
Bridge to the main city of Tauranga and then head to Rotorua.
Passing first through Te Puke, the home of the New Zealand Kiwifruit, we stop at Kiwi360, showcase of the Kiwifruit
industry, to see how the fruit is grown and taste some products from this iconic plant, souvenirs available. Our route then continues through farmland, native bush and forested areas, past Lake
Rotoiti and Lake Rotorua before arriving at Rotorua.
Our route lets you see some of the main sights of this historic city, the birthplace of New Zealand tourism and a popular destination
for international visitors since the 1850's.
We take a short break at the Rotorua Bath House in the beautiful Government Gardens, time for lunch at the cafe if you want or just enjoy a
walk around the gardens to see Rachel's Pool and the Blue Baths.
After the lunch break we then take a short drive to Te Puia, the home of the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and the
location of the famous Pohutu geyser. Visit the carving school and see craftsman fashion traditional wood carvings, then move on to watch Maori women demonstrate flax weaving. A short walk takes
us through the geothermal valley of Whakarewarewa to view the mud pools, the famous Pohutu geyser and hot pools that make Te Puia unique. See New Zealand's iconic flightless bird, the Kiwi
in a purpose built Kiwi-house. Explore the recreated traditional Maori fortified village.
Seats are reserved for us to see a Maori Cultural Performance, this is given on the Marae, in one
of the few fully carved meeting houses in New Zealand, a place of special spiritual significance to Maori. Here you will see the traditional songs, dances and demonstrations of fighting skills
[including the Haka] performed.
We then depart Rotorua for the return to Tauranga to rejoin the ship.
If you would like a private tour following this itinerary, for groups from
1 to 100 persons, then please contact us and we will be pleased to provide a quotation for a Signature Class Tour. |
