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Overview

Explore New Zealand’s vineyards

New Zealand is generally known as a land of pristine natural landscapes, where sharp snow-capped peaks plunge into vast plains that stretch all the way to rugged capes and black sand beaches. Yet this country is also a great destination for wine lovers, with many prestigious vineyards scattered across the land. This unique trip is your chance to explore the vineyards of New Zealand and delight your palate with the rich and delicate flavors of this country’s wines, many of which can easily challenge the best European vintages. New Zealand is the southern hemisphere’s answer to the Napa Valley: its rich soils produce wines whose quality have earned them international recognition, as seen in their rising presence in wine guides, fine restaurants, and wine cellars across the globe. Wine tastings are available at every stop on this trip, with hundreds of vineyards nestled in the country’s lush green valleys, each offering visitors the opportunity to sample superb reds and wonderful whites. Quality Cabernets, Merlots, Pinots, Montepulciano and Rieslings, are just a few of the quality wines you’ll discover here. Between two tastings, let yourself be charmed by New Zealand’s big cities and their many interesting attractions, a perfect way to get to know the country and its people. Auckland, Wellington, Napier, and many others cities like them display a very diversified architecture and offer great opportunities to shop for handicrafts, wander peacefully, and visit interesting museums. Of course, it would be sacrilegious to travel all the way to New Zealand and not take the time to discover Maori culture. Te Hakakino is just one of many ancestral sites where visitors can catch an authentic glimpse of this culture. Also known for its geothermic activity, Rotorua is another great place to learn all about the Maori. On top of great wines, New Zealand also features countless fine restaurants, and you’ll get to savor exquisite dishes as you make your way across the country. By the time you are done exploring the vineyards of New Zealand, you’ll be a true wine expert – if you aren’t already!

Wine lovers, make sure you contact Uniktour’s New Zealand expert for more information on this customized trip!

Itinerary

Day 1| Departure from Canada

Day 2| International Flight

Day 3| Arrival in New Zealand
Arrival at Auckland international airport and private car transfer to your hotel. Still nicknamed the “City of Sails”, Auckland is undoubtedly New Zealand’s biggest city, with 1 million people living here – one third of the country’s total population. With its surprisingly rich cultural heritage, quality of life in this ‘spread-out’ city is unbeatable. And let’s not forget that Auckland’s port is where the America’s Cup was held in 1999 and 2003

Suggestions:
Visit Auckland, including the residential area’s beaches, the colonial village in Parnell, the trendy areas around Ponsonby, Mount Eden (an extinct volcano offering great views of the city), and Auckland Domain Park and its museum, for a good introduction to Maori and Polynesian culture.
Visit the spectacular Sky Tower, the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere, and then head to America’s Cup village.
Visit Auckland Bay’s islands (such as Rangitoto et Waiheke), and go sailing on a ship once used in the America’s Cup in Auckland’s port.

Day 4| Auckland - Waiheke Island - Auckland
American breakfast at your hotel. Today you will spend most of the day (about 7 h) exploring Waiheke Island. Leaving at around 10 am, take the ferry to Waiheke Island, in Auckland Bay (40 min on the ferry; not included). Someone will meet you when you disembark from the ferry and take you on a tour of the island, including three vineyard visits (our local operator may decide to replace one vineyard visit with a visit to an olive grove). Waiheke Island’s climate makes it an ideal place to make wine, the intense flavors mixing with the freshness and purity of the soil. The following grapes grow here: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Viognier, Petit Verdot, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Montepulciano, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Lunch not included. Return to Auckland in the evening (5 pm).

Day 5| Auckland - Rotorua (233 km - 3h)
American breakfast at your hotel. Pick up your rental car at the downtown Hertz office, and then start for Rotorua, making your way through the Waikato plains. The area around Rotorua is one of the most touristic places on the North Island. This town is famous for its geothermal activity, its lake, and its many tourist attractions – but also, for the very strong smell of sulfur that permeates the air. Rotorua is at the heart of Maori culture and a great place for visitors to participate in traditional music and dances, and well as “Hangi”.

Day 6| Rotorua
American breakfast at your hotel.

Suggestions:
Explore Old Rotorua, stopping on the shores of Lake Rotorua.
Visit the magnificent Government Gardens, where you’ll also find Rotorua museum.
Head to Whakarewarewa and walk around this very interesting thermal village, complete with mud pools, volcanic smoke, and more.
Visit Te Puia reserve and its geyser.
Visit Wai-O-Tapu or Orakei Korako thermal reserves.
Visite some Polynesian baths.
Head to Rainbow Springs and The Kiwi Encounter, to learn more about New Zealand’s plants and animals.
Take a small plane or helicopter ride around the region to get a better idea of the area’s geothermal and volcanic activity.

Day 7| Rotorua - Napier (222 km - 3h)
American breakfast at your hotel. This morning take the road to Napier, in the Hawke’s Bay area. This region is known for its wine and wineries both locally and internationally. The largest city is Napier, famous for the art-deco style that dominates the skyline, following reconstruction after the 1930 earthquake. Its quasi-Mediterranean tropical climate makes it an ideal destination for outdoor activities, including long walks on the white sandy beach. Quality local products can be found in the area’s orchards and vineyards, as well as locally produced green olives and fresh seafood. Hawke's Bay is also home to the world’s largest community of Gannets.

Day 8| Napier
American breakfast at your hotel. Today, you go on a guided tour of the Hawke’s Bay area, during which you’ll feast your eyes on magnificent scenery and sample great wines from 6-7 different wineries. Lunch is included in one of the wineries. This is New Zealand’s second most important wine producing area, with a total of 74 vineyards. The area benefits from many different microclimates, allowing it to produce quality wines. The Hawke's Bay region is divided into many different wine producing areas, according to their climates and the richness of their soils: Te Mata / Havelock North, Taradale / Meeanee / Brookfields, Haumoana / Te Awanga, Fernhill / Ngatarawa / Ohiti, Mangatahi / Maraekakaho, Esk Valley / Bay View, Dartmoor / Puketapu.

Suggestions:
Visit the numerous art galleries and vineyards.
Make your way to the Gannet colony.
Visit Te Hakakino, an ancestral Maori site, and now an archeological site.
Go on a bike tour of the vineyards.

Day 9| Napier - Martinborough (273 km - 4h)
American breakfast at your hotel. This morning get back on the road and head to the small town of Martinborough, in the Wairarapa region (not too far from Wellington). This region is also well known for its many family-owned vineyards and the quality of its wines, particularly the Pinots Noirs, Pinots Gris and Chardonnays.

Day 10| Martinborough - Wellington (81 km – 1 h 20 min)
American breakfast at your hotel. Drive to the country capital, Wellington, and explore the city. Wellington is built facing an immense bay that opens onto the Cook Strait and the South Island. It’s also the country’s cultural capital: this is where Catherine Mansfield, the country’s most famous writer, grew up. Make sure you go to Te Papa museum. You can then wander the streets looking for ancient Victorian buildings, or take the cable car to the botanic gardens overlooking the city.

Day 11| Wellington - Picton - Blenheim (3h ferry ride + 29 km – 30 min)
American breakfast at your hotel. This morning, make your way to the Wellington ferries terminal to drop off your rental car and take the ferry towards the South Island, which should take about 3 hours. An upgrade to Kaitaki Plus class is available, costing 28.5 NZD per person (not included). This gives you access to a private lounge, guaranteed seats, and drinks. Since this lounge is in the middle of the boat, it is also more stable. Pick up your second rental car upon arrival in Picton and get back on the road towards Blenheim, in the heart of Marlborough. At the northern end of South Island, Marlborough Sound and the region around Nelson have an impressive variety of natural resources. Fishing, boat rides, hiking, ATV tours, R&R, and wine tastings are just a few of the activities on offer in this little paradise, making it a very popular tourist destination. Wine production properly began in the area in the 1970s, though traces of grapevines dating back to the 1870s have also been found. This region currently has 23600 hectares of vines, most of which grow in the Wairau Valley. Today it’s New Zealand’s most important wine producer, representing 79% of the country’s total production. It is mainly known for the fruity flavor of its Sauvignons Blancs.

Day 12| Blenheim
Continental breakfast at your hotel. Free time today to explore the area’s many vineyards

Suggestions:
Go on a bike tour of the vineyards.
Wine tasting in the vineyards.
Bus tour of the vineyards.
Visit Marlborough Sound (Picton) and go on a cruise.

Day 13| Blenheim - Punakaiki (304 km - 4h00)
Continental breakfast at your hotel. Early morning departure for the west coast, passing the lakes of the Nelson region (St Arnaud) on your way. Once you arrive in Punakaiki, take a look at the “Pancake Rocks”, these pancake-shaped geological formations on the shores of the Tasman Sea, which create interesting waterworks between the rocks.

Suggestions:
Stop over at Lake St Arnaud and Top House for a coffee (historical house/café/B&B).
Make a small detour in Westport and check out the fur seal colony at cape Foulwind.

Day 14| Punakaiki - Franz Josef (218 km – 3 h 10 min)
American breakfast at your hotel. Take the road to Franz Josef, swinging by Hokitika on your way. Sitting on the West Coast, the small town of Hokitika is known for its jade. Carvers can be seen working on this precious material at any of the town’s many workshops. Nowhere else in the world can you find ice, subtropical vegetation, and ocean in such proximity. These are the only two glaciers in the world to move so close to the ocean at this latitude.

Suggestions:
Go on a half-day or daylong hike on the glacier, or go for a scenic helicopter ride, which includes a landing on the snow.

Day 15| Franz Josef - Wanaka (286 km - 4h00)
American breakfast at your hotel. Stop on the shores of Lake Matheson for a short walk before continuing your journey south. On your way, you can also stop for an easy nature hike (about one hour) to discover the Haast Pass and the countless waterfalls in the surrounding forest. Walk along the shores of Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka, both impressively clear and pure. Arrival in Wanaka, a lovely little town on the shores of Lake Wanaka, surrounded by the Southern Alps. Central Otage is known for the quality of its Pinot Noirs, which represent 80% of Wanaka’s wine production, as well as a few white wines, such as Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. Late in the afternoon, head to Rippon Vineyard for a wine tasting.

Day 16| Wanaka - Queenstown (122 km - 1h30)
American breakfast at your hotel. Drive to Queenstown, a city known for its extreme sports. On your way, you can make a stop in Arrowtown, a small town that was an important destination in the gold rush of the 1800s.

Day 17| Queenstown
American breakfast at your hotel. Free time in the morning. In the afternoon, go on a 5-hour long guided tour, the “Queenstown Wine Trail”, which leaves at around 12:30. Visit the vineyards in the Queenstown area. Lunch not included.

Suggestions:
Queenstown has many activities to choose from, including hiking, extreme sports, bungee jumping, parachuting, rafting, jet boating, and city tours.

Day 18| Queenstown - Milford Sound (286 km - 3h 40 min) - Te Anau (117 km – 1 h 25 min)
American breakfast at your hotel. Take the road leading to Te Anau and Fiordland National Park, New Zealand’s largest national park. This park features dense tropical forests, a dozen often snow-covered peaks, and many endangered species (takahe, kea, kaka, brown kiwi). In other words, this is paradise on earth for nature lovers. At around 1:15 pm, you go on a 1½-hour cruise of Milford Sound (included). After the cruise, return to Te Anau where you’ll spend the night.

Suggestions:
Visit the “glowworm caves”: taking a cruise towards Cavern House aboard a catamaran on Lake Te Anau. During the cruise, the crew will tell you all about the area’s history.

Day 19| Te Anau - Queenstown (171 km - 2h15)
Breakfast at your hotel. Return to Queenstown.

Day 20| Departure and return flight to Canada
American breakfast at your hotel. Make your way to airport, where you drop-off your rental car and take your return flight back home.

Budget

**Rates published on this website are for information purposes only and are not legally binding (since departure dates are not given). Prices on this website are known to fluctuate frequently in relation to changes in currencies and hotel pricing. In order to obtain a definite quote, please click here.

Other fees

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – RENTAL CONDITIONS – HERTZ 2009/2010 & 2010/2011
- Vehicle rental includes unlimited mileage
- Renter must be at least 21 years old and be owner of original permit and international permit for at least one year. 25 years old for PFBV category cars
- Vehicle insurance is included (third-party)
- A 2812.50 NZ$ deposit is required upon picking up the vehicle (banc card swipe). This is the deductible for the first 4 types of vehicles
- A 3375.00 NZ$ deposit is required upon picking up the vehicle (banc card swipe). This is the deductible for the last 3 types of vehicles
- To bring the deductible down:
Optional extra insurance, payable on location: NZ$ 28.13 per day for the first 4 types of vehicle
- To bring the deductible down:
Optional extra insurance, payable on location: NZ$ 33.75 per day for the last 3 types of vehicle
- Minimum rental period, pick-up and drop-off at same location: 3 days (3 X 24 hours)
- Minimum rental period, pick-up and drop-off at different location: 3 days (3 X 24 hours).
- Minimum rental period for inter-island rental: 3 days (3 X 24 hours) on each island
- For each vehicle dropped off under 1 or 2 days, one-way fees apply (NZ$ 250, payable on location)
- For vehicles picked up in Kerikeri or Gisborne, a remote fee of NZ$ 45.00 is applicable
- For any pick-up at the Wellington ferry terminal after 5 pm, a fee of NZ$ 56.25 is applicable
- For any pick-up at the Picton ferry terminal after 6 pm, a fee of NZ$ 56.25 is applicable
- Vehicle type can vary: renters will obtain vehicle mentioned above or similar
- Refunds are not available for early drop-offs
- For the ferry transfer between the 2 islands, drop off your vehicle at the ferry departure point and pick-up another one at the arrival point
- Vehicles can be picked up at the Hertz office either in the city or at the airport. It is possible to leave the vehicle at the hotel any day of the week between 8:30 am and 4 pm. This service costs NZ$ 50.63 and must be reserved 48 hours in advance.
- For vehicles picked up at the airport or at the ferry port, an extra NZ$ 39.38 may be applicable (at the discretion of the local operator)
- Full coverage does not cover the GPS
- For inter-island rentals, the GPS must be dropped off at the ferry or the airport at the same time as the vehicle. Renter will receive another GPS for the second leg of the trip
- For inter-island rentals, the maximum time allowed between drop-off of one vehicle and pick-up of the other is 5 hours
- Hertz insurance also includes over-the-phone medical assistance

Deductible:
Hertz rental fees include standard deductibles (third-party insurance) of 2812.50 for the first 4 types of vehicles, and NZ$ 3375.00 for the last 3 types of vehicle. A deposit worth one of these amounts will be taken upon signing the rental contract. Payment of this deposit can only be made using a credit card. The standard deductible can be reduced by opting for a deductible buy-back, payable on location.

Overview

New Zealand is a southern hemisphere country located in the western Pacific Ocean, comprising two main landmasses, the North Island and the South Island, and several archipelagos and smaller islands. At 2.000 km south-east of Australia, its closest neighbors are New Caledonia, Tonga and Fiji. The total surface of the territory is of 268.000 sq km for a population of 4.3 million New Zealanders. The indigenous part of the population, the Maoris, is a minority (19%) compared to the European ethnic groups that immigrated over the past centuries (78%). Therefore, with a huge amount of British and Irish settlers, the official language of New Zealand is english, coexisting with native languages.

Geography

The two main islands are very different. North Island is the smallest (115.100 sq km) and very indented. At the north of the capital Auckland, the Northland throws a long land gad to the tropics, and the stunning Bay of Islands is its main attraction spot. On the west coast, 90-mile Beach is the largest one of New-Zealand. In south-east of Auckland, the wild peninsula of Coromandel adds to the tropical sceneries of the country. Beyond that point, the volcanic landscapes take over to peak at Roturoa; volcanoes, lava flows, caldera lakes, hot springs... New Zealand stands on the Pacific ring of Fire and is often subject to natural hazards like eruptions and earthquakes. However, natural wonders follow on, always fascinating. In the east near the very sunny Hawke's Bay, vineyards spread over the plains. South Island (151.000 sq km) is by far the most mountainous. The grassy hills quickly disappear in front of the towering snow-capped New Zealander Alps, peaking at 3754 m with the Mount Cook, which steep slopes are flanked with glaciers. Only a narrow bang in the north is not under the hold of the mountains; Marlborough County, a vineyard hot spot, and Tasman Bay benefit from a mild climate in the National Park of Abel Tasman. The very rainy west coast sharply dives into the ocean and goes as far as the Fiordland. Cutting deep into the hinterland (40km for a few) due to past glaciers actions, the -sounds- of Fiordland offer wonderful sceneries of a monumental nature. The smoother shaped east coast is home for a varied wildlife.

Culture

The myths prevailing in the Polynesian world, of which the Maoris come from, tell how the semi-god Maui would have hooked North Island from the deep blue seas and how his canoe became South Island. Other stories describe the arrival of Kupe, the first Maori, from Hawaiki, a sacred land near Tahiti. He's the one who baptizes the vast territory Aotearoa (-the long white cloud land-). Soon, more men and women join him; the history of New Zealand merges from then on with the Maoris. Historians agree with this hypothesis, setting the big migrations around 1000 AD. Over the centuries, the settlers develop their own social rules and specific forms of art and philosophy. They gather into large families (whanau), and into iwis, tribes whose ancestors may have journeyed on one and only canoe. On a daily basis, the gods and their go-betweens lay down their rules through a complex system of tapu (taboos). Little by little, with the increasing population especially on North Island, several conflicts break out and the Maoris become formidable warriors. A victory means a chance for the leaders to grow their mana, the spiritual power, and to hand it over to their clans. The first European explorers undergo a grim experience when they die torched up on sacrificial bonfires or as cannibalism victims. The Maori arts are shared around the whole Polynesian world, but revamped by the local traditions; chanting, dancing and tattoos. The two latter, closely intricate, are a vehicle to relate ancestors legends and stories, migrations, heroes' past exploits, the power of mana, and even the beauty of landscapes and gods allegories. Typically New Zealander, the haka, now worldwide famous thanks to the All Blacks rugby team, was originally a war dance, also staged to test strangers' reactions and to impress potential enemies. Today, New Zealand is also renowned for its quality vineyards, the open-mindedness of the main cities: Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Napier, and the developing green tourism that takes the best from a vibrant and diverse nature wildlife.

Climate

The latitude of New Zealand roughly corresponds to Spain's in the northern hemisphere. Nonetheless, the climate gets a much milder character given its remoteness from continental influences and exposure to ocean currents and chilly southerly winds. Since seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere, summer hits between December and March, and winter between June and September. The climate throughout the country is mainly maritime, mild and temperate, with temperatures rarely falling below 0 °C or rising above 30 °C in inhabited areas. Conditions vary widely across areas from extremely wet on the western coast of the South Island to semi-arid in the Mackenzie Basin at the foot of the New Zealand Alps, and subtropical in the North Island's peninsula (from an average 13°C in winter to 23°C in summer). Of the main cities, Christchurch is the driest, receiving only 640 mm of rain year-round; Auckland, the wettest, receives twice that amount. The southern and south-western parts of South Island have a cooler and cloudier climate and skiing is a common activity in winter; though its northern and north-eastern parts are the sunniest areas of the country.