Christmas in Taranaki

We depart Auckland and travel south to the King Country, stopping for lunch in Piopio. We continue through the scenic Awakino Gorge to the Tasman coast and south to Mokau, over bush clad Mt Messenger, reaching New Plymouth in the late afternoon.

Your hotel is right on the seafront just across from Len Lye’s Wind Wand kinetic sculpture and the waterfront boardwalk. We dine in the hotel's restaurant this evening.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in your hotel then cross the road to take a stroll along the boardwalk that stretches right along the coastline. We celebrate Christmas with lunch at the Table Restaurant at the Nice Boutique Hotel with host Terry Parkes.

In the mid afternoon we return to The Waterfront Hotel to refresh and relax. This evening we drive a few streets away to catch the Christmas night atmosphere at the once a year event when Pukekura Park is transformed by the Festival of Lights.

This morning we head down to the harbour where we meet skipper Chaddy on a classic English lifeboat (built in the Isle of Wight in 1953) for a one hour cruise around the Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Park. These seven islands, the eroded remnants of a volcano, are home to an array of birds and wildlife including New Zealand’s northern-most fur seal colony.

We have time for lunch before a specialist guide joins our coach for a sightseeing tour of New Plymouth's historic places.We finish the day at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery which features the new Len Lye Centre and Puke Ariki Museum. We dine in the hotel this evening.

We drive to Stratford and turn onto SH43 - the “Forgotten World Highway". We hear the stories of the highway over a relaxed morning tea at Cairnhill Farm and Garden with Colin and June Lees before continuing through the rugged farming hill country to Whangamomona where in 1988 residents declared the town a republic after boundary changes put half the district into the neighbouring district of the Manawatu.

We lunch at the historic Whangamomona Hotel then travel on to Taumarunui and arrive at The Chateau Tongariro in time to enjoy the views before dining in this landmark hotel.

There’s a leisurely start this morning. If the weather is clear we drive to the Top of the Bruce to enjoy the sweeping views. Then we’re bound for Taumarunui to visit Jill Mouat at Aramatai gardens. Leaving the mountains we head north to lunch with Debbie Robertson at Crosshills Garden.

Once lunch is completed we continue north through the Waikato farmlands to Auckland arriving in the late afternoon. Thank you for choosing your New Zealand Christmas tour with MoaTours.