MoaTours - East Cape Caper
Get a taste for New Zealand the way it used to be. Take the road less travelled around the stunning East Cape to Hicks Bay and on to Gisborne and Rotorua, enjoying local hospitality along the way.
Quick Itinerary Details
New Zealand small group tour
This suggested tour costs from NZD$2,690 per person (twin share, low season)
Starts in Auckland, finishes in Auckland
6 days/5 nights
Pre and post tour options? YES
Viewed 15 times in the last 7 days
NZD$2,690
Brief itinerary - MoaTours - East Cape Caper
Day 1: Auckland to Whakatane
Accommodation: White Island Rendezvous Motels
Day 2: Whakatane to Hicks Bay
Accommodation: Hicks Bay Motel
Day 3: Hicks Bay to Gisborne
Accommodation: Senator Motor Inn
Day 4: Sightseeing in Gisborne
Accommodation: Senator Motor Inn
Day 5: From Gisborne start the journey north to Rotorua
Accommodation: Novotel Lakeside Rotorua
Day 6: Return to Auckland
Day 1 - Auckland to Whakatane
Head eastwards over the Hauraki Plains to Waihi for a stroll in a historic goldmining town. After drive to Mount Maunganui for lunch and then on to a kiwifruit orchard and tour by special transport. Continue to Whakatāne and your waterfront motel just opposite the Whakatāne Wharf. This evening dine out with your travel companions.
Your accommodation: White Island Rendezvous Motels
Situated opposite the picturesque Whakatāne Wharf, the White Island Rendezvous motels offer great facilities in a quiet location. Only a few minutes walk from Whakatāne’s boutique shopping and numerous restaurants.Meals included: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2 - Whakatane to Hicks Bay
There are stunning views along the dramatic coastal highway leading to Te Kaha where you'll stop for lunch at Tui Lodge. At the East Cape Manuka Company, stop and meet the pioneers of Manuka oil. Tonight stay at Hicks Bay Motel Lodge and dine in.
Your accommodation: Hicks Bay Motel
Overlooking natural waterways & breath taking Pacific ocean vistas, Hicks Bay Motel offers the most tranquil and relaxing settings among the East Cape hotels. Set on a 14 acre bluff, 250 metres above sea level, in historic and botanically protected, unspoilt Maori Reserved Land.Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 - Hicks Bay to Gisborne
Visit Te Araroa's huge pohutakawa tree and St Mary's, a beautifully decorated church built in 1926 as a memorial to the soldiers of Ngati Porou who died in World War I. Mt Hikurangi, the first place to see the sunrise, dominates the landscape.
Tokomaru and Tologa Bay Wharves are relics of the days when the sea provided easier access than roads. At Anaura Bay you will lunch at "Rangimarie" to enjoy Judy Newell's hospitality and the magical views. Here you stay two nights in Gisborne tonight, dining out.
Your accommodation: Senator Motor Inn
Stylish and comfortable motel accommodation in the heart of Gisborne - Senator Motor Inn offers this and more. Our modern harbour side motel is a two minute walk to Central Gisborne’s shops, bars, cafes and restaurants.Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - Sightseeing in Gisborne
Drive in a special vehicle through world-renowned Eastwoodhill Arboretum, 65 hectares of trees and shrubs. Then, lunch at Bushmere Estate and taste their wines before visiting Tairawhiti Museum displays and sightsee around Gisborne.
Your accommodation: Senator Motor Inn
Stylish and comfortable motel accommodation in the heart of Gisborne - Senator Motor Inn offers this and more. Our modern harbour side motel is a two minute walk to Central Gisborne’s shops, bars, cafes and restaurants.Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - From Gisborne start the journey north to Rotorua
This morning visit Prof Jack Richard's and Won Gyu Moon's stunning coastal garden, Tiromoana, at Wainui Beach then drive through the beautiful native forests of the Waioeka Gorge.
Stop for lunch in the seaside town of Opotiki before travelling westward to Rotorua, passing by the bush-clad shores of Lake Rotoma and Lake Rotoiti. In the summertime, both lakes are popular holiday spots. On arrival at your hotel, you could enjoy a dip in the indoor thermal pools.
Your accommodation: Novotel Lakeside Rotorua
Novotel Lakeside Rotorua is a 4.5 star property located on the picturesque shores of Lake Rotorua and set in park surroundings. Just minutes from the city centre, cafes and restaurants plus the numerous tourist attractions including water activities on the lake, a golf course, museum, and thermal reserves.Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Return to Auckland
This morning you will sightsee in Rotorua including the Museum’s gardens and the geothermal activity in Kuirau Park. You will drive to Lake Tarawera and enjoy lunch with the Walmsley family at the Buried Village before returning to Auckland.
| Starts | Status | Twin/Double (2 people sharing) | Single occupancy | You save | |
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Nov 5, 2022
(Saturday) |
Sold out
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NZD$2,690
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NZD$3,090
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NZD$0pp
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Dec 8, 2022
(Thursday) |
NZD$2,690
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NZD$3,090
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NZD$0pp
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Jan 16, 2023
(Monday) |
NZD$2,690
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NZD$3,090
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save
NZD$0pp
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Feb 14, 2023
(Tuesday) |
Check with us
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NZD$2,690
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NZD$3,090
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save
NZD$0pp
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Enquire Book |
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Apr 17, 2023
(Monday) |
NZD$2,690
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NZD$3,090
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save
NZD$0pp
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Enquire Book | |
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May 2, 2023
(Tuesday) |
NZD$2,690
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NZD$3,090
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save
NZD$0pp
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Enquire Book |
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