Optional Extension: Tahiti and Moorea (5 Days)

Your New Zealand RV Vacation itinerary could look like this:

This sample itinerary includes some of New Zealand’s best beaches and coastal scenery, historical sites, wine growing regions and centers of Maori cultural heritage. Discover the vineyards of Napier before exploring Taupo and Rotorua with their natural geysers, mud pools and hot springs, before returning to Auckland.

Day 1 - Leave Los Angeles
Fly westward across the Pacific Ocean and the Equator, heading towards New Zealand. On the way you cross the International Date Line and 'lose' a day!

Day 3 – Arrive in Auckland
After arriving at Auckland Airport take the shuttle bus to your pre-booked hotel, so that you can get some rest and relax after the long flight. Take a taxi or bus and check out downtown Auckland if you feel energetic enough!

Day 4 – Auckland to Thames (Coromandel Peninsula - approx. 105 miles / 2 hours)
After picking up your RV this morning, leave Auckland and drive eastward towards the Coromandel Peninsula – a region of volcanic peaks, jagged offshore islands and exotic forests. Wentworth Valley offers several walks following a well-maintained tracks passing spectacular waterfalls. Arrive in Thames and spend the night.

Day 5 - Coromandel - Whitianga - Whangamata – Tauranga (approx. 134 miles / 3 hours)
Driving along the Coromandel Peninsula is a delight with one scenic highlight after another. Cathedral Cove is a gigantic arched cavern that penetrates the headland between two coves. At Hot Water Beach you can dig out hot pools from the sand at low tide near the rocks and in places where steam can be seen rising from the open sea at high tide. Drive a little closer to Tauranga city to find the Minden Look out for unobstructed views along the Bay of Plenty Coast. Romantics adore the lights and shadowy islands that can be seen on a clear night. Spend the night in Tauranga.

Day 6: Tauranga to Whakatane (approx. 70 miles / 2 hours)
Leaving Tauranga head towards the beach resort of Mount Maunganui; known to the local Maori people as Mauao, the mountain is shrouded in legend and history. Tracks lead to the summit for some of the best ocean and city views anywhere. Later, experience one of the most amazing natural attractions of New Zealand, the active volcano at White Island, off Whakatane. It breathes, it roars, it hisses and it is spectacular! The island is unique because the vent is below sea level but shielded from the sea by high crater walls. The volcanic structure of the island is thought to be two million years old and scientists and is a popular destination for volcano experts from all over the world.

Day 7: Whakatane to Gisborne (approx. 240 miles / 5 hours)
Another day of spectacular New Zealand coastal landscape awaits you today as you drive throughj the Urewera National Park, between the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay. Pass by quaint settlements like Tikitiki, which is well known for its ornately carved (with Maori motifs) St Mary’s Church. The Captain Cook’s Landing Site reserve marks the historic site where, on 9 October 1769, Captain Cook first landed in New Zealand.

Day 8: Gisborne to Napier (approx. 214 miles / 4 ˝ hours)
Drive through large tracts of lowland coastal forest on New Zealand’s East Coast. There are a number of interesting walking tracks or you can simply relax at Mahia Beach, famous for its great fishing, surfing and diving.
Fringed by weeping willows, Lake Tutira is an idyllic picnic and camping spot. The nearby Te Mata Peak towers 1,200 feet above sea level and offers panoramic views of the nearby mountain ranges.

Day 9: Napier to Taupo (approx. 90 miles / 2 hours)
Napier is an architectural gem and nowhere else can you see such a variety of buildings in the styles of the 1930s - Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission and Art Deco - in such a concentrated area. There are structures with Maori motifs and the buildings of Louis Hay, admirer of the great Frank Lloyd Wright.

The surrounding area of Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand’s premier wine growing regions and you can drive yourself around the vineyards, or join one of the professional wine tours operated by experienced wine guides. Soak up the atmosphere in one of the many cafes and restaurants or dine alfresco amidst the vineyards, orchards and olive plantations.

The thundering Huka Falls provides a fantastic photo opportunity - more than 220,000 litres of water tumbles over the cliff face per second! A short distance away is Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest lake and created by a volcanic eruption. The Taupo town center is crammed with cafes and interesting shops and galleries.

Day 10: Taupo to Rotorua (approx. 50 miles / 1 hour)
Mount Tarawera is considered sacred by New Zealand’s Maoris and you can walk, hike, take a helicopter or enjoy a 4WD trip to the top of the mountain. It is an awesome feeling to stand on the summit peaks and peer into the crater of this sleeping giant.

From the moment you enter Rotorua, you know you are somewhere quite different. Sneaky threads of steam issue from parks, pathways and streets and the occasional scent of sulphur wafts through the air. Minutes from the city centre, geysers of steaming water roar from the ground. Pools of bubbling mud gurgle and belch. In geothermal fields around Rotorua, steam rises from placid lakes and flowing streams. Best of all, you can relax in pools of naturally heated mineral water and experience for yourself why Rotorua is called ‘Nature’s Spa of the South Pacific’.

Day 11: Rotorua -Waitomo - Auckland (approx. 200 miles / 5 hours)
After leaving Rotorua, head towards the famous Waitomo caves, spectacular limestone caves formed millions of years ago by the underground river system. Take a boat tour through the caves, a spectacular experience with the cave walls and roof studded with the lights of thousands of glowworms. A couple of hours south of Auckland lies the Waikato region; it’s lush farmland, green pastures and rolling hills were chosen to portray Hobbiton and The Shire of the Middle Earth. Hobbit fans can still visit Hobbiton, wander among the hobbit holes and listen to the fascinating commentary about how it was all created.