The Great New Zealand Touring Route
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The Great New Zealand Touring Route

 

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Thermal Explorer

The region is abundant with crystal clear lakes and streams, natural spas, skifields, geothermal activity, Maori culture and wineries

It's an enticing combination of unusual, captivating landscapes

Thermal Explorer Highway
The return journey to Auckland takes on the Thermal Explorer Highway from Hawke's Bay through the centre of the North Island into areas Lake Taupo, Ruapehu, Rotorua and Waikato.

Sublime food and wine experiences are a feature of the Thermal Explorer, but it's not until you reach Hawke's Bay that you can kick off your shoes and dine alfresco amidst the vines.

More than 40 vineyards are clustered around the river plains behind Hastings, and most have a café or restaurant. Some visitors choose to cycle from one to the next; others team up with a local tour operator, to avoid the need to drive.

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