North Auckland
Half day, full day or multi day tours are all possible North of Auckland. Extend an Auckland city express tour with one of our popular North Auckland private tours.
The east coast sun & sand half day tour is a great introduction to the bustling upmarket North Shore suburbs and historic sites such as Devonport and north head.
The cheese honey & wine tour begins just north of Auckland as we venture through the Northern Gateway tunnel. The landscape quickly turns more scenic as we journey through native forest and bush stopping off at Puhoi Valley Cheese Company and the Warkworth Honey Centre before the real adventure begins in Matakana.
While in Matakana enjoy a day of wine tasting at some of New Zealand's finest vineyards and eateries, explore the farmers markets, various art trails and the golden sand bays of Snells beach, Omaha beach & Leigh. If your up for a bit of adventure we recommend Pakiri beach horse riding offering treks for both beginners and advanced riders.
Further north of Matakana is Mangawhai heads and Waipu cove. These are a bit more remote and are recommend stop over's when heading further North for a multi-day around the Bay of Islands. Mangawhai has some of the finest golden sand surf beach, dunes and coves. Enjoy activities such as kayaking, jet skiing or surfing. A night's stay at nearby Bream Bay lodge and restaurants at Waipu are also highly recommended.
East coast sun & sand tour
Allow 5 hours
Starting off with a pick-up anywhere in Auckland, we begin our journey over the harbour bridge offering views back towards the city. From here you can see exactly why Auckland is known as the city of sails and one of the worlds most livable cities.
First stop is Devonport & North Head. Lovely villa's along the water front with a busy township, Devonport is classical, beautiful and full of history. Take a walk up North Head, exploring the old army bunkers beneath the hillside before taking in some of the best ocean views of the Hauraki gulf and Auckland city across the harbour.
Next stop is the busy town of Takapuna, famous for it's cafe's, shopping district, sailing club and stunning beach which is great for a relaxing walk and views out towards Rangitoto island.
From Takapuna we follow the east coast through Mairangi Bay, Torbay, Browns Bay and Orewa with stop's along the way for sightseeing, shopping and lunch either at Orewa or Puhoi Valley Cheese Company before returning back to Auckland or further North for more adventures.
Recommended add-on's for this trip are Auckland city quick explorer tour or the Cheese honey & wine tour
Duration : 5 Hours (approx.)
Location: Auckland
From NZD $800
Cheese, honey & wine tour
Allow 7 hours
45 minutes drive from Auckland city our first stop is the Puhoi Valley Cheese Company. Located just out of Puhoi village this is a great first stop heading further north for a quick lunch, cheese tasting, and to try out the local Matakana roasted coffee beans.
Just up the road is the Warkworth Honey centre. Check out the live bee's in display behind the glass wall for an up close and personal experience. UMF active Manuka honey is available in store and is a popular purchase for anyone looking to maximise their health & well-being.
Our final destination is the township of Matakana, famous for high quality wineries, eateries and beach-side holiday towns. The wine trail can be customised to suit your taste and we recommend the following:
- Ransom vineyard.
- Brick Bay vineyard & sculpture trail.
- Providence vineyard.
- Takatu olive plantation.
- Ascension vineyard.
Recommended add-on's for this trip are Pakiri beach horse riding or the East cost sun & sand tour
Duration : 7 Hours (approx.)
Location: Auckland
From NZD $1120
Pakiri beach horse riding
Allow 8 hours
For a fun day out of town and something a bit new, try Pakiri beach horse riding. A great challenge for all ages and abilities, once your up and running you will be absolutely amazed at the untouched beauty of Pakiri beach. Located in a rural area just north of Matakana and just over an hour out of Auckland city this is a trip ideal for small groups during the summer months of November > April.
On the way back to Auckland we'll have a stop over at Matakana village for lunch and perhaps a wine tasting or two.
Recommended add-on's for this trip are east coast sun & sand tour or cheese, honey & wine tour
Duration : 8 Hours (approx.)
Location: Auckland
From NZD $1280
Waipu Cove & Mangawhai Heads
Allow 8 hours
Located one from Auckland central or 25 minutes from Matakana our first stop is the town centre of Mangawhai. From a great range of activities are available. From art trails, cafe's, lawn bowls or golf to more adventurous fishing, diving & surfing Mangawhai has something for everybody.
Further along the coast, Waipu Cove is a smaller more boutique version of Mangawhai. A popular spot for camping, glow-worm caves, kayaking and the drift wood creations art gallery
If your planning to stay the night and explore a bit more we highly recommend Bream Bay lodge which provides private luxury accommodation, wedding and cinema facilities, animal farm and private beach and cove access.
Duration : 8 Hours (approx.)
Location: Auckland
From NZD $1280
Tutukaka coast, Whangarei & the Bay of Islands tours coming soon, enquire for further information.
