Maori Discovery: Auckland - Christchurch

Your New Zealand motorcycle tour starts with your flight from Germany, Austria or Switzerland. The flight is not included in the tour price, but we are happy to book it for you as an additional travel service to ensure a smooth journey to the start of your guided tour.

On the way to New Zealand, this flight day takes you across multiple time zones. The long journey is worth it: at the destination a guided motorcycle tour awaits through impressive landscapes, winding coastal roads and the rich culture of the Maori.

After arriving in Auckland, the hotel transfer takes you to your accommodation. In the evening you meet the other participants and your German-speaking guide at the shared dinner and tour briefing – the ideal start to your New Zealand North Island motorcycle tour.

In the morning you collect your motorcycle from the rental station – a smooth process that shows how straightforward renting in New Zealand is. You then ride north along the east coast, around 280 kilometres to Paihia in the Bay of Islands.

The idyllic Bay of Islands invites you for a boat trip or a day excursion to Cape Reinga and the 90-Mile Beach. In the evening you experience Maori culture first-hand: a traditional cultural event with Hangi dinner takes place at the historically significant Waitangi.

Heading south again, you ride along the west coast today, through the Kauri Forest including a stop at the famous giant tree Tane Mahuta. This stage shows how varied an on-road New Zealand motorcycle tour can be – around 350 kilometres to Orewa.

Over the Harbour Bridge and through Auckland, then following the curves of the coast to the unspoilt Coromandel Peninsula. The road winds northward along the west coast of the peninsula like a waltz – around 350 kilometres in total.

Heading inland, the route hugs the Coromandel coast for a few more kilometres, with a stop in Rotorua at the Te Puia Thermal Area with its geysers and hot springs. The road continues to Taupo, and just before arrival you visit the impressive Huka Falls.

Enjoy the lake, take a boat trip to the Maori carvings, or use the free day for a trip to Tongariro National Park. There you can also tackle the renowned Tongariro Crossing day hike – a highlight for every fan of volcanic landscape riding.

Today you ride the Forgotten World Highway, one of the top routes on any New Zealand on-road motorcycle tour. Before arriving at Mt. Taranaki the group stops in the self-proclaimed Republic of Whangamomona – around 300 kilometres of riding.

Heading to New Zealand's capital, you mostly follow the east coast today and can stop at scenic bays and beaches along the way. The stage to Wellington covers around 320 kilometres.

First you leave the North Island by ferry to the South Island. Then a ride along the winding Queen Charlotte Drive takes you to Abel Tasman National Park – around 180 kilometres of riding plus the ferry crossing.

Endless sandy beaches, kayaking or hiking in Abel Tasman National Park await today – or choose a winding day trip to Takaka, Collingwood or Farewell Spit along the northern coast.

Through Buller Gorge to Westport, then along the fascinating west coast to Punakaiki. After arrival you visit the extraordinary Pancake Rocks – around 280 kilometres of riding in total.

You follow the impressive West Coast into the glacier region around Fox Glacier. A detour to the mirror lake Matheson is well worth it before the next stage begins. Around 290 kilometres lie ahead today.

A varied ride over Haast Pass to the beautifully situated Lake Wanaka is on the programme today – a central stretch of the South Island route passing dense rainforest and turquoise rivers, around 300 kilometres long.

First you cross the Cardrona Valley and stop at New Zealand's oldest hotel, then continue along the shore of Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau. This stage covers around 250 kilometres.

An impressive ride through Fiordland National Park brings you to Milford Sound. There you take a boat trip through the Sound to the Tasman Sea, then ride back to Te Anau – around 240 kilometres plus the boat tour.

New Zealand's adventure capital awaits: Queenstown. On the way you can take the direct route or a detour via the Southern Scenic Highway and Invercargill – around 190 kilometres in total.

Jet boating, rafting or a bungy jump – in Queenstown the choice is all yours. A trip south to Glenorchy, famous as a filming location from The Lord of the Rings, rounds out the day perfectly.

Today you cross the desert-like Lindis Pass and visit the limestone cliffs, before reaching Lake Ohau at the foot of Mt. Cook – a distinctive stage on this Auckland to Christchurch motorcycle tour, around 280 kilometres long.

The final riding stage is equally varied: you stop at the turquoise lakes Pukaki and Tekapo, visit the Church of the Good Shepherd and cross the Canterbury Plains. In the afternoon comes the motorcycle return, hotel transfer and farewell dinner.

Depending on when your flight leaves New Zealand, you can still wander through Christchurch, take a punt on the Avon River or visit the Antarctica Museum – a relaxed close to this touring adventure.

Today you land back home – with many memories of a varied New Zealand motorcycle tour in your luggage, from the volcanoes of the North Island to the fjords of the South Island and Milford Sound.