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Offered languages
- English
In this exclusive luxury tour you will visit Internationally renowned Hamilton Gardens as well as one of the largest pest proof wildlife sanctuaries in the world
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Private homes, Serviced Apartments, Motels, anywhere within central Auckland and the inner suburbs, Auckland Airport.
Itinerary
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1
Departing Auckland at 7am you will take a pleasant drive south over the Bombay hills into the rich dairy farmland of the Waikato, then turning east. A short stop at an elevated view over the Hauraki plains, with the Kaimai Coromandel range in the distance, makes for a great photo stop.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
It’s all flat driving across the plains through farmland as we follow the Kaimai Range to a disused dairy factory for a tea/coffee break. You may like to try the cheese platter.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
Our scenic drive to Sanctuary Mountain continues to impress as we catch up with the Waikato river, before stopping in the rural town of Arapuni and a short walk over a swing bridge to view the Arapuni hydro electric power station. The first on the Waikato dated 1929.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
We cross over the dam and it’s a short drive to Mt Maungatautari (Sanctuary mountain). A mainland ecological island created by a 47km pest proof fence, Sanctuary Mountain is the largest of it’s type in the world. Join an informative 1½ hour guided tour about many of New Zealand’s rarest and most endangered plants, insects, birds, fish, geckos, frogs, bats and flora that co-exist in this spectacular environment, on one of the many well maintained tracks to the 16m viewing tower. A picnic lunch is included here.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included -
5
On to lake Karapiro, where we cross over the dam of the second hydro-electric power station on the Waikato River, dated 1947 for a photo stop, with The majestic 797m Mt Maungatautari (Sanctuary mountain) looming in the background.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6
Then on to The Hamilton Gardens, awarded International Garden of The Year 2014. Not technically a botanical garden, but rather 21 themed gardens representing the art, beliefs, lifestyles, and traditions of different civilizations or historical garden styles.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Our drive back to Auckland takes you through the city of Hamilton, some small townships and past the Sacred Maori burial ground of Mt Taupiri.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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