Te Urewera, Mahia & Gisborne 7 day tour

Te Urewera, Mahia & Gisborne

7 day small group tour to Te Urewera, Mahia and Gisborne

Join us on a special journey into a corner of the North Island travelling an eastward trail to the remote and primeval forests of Te Urewera to meet local guides and hear their stories. Along the way there are close up wildlife encounters as we explore the stunning coastline famous for surf breaks (and rockets at Mahia), visit eco-sanctuaries and have fun at Awakeri riding the railcarts along the tracks.

WHAT TRACY LOVES ABOUT THIS TOUR: It’s a pleasure meeting the locals – William Stewart in Whakatane, Nadine and Karl Toe Toe at Kohutapu Lodge with their commitment to the community, Brenda Tahi at Manawa Honey in Ruatahuna, where Tuhoe are creating a sustainable business on ancestral land, and Arthur, our guide to Mahia Peninsula. In Gisborne we meet guides at Tatapouri Bay and Waikereru and at Sanctuary Mountain in Maungatautari.

$4,290 (NZD) pp twin
$4,690 (NZD) pp single

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Day 1

Auckland - Paengaroa - Whakatane

Heading eastwards through the Karangahake Gorge to lunch at the Trading Post in Paengaroa.

In Whakatāne, with our guide William Stewart, we visit Kāpūterangi Pā, one of the oldest pā sites in the country, and Ngāti Awa sacred and culturally significant landmarks along the waterfront. We stay two nights at Awa Motel.

The dramatic scenery of the Karangahake Gorge
William Stewart introduces us to Whakatāne’s Ngāti Awa history

Accommodation

WHAKATĀNE - AWA MOTEL

On the waterfront opposite the Whakatāne Wharf, this four star plus motel is just across the road from restaurants and within walking distance of the town centre.

What we love about the Awa Motel – A great location to use as our launching pad for the Eastern reaches of the North Island. It makes for a relaxing evening strolling across the road for dinner or along the waterfront.

Day 2

Whakatane - Whirinaki - Kohutapu Lodge - Whakatane

At Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tane our guide welcomes us with a karakia and relates the legends of this primeval, podocarp rainforest. We stroll for an hour with our guide on a loop track through this beautiful forest.

At Kohutapu Lodge on the shore of Lake Aniwhenua over a hangi dinner with owners Nadine and Karl Toe Toe, we hear how tourism and their lodge brings benefits to the Murupara community.

Stroll in stunning Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tane
Hangi dinner at Kohutapu Lodge, Lake Aniwhenua

Accommodation

WHAKATĀNE - AWA MOTEL

On the waterfront opposite the Whakatāne Wharf, this four star plus motel is just across the road from restaurants and within walking distance of the town centre.

Day 3

Whakatane - Ruatahuna - Lake Waikaremoana - Gisborne

At Ruatahuna in the heart of Te Urewera we meet Brenda Tahi at Manawa Honey, whose Rewarewa Honey was the Grand Prize winner at the prestigious Asheville Black Jar International Contest in the USA in 2021. We lunch with our hosts, sample the honey and visit their historic wharenui, Te Whai-a-te-Motu.

Then the road descends through rainforest with glimpses of Lake Waikaremoana. We take the short stroll to beautiful Aniwaniwa Falls and stop along the lakefront before continuing to Frasertown and northwards to Gisborne, our home for three nights.

Meet Brenda Tahi at Manawa Honey in Ruatahuna
Visit the historic wharenui, Te Whai-a-te-Motu

Accommodation

GISBORNE - SENATOR MOTOR INN

Stylish and comfortable motel accommodation in the heart of Gisborne a two minute walk to Central Gisborne’s shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. Each of the spacious self contained suites has its own balcony with views over the bustling inner harbour marina.

What we love about the Senator Motor Inn – A great location makes it easy to take a relaxing riverside stroll along the walkway to the spectacular beaches or alongside the river in the opposite direction.

Day 4

Gisborne – Tatapouri Bay – Waikereru Ecosanctuary - Tairawhiti Museum

We visit Gisborne’s natural and historic places including a guided visit at Tatapouri Bay to the Stingrays on the reef and local marine life. At Waikereru Ecosanctuary, an Ark in the Bush, we’re guided through this haven for rare and endangered native plants and birds.

We meet our guide at the Tairawhiti Museum and dine out this evening.

Guided experience to meet Tatapouri’s stingrays
Visit Waikereru Ecosanctuary, an Ark in the Bush

Accommodation

GISBORNE - SENATOR MOTOR INN

Day 5

Gisborne - Mahia Peninsula - Gisborne

Today, with local resident Arthur as our guide, we explore the surprisingly large expanse of Mahia Peninsula. With beautiful beaches on both coastlines, it has always been a magnet for surfers. It’s also the launching site of Rocket Lab’s space programme.

The launching pad is out on the far tip of the peninsula so the closest we get to rockets is lunching with Janey at The Rocket Cafe. We return back up the coast to Gisborne and dine out this evening.

With our local guide explore stunning Mahia Peninsula
Lunch with Janey at The Rocket Cafe

Accommodation

GISBORNE - SENATOR MOTOR INN

Day 6

Gisborne – Waioeka Gorge – Awakeri rail carts – Rotorua

Leaving Gisborne we head through rugged Waioeka Gorge bound for Awakeri to meet up with Paul and board his rail carts for a scenic ride and picnic lunch along the tracks.

The drive onwards to Rotorua passes Lakes Rotoma, Rotoehu and Rotoiti and we stay at Novotel Rotorua Lakeside Hotel and dine in this evening.

A fun filled ride on the Awakeri Railcarts
Lake view accommodation in Rotorua

Accommodation

Rotorua - Novotel Lakeside

Situated on the serene shores of Lake Rotorua offering a relaxing environment with unsurpassed views of the lake. The central location, with wonderful facilities, means it is an easy walking distance to many local attractions, including cafés, bars and restaurants.

What we love about the Novotel Rotorua – Lake views from every room, a short walk to Ohinemutu Maori Village and ‘Eat Street’. The in-house thermal baths are hard to beat after a fun day out.

Day 7

Rotorua – Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari – Auckland

We tiki tour around Rotorua before driving northwards to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, a mainland ecological island of ancient forest, to meet our guide and walk in the enclosure surrounded by one of the world’s longest pest-proof fences.

We return to Auckland through the Waikato farmlands arriving in the late afternoon.