The 5 Best Day Trips From Auckland

Combining the best of the island’s two draw cards – wine and nature – this tour will have you traversing through the island’s rugged bushland one minute, and sipping award-winning wines the next. Your guide will point out some of New Zealand’s famously shy wildlife, talk through the native plants and provide context to the magnificent views you will encounter along the way. Afterwards, rest your legs at one of the island’s best vineyards, and sample a few different grape varieties over a delicious lunch.

As it’s not known for its smooth roads, this day tour of the Coromandel allows you to access some of the peninsula’s more remote spots, which less confident drivers might struggle to reach. Your guide will drop you off at Stony Bay where you will begin the 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) hike to Fletcher Bay, where you will be collected. This route immerses you in the country’s natural grandeur, taking you along craggy cliff faces and through native bush, with the sparkling ocean alongside you. Don’t forget your swimsuit to make the most of the swimming spot at the end of the trail; having been tempted by the ocean for the duration of your walk, you’ll want to dive straight in.

Explore and interact with endangered species of flora and fauna at Sanctuary Mountain. Surrounded by predator-proof fences, it’s a place where at-risk species can flourish without the human and animal impact that has threatened their habitats elsewhere. Your knowledgeable guide will explain the species to you, the reasons they’re endangered and the process of regeneration at Sanctuary Mountain. Your entry fee will go towards local conservation, helping to preserve this important and delicate ecosystem.

Experience one of the greatest natural wonders in the country. Put on your boots and helmet, and prepare to descend underground, hiking among boulders and streams through this magnificent space. The tour is limited to six people, allowing you a much more atmospheric and personalised experience. Expect to be filled in on the history of the caves alongside the fascinating biology of the worms themselves. Turning off your head torch in an echoing cave lit up by countless tiny glow-worms is an experience you won’t soon forget.