See the route Te Ika-a-Māui and Te Waipounamu
Auckland to Christchurch, by way of Cape Reinga and Milford Sound. Northland’s kauri forests, Rotorua and Wellington, then the Southern Alps, Fiordland and the West Coast.
Journeys run from November to April.
28 days from Auckland to Christchurch, the length of the country: from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island to Milford Sound in Fiordland. On the way are the Bay of Islands, Tāne Mahuta in Waipoua Forest, the Coromandel Loop, Rotorua, the Forgotten World Highway, Wellington and the Cook Strait ferry (Interislander or Bluebridge), Aoraki / Mount Cook, Queenstown, the Haast Pass and the West Coast, with seven rest days.
This is our base route, the starting point for your journey. We shape it around what you’d like to see and where there’s room to stay: many of the special places we use take only one booking at a time, so your nights may change, and the route with them.
Roads on this route: Coromandel Loop · Forgotten World Highway · Desert Road · Queen Charlotte Drive · Lewis Pass · Lindis Pass · Milford Road · Haast Pass · Arthur’s Pass
Northland and Cape Reinga
Day 1 heads north from Auckland to Paihia, in the Bay of Islands, with its clear water and historic towns. Day 2 is a long ride, with the option of a ferry across the bay to Russell first: the passenger ferry from Paihia, or the vehicle ferry from Ōpua with the bike. The road runs up the coast to the Mangonui Fish Shop, then through forests and past bays to Cape Reinga, at the top of the North Island, where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific: a sacred place in Māori tradition. From the cape the road turns south to Kohukohu, where the ferry crosses the Hokianga Harbour to Rawene, and the day ends looking over the sand dunes at Opononi. These ferries aren’t included: the Hokianga crossing, and the ferry to Russell if you take it, are each a small fare, paid on the spot.
West coast beaches and ancient forests
Day 3 turns south down the west coast, through Waipoua Forest, past Tāne Mahuta, New Zealand’s largest known kauri, and through the farmland of the Kaipara, to the black sand at Muriwai and on to Piha for the night.
Coastlines and Coromandel curves
Day 4 crosses Auckland to the coast at Beachlands and Kawakawa Bay, then follows the Firth of Thames to Kōpū. From there the day rides the Coromandel Loop, a road New Zealand riders know by name: up the Thames coast, past beaches lined with pōhutukawa, to Coromandel town, then over the hills to Whitianga, a beachside town.
Geothermal heartland
Day 5 runs south down the Coromandel Peninsula to Waihi, then through the Karangahake Gorge to Paeroa and on to Matamata, with the Hobbiton movie set on the way. The day ends in Rotorua and its geothermal country: hot springs, mud pools, steam and lakes. Day 6 is a rest day there. Rotorua is the place for Māori cultural experiences, and the place to add a night if you want more time. Mount Maunganui, on the Bay of Plenty coast, can take Rotorua’s place: it depends on whether you’d rather have the beach or Māori culture, and on where there’s room to stay.
Glowworms and the King Country
Day 7 leaves Rotorua through Te Awamutu, with its Space Centre, to the glowworm caves at Waitomo, then crosses the King Country to New Plymouth, with the cone of Taranaki Maunga ahead.
Forgotten World Highway and volcano country
Day 8 rides through Stratford and onto the Forgotten World Highway over its misty ridges, with a stop in Whangamōmona, a self-declared "independent republic", then crosses the volcanic plateau of Tongariro National Park and drops through Tūrangi to Taupō, on New Zealand’s largest lake.
Taupō to the capital
Day 9 is free in Taupō for the lakefront trails, Huka Falls and the geothermal parks nearby. On Day 10 the Desert Road crosses the plateau on the way south to Wellington, the capital, and Day 11 is a rest day there, with Te Papa, the national museum.
Across the strait and through the Sounds
Day 12 takes the Cook Strait ferry (Interislander or Bluebridge) through the Marlborough Sounds to Picton. From there Queen Charlotte Drive runs above the Sounds to Havelock, then the road passes Nelson to the Riwaka Resurgence and climbs to the alpine village of St Arnaud, by a mountain lake, for the night.
Passes, peaks and hot pools
Day 13 rides over the Lewis Pass to Mount Lyford for the night. A longer way round, by Reefton, a gold-mining town, is an option, with lunch there. Either way, the road into Mount Lyford has a short stretch of gravel. Day 14 is a rest day: whale watching at Kaikōura, or the hot pools at Hanmer Springs.
High country and glacial lakes
Day 15 leaves Mount Lyford on the same short stretch of gravel and crosses the Canterbury Plains to Mount Hutt for the night. Christchurch is an optional detour on the way. Lake Coleridge is within reach of Mount Hutt, and so is Lake Heron, at the end of a gravel road. Depending on where you stay, the day may end with a 300 m gravel driveway. On Day 16 the road climbs into the high country, with lupins at the roadside in early summer, to Lake Tekapo: time for the hot pools, or the switchbacks up to the Mount John Observatory, before the ride on to Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain.
The roof of Aotearoa
Day 17 is yours at Aoraki / Mount Cook: ride the shore of Lake Pūkaki below the mountain, take a short alpine walk to a glacier viewpoint, or a scenic flight. The second night is in the national park.
Queenstown, Glenorchy and Paradise
Day 18 leaves the mountains by way of Ōmarama, with the Clay Cliffs as an optional detour, partly on gravel, then crosses the Lindis Pass and the golden hills of Otago to Queenstown. Day 19 is a light day, out along Lake Wakatipu and past Glenorchy to Paradise, with its beech forest and rivers, and back to Queenstown for a second night. The last stretch to Paradise is gravel, so turn back at Glenorchy if you’d rather stay on the seal. Side quests for the day include a walk up Queenstown Hill, the Skippers Canyon Road (narrow and gravel) and the switchbacks of The Remarkables Access Road (gravel near the top).
Fiordland and Milford Sound
Day 20 follows Lake Wakatipu south from Queenstown to Te Anau, on the edge of Fiordland, with Lake Manapōuri as a side trip. On Day 21 the Milford Road runs past the Mirror Lakes and between sheer rock walls to Milford Sound, and back to Te Anau for a second night.
Arrowtown and the lakes
Day 22 heads back along Lake Wakatipu to Arrowtown, a gold-rush town, and on to Queenstown for the night. On Day 23 the road runs through Cromwell and along Lake Dunstan, with time for a swim, to Wānaka for two nights. Day 24 is a rest day by the lake.
The Haast Pass and the West Coast
Day 25 crosses Mount Aspiring National Park and the Haast Pass to Haast, on the West Coast, then runs north past Fox Glacier to Franz Josef for the night, where the ice comes down to the rainforest. Day 26 follows the coast north through Hokitika to Greymouth, for two nights. Day 27 is the last rest day: the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki, or Shantytown. On Day 28 the road climbs over Arthur’s Pass and down to Christchurch, where the journey ends.
Rooms on this route are limited in prime and peak season. A refundable 20% deposit secures your booking, and we book your accommodation straight away. Talk it through first, or reserve your dates.
Rider’s view near WaimaukuWaimauku, Auckland
Last light at Mount MaunganuiMount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty
The Waikato River racing toward Huka FallsTaupō, Waikato
Wind on Lake WakatipuQueenstown, Otago
Top box above the glacial valleyAoraki / Mount Cook, Canterbury
Riverbed stop at Franz JosefFranz Josef, West Coast
Pillions ride free · No surprises pricing
An incredible hotel, an apartment with sweeping views, or a remote cabin in the Dark Sky Reserve: every night is chosen for the stay itself or for the setting, The Hermitage at Aoraki / Mount Cook among them. We book them all as soon as your deposit is paid. Breakfast is included where offered, and your pillion (passenger) rides free.
About 60 days before you start, your whole journey lands in the Wandrith Journey App on your phone or tablet: each day’s route, your stays and notes to help you prepare. On the road, connect your phone to the bike for turn-by-turn directions on its screen, along with all the usual things like your music. Then make each day your own, with optional side quests and alternate routes, and the fuel stops, cafés and restaurants we’d stop at ourselves along the way. The Cook Strait ferry crossing is included, on the Interislander or Bluebridge, with tie-down kits on the bike. The harbour ferries in Northland on Day 2 aren’t: each is a small fare, paid on the spot.
Booked by model, not by class: the exact R1300GS Adventure, R1250GS Adventure, F900GS Adventure or Himalayan you choose, low-kilometre and set up the way an owner would: aluminium panniers and top box, a CarPlay and Android Auto screen, a phone mount with a case to fit your phone, action camera mounts, a satellite beacon, and first aid and tyre repair kits. Low seats are available for most models, and every bike has roadside assistance. We own every bike in the fleet.
All prices include GST. No card surcharges, and nothing is added to your journey price later, apart from any activities you add. Your price is locked when you pay the deposit.
On your phone or tablet, and on the bike’s own screen. About 60 days before you ride, your journey arrives in it, day by day.
| Motorcycle | Prime season1 February to 15 March | Peak seasonDecember, January and 16–31 March | Shoulder seasonNovember and April |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW R1300GS Adventure ASA | US$27,100 | US$24,800 | US$22,000 |
| BMW R1250GS Adventure | US$27,100 | US$24,800 | US$22,000 |
| BMW F900GS Adventure | US$25,700 | US$23,600 | US$20,900 |
| Royal Enfield Himalayan | US$24,400 | US$22,300 | US$19,800 |
“The motorcycle was low mileage, newly serviced with fresh tyres.”
Transport Service Licence · Certificates of Fitness on every bike · Member of TIA, ATTA and GSTC · Listed with Tourism New Zealand
Your ferry tickets are included: the bike’s, yours and any pillion’s, with the Premium Lounge where available. Motorcycles are usually first on and first off.
Read the full answer on the FAQ pageFull answerStill have a question? Talk it through with us.
Book a discovery callA mix of hotels and serviced apartments, with the occasional speciality stay. Somewhere special every night, for the stay itself or for the setting.
Read the full answer on the FAQ pageFull answerStill have a question? Talk it through with us.
Book a discovery callMany of the places we book have a self-service laundry, and rest days are a good time for washing. The Wandrith Journey App marks good places on the route for a laundry stop.
Read the full answer on the FAQ pageFull answerStill have a question? Talk it through with us.
Book a discovery callTurn by turn, on the bike’s own screen. Each day’s route is loaded in advance in the Wandrith Journey App.
Read the full answer on the FAQ pageFull answerStill have a question? Talk it through with us.
Book a discovery callYes. Pillions ride free: two people on one bike pay the price of the bike and share the room.
Read the full answer on the FAQ pageFull answerStill have a question? Talk it through with us.
Book a discovery call
14 days from Christchurch and back, over the Lewis, Lindis, Haast and Arthur’s passes and up the West Coast: about 1,610 miles, 99% sealed, two rest days. Nights include Kaikōura, Tekapo and Queenstown.
Up to US$15,200 per bike, including GST
21 days from Auckland to Christchurch, across both islands by the Cook Strait ferry: about 2,511 miles, 99% sealed, five rest days. Nights include Rotorua, Wellington, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Queenstown.
Up to US$20,300 per bike, including GST
