See the route Te Ika-a-Māui — The fish of Māui
A loop from Auckland. The Coromandel coast, geothermal Rotorua, the Forgotten World Highway and Lake Taupō.
Journeys run from November to April.
7 days from Auckland and back through Te Ika-a-Māui, the North Island: the black-sand beaches of the west coast, the Coromandel Loop, the geothermal country around Rotorua, the Forgotten World Highway, the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park and Lake Taupō, with a rest day there.
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
City and coast
Day 1 starts in Auckland and heads north to Matakana, with Goat Island Marine Reserve as an optional detour, then crosses to the black sand of Muriwai on the west coast. The night is at Piha, a surf beach below the Waitākere Ranges.
Coromandel curves
Day 2 crosses Auckland to the Hauraki Gulf 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 of the Coromandel Peninsula to Coromandel town, then over the hills to the seaside at Whitianga. Hot Water Beach, where you can dig your own spa pool in the sand, is a side trip from Whitianga.
Hot springs and Hobbiton
Day 3 runs south down the Coromandel Peninsula to Waihi, a gold-mining town, then through the Karangahake Gorge to Paeroa and across farmland to Matamata, with the Hobbiton movie set on the way. The day ends in Rotorua: mud pools, steam vents, hot springs and the trails of Whakarewarewa Forest. Rotorua is the place for Māori cultural experiences, such as the performances at Te Puia, 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.
Taranaki and the Forgotten World Highway
Day 4 rides from Rotorua through the King Country to New Plymouth, below Taranaki Maunga, with the Waitomo Glowworm Caves as an optional stop. On Day 5 the Forgotten World Highway leaves Stratford for the back country and its hidden valleys. Stop in the Republic of Whangamōmona for a coffee and a passport stamp, then ride on past the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park and through Tūrangi to Taupō, on the shore of the country’s largest lake.
Lakeside rest and homeward bound
Day 6 is a rest day in Taupō. Walk the lakefront, see Huka Falls and the Aratiatia Rapids, or visit the Craters of the Moon and the Wairakei geothermal power station. There are also spas and mountain biking, and for more riding, the optional back roads. On Day 7 the last ride crosses the farmland of the Waikato back to Auckland.
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
Auckland from the airAuckland
Rangitoto across the Hauraki GulfWhangaparāoa, Auckland
Last light at Mount MaunganuiMount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty
Huka FallsTaupō, Waikato
Ngāuruhoe from the airWhakapapa, Manawatū-Whanganui
Pillions ride free · No surprises pricing
Above a black-sand beach at Piha, near the golden beaches of the Coromandel, beside Rotorua’s geothermal wonderland, or with Lake Taupō at the door: every night is chosen for the stay itself or for the setting. 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.
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$8,460 | US$7,900 | US$7,050 |
| BMW R1250GS Adventure | US$8,460 | US$7,900 | US$7,050 |
| BMW F900GS Adventure | US$8,040 | US$7,500 | US$6,710 |
| Royal Enfield Himalayan | US$7,620 | US$7,110 | US$6,350 |
“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
A 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 callA little. Our routes are almost all sealed, with a few short stretches of gravel, and the gravel side quests in the app are optional.
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 callJourneys run from November to April, in three seasons. Each day is priced at its season, so a journey that runs into the next season costs a mix of the two.
Read the full answer on the FAQ pageFull answerStill have a question? Talk it through with us.
Book a discovery call
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
