See the route Te Ika-a-Māui and Te Waipounamu
Auckland to Christchurch, over the Lewis, Lindis, Haast and Arthur’s passes. Rotorua, the Desert Road and Wellington, then Cook Strait to the Southern Alps, Queenstown and the West Coast.
Journeys run from November to April.
21 days through both islands, Te Ika-a-Māui and Te Waipounamu, from Auckland to Christchurch. The North Island takes in the Coromandel Loop, Rotorua, the Forgotten World Highway, Taupō and the Desert Road to Wellington. After the Cook Strait ferry (Interislander or Bluebridge) come Queen Charlotte Drive, the Lewis Pass, Aoraki / Mount Cook, Queenstown, the Haast Pass and the West Coast, and the last ride over Arthur’s Pass.
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 · Haast Pass · Arthur’s Pass
City, coast and black-sand beaches
Day 1 leaves Auckland for Matakana, then crosses to the black sand of Muriwai on the west coast and rides on to Piha for the night. Goat Island Marine Reserve is an optional stop for snorkelling.
Peninsula roads
Day 2 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 of the Coromandel Peninsula to Coromandel town, then over the hills to the beach town of Whitianga. Hot Water Beach, where you can dig your own spa pool in the sand, is a side trip from Whitianga.
Geothermal country and Taranaki
Day 3 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 and dinner by the lake. 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. On Day 4 the road crosses the King Country to New Plymouth, with the glowworm caves at Waitomo as an optional stop.
Forgotten highways and volcanic landscapes
Day 5 rides out through Stratford, below Taranaki Maunga, and onto the Forgotten World Highway, a remote road through the back country, past the self-declared Republic of Whangamōmona. Then the road climbs to the volcanic plateau of Tongariro National Park and drops through Tūrangi to Taupō, on its lake. Day 6 is free for Huka Falls and the Aratiatia Rapids, a walk along the lakefront, a mountain-bike ride, or the Wairakei geothermal power station.
The Desert Road to the capital
Day 7 crosses the volcanic plateau on the Desert Road, below Mount Ruapehu, and heads south to Wellington, the capital. Day 8 is a rest day there: Te Papa, the national museum, the laneways and cafés, and the cable car up to the Kelburn lookout. For more riding, there are short loops around the Miramar Peninsula.
Across the strait and through the Sounds
Day 9 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.
Alpine passes, hot pools and whales
Day 10 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 11 is a rest day: whale watching at Kaikōura, or the hot pools at Hanmer Springs.
High country horizons
Day 12 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 13 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 14 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.
Golden hills to Queenstown
Day 15 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, between the lake and the mountains. Day 16 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), the Shotover River, a bungy jump and the switchbacks of The Remarkables Access Road (gravel near the top).
Lakes, the Haast Pass and the glaciers
Day 17 runs through Cromwell and along Lake Dunstan, with a swim on the way if it’s warm, to Wānaka for the night. On Day 18 the road 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.
The West Coast and the Great Divide
Day 19 follows the West Coast north through Hokitika to Greymouth, for two nights. Day 20 is the last rest day: the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki, or Shantytown. On Day 21 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.
The road into the mountainsAoraki / Mount Cook, Canterbury
The Riuwaka ResurgenceRiuwaka Resurgence, Nelson
Below the ice at Franz JosefFranz Josef, West Coast
Over the Port HillsLyttelton, Canterbury
Aoraki / Mount Cook and lupinsGlentanner, Canterbury
Driftwood at Hokitika beachHokitika, 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.
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$20,300 | US$18,600 | US$16,400 |
| BMW R1250GS Adventure | US$20,300 | US$18,600 | US$16,400 |
| BMW F900GS Adventure | US$19,300 | US$17,700 | US$15,500 |
| Royal Enfield Himalayan | US$18,300 | US$16,800 | US$14,700 |
“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 callA different start or finish may be possible. Tell us what you need, and we’ll see whether we can plan the journey around it.
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
7 days from Auckland and back, through the Coromandel and Rotorua and along the Forgotten World Highway to Taupō: about 1,017 miles, almost all sealed, one rest day. Nights include Whitianga, Rotorua and New Plymouth.
Up to US$8,460 per bike, including GST
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
28 days from Auckland to Christchurch, from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island to Milford Sound: about 3,341 miles, 99% sealed, seven rest days. Nights include Rotorua, Wellington, Te Anau and Wānaka.
Up to US$27,100 per bike, including GST
