Central North lsland

Two touring routes meander through the Central North Island, both ending in Hawke’s Bay - a premier food and wine destination. The Thermal Explorer Highway leads to geothermally-farmed prawns and traditional hangi food; the Pacific Explorer Highway lets you follow the coast to discover seafood, fruit and sensational wines.

Hawke’s Bay

With its gloriously sunny weather, endless beaches and vast river plains framed by forested mountain ranges, the Hawke’s Bay region is a place to satisfy all your senses.

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Boutique accommodation within vineyards allows you to immerse yourself in the region’s food and wine culture. Or you could stay in a restored historic hotel, where every meal is a work of art. Local growers and artisan food producers keep the region’s chefs inspired with exceptional ingredients - follow the gourmet trail to discover cheese, honey, olives, chocolate and much more. A weekly highlight is the traditional farmers’ market in Napier, a city renowned for its Art Déco buildings.

Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s second-largest wine region. Alluvial soils and a distinctly Mediterranean climate produce sophisticated, concentrated reds and weighty, finely-structured chardonnays. Hiring a mountain bike is a novel way to tour the vineyards, or you can easily organise a driver to whisk you from one cellar door to the next. Around lunchtime, you’ll want to find yourself near a vineyard restaurant - like the one at Brookfields, where exceptional provincial cuisine is perfectly matched local wine.

Thermal Explorer Highway - Auckland to Hawke's Bay via Taupo

Heading south from Auckland, you might be tempted to pause at Mercer - a highway stop that is known for bacon and ice cream. Otherwise, save your appetite for Hamilton’s Victoria Street cafés - there are plenty to choose from. Just outside Hamilton, in Ohaupo, Vilagrad Wines offers tours and tastings - phone ahead to make a booking.

On the way to Rotorua, a slightly longer route will take you to the Waitomo Caves area. While various forms of caving are the main attraction here, the historic Waitomo Caves Hotel has very comfortable accommodation and a choice of restaurants.

	Fresh from the hangi
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You’ll see steam rising from geothermal areas almost everywhere you go in Rotorua. At the village of Whakawerawera this underground energy is used for cooking, a tradition that began around 600 years ago when Maori first settled in the region. The lakeside town of Taupo also has geothermal attractions, and it’s the only place in the world where you can eat prawns grown in geothermally-heated water. As popular tourist destinations, both Rotorua and Taupo have a great selection of restaurants and cafés.

Pacific Coast Highway - Auckland to Hawke's Bay via East Cape

A great start to this foodie road trip is a stop at Clevedon Coast Oysters, which is on the coastal road out of Auckland. Then it’s on to the Coromandel Peninsula, where seafood is always on the menu. As well as favourites like snapper and terakihi, you can enjoy crayfish, paua (abalone), oysters, mussels and scallops. In Coromandel town there’s a smoking company, for naturally smoked seafood of every kind. On the other side of the peninsula, Tairua is famous for its fish and chips.

	Discover the secrets of growing delicious kiwifruit in Te Puke, a horticultural town in the Bay of Plenty.
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If you want to see where kiwifruit come from, Te Puke should be on your agenda. Hundreds of local growers produce millions of trays of traditional green and luscious gold kiwifruit that are shipped worldwide. At Kiwi 360 you can have a kiwifruit theme park experience, complete with orchard tour and kiwi cuisine.

Whakatane is a stylish seaside town where you can visit White Island, an offshore marine volcano, and enjoy innovative eating at the local cafés. Then it’s around East Cape to Gisborne, the chardonnay capital of New Zealand. This small city has a great food and wine culture - fabulous surf beaches too.

CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND

Featured Driving Route

Auckland - Taupo - Auckland (4 days)

Enjoy a return trip to Taupo and discover some of the North Island’s most unique features, including geothermal parks and caves.

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Themed Highway
	THERMAL EXPLORER You’ve heard that New Zealand has rare and unusual landscapes; now it’s time to see them. Delve into the underworld at Waitomo, be awed by the geothermal phenomena of Rotorua and ski the flanks of an active volcano.
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Featured National Park
	TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK Volcanoes dominate the Tongariro National Park in the Central North Island. The park was established in 1887, and is known as ‘the restless land’ for the many eruptions that created it.
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Themed Highway
	PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY Be driven by your need to escape, relax and recharge. Along the Pacific Coast Highway, you’ll find untouched sand for your footprints, mystical scenery for your soul and sublime wine for your senses.
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New Zealand Map
	INTERACTIVE MAP Plan your trip around New Zealand with this interactive New Zealand map. See main towns and cities, main roads, national parks, rivers and lakes and New Zealand weather. Learn more about journey times and distances, and i-SITE, New Zealand's official visitor information network.
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