New Plymouth - Auckland

This trip explores the southern Auckland area; the legendary Waitomo region, with it's primeval forests, great walking tracks, mysterious subterranean caverns and world-famous Waitomo Caves glowworms; and skirts along the Taranaki coast. New Plymouth's main feature is Mt Taranaki, New Zealand's most climbed mountain which features endless recreation opportunities.

One of the best ways to get underground is to take an abseiling tour at Waitomo. Feel the thrill as you lower yourself slowly into a pitch-black subterranean world of deep caverns, limestone formations and dark waterways, not to mention amazing galaxies of glowworms.

Abseiling is only half the fun – once you've entered this mind-blowing underground world, you need to get out. You'll be treated to the full caving experience, including rock-climbing, crawling and scrambling through tight squeezes, and gliding down rocky chutes and through vaulted limestone galleries.

All you need to take is yourself, as commercial operators supply the abseiling devices and safety equipment. They will also teach you how to work ropes and identify formations. What are you waiting for?

This 52ha inner-city park is a jewel. Stretching along a river valley from the centre of New Plymouth to near the city's southern boundary, Pukekura Park is a Garden of National Significance that combines formal gardens with walks through native bush.

Visitors to the park can enjoy the internationally regarded Fernery and Display Houses, visit Brooklands Zoo, check out the Japanese Hillside and Kunming Garden, and take a rowboat onto the main lake.

These clinker boats hark back to a bygone era, and are a charming way to explore the lake and get close to the ducks – and the occasional cormorant – that call the lake home. Rowers can glide beneath the iconic Poet's Bridge and further up the lake to other small islands.

The rowboats are available for hire throughout the TSB Bank Festival of Lights (mid-December to early February) and nominated weekends in March. The Festival of Lights transforms the park into an illuminated wonderland, with people coming to marvel at the magical grounds every night. Pukekura Park is so popular it was voted onto the coveted Mayfair spot in the New Zealand Monopoly board game!

Attracting more than 40,000 visitors each year, the iconic Tui Brewery in Mangatainoka offers more than just a brewery tour. At Tui HQ you'll also find a shop and a museum that's a shrine to all things Tui, a warmly welcoming bar that serves beer made with water from the spring only a few metres away, and a café serving traditional Kiwi tucker.

Tours are available every day, but you will need to book. Groups of up to 250 can be catered for in The Flagon Room, with all-you-can-drink Tui for everyone...yeah right!

Wake magazine has described it as "possibly New Zealand's greatest wakeboarding location", and they're not wrong. They describe a wakeboarder or waterskier's dream: "miles and miles of glass, not a house or boat in sight and big steep hills with intricate rocky cliff faces plummeting from lush big green expanses of land on both sides protecting the glassy water in the valleys".

Lake Rotorangi, the longest man-made lake in New Zealand at 46km, is a serenely beautiful location in a forgotten world and perfect for water sports. About an hour inland from Hawera, this lake is more like a wide stretch of long, uninterrupted river. And that means long, uninterrupted rides – so long as you don't bail!

With plenty of space and distance to practice all your dips, flips and tricks, Lake Rotorangi is not only the perfect playground but also the ultimate training ground for wakeboarders and waterskiers alike who want to get some solid time on the water and improve their skills.

If you're all about being the early bird that catches the first worm, there's a lodge located near the northern end of the lake for eager beavers wanting the first ride of the morning. Kayaks can usually be borrowed from the lodge accommodation free of charge, and are another recommended water activity for the safe, calm waters of Lake Rotorangi.

The treasure chest of Taranaki's history and culture, Puke Ariki is a world-class knowledge centre where library, museum and visitor information are combined to tell the stories of Taranaki – past, present and future.

Setting an international benchmark in the delivery of information and heritage services, Puke Ariki has a number of exhibitions on throughout the year, and a variety of displays, collections and interactive technology on permanent display.

Taranaki is a region steeped in history and Puke Ariki (Hill of Chiefs) stands on an original pa site of the great Maori chief, Te Rangi Apiti Rua. The pa was deserted and approximately 100 years later it became the landing place for colonial settlers.

Puke Ariki is located opposite Len Lye's Wind Wand in central New Plymouth. There are several galleries featuring contemporary exhibitions: Taranaki past life; Taranaki geology, flora and fauna; Maori collections (taonga) and theatre featuring short films on Taranaki life. Puke Ariki is a must-see for your complete Taranaki experience.

The scenery you will see in Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu is certainly impressive but there's something extra special about checking it out from above. That's where a helicopter ride comes in.

Take the trip of a lifetime and hover above imposing Mt Taranaki and nearby Pouakai and Kaitake ranges, which dominate Taranaki's skyline in the Egmont National Park. This aerial view will blow you away.

Or, enjoy a different perspective of the central North Island's mountains, the region's impressive surf beaches and native bush. Further south, options include a look at Palmerston North and the wind farms at Te Apiti and Tararua.

In some cases, you may have the option of landing on or near a particular point of interest. Winter or summer, this experience is sure to be one of your highlights.