Sanctuary Mountain & Waitomo Caves Tour

A pleasant drive south over the Bombay Hills into the rich dairy farmland of the Waikato and beside the Waikato River before arriving in Cambridge, billed as our most English like town. With it’s stately oak trees, village green and historic St Andrew’s Anglican Church 1881. A morning tea/coffee break is taken here. Then it's a short drive to lake Karapiro and the hydro-electric power station on the Waikato River for a photo stop, before crossing over the dam. The majestic 797m Mt Maungatautari (Sanctuary Mountain) looms in the background. A mainland ecological island created by a 47 km pest proof fence, the largest of it’s type in the world. Join an informative 1 ½ hour guided tour about many of New Zealand’s rarest and most endangered plants, insects, birds, fish, geckos, frogs, bats and flora that co-exist in this spectacular environment, on one of the many well maintained tracks to the 16m viewing tower. A picnic lunch is included here.

Our tour now takes us further south west into the King Country, named after the kingitanga (Maori King Movement) and it’s followers during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860’s and our “Kiwiana” (iconic NZ) town of Otorohanga, to Waitomo.

At Waitomo we take the Footwhistle guided tour comprising of an hour 15 mins duration (Note; This is a dry tour). A more personalized experience with no more than twelve in the group, where you are able to get right up close to the glow worms (Arachnocampa) and take photos!

Highlights & Inclusions:
• Sanctuary Mountain & guided tour
• Picnic lunch
• Footwhistle guided tour

Departure information:
Departs Auckland 7.15am