This company is a scam. I had a tour booked with them and had to cancel and they refused to process…read moremy refund unless I gave them all of my banking information including account numbers which would have allowed them complete access to my account. No customer service whatsoever. They are fraudsters. Avoid at all costs.

Rafael was a wonderful driver! We rode with him on the way to the Waitomo Caves from Auckland and…read morehe told us a bunch of New Zealand history on our drive over. The drive to the Waitomo caves was longer than the glow worm tour there itself but I would still highly suggest it. We booked our tour online on the Intercity Bus website under the Day Tours. If you do not have a car, this seems to be the best way to check out the glow worms from Auckland. The bus left promptly at 730am from the Intercity Bus station at 102 Hobson Street and we arrived back in Auckland at around 215pm. The day tour from Auckland and back to Auckland did not include lunch. We packed our own lunch and were able to eat it on the bus ride back (the other people who booked a different tour were able to eat their included lunch on the bus as well). The Waitomo Caves were beautiful. Our tour guide Maria was so funny and personable and she even sang to our group in the cave (because there are some good acoustics in there!!)! She had such a pretty voice too. The caves were such a sight to see and there were tons of glow worms! I kept hoping that one would fall on me but no such luck. You do have to be VERRRRRRY quiet once you are in the boat to see the glow worms so if you have very young children or babies, this wouldn't be the time to take them. You also are not allowed to take pictures in the caves AT ALL which was a little bit of a bummer but you just have to remember to live in the moment and take a picture with your mind ;) It was very easy to book this day trip on the Intercity website and the tour was just what we were looking for. Def recommend going this route if you don't want to drive and just want to enjoy the scenery!

We spent a most enjoyable day with Ewald Boss, Director of Milestone Tours on the Rotoura Waitomo…read moreDay Tour. We found it an excellent way to get a feel for the beauty of the New Zealand countryside. Ewald provided great commentary along the way on history, culture, economic and political insights. It was like traveling with a very knowledgeable friend! The Rotoura experience was typically touristy but very interesting and the lunch provided was good. The Waitomo Cave tour is professional and definitely worth the stop.

We went on three tours with Ewald, each delightful, relaxing, fun & informative. Rotorua was a…read morelong but beautiful drive, Glowworm cave a must see! Matakana Escape was relaxing, interesting and fun. Farewell to Auckland sends you off back home with warm regards for NZ and Ewald's Milestone Tours. We highly recommend!

Large clean well marked train station bar the ferries & port. Starbucks,a florist, mojo are…read moreinside. Lots of machines to refill our at hop transit card & staff that was a big help. This is the the public transport hub in the central business district. It opened in 2003 but was a post office from 1911. It combines a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive modernist architectural elements, and a bus interchange. It is at the foot of Queen Street, in the main commercial shopping, dining & transportation hub.

If you're getting around Auckland, you're probably going to go through Britomart Station. This is…read morethe central hub for all ground transportation in the area, and everything seems to stop through here. It's right across the street from the Ferry Landing, and there's lots of stores, restaurants, gift shops and things to see and do around here. When I went, the place was swarming with scooters! They were everywhere. Plus, the place was heavily under construction, with big scaffolding over the facade, and shipping containers set up to walk through so nothing falls on pedestrians. The exterior is nice looking, and everyone seems to know where this place is. They have kiosks set up to check your bus tickets without having to deal with a clerk.

I've visited Willow Park several times. It's not just a convention centre, but also a camping…read moreground with an extremely large sports field some schools in Auckland would die for. I'm always impressed by how much space it has for a complex in the middle of suburbia. The facilities are a bit run down in parts, but you forgive nearly everything for the short 2 min walk to the beach. The bunk rooms are extremely nice though and they have a full catering service, so no need to bring your utensils. The place has a feel-good vibe to it, and no one I know who has stayed there has ever complained. If you're looking for a place not too far away to host your next event or school camp, Willow Park definitely has a lot going for it!

Travel days can be hectic and stressful…read more.. Since this was our first time arriving in Sydney, Australia, and departing from New Zealand, we arranged our pre- and post-cruise air and land transportation through Oceania Cruises. We were more than impressed with the itineraries that they scheduled for our foursome. Our New Zealand driver picked us up from our hotel, Sudima Auckland City, at precisely at 5;30 PM, allowing us an uninterrupted 30-minute drive or 24 miles to Auckland Airport (AKL). Along the way, our driver informed us that Auckland Airport (international) is this nation's busiest and largest airport, yet it has only two terminals. One terminal handles international airline connections through Air New Zealand, Qantas, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific, among others, while the other handles domestic airlines such as Virgin Australia and Airwork. He also advised us on navigating the three levels of the International Terminal, since we were unfamiliar with the airport's layout, which helped to make our departure less stressful. From the Air New Zealand drop-off point, we proceeded to the ground-floor check-in kiosks since we needed bag tags for our checked luggage, even though we had checked in for our flight on the app 24 hours in advance. Check-in was very easy, and a friendly agent was available at the kiosks to assist everyone if needed. After attaching our tags, we took our bags over to the agents to weigh and associate them with our flight tickets. We then passed through to the first-floor retail shops, highly efficient immigration and security, and duty-free vendors before reaching the second floor, where the departure gates were located. We also were impressed by the comfortable modern and Māori-inspired designed décor. While negotiating the crowds and making our way to our departure gate, we had allowed for a 3-hour cushion so we calm down and grab something light to eat pre-flight. We couldn't think of purchasing more souvenirs since we had spent the past 20 days in Australia and New Zealand and everything was packed in either our checked-in or carry-on luggage. So, our appetites were diverted to several food vendors, which, amazingly, offered tasty food and beverage options along with quick, friendly service. Before we knew it, time seemed to fly by and we were ready to board our flight home. We boarded stress-free to our selected seats and promptly fell asleep on a smooth and quiet flight thanks to Air New Zealand.

The airport is nice and clean. I did notice that there are far less restrooms available than in…read moreother airports. Also when you arrive you will be checked again and again by customs. Quite strict about bringing any food, animal, plant or soil matter into the country. I get that, but after you get asked the same question at the 3rd or 4th checkpoint it starts to get a bit redundant.

Let's be honest, no one's going to Tiri just for the Visitor Centre, but since you're going anyway…read moreyou may as well check it out. Of course the island itself is amazing for its open sanctuary status, its birdlife and its history. And along with DOC it is supported by the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi and they operate the visitor centre and shop. The shop has an awesome collection of souvenirs, including jewellery, clothes, books, housewares, games and greeting cards, among many other things. The best part is that the majority of the items in the store are also New Zealand made, which goes to show that the Supporters support not only the conservation of this island but locally made products by New Zealand designers. The profits from the store go back into the island so it's a fantastic way to give back as well as taking home some awesome presents for others or for yourself. The visitor centre has heaps of information boards and displays about the wildlife and history of the island. Also plenty of tables and chairs both inside and out to relax on after exploring.

Who knew Rangitoto's little neighbor was full of walking tracks too?…read more Enter: Motatapu Island. After doing several double takes of the stark contrast between Rangitoto's volcanic rock & Motatapu's rolling green pastures, I decided it was time to go out and explore. We took the Rangitoto ferry* (early bird is only $20 return...sweeeeet). From the wharf, you walk along the coast to across to Islington Bay which brings you to the causeway path over to Motatapu. You then join the Motatapu walkway, including a network of paths which cover a large portion of the island. We followed the path over to Home Bay, which is a beautiful swimming spot and also 'home' (tehee) to a DOC beach campground. From there, you have a number of options through farmland, WWII gun emplacements and tunnels and/or chillin' with the local cattle (these guys have some pretttttty stellar views). Tips: + Give yourself the whole day if you want to start in Rangi and work your way around Motatapu - it's nothing strenuous but it covers some distance. + Signage isn't amazing so I'd bring a map and be flexible in your routes, if you know what I mean :) + Bring water - there's aren't many places to fill up along the way, so make sure you bring plenty All in all, a nice little day trip (especially for those without a car and/or if you don't love "crowds" - Rangitoto is definitely the more popular destination). *They do have a ferry that runs directly to Motatapu, but it's seasonal and not every weekend, so be sure to check out the Fullers website.

Motatapu is Rangitoto's forgotten neighbour. It's not often talked about - potentially because it…read moreis harder to get to - but it's an island that every Aucklander should visit at least once. You can access the island via Rangitoto or get a public ferry from downtown to Home Bay (although, these are less frequent). Once you're there, there's oodles of walking tacks to explore, most with spectacular views of the Hauraki Gulf. History buffs - keep an eye out for the WWII gun emplacements.

Black Sands Lodge is a little sanctuary of a Bed and Breakfast out at Piha Beach. Run by two…read morewonderful women - Bobbie and Julia - this place has three separate dwellings for people staying over and Bobbie and Julia have done a great job of making them all beautiful. I stayed in the more bargain room - a twin room with two single beds - and loved every minute of it. Bobbie and Julia were really accommodating and made wonderful food. We also shared a few wines and talked politics in the evening, which was great! Black Sands is only a stone's throw from the beach, so if you stay over, make sure you pack your jandals for the short walk to the beach. The Piha Café around the corner is also great for meals.