DAY 1 -After picking you up at your door, we enjoy a leisurely day getting to know each other as we make our way to Hamilton to board our train for our trip through the stunning North Island to Wellington. The Northern Explorer train is fitted with panoramic windows and spacious comfortable seating to make the trip extra special.

 

Leaving Hamilton, we pass the lush pastures of the Waikato as the train starts to climb through the rugged back-blocks of the King Country. Further on, the sheep and beef farms give way to native bush as we cross the Whanganui River and climb the famous Raurimu Spiral.

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The ‘piece de resistance’ for many is the section skirting the Tongariro National Park. Here you can admire views of the 3 active volcanic cones of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, as well as the clear streams and dense forest that warranted Tongariro to become the world’s 6th national park and a UNESCO World Heritage area. Passing the snow capped peaks, enjoy lunch on board, or try the open-air carriage for some fantastic photo opportunities.

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Descending down through the Manawatu along the Rangitikei River, the train crosses some breathtaking viaducts before hitting the Kapiti Coast for panoramic views out to Kapiti Island. Upon arrival in Wellington city we are picked up and taken to our city central top hotel for a fabulous dinner and we can share our memories from the day.

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DAY 2 - Today we have the whole day to explore all the sights Wellington has to offer,. We begin at Te Papa with the "Masterpieces from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen" which brings major works from the leading artists of the Surrealist genre to New Zealand.

A guided tour by a specialist guide gives real insight into the various works on display.  You will have time as well to browse the exhibition at your own pace afterwards.

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After a break at the museum cafe for a coffee we head across town and up to the Cable Car Museum for some great views over the city and harbour. Here we visit the Winding House to see the mechanism that drives the cars before riding the cable car down to Lambton Key, a must do activity when in Wellington.

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Your guide will meet you at the bottom station for the short drive across to the Parliament precinct for a short walk past our seat of government to the Old St Pauls church, recently reopened after restoration works.  This magnificent wooden structure was luckily saved from demolishion and is well worth a visit.

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Today we have included a lovely two course lunch at a historic inner city pub, before leaving be sure to check out the basement!  After our leisurely lunch we head back to the hotel where the rest of the day is free for you to do as you please. Our hotel is just a short walk from the downtown nightspots, so chance for you to take in some Wellington nightlife.    

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Day 3 - For our last day in Wellington we have another full program.  We begin again at Te Papa for a private guided tour to learn more about the unique and interesting displays, including the much-awarded Gallipoli exhibition – The Scale Of War, created by Weta Workshop.  (an alternative no cost option for serious art lovers is a visit to the Wellington Art Gallery which showcases a wide range of contemporary art).

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Our next destination is the viewpoint atop Mt. Victoria, which at 196m has great views out over the city and Miramar, which is where we are heading for lunch today at a popular  and quirky seaside cafe overlooking the entrance to Wellington Harbour.  

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Wellington is world famous as a film industry centre following the phenomenal success of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie trilogies, so we have to include a behind the scenes tour at Weta Workshop, the hub of movie making here in Wellywood! Their introduction movie will give you some background into just how big this business has become over the last 25 years and for keen movie buffs the range of collectables at Weta Cave will be of interest.

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On our short drive to the airport we will see some of the movie industry buildings before we check in for our afternoon flight back to Tauranga. The Hinterland team will be ready to transfer you back to your home after this amazing trip.

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* Please note, that unless specified in the itinerary we do not usually include the cost of lunches or morning and afternoon tea stops in the tour cost, but we always make stops where there are a range of options available so you can choose what you want, and have flexibility to do things on your own if you wish.