Self-Drive New Zealand & Australia - 15 Days

Highlights

• Admire geothermal phenomena in Rotorua's Hell's Gate
• Ride the steepest cable car in the world in Queenstown
• Peer into some of the world's most pristine night skies in Lake Tekapo
• Snorkel among the fish in the Great Barrier Reef
• Watch the sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Auckland, Explore & Have Dinner Atop the Sky Tower

Welcome to Auckland! After your flight to New Zealand's North Island, you'll have the rest of the day to spend how you'd like. Take time to relax at your hotel or head out into the most populous city in the country. There is much to do and see in the "Big Little City." For instance, get a bird's-eye view from the top of the 1,076-foot (328 m) Sky Tower. And when you know the lay of the land, consider visiting Britomart for a bite to eat at one of its many bars and restaurants, or check out Wynyard Quarter, a newly built neighborhood along the waterfront created in time for the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

If you have the time to go farther afield, take the 35-minute ferry ride to visit Waiheke Island, home to vineyards, beaches, and beautiful views of Auckland. Then tonight, for the ultimate dinner with a view, reserve a table at Orbit 360° Dining at the top of Sky Tower, which rotates once every hour for panoramic views of Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf. The restaurant focuses on local and seasonal produce, with meat and seafood dishes highlighting New Zealand's cuisine in a three-course set menu.

Day 2: Drive to Rotorua via Tauranga, Visit Hell's Gate

Kick off the self-drive portion of your trip today with a 139-mile (225 km) drive southeast to Tauranga, a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty. Just across Tauranga Harbour sits Mount Maunganui, a chill beach town in the shadow of the dormant volcano Mauao. You can access Mount Maunganui via a bridge and spend the morning walking along scenic paths to the volcano's summit or through McLaren Falls Park, home to a waterfall of the same name and many paths to explore.

Wave goodbye in the afternoon to Tauranga and drive about an hour south to Rotorua, a city known for its geothermal activity and Māori culture. Head to Tikitere, a suburb of the city better known as Hell's Gate due to the high concentration of fumaroles, mud pools, and steaming acidic water. Walk alone or with a guide through this otherworldly landscape, and then take a chance to unwind after a long travel day in the area's therapeutic mud and sulfur spas.

Day 3: Tour Mount Tarawera, Relax in the Polynesian Spa & Te Pā Tū Māori Feast 

Today, take a walking tour of Mount Tarawera, a volcano just southeast of Rotorua. The volcano erupted in the late 19th century, creating several lakes and obscuring other natural wonders like the Pink and White Terraces. Your guide will explain this history (and theories of the Terraces' rediscovery) as you make your way to the volcano's summit.

Later, take some time for yourself and relax at another spa featuring alkaline waters. Located on the shore of Lake Rotorua, the Polynesian Spa's main attraction is its alkaline rock pools, each with different temperatures ranging from 96.8°F to 107.6°F (36°C to 42°C). While soaking in the warm waters, you'll be able to take in views of the lake, native plants, wildlife, and a nearby grotto.

Day 4: Fly to Queenstown, Explore

Today, you're headed to the South Island. Drop your rental car off at the airport and catch a flight to Queenstown, a city on the shores of Lake Wakatipu known for its adventure sports like paragliding and jet boating. Pick up your new rental car and spend the rest of the day exploring at your own pace.

Besides adrenaline-pumping adventures, Queenstown is an excellent base for exploring the region's vineyards and historic gold-mining towns. Consider taking a drive to Gibbson Valley for a wine tasting or braving the steep, winding trail to Macetown to learn more about New Zealand's 19th-century gold rush.

Day 5: Skyline Queenstown Gondola & Luge

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Get a bird's-eye view of Queenstown today! Hop aboard the Skyline Gondola, the steepest cable car lift in the Southern Hemisphere, to climb over 1,400 feet (450 m) above Queenstown and reach panoramic views of Coronet Peak, the Remarkables mountain range, Lake Wakatipu, and Cecil and Walter Peaks beyond. While up there, visit the Skyline Complex and take an exhilarating ride down the 5,250 feet (1,600 m) luge track past banked corners and tunnels. 

Day 6: Drive to Wānaka, Hike

Day 7: Drive to Lake Tekapo, Visit the Dark Sky Project Observatory 

Drive north for just over two hours to reach Lake Tekapo, a small town on the edge of the Mackenzie Basin. Tonight, visit the Dark Sky Project Observatory on the shore of the lake to learn about the southern sky using telescopes and even the naked eye. Lake Tekapo sits within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, an area that restricts light pollution, so the views are unparalleled. Your guide will point out highlights like the Milky Way Galaxy, Southern Cross, Magellanic Clouds, and Orion.

Day 8: Drive to Christchurch, Explore & Have Dinner Aboard a Historic Tram

Drive just under three hours east of Lake Tekapo to reach Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island. Along the way, you'll descend out of the high elevation of the Makenzie Basin, watching the Canterbury Plains and small towns like Geraldine and Fairlie flash by outside your window.

Once you arrive, explore Christchurch at your own pace. The city is known for its green spaces like Hagley Park and the Botanical Gardens—it's nicknamed the Garden City, after all—so a stroll through one is always a good idea. For something more imbued with history, take a tour down the Avon River / Ōtākaro led by guides in Edwardian costume, or ride one of the city's 19th-century trams past Cathedral Square and the Canterbury Museum.

This evening, dine in one of Christchurch's heritage-era trams, which date back to 1882. You'll feast on a multicourse dinner while driving a loop around the city, passing famous sights like Cathedral Square and New Regent Street in your historic tram car.

Day 9: Fly to Cairns

Return your rental car at the airport again because today, you're flying over to Cairns for the Australia leg of your adventure!

Located on the northeastern coast of Far North Queensland, Cairns serves as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, The Wet Tropics of Queensland, and the Atherton Tableland. This area, known as "where the rainforest meets the reef," is the traditional homeland of the Yidinji people and was colonized by gold-seeking Europeans in the 19th century. Nowadays, it's a major tourist hub for its access to multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites and its bustling Esplanade fit with a swimming lagoon.

Day 10: Quicksilver Outer Barrier Reef Cruise

It wouldn't be a trip to Cairns without a visit to the Great Barrier Reef, so spend today on a guided adventure along one of the out reefs. One tour option, Quicksilver, offers multiple ways to enjoy the reef. Ride a catamaran, go snorkeling among fish, sea turtles, and rays, observe the underwater landscape from a semi-submersible craft, or even get a birds-eye view of the reef from a helicopter. Whichever option you go with, you're sure to better understand one of the world's seven natural wonders.

Day 11: Drive to Cape Tribulation

Today, follow Captain Cook Highway north to Cape Tribulation, a coastal headland within Daintree National Park. Drive north through Palm Cove to Port Douglas, where you can stretch your legs on Four Mile Beach or pop over to Rex Lookout for stunning views of the Coral Sea. Then, drive past Mossman Gorge and ferry across the Daintree River before driving through the rainforest along Cape Tribulation Road to reach your destination, where you can relax on the beach or hike in the nearby forest.

Day 12: Fly to Uluru via Cairns, Field of Light Dinner

Head south on the Captain Cook Highway from Cape Tribulation to get back to Cairns. The highway follows the Coral Sea to Palm Cove, where you might stop for a swim on Palm Cove Beach or stroll on the jetty. If you have the time, there's no shortage of other beaches for you to visit, like Yorkeys Knob, Trinity Beach, and Clifton Beach.

Then, drive to the airport, drop off your rental car, and fly to Uluru for the next part of your trip. Here you'll find Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, home to its namesake red sandstone monolith, standing 1,142 feet (348 m) over the desert landscape. You can explore and learn about Uluru, one of the most sacred sites in Australia for the Aṉangu people, particularly the Pitjantjatjara. But the area is also home to art galleries of Aṉangu art, world-class restaurants, and natural springs and rock caves.

Later tonight, experience a once-in-a-lifetime dinner when you dine outside in sight of the Field of Light art installation with Uluru as a backdrop. As the sun sets over the desert, enjoy canapés and a selection of wine and beer. Once darkness falls, the LEDs powering 527,431 square feet (49,000 sq m) of flowerlike glass spheres light up in a multicolor display. Enjoy a three-course meal, learn about the constellations shining in the sky above, and walk among the glimmering light exhibit.

Day 13: Desert Awakenings Tour with Voyages

Get up before dawn to experience a desert sunrise this morning. Watch the light break over Uluru and Kata Tjuta, another grandiose monolith nearby, over breakfast and gain a new appreciation for the natural beauty of the desert. 

Take a guided tour around the park to hear how Uluru and its surrounding Red Centre deserts are intertwined with local Aṉangu stories and history. This guided walk will take you past the endemic flora and fauna, ancient rock art, and the sandstone monolith. Follow a trail to the Mutijulu Waterhole, a sacred freshwater spring and the site of an important Aṉangu origin story about Kunya and Liru.

Day 14: Fly to Sydney, Explore

This morning you'll board another quick flight, this time to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales on Australia's southeastern coast. You'll have the rest of the day to explore the city at your own pace. Consider making your way down to the BridgeClimb to reach the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge—440 feet (134 m) above sea level—for an uninterrupted panorama of the city and its surroundings. In the afternoon, take the bus or ferry to Bondi Beach or Manly Beach for a little sunbathing and a surf lesson, or head to the Nicholson Museum, home to the most extensive collection of antiquities in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.

For something with a bit more structure, take a half-day tour of the best of Sydney's iconic landmarks. Step inside the Sydney Opera House for a guided tour of the behind-the-scenes areas the general audience doesn't get to see. Spot the sprawling landscape of Hyde Park, the twin spires of Saint Mary's Cathedral, the Georgian facade of New South Wales's Parliament House, and the columns of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, ending the tour at Bondi Beach in the east.

Day 15: Depart Sydney

It's time to say goodbye to New Zealand and Australia. Drop your rental car off at the airport depot before catching your flight back home. Safe travels!

More Great Australia Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Australia? Check out these other Australia itineraries, explore different ways to spend 15 days in Australia, or discover the best time to visit Australia.

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