Top North Island Dining Experiences

Sail away on a harbor cruise in Auckland and enjoy a 3-course dinner as you sail past Waitemata Harbour highlights, including the Sky Tower and Auckland Harbour Bridge. Board your yacht at the Viaduct Harbour and enjoy a welcome drink. Learn about Auckland and its scenic sights from your captain. As evening falls, dinner is served onboard while you sail.

Explore subtropical islands, Maori heritage sites and golden beaches on this cruise around the Bay of Islands from Paihia. Soak up the scenery as you float between the bay’s 144 islands and sail straight through the iconic Hole in the Rock (weather permitting). Along the way, spot dolphins swimming and playing alongside the boat.

Step into Peter Jackson's Middle-earth with this guided group tour of the Hobbiton™ Movie Set from 'The Lord of the Rings' film trilogy. Learn more about the movies than you ever would by exploring by yourself with the help of your local guide. And with a shuttle service at your disposal, you enjoy a truly seamless Matamata experience.

While in Rotorua, the North Island’s heartland of traditional culture, attend an evening event at Te Pā Tū featuring a Māori cultural performance and a 3-course seasonal fusion feast. Learn about Māori customs tied to the lunar calendar while enjoying song, drama, and tradition in a forest village setting. Hotel pickup and return transfers from Rotorua are included for convenience.

Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand's premier wine regions—experience the best of it during a stress-free guided tour to four premium wineries, including Mission Estate and Trinity Hill. Taste a wide range of local wines, learn about winemaking, and visit New Zealand's oldest winery. This small-group tour includes all tastings and pizza for lunch, with hotel pickup and drop-off for added convenience.

Our most popular evening experience encompasses all we have to offer - a guided tour, hāngī buffet dinner and a cultural performance. Guided valley tour – Explore geysers, mud pools, native bush, the Kiwi Conservation Centre, and the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, while learning about Māori culture from a knowledgeable guide. Hāngī buffet dinner – Enjoy a feast of traditional food at Pātaka Kai Restaurant, overlooking the geothermal valley. Cultural performance – Experience pōhiri, waiata, mōteatea, poi and haka in our carved meeting house.

Take a break from a busy sightseeing schedule and relax in the tranquil natural environment of the Secret Spot Hot Tubs complex. Surrounded by the Whakarewarewa Forest are a collection of hand-crafted cedar hot tubs in which you can soak your aches and stress away. With pretty views overlooking the Puarenga Stream, each hot tub can accommodate up to six people, but this is a private package.

Sip and savor your way around Waiheke Island on this small-group wine tasting tour with a local guide. Enjoy pickup from the ferry or your accommodations and travel by air-conditioned vehicle, soaking up the scenic views and learning about the island and its inhabitants on the drive. Visit three different vineyards for wine tastings and food pairings, and enjoy a shared platter lunch with a glass of wine.

Embark on a day of good food and wine on Waiheke Island with a package that includes a round-trip ferry ride across the Hauraki Gulf from Auckland, wine tasting and lunch, and a hop-on hop-off bus pass for semi-independent exploration. Visit local vineyards and other bus stops, and admire the beautiful views of the island and back across the water to Auckland. An easy way to get out of Auckland.

Enjoy an America’s Cup sailing experience aboard an authentic racing yacht on Auckland's scenic Waitemata Harbour. Feel the exhilaration of yachting as you take the helm and participate with the professional crew, or just sit back and soak up the harbor views. No sailing experience is necessary and this is a fun activity for keen sailors and complete beginners alike. Wet-weather jackets and sunscreen keep you comfortable.

Taste the bountiful produce of the Wairarapa region on this full-day tour. In a comfortable vehicle, enjoy the scenic ride through the Remutaka Ranges while listening to engaging commentary on the local flora, fauna, and history. Stop for tastings of local wine in Martinborough, award-winning olive oil, cheese, and beer. Top it all off with a lunch at a local vineyard with your small group of just 11 people or fewer.

Discover the wines of Waiheke on a day trip from Auckland with a small-group tour that visits boutique vineyards. It’s easy to hop a morning ferry and cross the Hauraki Gulf for the short ride to the island. Your guide meets you upon arrival and shares lively commentary as you head to local vineyards for tastings. Afterward, choose to have lunch in Oneroa with a transfer to the ferry, or stay longer and make your own way back to the ferry. Ferry tickets are excluded.

Our Wellington’s Chocoholics Walking Odyssey includes a minimum of 6 delicious tastings, dotted with cultural and historical commentary. Learn the meaning of the Wellington chocolate scene through your local guide who is passionate about all things Wellington. The perfect experience to capture some of Wellington’s best, hidden chocolate treasures. Your tour will begin with an iconic chocolate nibble and a ride on the Cable Car with a walk through the Botanical Gardens to the first chocolate stop.

Visit the Hobbiton Movie Set on a full-day tour from Auckland that explores New Zealand's "Middle-earth," where "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" films came to life. Travel through a landscape of lush farms, then take a guided tour of the 12-acre (4.8-ha) Hobbiton Movie Set, from hobbit holes to gardens and the Green Dragon Inn. With free time to shop and explore, this tour includes transportation from selected locations in Auckland for your convenience.

Escape the ordinary with an evening adventure across Waiheke’s acclaimed wine region. As Auckland’s skyline begins to twinkle in the distance, you’ll be savouring premium wines and indulging in gourmet cuisine in some of the island’s most spectacular settings. Exclusive evening access to premier vineyards Expert-guided wine tastings at two world-class wineries Gourmet two-course dinner with breathtaking views – Take the 3 PM ferry from Auckland to Waiheke. If you plan to stay on the island, we can arrange a pick-up from your accommodation. Wine Tastings at Batch Winery, the highest vineyard on the Island, with 360-degree views of the Hauraki Gulf and the Coromandel Peninsula. Tasting small batch boutique wines Cable Bay Vineyards offers spectacular views & premium, hand-crafted wines. Two-course dinner at Mudbrick’s iconic Vineyard, or KI Maha, restaurant right across from Onetangi Beach Catch the 8 pm back to Auckland or be dropped off at accommodations.

We are the only commercial Kombucha manufacturer possibly in the world certainly in NZ brewing in the traditional Chinese manner using Ceramic (China) crocks. Made in China in New Zealand (Aotearoa) No plastic or stainless steel. Our product is not pasteurized or force-carbonated and simply can not be copmpared to most commercial brands. We also take back and reuse all our bottles. Brewing, bottling and labeling are all done by us - our product is handcrafted 56 bottles at a time We now have over 150 Rums from all over the world - from Australia to Mauritius to Venezuela. We serve Rum Flights and also have an exciting range of Yeastie Boys and other craft breweries on tap. Wellington is the craft beer capital of NZ and Yeastie Boys have a worldwide reputation.

A diverse range of wildlife calls the calm blue waters of Lake Rotoiti—near Rotorua—home, including many species of local birds. Listen to the enchanting birdsong as you paddle across the lake on this half-day evening kayak tour. Then, set out towards the nearby glowworm cave to see bioluminescent light speckle the dark cave walls before a BBQ dinner at the Manupirua Hot Pools.

The tour will be customized to meet your preferences where possible, in particular which types of wine tasting experiences you would like. You will be transported in a top of the line Mercedes V250D minivan with nappa leather seats and room for up to six passengers. Your guide, Geoff, is the owner of the business and has been a Waiheke resident for over 24 years. He is a wine enthusiast with excellent knowledge of wines from Waiheke and other parts of NZ.

Take a break from Auckland's busy streets on this small-group tour to Waiheke Island. Arrive via boat from downtown Auckland for an action-packed itinerary among the island’s many vineyards and olive groves. Join your guide for a thrilling zipline experience, forest walk, and wine tasting, and recharge with a 2-course lunch.

The Waitomo Caves and Rotorua rank among New Zealand’s top attractions, offering natural beauty, geothermal features, and Māori culture in equal measure. Ideal for travelers short on time, this adventurous small-group tour takes in both places in the same day, with entry fees plus round-trip transport and hotel pickup from Auckland included. Discover subterranean stalagmites and glowworms at Waitomo Caves and hit top Rotorua’s attractions, including Te Puia Geothermal Park.

The fictional, yet globally famous, village of Hobbiton™ and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves rank among New Zealand’s top attractions. Visit both sites in one day on a small-group tour that includes hotel pickup, a delicious lunch, and personal attention from your guide. Avoid the hassle of self-driving from Auckland and admire scenic views en route. A must-do tour for nature and movie lovers short on time in the North Island.

Volcanic beaches, native rainforest, and vineyards abound on this full-day small-group tour of West Auckland. Journey through the Waitakere Ranges to the black sand and pounding surf of Piha Beach and the powerful Karekare Falls. Then, head to a couple of the region’s top wineries in Kumeu and Waimauku to sample local West Auckland wines and relax over a lunch.

Step into the world of timeless elegance and indulge in a unique experience that combines the history of Art Deco, Distilling, and the history of Napier and the 1931 Earthquake. Beginning with our Art Deco heritage tour, we will drive through Napier City and soak up the beautifully preserved Art Deco architecture. Led by your knowledgeable local guide, you will hear stories of Napier's rich heritage, the 1931 earthquake and how it shaped the Art Deco Napier we see today. Then arrive at the breathtaking Old National Tobacco Building, an architectural gem and home to the award-winning National Distillery Company. Soak up the beauty of this heritage building and peek into the Distillery, where the Spirits you taste have been lovingly crafted. Includes tastings in a relaxed environment while you learn about the distilling process from the experts on site. - Small Group Tour * To request Alternative start times or tour customisations - Book on our Mates Travel website.