Sanctuary Mountain (Mt Maungatautari) & Hobbiton Day trip from Auckland

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: St Andrews Anglican Church, 85 Hamilton Rd, Cambridge 3450, New Zealand

Departing Auckland at 7am you will take 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.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Mighty River Domain, Lake Karapiro, 601 Maungatautari Rd, Karapiro 3494, New Zealand

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.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Sanctuary Mountain, 99 Tari Rd, Pukeatua 3880, New Zealand

The majestic 797m Mt Maungatautari (Sanctuary Mountain) looms in the background. A mainland ecological island created by a 47km pest proof fence, the largest of it’s type in the world. Join an informative 1½ 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.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Pass By: Arapuni Dam, Arapuni Rd, Arapuni 3481, New Zealand

Our scenic drive to Hobbiton continues to impress, as we pass over the Arapuni Dam, first of the hydro-electric power stations on the Waikato River dated 1929.

Stop At: Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours, 501 Buckland Rd, Matamata 3472, New Zealand

On arrival at Hobbiton your local guide will escort you around the movie set, containing 44 hobbit holes, Bilbo’s house, Bag End (Bilbo & Frodo Baggins home), the Mill and the double arch bridge and party tree. The tour Concludes at the Green Dragon, where you can enjoy a complimentary beer, cider or non alcoholic ginger beer, while soaking in the atmosphere.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Pass By: Matamata i-SITE Visitor Information Centre, 45 Broadway, Matamata 3400, New Zealand

Your drive back to Auckland will take you via Matamata, along the Hauraki Plains and beside the Kaimai Mountain Range.