Air New Zealand Air Points - Tauranga to Gisborne or New Plymouth to Wellington?

I would like to leave CHC on a Friday late afternoon and come back on a Monday late afternoon and either fly to Tauranga and drive to Gisborne or fly to New Plymouth and drive to Wellington or Palmerston North. [or viceversa]

Based on air schedules, air prices, but more importantly things to see which schedule would you suggest?

What would be interesting stops on the way?

What time of year?

What time of year?

Good question...June.

After reviewing air pricing, I have actually bought the tickets...we land in Gisborne and will drive to Tauranga.

Any suggestions for stops, hotels, restaurants?

In Gisborne check out Young Nick's Head, a coastal headland just out of town which is the alleged first piece of New Zealand land spied by a crew member (Young Nick, funnily enough) of Captain Cook.

For a rugged but typically beautiful coastal NZ road when you're leaving Gisborne try driving right around the East Cape instead of through the Waioeka gorge. Stop at Mt Hikurangi on the way. If you have the spare days stay somewhere on this route - it's middle-of-nowhere stuff and all the more fun because of it.

'Back on the main road' Ohope is nice.

Any suggestions for stops, hotels, restaurants?Around Gisborne you can check out the Easwoodhill Arboretum, or perhaps some wineries (Millton is excellent—fully organic wines).

In Gisborne I can recommend The Works restaurant.

Another way to get to Tauranga (very scenic, but don't know about conditions in June) is to head south on the Pacific Coast Highway to Wairoa, then Highway 38 towards Rotorua. You'll go to the very beautiful Lake Waikaremoana. This is also a 'back country' type of road. Once in Rotorua is an easy drive to Tauranga.

If you go along the coast, you can make a side trip to the White Island volcano (by boat or helicopter) from Whakatane.

Check out my trip report for some links to the point in some areas mentioned above (link in sig line below).