Planning an Auckland-based visit during Christmas week.

It will be family of 3 (myself, wife, 13yo daughter), and we won’t be renting a car this trip. We already booked tours for the Hobbiton & Rotorua day trips, and finalizing the Hawke’s bay outing.

12/27: morning arrival AKL (from US)
12/28: open in AKL
12/29: Hobbiton / Waitomo caves day tour
12/30: morning flight to NPE with same-day evening return / Hawke’s Bay + long detour to Taumata…/Longest place name
12/31: Rotorua / Māori culture day tour
1/1: open in AKL
1/2: open in AKL
1/3: return to US

The midweek block of day trips was deliberate so that we can shoulder each end around AKL.

I’d like to fit in the Weta Experience / AKL and possibly a local ferry ride to Waiheke island for our open days.

I’m also fully aware that the Longest-place name detour is out of the way, but it is a bucket list item photo-op for my 13yo that we are willing to splurge for.

Open to suggestions on our down-time days as well as the Hawke’s Bay outing, thx.