NZ Winter Adventure & Hawaii
CreatorErik Kirakosyan
DateMay 17, 2026
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Day 1
Jul 4
Day 2
Jul 5
Day 3
AKLJul 6
- Arrive very early in Auckland; keep this a soft-landing day after the long flight.
- Do NOT rent a car yet. Stay central and use taxis / Uber in Auckland.
- Afternoon: easy city views from Mount Eden — open year-round, with winter gate hours around 7:00 AM-7:00 PM.
- Evening: dinner in the Viaduct or Ponsonby, then an early night to reset your body clock.
- Transport plan: your first long overland move should be by InterCity-style coach from central Auckland the next day or the morning after, rather than paying for a city car you do not need.
Day 4
AKLJul 7
- Teach online 10:00-12:30 NZ time.
- After class, do central Auckland and sunset from Sky Tower.
- Sky Tower is open in winter; typical July hours are about 9:30 AM-8:00/8:30 PM, though severe weather can affect operations.
- Use tonight for nightlife.
- Transport plan: still no car in Auckland. If you want to keep costs sensible, book a coach seat from central Auckland to Rotorua for tomorrow after class; pick up the rental car in Rotorua instead of Auckland.
Day 5
AKLJul 8
- Teach online 10:00-12:30 NZ time.
- After class, head south toward Rotorua.
- Keep this as a lighter transition day: if you still want a big en-route stop, choose either Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours or Waitomo Glowworm Caves, not both.
- On arrival in Rotorua, keep the evening simple with a soak at Polynesian Spa.
- Overnight in Rotorua.
Day 6
AKLJul 9
- Early Rotorua morning: do Redwoods Treewalk before class if you want one active nature hit while based here.
- Teach online 11:00-1:30 NZ time.
- After class, make the afternoon about thermal pools at Waikite Valley Thermal Pools.
- This keeps Rotorua to a tighter 2-day rhythm: one arrival-night soak, one nature morning, one more thermal stop.
- Keep the rental car from this afternoon onward for Rotorua → Taupō → Tongariro / Wellington.
Want to tweak this itinerary?
Day 7
AKLJul 10
- Leave Rotorua today rather than keeping a full third day here.
- Drive toward Taupō at an easy pace and use the extra time for lake views or a short scenic stop.
- Keep the day flexible instead of stacking more Rotorua sightseeing; the goal is to tighten this part of the trip and preserve energy for the stronger South Island nature stretch.
- Overnight around Taupō so tomorrow stays realistic.
Day 8
AKLJul 11
- Drive Rotorua to Taupo at an easy pace.
- Build in lake views and the short dramatic stop at Huka Falls.
- Keep this as a flexible scenic-driving day; this is exactly the stretch where the rental car is worth having because you can add hot pools, viewpoints, and weather pivots without depending on bus timing.
- Overnight around Taupo so tomorrow's Tongariro leg stays realistic.
- Transport reminder: after Wellington, return the North Island car and do the ferry as a foot passenger; then rent a fresh South Island car in Picton or Christchurch depending on the next segment.
Day 9
AKLJul 12
- Teach online 6:00-8:30 NZ time.
- After class, use the rental car for one short winter-safe stop around Tongariro National Park; Taranaki Falls Lower Track is still the best realistic option.
- Then continue south and drop the car in Wellington by night.
- Hybrid logic: the car covers the national-park and geothermal stretch, but you avoid paying to keep it during the ferry and city portions.
Day 10
AKLJul 13
- Teach online 6:00-8:30 NZ time in Wellington.
- Board the scenic Interislander Ferry to Picton as a foot passenger, then pick up a new South Island rental car on arrival.
- Drive only as far as Kaikoura tonight; don't overpack day one.
- This keeps the ferry simple and avoids cross-island one-way car costs while still preserving the South Island road-trip feel.
Day 11
AKLJul 14
- South Island mountain pivot day: skip Kaikōura entirely and go straight toward Lake Tekapo.
- Best structure: position to Christchurch first if needed, then drive inland and make Tekapo your base rather than spending this day on the coast.
- Use the afternoon/evening for the first alpine payoff: lake views, a stop at The Church of the Good Shepherd, and dark-sky / hot-pools time at Tekapo Springs & Stargazing.
- This change is what buys you more real mountain scenery instead of a wildlife detour.
Day 12
AKLJul 15
- Teach online 10:00-12:30 NZ time from the Tekapo side if possible; if not, teach from Christchurch first and drive immediately after class.
- Keep Lake Tekapo as your South Island base and use the rest of the day for the alpine corridor rather than more city time.
- Main scenic targets: Lake Pukaki, roadside viewpoints toward Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, and a second evening around Tekapo.
- Keep the plan flexible for weather: if skies are clear, lean into viewpoints and stargazing; if not, save the longest scenic push for tomorrow morning.
Day 13
AKLJul 16
- Start early from the Tekapo / Twizel side for your biggest alpine morning around Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
- Best use of the day: winter-safe viewpoints, part of Hooker Valley track only if conditions are good, and glacier views around Tasman Glacier.
- Teach online 12:00-2:30 NZ time from a pre-booked private room in Tekapo or Twizel; do not rely on Christchurch accommodation for this class.
- After class, drive back to Christchurch the same evening so you're already in position for the Jul 17 Wellington connection.
Want to tweak this itinerary?
Day 14
AKLJul 17
- Fly Christchurch to Wellington in the morning, leaving a generous buffer before your booked international flight.
- Final New Zealand logic: North Island gives you glowworms, geothermal landscapes, and Hobbiton; South Island gives you the real wow factor — Kaikōura wildlife, Tekapo dark skies, Aoraki / Mount Cook, and glacier country around Tasman Glacier.
- I have not forgotten Paparoa Track or Arthur's Pass National Park: they are two of the best South Island winter ideas, but Paparoa especially needs a longer West Coast allocation than this exact trip can support without weakening Mount Cook.
- On arrival in Honolulu later, switch immediately into recovery mode with a Waikiki sunset stroll if you are up for it.
Day 15
AKLJul 18
- Teach online 8:00-10:30 Hawaii time.
- After class, keep this first Honolulu day intentionally easy: beach time at Waikiki, a long walk on the sand, and maybe a nap back at the hotel.
- In the late afternoon, wander the Ala Moana / Waikiki edge or just stay planted on the beach for sunset.
- Best evening shape: casual dinner, no reservations pressure, and an early night if the New Zealand-to-Hawaii time jump hits hard.
Day 16
AKLJul 19
- Teach online 8:00-10:30 Hawaii time.
- After class, do a half-day windward-side outing centered on Lanikai Beach — this is your prettiest turquoise-water beach day on Oahu.
- No car needed if you do this as a booked Kailua / Lanikai outing with transport, or use rideshare to Kailua Beach Park and walk in.
- If you still have energy, keep the afternoon relaxed with Kailua cafés or a short guided kayak outing rather than turning it into a full island-sightseeing day.
- Return to Honolulu for an easy dinner and a mellow night.
Day 17
AKLJul 20
- Keep this as your fullest Oahu decompression day.
- Best use of it: sleep in, slow breakfast, beach or pool time, and one easy booked extra like a Waikiki Turtle Canyon catamaran snorkel, a sunset sail, or a spa treatment.
- If you want one non-beach urban outing, Kakaako / Ala Moana is the right scale — close, easy, and not logistically annoying.
- Avoid anything strenuous; Hawaii here should feel like recovery, not another ambitious travel block.
Day 18
AKLJul 21
- Fly Honolulu to Maui in the late morning.
- You’re getting a sub for class, so treat this as a true transfer-and-reset day.
- No car unless the rental is cheap enough to feel worth it. If not, stay beach-first in Wailea / Kihei and use rideshare today.
- Head straight to Wailea Beach, then keep the evening mellow with an easy dinner in Wailea or Kihei.
- For tomorrow, the clean no-car solution is a booked Haleakalā tour or private transport rather than renting a car at any price.
Day 19
AKLJul 22
- Final Maui day: make this your one must-do Hawaii adventure day.
- Go early to Haleakalā National Park for crater scenery, then do a short in-and-out section of Keonehe'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) Trail rather than a full exhausting hike.
- Best logistics: use a booked Haleakalā tour with pickup or arranged transport if Maui car rentals are expensive; only rent a car if the price is genuinely reasonable.
- After the volcano, come back down and spend the rest of the day unwinding at Wailea Beach or Makena Beach, depending on surf and energy.
- Keep the final evening simple: one last beach walk, an unhurried dinner, and then the late airport run.
Day 20
DTWJul 23
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