NEW ZEALAND.Group Trip · Self Drive

Today we head out into the Hauraki Gulf on a whale and dolphin cruise. Keep your eyes on the water. Bryde's whales live here all year. If you see everyone running to one side, that's when you know there is a pod of dolphins next to the boat.

Midway, we hop off at Rotoroa Island for a walk and some beach time. Look out for the takahē, a bird people thought was extinct until they found it again. Once we're back in the evening, we head up Mt Eden, a small volcano right in the city, and watch the sun go down over Auckland.

Road trip day! We drive south towards Rotorua and stop at Hobbiton on the way, the actual Shire from Lord of the Rings. You walk past the little round hobbit doors all the way to the Green Dragon Inn. Go ahead and pretend you're Frodo.

In Rotorua we do the Redwoods Treewalk. You walk across hanging bridges strung between 120 year old redwoods, up to 20 metres off the ground. It's a marvel to see design, nature and pleasure come together. I wish all cities had a setup like this for nature time.

Slow start today. Then we head to Hell's Gate and do something most adults never get to do: cover yourself head to toe in warm geothermal mud. After that we soak it all off in the sulphur spa. Local Māori have used this mud for healing for over 800 years. You can rent clothes here if you don't want to rigorously wash yours after the sulphur bath.

Afternoon is yours to rest and chill before the night activity. Once it's dark, we go glowworm kayaking. We paddle out quietly, squeeze into a couple of tiny caves and there it is, one of the world's natural wonders, glowworms found only in New Zealand.

Bye, North Island. We drive back to Auckland, return the cars and fly south to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world.

Grab a Fergburger (there will be a queue, it's worth it), walk along the lake, then get some sleep. The next three days are big. The domestic flight is included, just book at least 2 months out so we can put you on the same flight as the group.

Early alarm, but nobody has to drive today. A coach takes us from Queenstown to Milford Sound through Te Anau and the Homer Tunnel, which is cut straight through a mountain. The views on this road are unreal.

Then we get on the boat and cruise all the way out to the Tasman Sea. Waterfalls drop straight off the cliffs, seals lie around on the rocks, and the boat usually goes right up close to one of the falls, so keep your jacket on if you want to stand under a waterfall. This is a slow day placed in between many fast days.

Skydive day! The plane door opens, Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables are right below you, and you jump from 9,000, 12,000 or 15,000 feet. Not into jumping? Take a helicopter up and land on a snow patch instead (if there is snow). Both are optional.

Not everyone wants to skydive, but here is what I would say: it could be one of the happiest days of your life. If you're doing neither, no worries. You're in one of the most beautiful towns in the world, and if you like slow travel, you might just fall in love with the place. In the evening we all hike up Queenstown Hill with a picnic, watch the sunset over the lake and swap skydive stories.

No, we aren't driving that red boat to Lake Pukaki. That's the Shotover Jet waiting for you. You spin 360 degrees, scream a little, and fly through a narrow canyon at over 50 km per hour, so close to the rocks you'll swear you're going to hit them. You won't.

Then we pick up our SUVs and the South Island road trip begins. We stop at the Wanaka Tree, drive over the Lindis Pass and stay in Twizel tonight. If the sky is clear, you can do the optional stargazing tour.

Today we go right up to Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain. We walk into the glacier valley with snowy peaks on every side to do the Kea Point hike (1 hour), and most probably your phone storage will not survive the day. You will also pass Lake Pukaki, bright blue with Mount Cook at the end of it.

In the evening we stop at Lake Tekapo, that crazy turquoise lake with the tiny stone church on its shore. In November the purple and pink lupins are out all along the water. This is our last full day in nature, so soak it in.

Last stretch of the road trip. We drive to Christchurch, the South Island's biggest city, and hand back the cars.

En route we stop to pet and feed some alpacas, baby goats and horses.

Christchurch is the gateway to Antarctica, so today we get a taste of it. At the International Antarctic Centre we ride the Hägglund, the tank-like vehicle they use on the ice, survive a (fake) Antarctic storm and meet the little blue penguins.

In the afternoon we head to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. This is where you finally see a kiwi up close, and you can feed some of the animals too (optional). Some of these animals live only in the southern hemisphere, so even if you think a wildlife reserve won't be that interesting, wait till the evening and see your opinion change.

We also go out today to a nice bar to have our last dinner together.

Last breakfast together, way too many hugs and a group chat that won't stop buzzing for weeks. (Main topic: iPhone people, upload please.)

Our tip: fly Christchurch to Auckland, then Auckland to India on the same airline you came in on. It keeps the connection simple.