From Auckland you can easily discover our famous, 100% pure New Zealand. In just one day, we take in verdant rainforest, surf-pounded beaches, iconic volcanoes and expansive plains before enjoying one of the city’s most charming and historical quarters.

Join us on a journey through pristine rainforest, to untamed beaches and among perfectly terraced vines, all shaped by Auckland's volcanic beginnings.

The 'city of sails' extends across a network of now-extinct volcanoes. We begin at the crown of one, Mount Eden (Maungawhau), with a fun introduction to Auckland's unique geography. Awe-inspiring 360º panoramas take in the sparkling Waitemata and Manukau harbours, the Waitakere Ranges to the west and our youngest volcano, Rangitoto, just off the eastern coast.

We then travel west through chic Titirangi village to the Arataki Heritage & Environment Centre. Guarded by an 11m tall traditional Maori Pou (carved guardian), with dramatic views of the Manukau Harbour, Arataki is a fascinating introduction to the stories and secrets of the Waitakere Ranges – an ecological treasure cloaked with 16,000 hectares of spectacular rainforest.

Our next short journey winds through pristine rainforest to a sheltered glade where we enjoy a picnic lunch (at own expense), before following a freshwater stream on an easy bush walk (around 30 minutes each way) to a cascading waterfall. Along the way your guide will share the stories and bush lore of our native fauna and flora, explaining their uses to Maori and early European settlers. Refresh yourself under the clear, clean waters of the falls, or relax in the leafy shade before our return walk.

Later, feel the sand between your toes on an untamed west coasts beach. Made famous in films like The Piano, the iconic iron sand beaches of Karekare, Piha and Te Henga (Bethells) are magnets to surfers, photographers and seekers of nature at its most wild and exciting.

A little way north we stand dwarfed by an ancient kauri tree, the imposing giant of the New Zealand rainforest. Here your guide relates why these trees were almost logged to extinction and measures being taken to restore them. The sea features prominently in the lives of Aucklanders, as you’ll see when you survey the uninterrupted views stretching from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean from the breathtaking Pukematekeo lookout.

We then descend into open farmland and visit West Auckland's human icon – the winemaker – where Dalmatian settlers planted the first vines in soil that now sustains myriad excellent, family-run vineyards. Here you can sample produce direct from the 'cellar door' and discover the winemaker’s techniques and secrets.

We close our journey's circle from a final volcanic cone, above Devonport’s pretty Victorian villas. Our vantage point atop the long-decommissioned gun batteries of North Head gives us some unsurpassed photo opportunities, as the sun slips behind the Waitakeres and the city lights begin to twinkle.

In Devonport you may prefer to leave the tour in favour of a 'sundowner' at one of the many waterside bars and cafes, and a quick ferry back to town. Otherwise, we’ll whisk you south across the harbour bridge to central Auckland, and say goodbye after another great day.