The bucket-list things to do — and who runs each one.
Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, who runs it, and how to book it direct — so you can weigh it against your ship’s excursion and pick what suits you.
In port at Tauranga, the bucket-list move is Hobbiton Movie Set: Private Guided Tour from Tauranga. Below: 6 bucket-list things to do on a Tauranga port day — worth weighing against whatever your ship offers.
Step inside the world's most beloved film set — the Shire from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit — on a private guided tour from Tauranga. Walk the rolling green hills of Matamata, peer into Hobbit holes, and raise a toast at the Green Dragon Inn. Utterly bucket-list.
Book itHobbiton Movie Set Shore Excursion from Tauranga (6 Hours)NZD 350 per person (about $206)
Witness Pohutu — the Southern Hemisphere's most powerful active geyser — erupting up to 30 metres skyward in Rotorua's Te Puia geothermal valley. Combine razor-sharp geysers, boiling mud pools, and New Zealand's living Māori arts academy in one breathtaking half-day.
Book itTe Puia Geothermal, Kiwi and Māori Art$168 per person
Glide through lush native bush on the glassy Wairoa River aboard a kayak at the award-winning Waimarino Adventure Park — just 20 minutes from the Tauranga cruise terminal. A perfect blend of serenity and gentle adventure in one of New Zealand's most scenic waterways.
Book itTauranga: Waimarino Adventure Park Supreme Pass Entry Ticket$35 per person
Run by Waimarino Kayak Tours · 4.80 from 470 reviews
Conquer the sacred volcanic peak of Mauao (Mount Maunganui) for jaw-dropping 360° views of the Bay of Plenty, then descend to one of New Zealand's most beautiful surf beaches for a swim or a soak in the famous Mount Hot Pools. A perfect pairing of panorama and indulgence.
Book itGroup Beginner Surf Lesson in Mount MaunganuiNZD 79 per person (about $47)
Surrender to the ancient healing power of Rotorua's world-famous geothermal waters at the iconic Polynesian Spa — perched on the edge of Lake Rotorua with private lake-view pools unique in all of New Zealand. A deeply restorative, genuinely luxurious half-day for discerning travellers.
Book itROTORUA - Hell's Gate Geothermal Park & Mud Spa Day TripNZD 295 per person (about $174)
Float in silence through an ancient underground cave system lit by thousands of luminescent glowworms — one of New Zealand's most otherworldly spectacles — on the legendary Black Labyrinth blackwater rafting experience at Waitomo. A once-in-a-lifetime underground odyssey.
Book itWaitomo Caves: Labyrinth Black Water Rafting Experience$113 per person
Your day in TaurangaNothing picked yet — tick what you fancy
$0for two, booked direct
Now plan the rest of it
You know what to do on the day. Here is the trip it belongs to —
each one opens as a whole plan, not a list: where to fly in, every port, what it runs.
