How unlucky! To make the most of your short time here, I recommend a personalized chauffeur driven tour to some of our favourite spots in and around Auckland. You of course can decide on the day, together with your guide/driver and depending on time frame, weather, interests etc. If I was choosing, my day would go something like this:-

Day 1 - Our Amazing New Zealand chauffeur can pick you up from the airport or your accommodation. Hopefully you will have 24 hours at least to enjoy Auckland, the problem is the city has so much to offer you may have trouble making choices. First stop should be the volcanic cone of Mt Eden for a panoramic view of the city and harbours to orientate our bearings before we start the tour. Head north over the Harbour Bridge to pretty Orewa Beach and Wenderholm Regional Park on the tranquil east coast, followed by morning tea in the original Bohemian settlement of Puhoi. We then head inland past wineries and orchards to the wild beaches of the West Coast. The gannet colony at Muriwai is a must see, as not only will the cute chicks and the flying skills of the adults keep you mesmerized, but the sweeping views along the surfing beaches north will certainly blow any jet-lag away. Heading south again lunch can be enjoyed at the Bees Online cafe where several honey orientated products are on sale, or wine lovers should take advantage of having a chauffeur and dine in a restaurant under the vines of a world class winery. After lunch I recommend a walk in the lush bush of the Waitakere Ranges to a secluded waterfall or along a deserted beach, such as the one made famous in Jane Campion's movie The Piano. Return to Auckland along the Scenic Drive and take a ferry ride to the old suburb of Devonport - Auckland is known as the City of Sails, so a venture out onto the water is an essential part of visiting Auckland. Take the tour or wander up under your own steam to North Head for awesome views of the city and our youngest dormant volcano Rangitoto Island. For a late afternoon swim in our clean, clear and safe harbour you can wander down the steps to beautiful Cheltenham Beach. On your return to the Ferry Building enjoy the sunset and dinner in the revolving restaurant of the Sky Tower.

Price per day for a guided personalized chauffeur-driven tour is NZD $445 per day, this includes transport of up to 7 persons, fuel and the chauffeur's expenses. Gratuities are always appreciated.

If you find yourself free for 1 day in Auckland and you haven't seen the city yet, then my day would go something like this  :-

Day 1 - Hopefully you will have 24 hours at least to enjoy Auckland, the problem is the city has so much to offer you may have trouble making choices. Buy a day ticket on the hop-on hop-off bus which makes stops at most of Auckland's attractions - you can choose to get off and catch a later bus, or continue to the next stop. Start your tour at the Waterfront where you can find the extremely informative Maritime Museum - the displays are chronological, so you begin with the Maori migration across the seas, step back in time on board a European immigrant's ship, then appreciate New Zealand's proud yachting history including the Whitbread Round the World race and of course the America's Cup. After all, Auckland is known as the City of Sails. Kelly Tarlton was the inventor of the undersea walkway where you can view the fish from below without getting wet - the Antarctic Encounter  and Penguin Encounter are worth stopping here on their own. You can't help but notice the Sky Tower. Admire the panoramic view, climb the mast, bungee jump from the tower or just have lunch in the revolving restaurant. The revamped old homes of Parnell are a shopper's dream - the brick paved alleyways are full of boutique clothes stores, art galleries and specialty shops. Other stops if you have time include the Auckland Museum, Auckland Art Gallery and the Victoria Park Market is for the bargain hunters, Auckland Zoo has a walk through aviary full of New Zealand native birds and the Museum of Transport and Technology is for the history buffs. The bus will eventually bring you back to the Waterfront where you can head to the Ferry Building to take a ferry to Devonport. Wander along the waterfront to the right and up the dormant volcanic cone North Head, then wander down the steps to the popular Cheltenham Beach before heading back to the ferry. My recommendations for dinner are the seafood restaurant Harbourside or trendy Cin Cin, both back in the Ferry Building, or wander along to the Princes Wharf where you'll find several more waterside eateries.

With 2 days you can venture outside of Auckland to take in a little Maori culture. Head to Rotorua, famous for the sulphur hot-springs and where you can see and learn about all that is Maori.

Day 1 Auckland - Rotorua 240kms

0kms - Head south on SH1, direction Hamilton. After the Bombay Hill, turn left onto SH2, direction Coromandel and after 36kms turn right onto SH27, direction Matamata and Tirau.

164kms – Matamata makes a great coffee stop – turn left at the roundabout, the tourist office is on the right just over the railway tracks. Lord of the Rings fans may like to take a 2 hour tour to the film set of Hobbiton. The set has been allowed to return to its natural state, so the tour requires quite a bit of imagination! However the Party Tree at least still stands. Semi-fans may be contented with a photo of the ‘Welcome to Hobbiton’ sign on the traffic island in front of the tourist office. Continue south on SH27, direction Tirau. 

 174kms – SH27 goes left and immediately right. For the imaginative, or for those not wanting to do the LOTR tour, you can picture Hobbiton hollows and Bag End Row in the hills on the right immediately after this intersection.

 184kms – Tirau - hard to miss with the giant corrugated iron sheepdog housing the tourist office and a giant sheepdog next door which houses the Big Sheep Wool Gallery. Other tourist shops worth at least a peek at are the Funky Gift Shop which has some, well, funky souvenirs, the Jade Factory next door specializes in Maori Koru necklaces. For something really unique try the Natures Touch Gallery. The town has a bit of a love affair with corrugated iron, there are quite a few other imaginative signs right the way along the main road. Change to SH5 two kilometers further.

 228kms - The Agrodome’s principle attraction here is the Sheep Show, a highly entertaining explanation of sheep and, the farming of said sheep – the mainstay of New Zealand’s exports. Other attractions invented by enterprising New Zealanders on site include Zorbing (rolling down a hill in a giant plastic ball), Swooping (a glorified swing), bungee jumping (jump from a massive height with an elastic cord tied to your ankles), farm tour (on the back of a tractor) and jet-boating (the art of speeding in a tiny boat over very little water).

 238kms – As you come into Rotorua, follow the city centre signs. The Kuirau Park will give you your first taste (or I should say smell) of the volcanic area around Rotorua. The area is still very active with sulphur escaping from the earth’s crust (think rotten eggs). Don’t worry, you will get used to the smell. Rotorua lies on a beautiful lake, actually a flooded volcanic crater - the surrounding hills are the remains of the rim of the giant volcano.

Rotorua has become New Zealand’s second largest tourist centre – so there are no shortages of establishments willing to take some cash away from you and quite frankly many of them are a bit of a rip-off. But if you’d like to make the most of what Rotorua has to offer and all that is thermal, then my stay would go something like this:-

-          Kuirau Park has the largest display of steam and mud pools….and it’s free! An eruption took place here as recently as January 26^th, 2001 when mud, steam and debris were thrown 200m into the air. Springs regularly just appear, resulting in families being forced to move and the land having to be given back to nature.

-          Wander around the original Maori settlement at Ohinemutu. The church is worth a look at, as is the Marae (Maori meeting house) across the courtyard. Wander the tiny streets where everyone has their own private hot-water bore to fill their bath in the out-shed….just follow the steam and, stay on the paths!

-          If you have time, soak in the reputedly therapeutic thermal pools at the Polynesian Spa, a delightful but busy public pool. If you wait until tomorrow morning the spa is less crowded and it is a wonderful way to start the day - relaxing with serene views across the lake.

-          The excitement junkies can take the Gondola up Mount Ngongotaha for awesome views, interspersed with hair raising rides on a luge (3 levels available, so suitable for children).

-          This evening don’t miss the excellent Tamaki Brothers cultural show followed by a traditional Hangi (earthen cooked meal). Pickups from your accommodation in a waka (war canoe) cleverly disguised as a bus, followed by a fun evening superbly hosted and entertained by local Maoris.

Day 2 Rotorua - Auckland 235kms

0kms - Head back to Auckland on SH5 and SH1 via pretty Cambridge and Hamilton. Cambridge lies in the heart of champion horse breeding country. The charming town has streets lined with exotic trees, antique shops and a pavement featuring mosaics of hometown horses that have done well - Sir Tristram and Zabeel to name just a few.

235kms - Return your rental car and utilize the Hop-on, Hop-off bus which can take you to as many of Auckland's highlights as you can fit in. Start your tour at the Waterfront where you can find the extremely informative Maritime Museum - the displays are chronological, so you begin with the Maori migration across the seas, step back in time on board a European immigrant's ship, then appreciate New Zealand's proud yachting history including the Whitbread Round the World race and of course the America's Cup. After all, Auckland is known as the City of Sails. Kelly Tarlton was the inventor of the undersea walkway where you can view the fish from below without getting wet, the Antarctic Encounter and Penguin Encounter are worth stopping here on their own. You can't help but notice the Sky Tower. Admire the panoramic view, climb the mast, bungee jump from the tower or just have a meal in the revolving restaurant. The revamped old homes of Parnell are a shopper's dream - the brick paved alleyways are full of boutique clothes stores, art galleries and specialty shops. Other notable stops could include Auckland Museum, Auckland Art Gallery, or the Victoria Park Market is for the bargain hunters. The bus will eventually bring you back to the Waterfront where you can choose any number of excellent restaurants for dinner. My recommendations are the seafood restaurant Harbourside or trendy Cin Cin, both in the Ferry Building, or wander along to the Princes Wharf where you'll find several more waterside eateries.