JOURNEY INTO MIDDLE EARTH

Start your family holiday in Auckland, where you can take a boat trip around the harbour, visit the aquarium and go up the Sky Tower for fantastic city and harbour views – or hire bikes from the hotel and head out to explore. Your hotel, the Sofitel, offers city centre luxury, including spacious, interconnecting rooms with waterfront views. There are plenty of restaurants along the waterfront, as well as all the city centre attractions nearby

Children will love Rotorua – it’s like a giant natural theme park, with its moon-like landscapes of bubbling mud pools and gushing geysers. They will also love Treetops Lodge, which hovers above the forests, valleys and waterfalls in the surrounding countryside. The nature trails on the doorstep are perfect for guided treks and mountain bike rides, or go horse riding with an expert local Maori guide, keeping an eye out for local wildlife such as possums along the way. Other activities on offer include archery, treasure hunts, photography safaris and 4WD tours of the geothermal landscapes, as well as Maori workshops – a perfect opportunity to discover local Maori craft and culture, with workshops including flax weaving, carving and music. Budding chefs can join the popular Master Chef course, and learn some of the lodge’s secret recipes.

Your next stop is Taupo in the centre of the North Island, a town which is clustered around a beautiful and vast volcanic lake. Enjoy activities both on land and water, from scenic waterfront walks, stopping off for a picnic, to lake cruises. The luxurious Huka Lodge is on the banks of the Waikato River, and its family activities include guided walks through a local native bush reserve and visits to Lilliput Farm, where children can see wallabies, emus and alpacas, meet adorable baby animals and unleash their inner Jack Sparrows on a pirate ship. For teenagers and parents who prefer something more adrenaline-fuelled, how about bungee jumping above the Waikato River, or getting the blood pumping with some whitewater rafting on the Tongariro River?

Hawke’s Bay may be known as one of New Zealand’s premier wine regions, but it’s also a fantastic spot for families. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers sits on a 6,000-acre sheep and cattle farm, so there’s plenty of space here to let off steam – explore on foot, from forest walks to clifftop hikes beside the ocean, or head out on horseback or mountain bike, or enjoy a quad bike tour. Cape Kidnappers is home to the world’s largest gannet colony, which is a spectacular sight, and there are also several man-made attractions nearby, such as Splash Planet, a fun-filled aquatic theme park full of slides, chutes and a ‘never-ending river’, all set in tropical gardens. Relax afterwards in the infinity pool or the hot tub on your terrace, taking in the views over the Pacific Ocean.

In the beautiful Bay of Islands in the top of the North Island, you can swim with dolphins, kayak around secluded coves, cruise around the Hole in the Rock and see one of the world’s biggest trees - visit Waipoua Forest to meet the mighty Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest), the largest kauri tree in the world, which is 51 metres high, 13 metres wide and around 2,000 years old. You also shouldn’t miss the chance to explore New Zealand’s history and culture at Waitangi, where you can see a Maori meeting house and a carved canoe, and enjoy colourful traditional performances. If you’ve found yourself addicted to adrenaline-fuelled fun, soar through the air on a flying trapeze at Action World, and for a perfect final Kiwi adventure, enjoy a memorable drive along Ninety Mile Beach as the waves lap at the wheels, and go sandboarding down the dunes, before heading to the very tip of New Zealand by walking to the lighthouse at Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. During your time in the Bay of Islands, you'll stay in a contemporary villas in the Eagles Nest.