The 13-day Top Down Tour offers the opportunity to experience some of the most popular New Zealand attractions available on both islands. The Adventure begins on the North Island in Auckland and ends in Christchurch on the south island, with a wealth of unforgettable experiences in between. You’ll ride the stunning roads of the Coromandel Peninsula, visit the North Island’s wine country, cross the Cook Strait to the South Island and visit the Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers, and stop for a night at Mt. Cook before heading for Christchurch.

In addition to great riding and stunning landscapes, the quality of the meals and lodging are in keeping with the high standards that have become an integral part of all Ayres Adventures. Accommodations range from comfortable, middle class hotels to luxury accommodations and “boutique” establishments that are off the usual tourist path.

Arrival Day:  Auckland.  After collecting you from Auckland's International Airport on New Zealand's north island, we'll escort you to your first hotel located on Auckland's beautiful waterfront.  You'll feel the excitement of your Adventure begin to build from the moment you check in.  You can relax and unwind from your flight or take in the view from the top of the famous Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the Southern Hemispehere. You'll get introduced to your fellow Adventurers and tour leaders - and to your motorcycle, attend a kick-off meeting and receive a briefing about the coming journey, and celebrate the beginning of the trip with dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Day 2:  Coromandel.  Your ride for the first day takes you to the quaint little town of Coromandel, located on the Coromandel Peninsula which juts out into the Pacific Ocean.  Less than an hour and a half after departing suburban Auckland, you'll be riding the beautiful coastal road surrounding the Hauraki Gulf on your way to the top of the peninsula.  Your luggage will be waiting for you in your room at a historic waterfront hotel, a short walk from the town's delightful cafes, restaurants and shops.
Day 3:  Rotorua.  We'll ride the sinuous mountain roads of the Coromandel peninsula, with stunning Pacific Ocean landscapes to your left and the Coromandel Range to your right.  The daily mileage to Rotorua is modest, providing time for a side trip to Hot Water Beach, where you can rent a shovel from a local café and dig your own natural spa in the sand.  The thermal waters located just a few feet below the sand provide all the hot water you'll need.

Day 4:  Greytown.  This delightful little town is located in one of New Zealand's wine growing areas, with more than 30 of them located in the immediate vicinity. The town is home to one of the most magnificent little boutique hotels that you’ll experience during the trip – the White Swan Hotel. You'll enjoy gourmet dining in the hotel's lovely dining room.


Day 5:  Nelson – On the South Island.  As if you will not have already ridden some spectacular motorcycling roads, today should give you a real dose of sensory overload - on the motorcycle and off.  The day's ride begins with an early morning trip across the Tararua Range to the ferry at Wellington, where you'll ride your motorcycle into the "belly of the beast" and cross the Cook Strait for Marlborough Sound and the South Island town of Picton.  Seeing Marlborough Sound from the vantage point of the ferry will be an extraordinary experience, but seeing it from the motorcycle as we take the twisting and scenic Queen Charlotte drive is indescribable.  You really have to ride it to believe it.  You'll want to stop repetitively for the many photo opportunities at the scenic overlooks along the way.

Day 6:  Nelson.  You'll have two nights in Nelson, so you can use your free day to relax and enjoy the town's delightful collection of cafes and quaint old architecture, or you may opt for still another day of breathtaking scenery and hairpin turns on a ride to Collingwood on Golden Bay, near the northernmost point of the South Island.


Day 7:  Punakaiki.  Be prepared for yet another day of great roads and spectacular landscapes as you cross the Southern Alps - New Zealand's renowned mountain range that isolates the west coast of the South Island from the mainland. Isolated from the rest of New Zealand by the Southern Alps, Coasters have developed a distinctive culture of their own, where the pioneering values of self-reliance and hospitality are as strong now as they were a century ago.  It's New Zealand's cultural 'heartland' and is reputed to be one of the best motorcycling areas in the world with light traffic, spectacular scenery, and great roads.  Rudyard Kipling described the region as "the last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite part".

The pancake rocks and blowholes at the Punakaiki National Park, located adjacent to your beachfront hotel, are one of the areas most interesting spectacles, and will serve as the perfect high spot to end the day's beautiful ride.