Itinerary Day 1: Auckland to Rotorua Maori legends and mythology have been passed down orally for thousands of years. You have one night in this sacred meeting house, so pay attention. After learning the Haka dance moves of the All Blacks, and the finesse of the ladies Poi dance, polishing off a traditional maori dinner and rubbing noses, you will no longer be a guest, but a part of their people. You lucky thing. Day 2: Rotorua Mud, Middle Earth and massages are the order of the day in the bubbling, sulphur-soaked town of Rotorua. If you're starting to resemble a muddy prune, flush out the mud rafting over the waterfalls, discover the Disneyland of mountain biking, or jump into the real-life landscapes of Tolkien's dreams on the Hobbiton Shire escape. Day 3: Rotorua to Tongariro National Park Today we get to flex our muscles, hit the footy field and learn from the future All Blacks at the NZ Sports Academy. Geothermal activity gets turned up to 11 with bubbling mud pools, and if that's not enough, you can jump off a bridge as we pass by the largest lake in New Zealand. Lake Taupo was formed by an explosion that extended the Ice Age, so yeah, it's pretty big. It's also time to meet the dessert that's caused a battle between NZ and Australia since someone whipped an egg white: the pavlova. Day 4: Tongariro National Park Binoculars and a digital camera should have been essentials for the Hobbits as they climbed through Mordor. Good thing you came prepared. With dual cultural and natural heritage status, and often described as the most epic hike in NZ, Tongariro NP is home to two active volcanoes that will hopefully keep a lid on things. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing will quickly top your list of favourites if you don't mind heights and the odd dormant lava chamber (and walks from 20 mins to 8 hours). Hike, raft or mountain bike then hit the spa and warm your feet by the fire in an alpine lodge overlooking Mt Doom. Day 5: Tongariro National Park to Wellington From hiking over lava to readjusting to city life, today we hit the nation's capital, Wellington (no, it's not Auckland!). After you conquer the six floors of the Te Papa museum, you'll probably be ready for a big city nightlife hit. With more bars and restaurants per capita than New York and a well-earned spot as the sporting capital of NZ, you can't go wrong with a craft beer and some local rugby action.