2ND & 3RD TEST TOUR

Nestled in New Zealand’s capital, the InterContinental in Wellington offers breathtaking waterfront vistas and a five star experience. It is the finest hotel in Wellington.

Positioned centrally, it provides easy access to Wellington’s top arts, shopping, and dining spots. After a day of enjoying the cricket, retreat to a modern room above the vibrant city below. Featuring premium in room amenities, full access to hotel facilities, in room dining, and tranquil spa-like bathrooms, your sophisticated room has everything you need for a relaxing stay.

Welcome to this brand new and only 5 star international hotel located in the heart of downtown Napier. This upscale boutique property boasts of having the largest room sizes for its 52 rooms and suites.

Just a five-minute walk from Marine Parade, overlooking Hawke’s Bay waterfront, where you’ll find the Sunken Gardens and National Aquarium of New Zealand. The property is the ideal base from which to explore the local wineries in Hawke’s Bay.

Located in the vibrant heart of the city, just steps from the lakefront, the Pullman Rotorua serves as an ideal hub for all types of guests eager to explore the region’s geothermal wonders. The hotel offers a full experience with its 130 luxurious rooms and suites, an invigorating gym, soothing day spa, lively dining options, and a stylish bar.

Surrounded by the area’s surreal landscapes and top attractions, guests can explore active geysers, bubbling mud pools, natural hot springs, and enchanting forests.

Whilst technically only a three star property, the Ibis is one the only two internationally recognised hotel properties in Hamilton. Whilst it’s not a five star like our other properties (in all honesty, there aren’t any proper luxury hotels in Hamilton at all!), what it does offer is an extremely comfortable stay coupled with a super central location, close to all the bars and restaurants of Hamilton.

Nestled on the banks of the Waikato River and right in the heart of the city, this contemporary 126-room hotel offers comfort and convenience for your stay throughout the test match. The Ibis is the best available hotel in Hamilton.

Finish your holiday in style, staying at one of the finest hotel properties in all of New Zealand. Experience modern luxury at the Sofitel Auckland, where French elegance meets the vibrant Viaduct Harbour. An idyllic location for our end of tour farewell drinks social.

The comfort and luxury the Sofitel guarantees is just the perfect setting to finish what is sure to be an incredible test series!

There’s nothing relaxing about airports in general, but especially getting there. With all the worries about timings and parking and having to get a bus to the terminal or meet someone to take your car who might not be there on arrival etc. And often this can all be in the early hours when you just want to get checked in and relax.

With Elite Sports Travel, we take all those stresses away. We include return chauffeur driven executive airport transfers in the UK to make sure that the start of your holiday is as stress free as it can be. Your smartly dressed chauffeur will arrive in good time and guarantees a safe, smooth and professional ride to the departure terminal. And when you return, our uniformed chauffeur will greet you again in arrivals and escort you to your vehicle for the journey home.

Our social events are often one of THE highlights for guests on our tours. In New Zealand in 2023 we were treated to a fabulous evenings entertainment in the company of New Zealand all-rounder Craig McMillan.

This year we will be hosting a very special “Test Match Review” event where you can enjoy behind-the-scenes insights and entertaining anecdotes from some famous cricketing faces while indulging on a feast of culinary delights.

Not only that, all of our tours kick off with an informal welcome social drinks event, offering the perfect chance to get to know your fellow travellers. And before you depart, join your fellow travellers for farewell drinks to toast the memorable experiences shared.

This evening visit Tamaki Maori Village for Te Pā Tū.   Feast on Māori song, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within the forest Pā (village) amidst towering Tawa trees, and blazing bonfires.  

Within the forest-formed amphitheatre attention shifts to stories relayed through haka, song and drama, before torchlight guides manuhiri (guests) to the dining space for the evening. 

Feasting begins with canapes and culminates in a lavish fusion feast showcasing indigenous ingredients and techniques, both contemporary or ancient. During summer months, Tū Te Rā celebrates harvest and concepts concerning ancient Māori warfare and peace.

Enjoy a visit to the Te Puia Geothermal Reserve and the NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where a guided tour combines a premier Maori culture experience with an introduction to the magnificent geothermal activity in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley.  Whilst in the valley see the boiling mud pools, steaming silica terraces, hot springs and geysers including the famous Pohutu Geyser which can erupt up to 30 metres high, depending on its mood.

Visit the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where young Maori are learning the traditional carving and weaving skills of their ancestors.  Further highlights of the tour include Rotowhio Marae and Te Aronui a Rua, the sacred meeting house of Rotowhio Marae.

Travel through the Mamaku Ranges to Matamata, home to Hobbiton. Experience the real Middle-earth with a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set, the bucolic setting for The Shire that featured in the Peter Jackson directed films, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. 

Your guide will escort you walking through the ten acre site recounting fascinating details of how the Hobbiton set was created.  The Hobbit holes, Green Dragon Inn, Mill and other structures created for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films can be viewed and you will see how this beautiful piece of Waikato farmland was transformed into The Shire from Middle-earth. 

Journey past the colourful Hobbit Hole doors that scatter the hillsides, including the iconic Bag End, home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, before arriving at Bagshot Row for a glimpse of the interior of a humble Hobbit’s home.