The Bombay Hills are a range of hills to the south of Auckland, New Zealand. Though only a small and seemingly insignificant range of hills, they lie at the southern boundary of the Auckland region, and serve as a divide between Auckland and the Waikato region. directly named after the ship Bombay, The ship itself was named after the Indian city of Bombay (now Mumbai). Bombay Means: a breed of black short-haired medium-sized cat.

We stop to get some great coffee at your own expense and a comfort break before we continue our journey into the Waikato region.

Explore an authentic living Māori village where people live on a daily basis, using natural geothermal resources to cook, bathe and heat their homes as they have for centuries. Discover the vibrancy of Māori culture and the fascinating traditions of the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, who shaped tourism in New Zealand. View the geothermal wonders of Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley up close, including the world-famous Pōhutu geyser, boiling mud-pools, steam vents and bubbling pools. Enjoy a traditional cooking demonstration – watch our residents prepare Hāngi meals in our in-ground steam boxes, and cook corn in the bubbling water of our geothermal hot pools – as they have for generations. Learn what it’s like to live in the challenging environment of the Whakarewarewa Valley, where daily life includes cooking in the bubbling pools and steam vents, and bathing in the refreshing therapeutic waters.

Once we arrive, you spend 30-45 mins shopping in the official Hobbiton Gift Shop and grabbing a drink or a bite in the famous Shire’s Rest Cafe. Your guided tour starts on a Hobbiton tour bus with a drive through New Zealand's picturesque 1,250 acre sheep farm with spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges. Take a look at Bag End, where Frodo and Bilbo’s adventures began. Get lost among the hobbit holes and visit the Green Dragon Inn, the mill and the Party Tree. Listen to spell-binding tales of how Hobbiton came to be. ​ After you finish your amazing Hobbit tour we make our way through the scenic roads into geothermal valley of Rotorua for your next experience at the living Maori village!

After an enchanting fun-filled cultural experience at Rotorua, it is now time to head back to Auckland to conclude your evening and drop-off at your hotel in Auckland.