PacSLRF Travel Travel Options from Auckland - Road, Rail or Air Participants in the PacSLRF Conference in Wellington will probably fly into Auckland as Wellington Airport only has international flights from Sydney and Melbourne. The flight from Auckland to Wellington takes one hour, but if there is time it is much more interesting to spend three or four days driving from Auckland to Wellington. The best route for those who have not visited New Zealand before would be to drive from Auckland to Rotorua and spend a night there. Rotorua is a thermal tourist area and has many interesting attractions. Whakarewarewa thermal area and Rainbow Springs with Rainbow Farm are highly recommended.
Most motels have thermal pools.
It is about three to four hours from Auckland. From Rotorua, drive about two hours south to Taupo at the north end of Lake Taupo, stopping to see the Huka Falls just before Taupo. Continue down the east side of Lake Taupo to Turangi and then to Waiouru. Waiouru has a military museum. It is now a ski resort and has lovely walks through native forest.