After a couple of days in the comfort of Auckland, the first day is a relatively short one that allows for a relaxed ceremonial start from the Cordis Hotel car park. The morning features two Regularity Sections punctuated by a coffee halt, as we travel north through farmland and forests to our late lunch halt in Matakohe. Here you will have to choose between taking a long and relaxed lunch on the deck of the Gumdigger’s Cafe, or grabbing a quick snack before exploring the fascinating Museum next door dedicated to the magnificent Kauri Tree, but covering much more.

A longer day today as we head to the far north. The morning’s highlights include two gravel Regularities, coffee in an old bank building and some public toilets designed by the Austrian artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser!

The competition starts early today with a Regularity just 20 minutes from Russell. We then follow the east coast as we return to Whangarei for a Time Control at the scenic Whangarei Falls. Skirting the edge of Whangarei we get to the first Test of the event at the local Kart Club where you’ll be able to showcase the performance and handling of your car over a couple of laps of this smart circuit. This is followed by the morning’s second Regularity which is on another of the area’s classic Rally Stages, again frequently used on Rally New Zealand.

A slightly earlier start today as we head against the main flow of traffic and leave Auckland by the Southern Motorway which we use all the way to the day’s Test on the Kart Track of the Hampton Downs Motorsport Centre. We then take easy back roads to a coffee in the cool surfer’s hangout of Raglan.

After coffee, the road around the Whaanga Coast is a little on the rough side, but the coastal views more than make up for it, and World Rally enthusiasts will recognise it as one of Rally New Zealand’s iconic coastal stages. There is a Passage Control at the car park for Bridal Veil Falls which at 55m high is double the height of those at Whangarei yesterday, and the 10 minute walk through primeval forest is an adventure in itself. Immediately after the Passage Control is the day’s first Regularity on twisting gravel roads.

Looping to the south of Hamilton we have lunch in a delightful cafe nestled among blueberry bushes before a rare Regularity entirely on asphalt roads. In another departure from routine the final control of the day will not be at the Hotel, but will instead be between Matamata and Tirau.

Leaving Rotorua to the east we pick up a Regularity on the way to the coast at Whakatane which recently hit global headlines as the base for rescue efforts after the White Island volcano tragedy. After a friendly coffee halt, there’s another Regularity before some fabulous water’s edge driving beside the Bay of Plenty brings us to a simple lunch halt in the slightly down-at-heel town of Opitiki which nowadays scrapes a living from kiwi fruit and mussels.

The main target of the day comes after Opitiki in the shape of what, during the 1990s, became regarded as the most challenging stage on the World Rally calendar. The Motu Road is 47 km long and we will split it into a pair of Regularity Sections to allow you to conquer the toughest central section in your own time. You can start to relax when you reach the village of Motu and get some well-earned refreshment in the Motu-vation Cafe that has promised to open specially for you. It is mostly downhill from there to the vineyards that surround Poverty Bay and indicate that you are arriving in the city of Gisborne.

Although not the longest, this is likely to prove one of the toughest days of the event. We climb away from Gisborne to a Regularity section along a ridge top road that has become a staple of the Silver Fern Rally in recent years then drop down to the coast for a coffee and to fill fuel tanks to the brim for what lies ahead.

After a diverting Regularity we start to climb towards Lake Wakeremoana and bid farewell to asphalt as we dive headlong into the New Zealand you have been waiting for: a picturesque landscape characterised as much by volcanic mountains as it is by bodies of water and native forest; much of it thanks to the Taupo Volcanic Zone.

The day has a final fling in the shape of a Test at the Bruce Mclaren Motorsport Park almost within sight of the hotel – and it’s so good we’re going to do it twice. It is then just a short run into the luxurious Hilton spa resort that will be our base for two nights as we have a rest day tomorrow.

A couple of Regularities in the morning will see us joining this aptly named road at the top of the Tangarakau Gorge, before passing through the narrow Moki Tunnel (aka The Hobbit Hole) to lunch in the independent republic of Whangamomona!

After lunch we retrace our steps back through the Moki Tunnel and descend the full length of the deep Tangarakau Gorge before a relaxing afternoon coffee halt in a small lavender farm.

The last action of the day is to climb up to the small village of Whakapapa that is the gateway to Tongariro National Park and the smouldering volcanoes that are one of the must-see attractions of the North Island, and include Mount Ruapehu which is the largest active volcano in New Zealand.

Day 9: Whakapapa to Palmerston North

Barring any nocturnal eruptions we will have the opportunity for a lie-in this morning as we make a leisurely start from the Chateau. A single Regularity will bring us to the lunch halt in the bustling provincial town of Taihape that claims to be the ‘gumboot capital of New Zealand’.

The pace picks up a little in the afternoon with a pair of Regularities separated by a pleasant coffee halt in the village of Kimbolton. We pass an FIA graded race circuit at Manfeild Park that has recently been named in memory of the Formula 1 and Sportscar driver Chris Amon who was born close-by and was famously awarded the win of the 1966 Le Mans, together with fellow Kiwi Bruce Mclaren, after three Ford GT40s finished side-by-side.

Our final day on the North Island takes us south east from Palmerston North towards the deserted east coast. We have two Regularities before a coffee halt in the tiny village of Tinui and then a third shortly afterwards. That is the end of competition for the day as we continue to the fabulous vineyards in Martinborough where the day’s final control will precede a long and leisurely lunch at the Tirohana Estate courtesy of the ERA in lieu of the normal evening group dinner.

There is action right from the start today as we quickly reach a couple of Regularities that will bring us to the main feature of today. 125km of remote gravel road crosses the Molesworth Station which is the country’s largest farm covering over 180,000 hectares and rearing around 10,000 cattle at any one time. The scenery is stunning and the driving a pleasure.

There are three road passes across the Southern Alps and this morning we take the most northerly one, the Lewis Pass, as we head towards the morning coffee halt which is quickly followed by the day’s first Regularity. An adventurous but narrow gravel road leads us over the Maruia Saddle and through a number of river crossings before a second Regularity brings us to lunch in Murchison.

The afternoon features a splashy Regularity before an enjoyable run to lakeside St Arnaud and then we will head directly to the day’s final control at the WoW Museum on the edge of Nelson.

Day 14: Nelson to Hokitika

After a series of shorter days, today only misses out on being the longest of the event by a single mile. We start by retracing our route as we leave Nelson behind and take in a couple of Regularities before a coffee halt back at the location of yesterday’s lunch in Murchison.

From here we use fast but scenic main roads as we cross the Island to a late lunch at Punakaiki. Enjoy a quick bite at the efficient Pancake Rocks Café but try to make time to walk from the highway out to the rocks and blowholes. Punakaiki’s claim to fame is Dolomite Point, where a layering process has carved the limestone into what looks like piles of thick pancakes. This is a sight not to be missed!

We then follow the West Coast south for a while before turning inland to make a scenic loop of Lake Brunner and a final Regularity takes us to our overnight hotel in Hokitika in time for the highlight of this area – sunset over the Tasman Sea.

We start this short day by heading north then making a wide loop around Hokitika picking up a couple of Regularities on the way before a coffee halt in the historic gold mining town of Ross. From here we are sandwiched between the Southern Alps on our left and the Tasman Sea on our right so there is no alternative but to follow the scenic SH6 along the west coast.

We pass the Franz Josef Glacier before arriving at our destination for the day in time for a late lunch beside tranquil Lake Matheson where (on a clear day) the skyline is dominated by the Southern Alps with the peak of New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mount Cook in the background.

Leaving Fox Glacier we are again restricted to the SH6 which is no hardship as it is an interesting drive through varying scenery with both mountain and ocean views. We take coffee in the town of Haast and then start to climb to cross the Alps at the Haast Pass with plenty of time to stop and enjoy the mountains, forests and (whilst descending the Pass) the fabulous Lakes Wanaka and Hawea.

The lunch venue is Wanaka Airport which hosts Warbirds Over Wanaka – an internationally renowned air show set against the rugged Central Otago landscape. There is a Regularity shortly after lunch before we arrive in the fruit growing centre of Cromwell and the day’s final control at the modern and very smart Highlands Motorsport Centre. After checking through the final control of the day we have arranged for you all to drive a few laps of this exciting new race circuit behind an enthusiastically driven pace car. If, after you’ve done this, you want to experience it again at full speed you may be able to book a seat in the Porsche Cayenne “taxi”. Or alternatively enjoy the afternoon tea that will be provided in the café and a sojourn around the small but interesting race car museum. From Cromwell it is a 45 minute run into our wonderful resort hotel on the edge of buzzing Queenstown.

An early start today to beat the daily exodus of camper vans and tour buses from Queenstown as we skirt alongside Lake Wakatipu then turn east in search of a Regularity which we find after a brief coffee halt in the small farming town of Riversdale. With the penalties for the day safely in the bag, we turn back to the west to take lunch in the picturesque tourist town of Te Anau.

The afternoon’s run is a 2 hour drive along the Milford Road which is rightly renowned for its stunning views of looming cliffs and, if we’re lucky enough to have some rain, its multitude of waterfalls. The highlight of the day is waiting for you at the end of the Road…for tonight, we have chartered the iconic Milford Mariner for our exclusive use.

After a magical awakening surrounded by the Sound, we disembark and make our way back to Te Anau. You can return to the same venue as yesterday to grab an early lunch, or perhaps try one of the many other establishments within the town. The restart MTC is at the exit of the only large car park in town and then we continue south alongside the mighty Fjordland National Park.

Passing the historic Clifden Suspension Bridge we take in a delightful Regularity before afternoon tea in Winton and another shortly afterwards on the way to the rally’s most southern overnight halt in Invercargill.

Strange as it may seem, make sure you stop for 10 minutes or so at the E Hayes & Sons hardware store; yes, we know hardware shops aren’t usually a must-see, but this one holds a piece of motoring history. In among the aisles of bolts, barbecues and brooms in this classic art-deco building are more than 100 items of motoring memorabilia, including the actual motorbike on which the late Burt Munro broke the world speed record – as immortalised in the 2005 film The World’s Fastest Indian starring Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Although we don’t expect you to break any records today… Teretonga Park Circuit will be a challenging test for you and your car – and so much fun that we’ll do it twice!

As we approach the end of the event, the pressure starts to build for both competitors and marshals. Today we are planning no fewer than four Regularity sections as we follow the south coast through the Catlins Forest Park. We pass the most southerly point on the event just before our morning coffee halt by the underwhelming Niagara Falls.

Lunch is by the beach at the mouth of the Clutha River then we drive up the valley to an afternoon coffee halt immediately after the mildly alarming raft ferry that crosses the river at Tuapeka Mouth. We’ll pass through the historic gold mining town of Lawrence before looping through the classic special stages at Waipori Falls and Kaka Bush. By the time you reach the Dunedin hotel in the old post office building you will be ready for a rest.

Two words immediately spring to mind when Kiwis think of their seventh-largest city: Scotland & Students. The Edinburgh of the South is immensely proud of its Scottish heritage, never missing an opportunity to break out the haggis and bagpipes on civic occasions. In fact, the very name Dunedin is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh – Dŭn Eideann – and the city even has its own tartan!

The penultimate day is also the longest day of the event and this time with five Regularity sections as we head north through Otago. The first Regularity is a short and sharp affair on the George King Memorial Drive before a coffee halt in a cosy cafe in Middlemarch and a longer Regularity over stunningly desolate moorland brings us to a Passage Control by the huge hole in the ground that is the McRaes Flat Goldmine – New Zealand’s largest.

We have lunch at the historic and delightful Dansey’s Pass Coach Inn before a Regularity over the Pass itself. There is then a chance to relax as we take easy and fast roads into Central Otago and a coffee halt in Omarama. Which, sitting at the head of the Waitaki Valley, is surrounded by mountain ranges and fabulous landscapes. We miss the annual sheepdog trials by a few days, but this afternoon stop will take you to a local sheep farm which has become a regular staging point for tour buses: the Wrinkly Rams is so popular that it puts on 30-minute shearing and sheepdog shows!

The views of Mount Cook across Lake Pukaki are world renowned and you’re advised to stop to take photos before the day’s final Regularity takes us over the mountains to our resort hotel on the edge of Lake Tekapo, facing out across the turquoise lake to a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.