OMG!! That is a fantastic option. Very interested.
If you have already posted an account of your trip, would you please provide a link to it?
If not, please consider giving us some more details. I am absolutely delighted that such an option exists.
I probably should have posted an account of our trip to New Zealand we took in January - March, 2017, but it didn't happen.
Would be glad to share some more details, though.
First off, if the OP does end up renting a car, driving around the Auckland and Wellington areas should be avoided. Auckland has some of the worst traffic in the entirety of Australasia not to mention a serious lack of public parking. Wellington isn't much better. And like other British commonwealths, they drive on the left.
For the OP, February will be high season in N.Z. (summer), so reservations for any sort of activities should be made sooner, rather than later.
For DW & I, the 3 months we spent traveling about N.Z. coupled with the experiences we had and people we met was life altering for us.
The Coromandel is one location that should not be missed. Beautiful beaches and stunning scenery. "Stunning scenery" pretty much sums up most of the country! Cape Reinga and the drive on 90 mile beach was another memorable part of our time on the North Island (not to mention sand boarding). Here is a pic of my experience flying down a sand dune.
We stayed in a Maori village and upon arrival were greeted with the pōwhiri, a central part of Māori protocol, a ceremony of welcome involving speeches, dancing, singing and hongi that welcomes visitors on to marae - the sacred Maori meeting house. We were taught the Haka - the traditional warrior dance of the Māori.
Took a helicopter ride onto the Franz Josef glacier for an afternoon hike led by a guide and witnessed the glacier calving off a chunk of ice about the size of a single family home!
Did a 25km mountain bike ride in National Park on the South Island. Finished that with DW & I covered in mud!
Hiked a chunk of the Abel Tasman trail and also did some ocean kayaking there where we saw Blue Penguins.
Went to surfing camp at Raglan. I learned how to wipe out spectacularly and frequently (actually got up on my board several times). DW was able to get up on her board and ride a wave in!
We wanted to hike Tongariro pass, but it was closed due to high winds. We did get to hike around the base of Mount Cook. The entire Southern Alps of New Zealand are absolutely beautiful. We had to pick our jaws up off the ground many times.
Milford Sound was surreal. We took a boat ride out on a day with low hanging clouds and mist clinging to the cliffs. Waterfalls cascaded down from recent rains. It was an almost otherworldly experience.
New Zealand was holding their national bagpipe band championships in Nelson while we were staying there with the winner having the privilege of representing their nation in Glasgow to compete for the world title. We watched a parade of bagpipe bands that lasted for several hours.
Kiwis are incredibly friendly, hospitable and we really appreciate their sarcastic sense of humor.
I'm not sure where else on the planet there is as much bio-diversity as one can find on an island land mass the size of New Zealand.
DW & I are leaving for another trip to New Zealand in mid-December and will be staying for a month in the Auckland area, house sitting for a couple we befriended last year during our travels. Can't wait to have some more fish & chips at The Ancient Mariner!