A New Zealand Odyssey: Indigenous Culture & Natural Beauty

Kia ora! Welcome to Auckland. Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. The Group Leader and local Site Coordinators will provide information and lead field trips at most study sites. The format of meals will vary based on each venue, with some meals being buffets, others plated and served, and some ordered in advance. Beverages typically include coffee, tea and water, with other beverages available for purchase depending on location. Free time is reserved for your personal exploration. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through independent exploration, attending performances or other events on your own, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leader and local Site Coordinator will always be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local conditions/circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. To conclude our Orientation session, we will have an introduction to Auckland.

At the hotel.

Auckland, the “City of Sails,” is New Zealand’s largest city and over one-third of all New Zealanders live in the greater Auckland area. It has a cosmopolitan population, and the high proportion of indigenous Maori and other Polynesian peoples from the Pacific Islands have contributed distinctive elements to its cultural mix. This mix has been heightened by increased immigration from a number of Asian nations throughout the last decade or two. A third of the city’s population was born outside New Zealand. The city has a unique setting between two harbours on a narrow isthmus studded with numerous volcanic cones. To the east, the Waitemata Harbour provides New Zealand’s busiest Pacific port and a picturesque setting for the central business district and suburbs. Beyond this harbour lie the superb boating waters of the island-studded Hauraki Gulf. To the west, the broad shallows of the Manukau Harbour provide ideal habitat for large flocks of seabirds in the shadow of the rugged rainforest-covered Waitakere Ranges. Beyond these ranges the wild black-sand surf beaches of the west coast are a dramatic contrast to the gentle golden sand of the tree-fringed beaches of the east coast. This afternoon our Group Leader and local Site Coordinator will lead us on a walking field trip in central Auckland, introducing us to New Zealand's largest city. We will learn how Auckland utilizes its harbour for both business and pleasure by taking an informative stroll up Queen Street, around the art gallery and through the university grounds. We will return to our hotel in time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the hotel. We will have “Welcome to New Zealand” wine with dinner tonight.

At leisure. We have an early night tonight to rest up following our long flight.

The breakfast buffet in the hotel's top-floor dining room affords stunning views of Auckland's Waitemata Harbour and the central business district.

We begin today with a local academic who will provide an introduction to New Zealand history. We will then walk down to Viaduct Basin for a yacht cruise on Auckland's magnificent Waitemata Harbour giving us stunning views of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the city and the surrounding volcanic cones. Our Group Leader, Site Coordinator, and skipper(s) will point out the sights of particular significance and interest. As we sail through the channel, those who wish can have a turn at the wheel, helming the yacht, weather conditions permitting. At the conclusion of the cruise, we will board a motorcoach and transfer to a local café close to Auckland War Memorial Museum. We will get an orientation to the layout of the city en route.

At the Wintergarden Café. We will have time to explore the gardens briefly on our own prior to or after lunch.

We then head across to Auckland War Memorial Museum. At the museum, a docent will introduce the permanent exhibitions showing patterns of Polynesian and European settlement. Following our time at the museum, we board our motorcoach and return to our hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is free. We will catch a public ferry across to Devonport this evening.

At local restaurant in Devonport, we will have pre-ordered, plated meals.

At leisure. Those who wish may choose to stay in Devonport longer and make their own way back to the hotel using their return ferry ticket.

Hotel buffet.

We will have a field trip to explore Auckland's geography, giving us an understanding of the varied nature of the city’s volcanic and coastal environment. We travel first to Mangere Mountain, one of the many volcanic cones that dot Auckland's landscape. Here we will have an expert-led walk on the mountain, gaining an understanding of the geology and formation of the mountain as well as learning of the archaeological evidence of early Maori settlement here. We reboard our motorcoach and drive across the Auckland Harbour Bridge to Auckland's north shore. Here we get an introduction to the divergent nature of the city’s coast.

At a local restaurant, we will have a buffet lunch looking out over picturesque Cheltenham Beach and across to the cone of Rangitoto, Auckland’s most recognisable volcano and an iconic natural landmark.

We transfer to Devonport Ferry Terminal and have the remainder of the afternoon and evening free.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader and local Site Coordinator will be happy to offer suggestions. The Viaduct Basin, formerly the home of the America’s Cup, has a variety of cafés and restaurants a short walk from the hotel. The relatively new development of the Wynyard Quarter is a delightful stroll across the bridge beyond the Viaduct, while the Britomart precinct is located in the streets behind the hotel.

At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer tomorrow.

Hotel buffet.

We will check out of the hotel and depart for Waitomo, travelling through Waikato's rolling green countryside. On our picturesque journey, we will pass pristine farmland and dense forest.

At a café close to Waitomo, we will have a pre-ordered lunch.

We will continue our ride to Waitomo for an expert-led walking field trip in the internationally-recognised Waitomo glowworm caves. The glowworm (arachnocampa luminosa) is unique to New Zealand, and thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as expert guides provide informative commentary on the Caves' historical and geological significance. After our walk through the caves, where we will be amazed by the clear natural acoustics of the “cathedral cave,” we will enjoy a boat ride out of the cave under thousands of magical glowworms, emerging into a stunning natural stream setting. Reboarding our motorcoach, we will transfer through to Rotorua where we will stay for the next two nights. Located on the shores of Lake Rotorua and nicknamed “Sulphur City,” Rotorua has been sustained by tourism since 1870. It is a thermal wonderland with the most energetic thermal activity in the country, including hot springs, geysers and bubbling mud pools. It is also an important centre of Maori culture. In the early 19th century the colonial government attempted to develop it as a European-style spa town. The impressive Tudor-styled Bath House dating from that time is now the Rotorua Museum. The area also has fine trout fishing and scenic wildlife parks. Nearby Mount Tarawera erupted in 1886 resulting in major changes to the landscape and considerable loss of life. The beautiful lakes in the region are part of the legacy of this cataclysm. En route, we will have an introduction to Rotorua before checking in to our hotel.

In the hotel restaurant, enjoy a plated dinner.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

Today we will learn about Rotorua’s geothermal background and Maori history and culture. We will travel first to Waimangu Volcanic Valley to learn more about volcanic and geothermal New Zealand. Waimangu Volcanic Valley is the only geothermal system in the world wholly created as the direct result of a volcanic eruption, the Tarawera Eruption of June 10, 1886. We will walk through this amazing volcanic landscape serenaded by the songs of the local native birdlife. At the end of our walk, we will have a cruise on Lake Rotomohana, surrounded by pristine bush. We will then return to Rotorua.

At an historic and lovingly-restored hotel beside Rotorua's Government Gardens, we will have a pre-ordered, plated lunch.

Next, we will take our motorcoach to Te Puia, the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. Here we will learn from local experts at the Institute about the role it plays in encouraging young Maori to train in the traditional Maori arts and crafts: carving wood and stone, weaving, traditional building techniques, and the like. We will also view the Whakarewarewa thermal area, renowned for its boiling mudpools and the spectacular Pohutu geyser. After returning to the hotel, the remainder of the afternoon is free.

Tonight we experience a hangi, the traditional Maori method of cooking food in the ground.

Performance. During dinner we experience a Maori cultural performance which offers us an introduction to Maori culture and tradition. We will be spellbound by songs and dances demonstrated in a rich cultural performance, culminating with a powerful “Haka” or Maori war dance.

Hotel buffet.

This morning we check out of our hotel and transfer to the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa. Here we have an expert-led visit introducing us to New Zealand's endangered national bird. We will learn of the vital role the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa is playing in rearing young kiwi chicks until they are large enough to be released into the wild. After an expert-led visit to this wonderful facility we board our motorcoach and transfer to Rotorua airport.

We will have a packed lunch at Rotorua airport.

We leave the North Island as we fly to Christchurch, situated on the east coast of the South Island. Christchurch is set close to the sea on a broad plain between the towering Southern Alps and the large, extinct volcanic crater that forms Banks Peninsula. It is the largest city in the South Island and the centre of farming, industrial and cultural activities for the province of Canterbury. Due to its excellent transportation facilities, bountiful water supply and abundant hydro-electric power, Christchurch is one of the most important industrial and commercial centres in New Zealand. We will be met at the airport by our local Site Coordinator and transfer to the International Antarctic Centre. Here, we will get as close as possible to experiencing Antarctica without actually going there. We will have a lecture on Christchurch's involvement with Antarctica as the nearest mainland base for US, NZ, Italian and South Korean Antarctic research. We will explore the Centre and have an opportunity to get up close to little blue penguins. We will then transfer to Riccarton House, one of Christchurch's most significant early homesteads. Here we have a ranger-led walk through Riccarton Bush, a unique native lowland podocarp forest close to the centre of New Zealand's "Garden City". We will also have a lecture on the early-settler family responsible for the existence of both Riccarton House and Riccarton Bush. Through this we will gain an insight into the early settlement of the province of Canterbury.

At Riccarton House, we will have a pre-ordered, plated dinner.

After dinner our Te Puna Ora storyteller — playing two characters — will introduce the experience of early immigrants to Canterbury. We will then transfer back to our hotel on our motorcoach.

Hotel buffet.

We will head to the delightful Banks Peninsula township of Akaroa, a historic French and British settlement nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano. Some of the town's French character is shown by its French street names. En route, we will learn from our Site Coordinator about historical patterns of settlement of the local Maori, French, and other European settler populations. Upon arriving in Akaroa, we will board a boat for a harbour cruise on which we will see sea caves, volcanic formations, high cliffs and myriad nesting sites. Keep an eye out for the delightful Hector's Dolphin, one of the world's rarest and smallest dolphins, as well as blue penguins, fur seals, and abundant bird life.

We return to land and are given free time to explore Akaroa on foot, just as the Christchurch visitors do on their day trips. We will get our own lunch at leisure as we explore.

We will regroup at the Akaroa Museum and board our motorcoach and drive back over Hilltop to Christchurch. Before dinner our local Site Coordinator will lead a walking tour of the centre of Christchurch for those participants interested in learning more about what makes this city tick as it continues its regrowth.

At the hotel, we will have pre-ordered, plated meals.

At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer in the morning.

Hotel buffet.

After checking out of the hotel, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Invercargill. Upon our arrival in Invercargill, we board our motorcoach and take the 45-minute drive through to Riverton on the Southern Scenic Route. The "Riviera of the South", Riverton sits in a picturesque location spanning the estuary of Jacob's River. We have an expert-led visit to Te Hikoi Southern Journey. In this delightful small-town museum we learn something of the unique history of Maori and European settlement in the area.

At a local community centre, we will have a packed lunch from a café in Riverton.

After lunch we drive to the serenely beautiful hamlet of Te Anau, located on Lake Te Anau, the second largest lake in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island. En route, we will have an introduction to the Southern portion of our program. Te Anau is a small country centre providing community support to the widely-dispersed fishing and farming communities of sparsely-populated Fiordland. It is situated at the edge of the World Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park and renowned for its alpine scenery and outdoor lifestyle. Checking in to our hotel, we will have some time to explore the lakefront or freshen up before taking the quick walk from the hotel to Fiordland Cinema. At the cinema we will view the short film Ata Whenua - Shadowland, which offers stunning views of Fiordland filmed from helicopter.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet dinner.

At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer in the morning.

Hotel buffet.

We will board our motorcoach and drive around the side of Lake Te Anau, across some of the scenic splendour of Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed landscape. We will drive through New Zealand's highest tunnel, the Homer Tunnel, where we may well encounter a cheeky kea (New Zealand mountain parrot) or two as we wait for our turn to proceed. At Piopiotahi Milford Sound, we will board a cruise vessel and glide through one of Fiordland's most picturesque fiords, where mountains jut out of the sea and rainforest clings to sheer rock faces. Our skipper will interpret the stunning scenery we are cruising through. Keep an eye out for the resident pods of dolphins as we sail out towards the Tasman Sea.

Aboard the vessel, we will have packed lunches.

Disembarking the cruise vessel, we will board our motorcoach and return to Te Anau. We will travel back through the Homer Tunnel and down the Hollyford Valley past Lake Te Anau. We return to our hotel and have the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We leave Te Anau and head for Queenstown. En route, we visit a local sheep station where we will learn about the importance of agriculture to New Zealand's economy as well as the challenges of farming in this environment. We will also gain insight into the training and usage of farmers' working dogs, the backbone of New Zealand sheep farming. We drive across verdant farmland, and between mountain ranges along Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown is situated on the lake, nestled among the majestic Southern Alps. Its setting is stunning with the surrounding mountain ranges, the Remarkables and the Eyre Mountains, forming a breathtaking backdrop. It has more to offer than just magnificent landscape, however; the town strives to be the “adventure capital of the world”.

We will have a light lunch at the sheep station.

Following lunch, we will board our motorcoach and head to the historic little former gold-mining settlement of Arrowtown at the head of the Arrow Valley just outside Queenstown. We will have time to stretch our legs and explore the township. We transfer to Queenstown and check in to our hotel upon arrival. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore Queenstown independently. We then transfer via motorcoach to the gondola that will take us to the top of Bob's Peak. We will have time to take in the spectacular views before dinner.

Buffet dinner at the restaurant atop Bob’s Peak overlooking Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables.

After taking in the stunning views over dinner, we will take a gondola back down the hill and return to our hotel. Prepare for check out and transfer tomorrow.

Hotel buffet.

Morning is at leisure before we check out of the hotel and board our motorcoach bound for Queenstown airport, where we will check in to our flight. We will fly to Wellington, located at the southern extremity of the North Island, and the capital of New Zealand since 1865. Its magnificent amphitheatre-like harbour, hemmed in by rugged hills, was formed by the flooding of the crater of a very large and long-extinct volcano. It provides a picturesque setting for the city’s distinctive wooden houses (many visitors have been known to draw parallels with San Francisco) set precariously on the steep hills. In addition to its role as the seat of government, Wellington is a major seaport, rail and ferry centre and a commercial and manufacturing hub. Its compact city centre is immensely walkable and is full of life and interest. It has a vigorous cultural and artistic scene and is the home of many national cultural institutions. Thanks partly to the fact that it is the home town of Sir Peter Jackson (the director of the “Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy), Wellington is the focal point of New Zealand's thriving film industry.

Lunch is at own arrangements today. You may get lunch at Queenstown airport before you board your flight or in Wellington after you arrive.

Upon our arrival in Wellington we have an orientation to Wellington with our local Site Coordinator. We will pause for a stroll along the coast and visit a favourite local lookout offering us commanding views of Wellington and its layout. We then transfer to our hotel and check in. After some down time we regather for a lecture by a local academic on New Zealand’s political system and politics.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet dinner.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We transfer to New Zealand’s parliament buildings — including the aptly-named Beehive — for an expert-led exploration. We will then walk across Lambton Quay to view New Zealand’s Supreme Court, provided it is not in session. You may be surprised by the differences between the Supreme Court of NZ and that of the US. We carry on to the National Library. Here at He Tohu we are introduced to three constitutional documents that shaped Aotearoa New Zealand.

At a restaurant in a historic hotel around the corner from the National Library, we have pre-ordered, plated lunches.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader and local Site Coordinator will be happy to offer suggestions. Put on your walking shoes and get amongst it! As the locals like to say, "You can't beat Wellington on a good day!"

On your own to enjoy what you like, allowing you to sample the many fine restaurants, cafes and bars Wellington has to offer.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We board our motorcoach to Zealandia, a sanctuary of native forest and lakes 10 minutes from the city centre. Here we will learn about some of New Zealand’s unique and fascinating birdlife. Expert volunteers will introduce these wonderful birds and explain the challenges of conserving rare and vulnerable species in New Zealand. We will learn the story of how local residents lobbied and volunteered to get this valley sanctuary set aside as a reserve and have it fully enclosed by predator-proof fencing. We will gain an understanding of the positive effect this facility has had on the native birdlife of the greater Wellington area. At the conclusion of our field trip, en route to lunch, we will transfer to the Wellington Cable Car. From the top of the cable car, we gain excellent views of Wellington Harbour and its hilly backdrop.

At a local café, we have pre-ordered, plated lunches.

We will take the short walk to Te Papa Tongarewa: National Museum of Aotearoa New Zealand where we will discover the key displays of this magnificent facility. We will then have time to explore the museum on our own and return to our accommodation independently at leisure.

At the hotel, we will enjoy a farewell dinner. Share your favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.

At leisure. Time to do final packing and prepare for your last day in New Zealand tomorrow.

Hotel buffet.

After checking out of the hotel, we will load our bags on to our motorcoach. We will then be joined by an eminent local scientist who will lead our field trip exploring Wellington's fascinating coastline. We will learn how tectonic forces have shaped the rugged environment surrounding the New Zealand capital.

At a sheltered scenic spot along the south coast, we will have a boxed lunch.

We will board our motorcoach and ride to Wellington airport where our program concludes. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!