|
About 80 million years ago, New Zealand broke away from a huge supercontinent and drifted away on its own into the South Pacific, allowing its unique flora and fauna to evolve. New Zealand has a large number of beautiful native birds and plants, as well as direct descendants of prehistoric wildlife, including the tuatara, weta and giant snail. As Time magazine once wrote, New Zealand is "an ultimate storehouse for discontinued zoological models."
There is also a variety of awesome landscapes in New Zealand, including extravagant glaciers, picturesque fiords, rugged mountains, subtropical forests, volcanic plateaus and miles of coastline with gorgeous sandy beaches. Our exciting itinerary takes us to some of the most spectacular places on the North and South Islands. We will experience some of New Zealand's seismic features, such as steaming geysers and boiling mud. We'll ramble through the spring wildflowers of alpine meadows and walk among the world's largest fuchsias. We'll visit a famous colony of northern royal albatross and watch for the little blue and yellow-eyed penguins that make this part of the southern Pacific Ocean their home.
We'll take a boat tour off the coast of the Kaikoura Peninsula to watch sperm whales as they feed in the deep, nutrient-rich waters. At Milford Sound we'll cruise on the deep, icy blue waterways that flow into the Tasman Sea to search for bottle-nosed dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and the rare Fiordland penguin. |
|
| FACTS: |
| • | 15-day trip |
| • | Maximum 14 participants |
| • | Start and finish in Auckland, New Zealand |
|
| HIGHLIGHTS: |
| • | Visit two national parks: Nelson Lakes and Mount Cook, Peel Forest Park and Fiordland World Heritage Area |
| • | Discover the charm of Auckland, Wellington, Picton, Christchurch and Queenstown and their history |
| • | Learn about Maori and New Zealand cultures |
|
| ACTIVITY LEVEL: |
| • | Moderate: The trails that we use in our explorations of the parks and reserves are usually well marked and easy to follow. Some may, however, follow the contours of the hills and valleys with inclines and uneven surfaces. The trails are accessible by anyone who has normal walking ability and stamina. Sturdy hiking shoes or boots and a hiking stick are strongly advised. |
|
|
|
| ITINERARY IN BRIEF: |
| Day 1: |
|
Arrive in Auckland |
| Day 2: |
|
Tiritiri Matangi |
| Day 3: |
|
The Firth of Thames, Lake Taupo |
| Day 4: |
|
Wellington, Cook Strait, South Island |
| Day 5: |
|
Nelson Lakes National Park |
| Day 6: |
|
Kaikoura Peninsula, Sperm Whales |
| Day 7: |
|
Kaikoura Peninsula, Christchurch |
| Day 8: |
|
Peel Forest Park, Twizel |
| Day 9: |
|
Mount Cook National Park |
| Day 10: |
|
Lindis Pass, Queenstown |
| Day 11 - 12: |
|
Fiordland World Heritage Area |
| Day 13 - 14: |
|
Otago Harbour, Dunedin, Taiaroa Head |
| Day 15: |
|
Depart Auckland |
|
|
|
|
 Geoff was raised on a farm and has always been a keen studentof nature. After graduating with a biological degree majoring in botany, Geoff took up a career in teaching, where he taught in New Zealand and England. During these years he taught outdoor education and natural science.
416-633-5666 / 1-800-387-1483
 Pearls of Polynesia
From Tahiti to Fiji
Length: 17 days
Start: Papeete,Tahiti
Finish: Lautoka, Fiji
 Borneo
A Primate's Playground
Length: 13 days
Start: Kota Kinabalu, Borneo
Finish: Kota Kinabalu, Borneo
|
|
|
Our participants say...
This was a wonderful trip and all aspects of it, leaders, logistics, technical subject matter, accommodations, etc., were very good.
We were fortunate to have Vonnie Cave as a participant, her local expertise adding to that of Geoff Henderson and Elizabeth Knowles, and I am quite sure that everyone enjoyed themselves. Once again, many thanks for a great trip.
Cedric H.
|
|
|
|
