New Zealand and Australia Semester Program Itinerary
Conservation volunteering, adventure education and travel through the North and South Islands of New Zealand, and East Coast of Australia
Day 1-2. Arrive in New Zealand. Arrive in Auckland, City of Sails…bright light and clean air awaits you. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, sprawling across an incredible landscape of harbors and the eroded cones of extinct volcanoes. Freshen up with an ocean swim, program briefing and an ‘amazing race’ style urban adventure.
Day 3-8. Conservation Project 1 - Bay of Islands. We make our way north to the stunning Bay of Islands. Visit Waitangi where New Zealand’s founding document the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. The first conservation project will be based from beautiful Urupukapuka Island, accessed by launch. The Bay of Islands has an abundance of marine life, including whales, penguins, dolphins, gannets and many other species. This maritime and historic park was home to numerous Maori settlements and the first European settlement in New Zealand. Urupukapuka Island is managed by the Department of Conservation and contains a number of archeological sites. Dolphins are regularly seen in the waters around the island. While on the island we stay in a simple lodge and will be cooking all meals together. On Friday afternoon we’ll return to Auckland.
Day 9-10. Taupo. Departing Auckland we travel through the geo thermal and cultural heartland of the country, stopping enroute to raft the Kaituna and soak in natural hot springs. We have a day in Taupo to relax and catch up on email and laundry this lakeside resort town, before we plunge into our first expedition.
Day 11-14. Expedition 1 - Whanganui River Canoe Journey. This four-day canoeing trip takes us through the heart of the Whanganui National Park – pristine native forest and an area rich in Maori history. We will be self-sufficient on the river, canoeing with all our clothing, food, tents etc in plastic barrels. It’s a great journey on a safe river and you’ll enjoy river life – paddling, splashing, swimming, camping and evenings around a campfire. We’ll spend our last night along the river in a beautiful marae –a traditional Maori village.
Day 15-17. Wellington. New Zealand’s capital city is vibrant - great cafés and nightlife. We’ll visit Parliament to learn about New Zealand’s political system (more interesting than it sounds), and gain insight into Maori culture through an intimate Maori educational experience at the National Museum, before giving you free time to explore independently. The Spring program group attend the annual Waitangi Day concert in Wellington celebrating cultural unity.
Day 18-23. Expedition 2 - Kahurangi National Park - caving, canyoning, backpacking. We board a ferry bound for the South Island, cruise through the twisting arms of the glacial carved Marlborough Sounds, leap ashore in Picton, and drive through to Nelson. We have a night here to prepare ourselves for the expedition. The next five days will be spent in a remote section of Kahurangi National Park. We set up a base camp for the first two nights and do a day of adventurous caving and another canyoning. Breaking camp we backpack for 3 days through untracked and spectacularly wild back-country, camping enroute. On our last day we return to civilization for some well earned rest in Nelson.
Day 24. Sunny Nelson. Enjoy some free time to catch up on the last week. There are great swimming beaches and rivers nearby, a weekend market to explore, and no doubt a mountain of laundry to catch up on.
Day 25-29. Conservation Project 2 – Nelson Lakes National Park. Our second conservation project will be based from the tiny settlement of St Arnaud in Nelson Lakes National Park, a beautiful mountain, forest and lake environment. We will be camping beside a lake and working with DOC on a variety of projects related to their 'mainland island' - this project aims to eliminate pest animals and plants in the park, and reestablish rare and endangered native birds such as the Kiwi. It is a very successful project and we are really excited to have the opportunity to be involved. We’ll drive to Punakaiki on the West Coast on Friday afternoon.
Day 30-31. West Coast Road Trip. Voted one of the top ten road trips in the world, we travel the length of the South Island’s West Coast from Nelson to Queenstown. Enjoy rugged coastlines, beautiful rainforest and spectacular glaciers. We spend a night at Punakaiki, in a forest lodge, then a night at the tiny settlement of Franz Josef, close to the glacier. We’ll try to spot endangered white herons while kayaking on Okarito’s beautiful lagoon.
Day 32-33. Queenstown. Queenstown is the world’s adventure capital. The options are endless – try bungy jumping or any of the multitude of adventure activities on offer. In the evenings you’re sure to enjoy the celebratory atmosphere in town.
Day 34-36. Mt Cook and Christchurch. From Queenstown we drive north to Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park for two nights, where you have the option of some interesting day-hikes among the towering mountains before continuing on to Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city for a free afternoon prior to our flight to Australia.
Day 37-43. Australia and Conservation Project 3 – North Keppel Island. We fly from Christchurch, New Zealand to Brisbane, Australia – departing the youngest land mass on earth for the oldest. We drive north up the Sunshine Coast over two days, before heading out to North Keppel Island National Park in the Great Barrier Reef. The island and its surrounding waters have exceptional natural value in terms of fringing coral reefs, beaches, rugged headlands and diverse environments of grasslands, Eucalypt forests, tidal creeks and mangroves. We base ourselves at a beach camp for the week and will be working with the Island’s environmental education centre and the Parks and Wildlife service, to assist with preservation of the islands unique habitat. There will be time for exploring the island, beaches and snorkeling the coral reef. On our last day we boat back to the mainland.
Day 44-48. Expedition 3 - Fraser Island Backpacking. We drive south to Fraser Island, our favorite place in Australia, where we head off on a three-day backpacking trip...turtles, dingoes, diverse forests, and stunning freshwater lakes lapping white sand beaches. Fraser Island is the largest sand island on earth and we’ll hike through beautiful forests camping beside a different lake each night. After coming off Fraser Island we make our way south to Byron Bay.
Day 49-51. Byron Bay. On a sensational section of coastline, Byron Bay has been a hippy hang-out since the 1970s and is today, the quintessential surfing town. Tie-dyed hippies mix with bronzed surfers, artists and large numbers of local and international tourists, there to enjoy its beaches, boutiques and cafes. It’s a great place to relax and get in some beach time after our backpacking trip. While here, we’ll take a sea kayaking trip around the Cape Byron for some dolphin spotting – dolphins and whales are regularly seen in the waters around the headland.
Day 52-55. Expedition 4 - Surf Camp. We journey south to an isolated section of coast where we stay in a surf-camp and learn to surf on the myriad breaks in the area. We’ll be staying right on a beach and have surfing gurus as instructors. Spend evenings around a campfire debriefing each day and hearing the instructor’s wild stories before going to sleep to the sound of the waves pounding the beach. This is also the perfect spot to reflect and process two months of incredible personal growth and life-changing experiences.
Day 56-58. The Blue Mountains. Continuing our southward migration, we skirt Sydney and head inland to experience the magic of the Blue Mountains National Park. We begin with an interpretive IMAX movie that highlights the unique qualities of this area, then experience its mystery first hand, walking around the iconic ‘Three Sisters’ formation. We spend a day mountain biking through this incredible environment.
Day 59-61. Sydney. Bold, brash and beautiful, Sydney is arguably the world’s most vibrant city. Settle into our downtown accommodation near Sydney Cove, where the first European settlement in Australia was established, over 200 years ago. Explore Sydney’s famous harbor and beaches by ferry, visit the Opera House and check out the local beaches and shopping areas. On the last day we’ll farewell Australia and each other, returning home with a lifetime of memories, experiences and bonds formed during this trip.
