NEW ZEALAND NORTH ISLANDS ADVENTURE - High School Summer Programs (800) 321-4353

in spectacular locations. Join our fantastic staff on this North Island Adventure program. Students have the chance to see the very best of the North Island of New Zealand for a week of adventures, laughs, and spectacular scenery. This is truly a road trip of a life time!

Let’s Get the Adrenaline Pumping
Let’s jump-start your Kiwi adventure with an optional bungee jump from the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, The Sky Tower in Auckland. The Sky Jump is one giant leap you won’t be forgetting in a hurry! Once back safely on the ground the adventure keeps rolling along with a journey up the spectacular coastline to the Bay of Islands. Enjoy a full day of sailing, fishing, snorkeling, and swimming with wild dolphins in their natural habitat within the Bay Island Maritime Park.

The Adventure Just Keeps Coming
Your next adventure unfolds in the amazing Waitomo Caves. This ripper of a trip combines blackwater rafting, rock climbing, and rappelling through underground waterfalls. See awesome cave formations and check out the famous glowworms found throughout the caves.

No Time for Slowing Down!
Rotorua, the heartland of New Zealand’s Maori culture, is our base for the next three days of adventure and cultural experiences. We start our adventure off in Rotorua by zooming, tumbling, flipping, and sliding 600 feet downhill inside the Zorb. Then once you are warmed up, it’s time for an Agrojet ride - a 13ft, 450 horsepower jet boat that will shoot you from zero to sixty miles per hour in four seconds! In the tight man-made watercourse, you take corners like Formula One race cars. Keep the action going with a Swoop, which is a cross between bungee jumping, bridge swinging, and hang-gliding. You are hoisted 120 feet in the air, and then pull the ripcord and FLY! In the evening we have the chance to get up close and personal with the traditional Maori people and their culture. Enjoy a traditionally cooked feast in a Maori village and receive a special glimpse of many of the traditions, performances, songs, and history of the Maori people. Before departing Rotorua, we jump aboard a raft and head down the Kaituna River, which boasts the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world at 21 feet. In fact, there are three waterfalls among the 14 rapids: two smaller waterfalls to practice on before attacking the 21 foot drop named Tutea Falls. Hold on!

Want More Adventure?
Our next stop on this adventure-packed tour is Lake Taupo. We have set aside this day to take up some of the many optional activities that Lake Taupo has to offer. Tandem skydiving , bungee jumping, trout fishing, and mountain biking are just a few of the activities available.

Simply put, our North Island Adventure is probably our most varied and action packed adventure program. The uniqueness and spirit of adventure that New Zealanders are famous for comes across in this challenging and action packed southern hemisphere extravaganza! Now all you have to ask yourself is “Have I got what it takes?” The length of this program is short enough to enable you to add one or two more Rustic Pathways trips to have the ultimate summer experience. Questions? Contact tanya@rusticpathways.com for more information.

Day 1: Depart U.S.A
Students traveling to New Zealand depart LAX on our escorted group flight to Fiji and then connect from Fiji to New Zealand. Please note that some of our flights between South Pacific countries may not be escorted flights. The flight will take about 16 hours, plenty of time to get to know the rest of your group before arriving Down Under.

Day 2: In transit
Today is “lost” as you cross the international dateline, but don’t worry too much… you will get it back on your way home!

Day 3: Welcome to New Zealand- (Auckland to Pihia)
Arrive into Auckland where you will be met by our on-ground Kiwi staff. They will help you settle into your new Kiwi lifestyle

Day 4: Sailing and Swimming with Dolphins- (Auckland)
Today we're off on a fun filled day of sailing on the Auckland harbour looking for wild dolphins and whales.

Day 5: Optional Sky-Jump- (Pihia to Waitomo Caves)
We will depart Pihia this morning and travel south to Waitomo Caves. On our journey we will stop in Auckland and have the chance to take a exciting optional Sky-Jump from the Sky Tower in the heart of downtown Auckland. At 192m (630ft) Sky-Jump is a cable controlled base jump. The view is awesome, the experience unforgettable. After this awesome experience we will continue on our way to Waitomo Caves.

Day 6: Black Water Rafting- (Waitomo Caves to Rotorua)
Today we will have an exhilarating caving experience blending abseiling, climbing and floating through a unique underground river system. Abseil into the awesome limestone tomo to experience the adrenaline rush as you clamber and slide through squeezes, zip into the black water filled abyss and scramble up waterfalls in your pursuit of daylight. We will then depart Waitomo Caves and make our way to Rotorua.

Day 7: Zorb, Agrojet, Swoop and Kiwi Culture- (Rotoura)
Start today of with a Zorb ride where you are safely harnessed inside the Zorb before being sent head over heels downhill. Watch the world spin past the windows. Now that your warmed up it's time for a Agrojet ride which is a 13ft, 450 horsepower jet boat that will deliver you up to 100kph in four seconds! In the tight man-made watercourse, you will take corners not unlike Formula One race cars. Let's keep the action going with a Swoop. One, two or three people are placed in a hang-gliding harnesses, hoisted 40 metres in the air, pull the rip-cord and FLY! To finish off the day we will be experiencing a Maori concert performance which is an essential part of a Rotorua visit.

Day 8: Fantastic White Water Rafting- (Rotoura)
Today we will take on the mighty Kaituna which boasts the highest commercially rafted waterfall (7m) in the world. This spectacular region of the country offers wonderful scenery and some of the finest rafting conditions around! After a hard day on the river you can take the chance to relax with a optional mud spa.

Day 9: Optional Activities Day- (Rotoura to Lake Taupo)
We head further south to Lake Taupo this morning. Once arriving into Lake Taupo you will have the chance to relax or try one of the many exciting optional activities, such as Tandem Sky-diving, Bungy Jumping, Rock n' Rope Course and Trout Fishing.

Day 10: Returning Home or Continuing Onto Your Next Adventure
Our journey starts off with a early rise as it's time to say goodbye to the North Island. We will depart Lake Taupo and return to Auckland this morning.

An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

Q: Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
A: No, New Zealand’s tap water is very clean and safe to drink.

Q: Do we need to get visas for this program?
A: New Zealand does not require visas for US citizens. Students who are not traveling on a US passport should check with our office regarding visa requirements.

Q: What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
A: While staying on our North Island Adventure program the accommodation is in cabin style rooms with en-suite. Rooms are divided by gender.

Q: What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
A: Please consult your family doctor.

Q: What costs are not included on this trip?
A: Students will require some allowance money for optional expenses such as souvenirs, personal phone calls, internet, laundry and optional activities.

Q: Will there be a flight leader to this country?
A: Students traveling to New Zealand leave LAX on our escorted group flight to Fiji and then connect from Fiji to New Zealand. Please note that some of our flights between South Pacific countries may not be escorted flights.

Q: How does this program connect to other programs?
A: New Zealand is located very close to our other South Pacific destinations, making it easy to design a customized South Pacific summer.

Q: How long is the flight to this country?
A: The flight departs Los Angeles in the evening and takes about 16 hours to final reach Queenstown, New Zealand. During your flight take the time to get to know other students on your flight, get some sleep in preparation for your arrival into New Zealand.
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Q: What kind of food will we be eating?
A: Staff take advantage of the great local fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood available throughout New Zealand. We can cater for most diets, including vegetarian, low-fat and diabetic. Please advise our office of any special dietary needs at the time of application.