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

*New Zealand Update: March 24, 2009
Please note that due to changes in flight schedules from Los Angeles, the scheduled dates of all of our South Pacific programs have been changed. All programs will now depart the USA on Tuesday and return on Thursday. The updated departure dates are listed below and any dates in our printed catalog are now incorrect.

Comienza con una excelente descarga de Adrenalina!
Emprende tu aventura Kiwi con un salto opcional del edificio más alto del hemisferio sur – el “Sky Tower” en Auckland; el cual establecerá el tono para la semana que viene cargada de acción y aventura!. Seguiremos con un viaje en barco por uno de los dos puertos de la hermosa ciudad de Auckland. Disfruta el atardecer fotografiando y disfrutando la vista y sonidos de esta hermosa ciudad.

La Aventura Continua
Esta aventura continua en las cuevas de “Waitomo”, un sistema de más de 300 cavernas en donde se pueden observar formaciones inmensas de piedra caliza y los famosos “glowworms”. ¡Te sorprenderás cuando veas como iluminan las cuevas!. Luego te subirás en una balsa para comenzar tu viaje de rafting dentro de las cuevas, algo que seguramente nunca has vivido en tu vida.

No hay tiempo para parar!
“Rotorua” es el centro de cultura maorí de Nueva Zelandia, esta será nuestra base para los tres próximos días en nuestra aventura. Comenzaremos deslizándonos y rodando 600 pies dentro del Zorb. Luego tomaremos un emocionante paseo en el Agro-jet, un jet boat de 13pies con 450 caballos de fuerza que acelera de cero a sesenta kilómetros por hora en cuatro segundos!. La acción seguirá con bungee jumping, péndulo desde un puente y hand-gliding. ¡Te elevaras 120 pies en el aire y tiraras de la cuerda para comienza a VOLAR!. Por la tarde relájate en el centro conociendo la maravillosa cultura Maoris. Disfruta de un banquete cocinado a lo tradicional junto con los habitantes de un pueblo Maori. Disfruta las tradiciones, bailes, canciones e historias de esta exótica cultura. Antes de irnos de Rotorua, saltaremos a bordo de una balsa y haremos rafting el Rio “Kaituna”, conocido por tener la catarata más alta del mundo (21 pies). De hecho, existen tres cascadas entre los 14 rápidos: dos cascadas más pequeñas para practicar antes de atacar la gran cascada de 21 pies conocido como la Catarata de Tutea. ¡Agarrense!

Mas Aventura?
Tu próxima parada será el lago “Taupo”, una de las áreas más pintorescas de Nueva Zelandia. Aquí tendrás la opción de realizar varias actividades opcionales de aventura: paracaidismo, bungee jumping, pesca de trucha y mountain biking. ¡Todo el esto al borde del lago más grande Nueva Zelandia, donde crearemos un circuito imponente para un día de nunca acabar!.

Te aseguramos que el programa de North Island Adventure es probablemente uno de los viajes más variados y llenos de aventura que Rustic Pathways ofrece. ¡Disfruta de este viaje único en el hemisferio Sur!.

¿Preguntas? Contáctanos a: nz@rusticpathways.com para más información.

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 Auckland, 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)
Kia Ora! Arrive into Auckland where you will be met by our on-ground Kiwi staff. They will help you settle into your new Kiwi lifestyle. Today we will get straight to the point with some familiar meat pies. Don’t worry, if you don’t like meat there are plenty of these scrumptious pies to choose from. This afternoon we will take a tour of Victoria’s Market to check out what the locals are making this week. Today is filled with shopping, rugby and exploring downtown Auckland.

Day 4: Sailing and Swimming with Dolphins- (Pihia)
Today we're off on a fun filled day of sailing on the Auckland harbor looking for wild dolphins, whales and massive flocks of hungry birds. This afternoon we can soak up the sun on the harbor or complete any last minute shopping must haves. Tonight we can move back to our comfy hostel for a home made meal and a movie next to the fire place.

Day 5: Optional Sky-Jump- (Pihia to Waitomo Caves)
We will depart Pihia this morning and travel south to Waitomo Caves. Before our journey we will stop in Auckland and have the chance to take an 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 sky walk is a wobbly walk around the circumference of the viewing deck. Friends on the inside can take pictures! The view is awesome, the experience is unforgettable. After this awesome experience we will continue on our way to Waitomo Caves. At Waitomo there is rural excitement to be had. A beautiful rugby field, swimming pool, and trampoline in the middle of sheep fields are waiting! We can also have a go at a local glow worm hike.

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. After our stay in beautiful Waikato Country we then depart Waitomo Caves and make our way to Rotorua.

Day 7: Zorb, Agrojet, Swoop and Kiwi Culture- (Rotorua)
Start today of with a Zorb ride where you are safely harnessed inside the Zorb before being sent head over heels downhill. Laugh and giggle your whole way down the track with new friends. 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 hang-gliding harnesses, hoisted 40 metres in the air, pull the rip-cord and FLY! We’ll BBQ outside with our new kiwi friends for lunch. 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- (Rotorua to Lake Taupo)
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! Not tired yet, raft the river again! Go ahead, that’s what we’re here for! Today we’ll BBQ outside again, with Kylee, Steve and their two kiwi kids. After a hard day on the river you can take the chance to relax and watch a rugby match in Taupo!

Day 9: Optional Activities Day- (Taupo to Auckland)
We will wake up on Lake Taupo this morning. As the biggest lake in NZ it is a beautiful sight. This morning we will be checking in with the drop zone to see if sky diving is a go! Today have an optional sky dive or bungee jump for an unforgettable way to end the trip. On the way back to Auckland we will stop by Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland to relish some of the New Zealand’s most thermal hot spots.

Day 10: Returning Home or Continuing onto Your Next Adventure
Our journey ends with sadly packing our stuff and driving to the airport. We hope you had a blast on the North Island! Hopefully are going to see the rest of New Zealand with us and fly down south!

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.

New Zealand Packing List Summer 2009
All of the items below are guidelines. If you are doing a combination of trips over two or three weeks, be sure to check the packing lists for all sections of your trip to pack appropriately. If you are traveling to more than one country aside from New Zealand, we suggest you try to pack your New Zealand clothing and equipment in one bag and your other clothing in a separate bag. Each bag will be able to be stored as you travel on your respective trips and this will make it easier for you to access the clothes you need in each country. Whilst you will experience both cooler, as well as temperate weather in New Zealand, we encourage you to try and pack as lightly as possible. Space in the vehicles is limited. You will have the opportunity for one or two small loads of laundry during your trip in New Zealand. The list below is a good guide for a 10 day New Zealand program. If you are staying in New Zealand for two or three weeks, you will need to expand on this list accordingly. Please check additional packing items under each trip’s information.

If you have any questions about the New Zealand packing lists please feel free to email us at nz@rusticpathways.com.

Carry on Luggage in a small day pack/purse or back pack:
Valid passport
Itinerary to and from LAX
Airline Ticket
Wallet
Spare T-Shirt
Sunglasses/Hat
Toothpaste/ Toothbrush
Camera
Journals and Pens

Checked Luggage:
3x Jeans/pants/khakis
1x spandex/long johns
Underwear
Warm Socks
2x T-Shirts
3x Long sleeved shirts
Heavy Hooded Sweatshirt/ Warm fleece jacket
1x Rain Coat or Shell to be worn over fleece or sweatshirt
1x Warm fleece/wool Hat
1x Active Shorts
1x Swim Suit
1x Sneakers/ walking shoes
Small Personal First Aid Kit (with Benadryl if you have allergies)
Sun Hat/ Sunglasses
Flashlight/Headlamp with spare batteries
Sleeping Bag (w/liner is optional)

Personal Items:
Toiletries Bag (shampoos, face wash, lotions, cosmetics, contact lens supplies)
1x quick dry Towel (can be found at most outdoor retail stores)
Sun screen and lip protection, SPF 30+
Medications

Optional Items:
Camera
Notebook & Pen
Deck of Cards
Car games
Frisbee or Hacky sack
CD Walkman or iPod.
Reading Material
Musical Instrument (Guitars and Harmonicas)

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.
Sky Walk: $95
Sky Jump: $160
Bridge Climb: $85
Sky Diving: $150-350 depending on height and optional photo pack
Bungee Jumping: $99-240 depending on jump and DVD option
Fishing: $100
Agrojet: $45
Bring money for optional activities, souvineers in the Auckland markets and snacks (optional activity money + $100-$500)

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.