2012 Itinerary
North Island Environmental Service
Day 01 (Tuesday); Depart the USA
All of Rustic Pathways' scheduled group flights to New Zealand depart from Los Angeles International Airport. A Rustic Pathways' flight leader escorts the flight each week. The flight will depart LAX at night and take about ten hours. During your flight, take the time to get to know other students, get some sleep in preparation for your arrival in the South Pacific, relax with a movie or two, and start to settle into the easy going Kiwi way of life. You will land in New Zealand in the afternoon.
Day 02 (Wednesday): 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 03 (Thursday): Welcome to New Zealand and Optional Skytower Jump!
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. This afternoon we will head straight to downtown Auckland to explore the city and have an optional SkyJump or SkyWalk! The Skytower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere! 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 and the experience is unforgettable.
Day 04 (Friday): Head North and Help the Birds
Today we head north and experience the amazing scenery Northland has to offer. We will travel through lush vegetation and windy coastal roads until we reach Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Center. New Zealand is home to a whole host of native birds some of which are national icons. Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Center is dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of injured and ill native birds so that they can be returned to the wild. We will visit the bird recovery center and spend the afternoon helping the owners who founded the sanctuary.
Day 05 (Saturday): Coastal living!
We will spend the next few days living the coastal life in our cozy beach side cottage and helping out the Park Ranger with work around Mimiwhangata Coastal Farm Park including re-planting habitats that support the native wildlife. It's time to explore the area and let the service begin!
Day 06 (Sunday): Conservation Service at the Mimiwhangata Coastal Park
Mimiwhangata is one of the most beautiful stretches of New Zealand's spectacular coastline. The land was once covered by coastal forest and was home to many unique plants, insects and birds including the endangered Brown Teal. Over the years the coastal forest was cleared for farming, removing the habitats of rare creatures like the Brown Teal. The restoration process is slow and expensive, but progress is being made to restore Mimiwhangata onshore and you are going to be part of this process. You will be helping The Department of Conservation to trap predators, cordon off special habitats and replant coastal trees on the land.
Day 07 (Monday): Hike, Work and Play!
We will spend our day helping, planting and hiking. There are a number of short hikes surrounding the area that provide a little of everything that Mimiwhangata has to offer, shady beaches, rocky shores, archaeological sites, farmland, native vegetation and a chance to glimpse some native bird life including the rare brown teal.
Day 08 (Tuesday): Exciting Projects, Planting and Exploration
Today will be another full day of service! Project work during the course of your program will involve participation in a variety of initiatives. You can expect to spend a lot of time on the farm building fences and planting. You might also find yourself working in the community gardens and on the trails that lead to the ocean. You can expect your days to be long and full of different types of service. As the program progresses, you will notice yourself becoming more engaged in the work and more removed from the daily nonsense of modern life. The local people will truly appreciate your compassion and willingness to help a community that is a world away from your own, and they will welcome you as a neighbor and a friend.
Day 09 (Wednesday): Explore the Bay of Islands
Today we will say good-bye to our gracious hosts and the magnificent coastline of Mimiwhangata and head out to explore the famous Bay of Islands region. We will spend the day aboard a boat in search of dolphins and whales, as well as experiencing the quaint coastal towns and markets and perhaps take a (optional) ferry over to the old town of Russell. After a day of exploring the group will head back to Auckland.
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 great experience on your North Island trip! Hopefully you are going to see more 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.
Explore the coast and preserve the environment - 
Mimiwhangata is one of the most beautiful stretches of New Zealand's Northland coastline. The reserved area can be divided into two distinct zones. The first, situated above sea level, contains the Mimiwhangata Coastal Farm Park, which stretches for miles. The land was once covered by coastal forest and was home to many unique plants, insects and birds including the endangered Brown Teal. Beyond the shoreline, Mimiwhangata Marine Park extends 1000 meters off shore. The sea once teemed with life, including tuatua, kina, scallops, crayfish, mussels and numerous species of fish. Over the years the coastal forest was cleared for farming, removing the habitats of rare creatures like the Brown Teal. In the past few years hundreds of people and organisations including The Department of Conservation and volunteers from all over the world have worked to trap predators, cordon off special habitats and replant coastal trees on the land. The work is slow and expensive, but progress is being made to restore Mimiwhangata's pristine shoreline and you are going to help the restoration process. We will spend the week living beside some of New Zealand's amazing beaches and assisting in the reforestation, planting, pest control and running of the Mimiwhangata Coastal Farm Park.
Come Visit the Land of the Long White Cloud!