New Zealand Expedition

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North Island

8 days. Our adventure begins in Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. Start thinking about your On Assignment projects as you discover the city and its surrounding forests and beaches. Dip your feet in the chilly Tasman Sea, and take a day trip to Rangitoto Island, one of the region's youngest volcanoes.

Next, we'll spend five action-packed days around Lake Rotorua, a dynamic geothermal area considered sacred by the Maori. The local Maori have adapted their lifestyles to the steaming, unpredictable Earth. Visit the caves at Waitomo, massive underground grottoes lit up by glowworms, and at nearby Huka Falls, learn how New Zealand is harnessing hydroelectric power. Exploring with your On Assignment team, encounter boiling mud pots and geysers that shoot some 90 feet into the air. Soak in thermal pools and mud baths, visit one of the few geothermal caves in the world, and venture into a village buried by lava. Try “Zorbing,” the latest New Zealand adventure sport that will have you rolling down a gentle slope in a large transparent sphere. At a center for New Zealand's kiwi recovery program, learn how conservationists are working to protect this endangered species, and then head into the forest to help biologists in their efforts to bring the wild kiwi population back to healthy levels. During a day in a Maori village, learn about this unique culture. Try your hand at Maori weaving and participate in a hangi, a traditional feast.

Drive down the coast to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. Visit Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum, and stroll the streets of this hip artistic city.

South Island

12 days. Take a ferry from Wellington to the mountainous South Island, where we'll make our way down the western coast, setting out on an exciting range of adventures. In Punakaiki, examine the fascinating Pancake Rocks and dramatic blowholes with geologists. Then travel south, visiting old mining villages and the spectacular Hokitika gorge. Strap on crampons and set out on a once-in-a-lifetime tramp onto the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, which rise out of lush rain forest and shift up to nine feet per day. Glaciologists join us here to explain what their research reveals about the future of these glaciers. Then pay a visit to Lake Matheson and take in what many consider to be one of New Zealand's most stunning landscapes.

Spend a day on a New Zealand sheep farm, getting to know Kiwi farmers and their families and learning how to shear sheep. Continue south to Fiordland National Park, a World Heritage site. Kayak across Lake Te Anau, and visit the South Island's most magnificent glowworm caves. Meander slowly down from the Homer Saddle to Milford Sound, a breathtaking waterway cradled by soaring cliffs and steep valleys. On a nature cruise in Milford Sound, spot New Zealand fur seals, crested Fiordland penguins, and dolphins. Wrap up your On Assignment projects before heading back to Queenstown, where we'll present them to the group on our final night.