World Wildlife Fund

New Zealand Explorer

$7,995 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $1,195

Trip Overview

Among travelers who covet spectacular natural settings, New Zealand is legendary. This expedition focuses on the South Island, whose rugged coastline embraces a land of topographic extremes, from seaside rain forests and volcano craters to active glaciers and icy fjords. Watch whales, dolphins and seals frolic off the coast of Kaikoura and cruise the fjords of Milford Sound, where waterfalls pour from glaciated peaks. 

Also spend two nights on wild Stewart Island and look for the famous brown kiwi. You’ll also experience the human side of New Zealand – meet sheep farmers, learn about Maori culture and find a bit of Scottish heritage in the South Pacific.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Christchurch, New Zealand
Arrive in Christchurch. An optional trip to Akaroa Crater on Banks Peninsula offers expansive views of the coast. (D)

Days 2 & 3: Kaikoura
Head to sea from the fishing village of Kaikoura, an outstanding place to view marine mammals. On a whale watching trip look for see sperm whales, orcas, New Zealand fur seals and rare Hector’s dolphins, which are found only in New Zealand. The following day, set out by boat in search of up to five species of albatross. Later, the group is invited into the home of a Kaikoura Maori family, offering insight into how these indigenous people have adapted to the contemporary world while preserving their traditions and values. (B,L,D daily)

Days 4 & 5: Arthur’s Pass
Travel inland to the Craigieburn Range. Here you’ll find endemic scree plants, giant weta insects and dramatic views of Castle Hill Basin. The destination is Arthur’s Pass Wilderness Lodge, a deluxe eco-lodge on a working sheep farm set amid mountain beech forest and tussock lands. Enjoy short day hikes and activities from the lodge, including a visit to Mountain Beech Forest, Braided River and Moa Forest. (B,L,D daily)

Days 6 & 7: Westland National Park / Fox Glacier
Westland National Park is part of a region so magnificent that it is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Area. Vast ice fields of the Southern Alps spawn glaciers that wind like frozen highways nearly to the ocean, their terminal moraines ending in primeval rain forest. In this unusual mix of habitats, look for the world’s only alpine parrot, the kea. Visit Fox Glacier in the shadow of New Zealand’s tallest peak, Mount Cook. (B,L,D daily)

Day 8: Lake Wanaka
Explore mountain lakes and dripping moss-clad beech forest before crossing Haast Pass and making your way into Central Otago. Lake Wanaka is vast and blue in the heart of the Southern Lakes high country and is the portal to Mount Aspiring National Park. In the Maori language Wanaka means “renewal of the soul,” exactly what your time at this tranquil lakeside retreat offers. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Sheep Country / Te Anau
Following the Crown Range Road, you’ll have fabulous vistas of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables Range. In the Mataura Valley visit a working high country sheep station. Observe the mustering and shearing and marvel at the renowned sheep dogs at work as your farm family hosts explain wool production. This afternoon, travel through to the Fiordland World Heritage Area to the charming lakeside town of Te Anau. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Fiordland National Park / Milford Sound
Fiordland National Park, New Zealand's largest national park, is a mythical-looking land of pyramid peaks and sheer rock walls, waterfalls and mists, beneath a perpetual cap of snow and ice. On a cruise in Milford Sound, look for fur seals, crested penguins and bottlenose dolphins. (B,L,D)

Days 11 & 12: Stewart Island
Travel to Invercargill and catch a short flight to idyllic Stewart Island, the least modified of the three main islands of New Zealand.  Much of Steward Island is part of the new Rakiura National Park, whose Maori name means “Land of Glowing Skies.” Because of the high rainfall and warm weather, the island is thickly forested throughout and boasts a variety of native plants.

Explore on short walks through this unique and lush vegetation, keeping an eye out for kakapo, wekas, silvereyes and fantails. Also search for the endemic, flightless brown kiwi on a guided night walk. Travel by boat to neighboring Ulva Island, a sanctuary for both birds and plants, where rare bird species that are no longer found on the main islands still thrive. Our guide will explain the history and ecology of this pristine environment as we explore its trails and beaches. (B,L,D)

Day 13: Catlins / Dunedin
Fly to Invercargill and the little visited Catlins region, where rain forest fringes the bluffs and turquoise ocean meets isolated beaches home to fur seals, sea lions and elephant seals. Continuing to Dunedin, take a cruise in Otago Harbor, timing it for the evening return of the giant northern royal albatross to its colony at Taiaroa Head. Enjoy a farewell dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 14: Dunedin / Home
You may have time to explore this delightful Victorian city before transferring to the airport for flights home. (B)