Day 1 Arrive Christchurch and visit the Antarctic Centre. Relax with your own free time in NZ’s Garden City. I would suggest a trip up the Gondola to view the Volcanoe that is now Banks Peninsula. They have an excellent educational display facility for geography school groups with work sheets provided by us. ( This would be an extra expense.) (Dinner & Hostel accommodation in Christchurch)

Day 2 Tranz-Alpine Train Journey---To our Wild West Coast. Majestic Southern Alps, Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, tour into the Paparoa Limestone National Park. Geography & Geology of Kaarst landforms including planning issues associated with past and future proposed uses. Overnight in a large cave. Lunch supplied on arrival in Greymouth at 1:25pm.

Day 3 Coastal beach Jade search. Guided rain forest walk & beach cave tour . Dragons Blackwater Cave Rafting Adventure Trip with emphasis on Geographical features found in partly caclified Island Block Sandstones. Underground fossils and drill core samples will be examined during the tour to gain an understanding of how this type of land form was created. (Optional Jetboat trip available during today following the ancient Maori canoe greenstone trails-- own extra cost.) Accommodation Greymouth or Thermal Safari Camp

Day 4 Tour to the goldfields to collect some of the natural treasures found in this region of NZ. Includes a visit to an underground goldmine where students can follow, via tunnels, the ancient stream beds (much as the early gold miners did) that have long since been covered over by Glacial deposits. An understanding of mineralisation is gained here along with some mapping experience. And of course a chance to experience the Adventure of finding your own gold which you can take home with you! Accommodation Greymouth or Thermal Safari Camp. An alternative day here is a rainforest study day learning about rainforest ecology, foods & survival. It is also possible to do a whitewater rafting trip via a faultline rafting from one tectonic plate to another-extra cost of $95pp

Day 5 Travel to Fox Glacier with visits to The Bushmans Centre and the stunning mirror lakes. Guided walk on the Glacier learning about how this part of the world was once part of China! And is known as Gwondonaland. Experience the massive forces of nature as you walk on a moving river of ice. Hear the creak & groan of these ice waves carving a valley out of solid rock.

Day 6 Travel on through the spectacular West Coast scenery. This is a land of contrasts with majestic mountains on one side of the road and a rugged untamed coast on the other. Today a local bushman will endeavour to show you the intriguing penguins and seals that are resident to this coast line. We will visit thundering waterfalls of the Haast Pass area and finish the day in Queenstown. Dinner tonight is a Maori hangi with a traditional Maori welcome.

Day 7 Ski field transfers supplied by us. All other activity costs are additional to those quoted.

Day 8 Ski field transfers supplied by us. All other activity costs are additional to those quoted.

Day 9 Fiordland National Park. Today we take a lunch cruise on Milford Sound amongst some of the world’s most awe inspiring scenery. Bring a raincoat because you will actually float under a waterfall! We will visit the underwater viewing facility where we can see rare species of corals and marine life adapted to the unusual phenonomon of layers of salt and sea water found only in the worlds fjords.

Day 10 We take a look this morning at the Visitors Centre in Te Anau where we will see how the extremely deep lakes of this region were formed before continuing on to Dunedin, hailed as the Edinburgh of the South.

Day 11 Visit to Dunedin’s Otago Peninsula to view the seals and Yellow Crested Penguin Conservation Programme found here. This is a fascinating day viewing and learning about the techniques used to help increase the populations of some of the world’s endangered species. Part of your tour cost today goes towards helping to fund this important programme.

Day 12 Travel by Coach up the Pacific Coast through the sheep and cropping country of the Canterbury Plains visiting the Moeraki Boulders on the way. These massive rock spheres found on the beach are a unique geological event well worth viewing amongst the surf and seaweed of the Pacific Ocean. We finish the day at Mount Cook , NZ’s highest peak. It is not as high as it was, as some of it fell off two years ago! You will be amazed at the vast amount of alluvial material that is in the making here and the way in which it flows from the mountains to form the Canterbury Plains. Further evidence of mankind’s use of the landscape and its effects are dramatically evident today.

Day 13 Today we return to Christchurch to catch your flight home.

Cancellations: Tours paid for and cancelled within 30 days of or during travel will not be refunded under any circumstances. We recommend you have travel insurance & can arrange this for you.

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