Day 1  Arrive Auckland City  
Upon arrival around noon, our local representative will meet you and show you some of the greatest sights of NZ’s largest city. We drive to the top of a distinctive historic volcano to take in some inspiring city views, then we explore the impressive city harbour, its giant bridge and the vibrant exciting waterfront facilities. You gain an introduction to the lifestyle, geography and culture of New Zealand. In New Zealand's largest population centre (over 1million) we fill our days with new experiences, learning and fun as we immerse into new cultures.  Highlights:   Auckland City Tour   ●   Mount Eden      ●    Harbour Bridge

Day 2  Auckland City 
We visit a school and interact with the local students taking in the differences of their interests, attitudes, learning levels etc. To meet our study objectives we continue to exploring the city by visiting the outstanding museum, university, and places of significant historic interest. The CBD, malls and markets bring us into close contact with the people who occupy this multi culture city and are involved with the energy, architecture, culture we are immersing ourselves into. School visit  ●   Market Visit    ●  Museum Visit    ●  Mall and CBD Visit

Day 3   Auckland  -  Rotorua   
New Zealand's largest motorway sweeps us out of  Auckland and into the rich fertile farmlands a giant gold mine and the thriving harbour city of Tauranga with its vast beaches and iconic "Mount".  Luxuriant farms produce dairy, fruit and vegetable products. We visit a kiwifruit farm to vied the processes of this popular industry.  We end the day in the relaxing geothermal waters of Rotorua.  Highlights: ●  Giant gold mine   ●   Kiwifruit farm Visit   ●  Hot bathing pools

Day  4  At Rotorua  
This city sits on the shores of a the largest of several nearby caldera lakes.   Under us flows a river of super hot water generated from hot magma deep below.  We explore the uses and spectacular releases of this pressured heat along with their amazing sights (and smells) of this incredible geothermal city. At the volcano museum an educational officer teaches us more about the geography and history of this intriguing geographical wonderland. Next we are guided through an attractive nature park seeing animals of New Zealand's forests, then we experience an enlightening farm show followed by a ride on an exciting aerial cable car and a self-drive racing luge amid the great views high above the city.  Highlights:  ●  Rotorua tour     ●   Volcano Museum      ● Volcano information centres     ●  Farm show   ●  Nature park    ●  Aerial cable car  ●  Luge rides    ●  Buried Village    ●  Shopping  ●  

Day  5  At Rotorua  
Today's experiences begin with a visit to a village devastated during New Zealand's last massive eruption only a centaury ago. Next we are guided through one of the world's most active geothermal areas with boiling mud, geysers steaming fumaroles and silica development. Then we take part in a traditional Maori welcome followed by a high class concert involving song, dances, the renown haka and poi dances. We also explore the steaming caldrons of Kuirou Park. Highlights:  ●   Geothermal park ●  Maori culture show

Days 6   Rotorua  -  Taupo  -  Mt Ruapehu 
We travel south past the fertile farms and timber forests and travel along New Zealand's largest lake - the crater of one of the world's largest active volcanoes.   Our available time is used exploring the most interesting of the volcanic and water based features.    Highlights:  ●  Volcano Highway  ●  Volcano tablelands  ●  Pine forests  ●  Huka Falls  ●  Taupo    ●   Taupo megs caldera     ●   Geothermal power station   ●   Giant river rapids    

Days 7   At Mt Ruapehu 
Experience a feast of active volcanoes that have erupted within the last decade.  Our time here includes a drive up the volcano and walks in the area exploring the volcano and the native flora and fauna.  This is sacred land.   Highlights:  ●  Tongariro NP    ●  Volcano Walk    ●  Information centre

Day 8   At Mt Ruapehu  -  Auckland  -  Home         
An early start takes away from the volcanoes through the rich farmlands, where we visit the famous caves, karst-lands, numerous farm service communities and follow the lower course of  New Zealand's biggest river.   Tonight sit back and relax as our homeward journey begins.  Highlights:  ●  Waitomo glow worm caves    ●   Hamilton City  Thermal power station  ●   Waikato River   ●  Historic battle sites  

**********************************

Notes

Active Volcano Zone   &  Main Population Zone   are distinctly different  and yield their own special learning opportunities with this itinerary.

Geography:  Most of the North Island is made up of soft material from the ocean floor seabed uplifted by tectonic processes. The land is similar to that of Asia.  This soft material is being gouged by rivers to form rolling landscapes and flood plains used for highly productive farming that sustains New Zealand's highest population.  Beneath this land massive tectonic movements are causing a large variety of exciting volcanic activity.

Volcanoes: **** We can experience, shields, cones, domes and calderas.   We witness the full range of deposits including ignimbrites, and ryolite,  You can even find a lava tube. We visit the site of deadly eruption that destroyed a whole settlement only 120 years ago. Recent lahars and their paths are visible and we can explore their destructive abilities, management, and warning systems.

Geothermal**** We experience New Zealand's widest available range of hot pools, geothermal springs, geysers, boiling mud and geothermal power stations. Groups can extend the number of examples by adding more exciting and varied geothermal areas to visit  

Maori Culture: ***   With this tour you experience the country's most visited professional musical performances along with very enlightening demonstrations of art, tools, clothing, accommodation and lifestyles of the early and modern Maori.

Tourism  Because of the long and intense period of international interest at concentrated locations you find a mature, dynamic tourism industry with many extending attractions.

Limestone caves   The guided tour gives us easy and quick access to excellent formations, and glow worms by world standards. Top grade black water rafting opportunities are offered as an option during this tour.

Tectonics:  Because continental collision occurs under the land there are no major active fault lines to observe.  However, interested groups will see excellent information centres explaining this phenomena and its relationship to the active volcanoes and earthquakes.

Fruit Farming Because of the deep rich soil and volcanic loam and high population visitors pass some of New Zealand's most productive and expensive growing land.   Kiwi Fruit Farming is the special attraction here for visitors. 

Animal Farming*  Special to this tour is a live show and rollicking commentaries you see sheep dogs working the farm animals that help you understand the workings of the farms you see all over New Zealand. 

Forestry*  Some of the country's largest plantations help us learn about  planting, culturing, harvesting, processing and management, of these exotic trees timber trees. Studies include; soils, pests, irrigation and fire control.

Confidence building*   A fun park with rollercoaster, terror tower, flume and more offer a great half day of development. You can also find jet boats, bungy jumping, high ropes, racing cars, adventure swings, wall climbs and more.

Modern Western Culture * There are many opportunities to meet the local people and learn about their  On this tour you witness the greatest variety of different cultures with different religions, attitudes, languages, values and interests all impacting and changing the original British culture into a new unique dynamic culture of its own. (Asian, Polynesian, Maori European and British)

Settlements These are all full and growing in the North Island. They all obtain the bulk of their income from farming industries.    However, their history shows differences. We find other supporting industries including: gold, coal, education and tourism.

Transport   We learn more of the effects of a denser population. The pressures from growing more mobile populations and future developments.

Hydro Electric Power there are a number of these located on the large Waikato River that we frequently encounter.  We can learn about the physics, engineering, electricity generation, electricity distribution systems, environmental considerations, recreation and irrigation advantages etc

Recreation: Study and participation both indoor and out are available.

Coasts  Large harbours, estuaries and beaches are prevalent with areas of mangrove and some rocky headlands. 

Nature park  We  view and learn about the various creatures of the forest shows you how they have evolved into the unique creatures they are today.  There are varieties of plants, trees, kiwi, tuatara, and other special native and interesting exotic animals on display.

Rivers On this tour rivers are have eroded and spread the soft soils revealing extensive flood plains, terraces, and slow moving lower course flows.  Remnants of their use for transport can still be seen on the banks of New Zealand's longest, the Waikato. 

Conservation  Because of intense farming, by a concentrated population the need for environmental care in the places we visit is important.  Of particular concern are:  river pollution, pests, predators, infestations and erosion.

Fauna and Flora We explore the way plants depend on each other and see also competition, needs, regeneration sequences, specialised survival adaptations, carbon cycle and global warming phenomena. We take a look at management systems, National Park's Act replanting programmes and natural regeneration processes after volcano eruptions and landslides.

Weather  Different microclimates exist between the low coastal lands and the high volcano plateau lands.  Generally weather is ideal for good temperate farming production. 

Map reading: With clear features and steep contours this is a good location for map reading study groups.