New Zealand Nature Explorer

Accommodations, meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on final day, bottled water, services of NHA Expedition Leader, local guides and lodge staff, most gratuities, airport transfers, permits and entrance fees, all taxes.

Travel to and from start and end point of trip, alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, passport and visa fees, optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry, etc.), airline baggage fees, airport and departure taxes, optional travel insurance.

Moderate 
This trip involves several walks of approximately 1-2 miles each but can include longer hikes for those who desire. Many days involve long drives on winding roads over mountain passes at altitudes as high as 6,000 feet. We spend significant time on boats out on the open sea, where conditions may be rough. Guests prone to motion sickness may wish to take precautions. A nighttime kiwi-spotting walk will involve a boat ride followed by an approximately 1-mile night hike over slippery, uneven terrain with some steep inclines. Guests are advised to bring head lamps, with sufficient batteries, to illuminate the trail before them. Depending on how much time it takes to locate these elusive birds, it is possible that we will be walking in the dark for several hours.

The South Island of New Zealand is vast and varied, and we attempt to take in as much of this beautiful land as possible without rushing, from mountain passes to ocean fjords (some long drives are involved). Our Expedition Leader knows the land and its flora and fauna intimately as well as its less-visited sites.

October 2017 - March 2018 Itinerary: Please note that this trip begins and ends in two different cities. Arrive in Christchurch in time for a 7 pm orientation at the Hotel George. For those travelers who wish to participate in the optional Christchurch Botanic Gardens and Canterbury Museum tour, plan to arrive in Christchurch no later than 1:00 pm on Day 1.  You may depart Dunedin any time on the final day. We can serve you best if Natural Habitat Adventures’ Travel Desk makes these reservations for you, as they are intimately familiar with the special requirements of this program and can arrange the most efficient and cost effective travel for you.

October 2018 - March 2019 Itinerary: Please note that this trip begins and ends in two different cities. Arrive in Dunedin in time for a 7 pm orientation at Larnach's Castle. For those travelers who wish to participate in the optional tour, with your Expedition Leader, of Larnach's Castle and a stop at Penguin Place, plan to arrive in Dunedin no later than 2:00 pm on Day 1. You may depart Christchurch any time on the final day. We can serve you best if Natural Habitat Adventures’ Travel Desk makes these reservations for you, as they are intimately familiar with the special requirements of this program and can arrange the most efficient and cost effective travel for you.