Day 1 Depart the US

Day 2 En route

• Lose a day as you cross the International Date Line en route to Christchurch, New Zealand.

Day 3 Christchurch, New Zealand

• You will be greeted by a local New Zealand Kapa Haka School group with a traditional Maori welcome before heading off on your afternoon orientation of Christchurch City.
• This evening an opportunity to meet and hear an inspiring Kiwi (New Zealander) climber such as with Mark Ingles, or one of his representatives who assisted him in his successful climb on Everest.

Overnight: Christchurch

Day 4 Greymouth, New Zealand

• This morning you travel by coach and head west toward Arthur’s Pass and the main divide experiencing firsthand the mountains, snow and the Southern Alps. Stop at Arthur’s Pass and visit the Department of Conservation Office in this small settlement before continuing your journey through to Greymouth located on the Wild West Coast.

Overnight: Greymouth

Day 5 Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

• Hike through the enchanting rainforest as you witness the diversities of ecologies of New Zealand’s South Island.
• Discover Franz Josef Glacier, one of the few glaciers to be found in a temperate rainforest.

Overnight: Franz Josef

Day 6 Queenstown, New Zealand

• Hike around Lake Matheson and learn to identify local birds.
• Get fitted for your climbing exploration of Fox Glacier as it flows from the Southern Alps down into the temperate rainforest only 820 feet above sea level.

Overnight: Queenstown

Day 7 Queenstown, New Zealand

• Participate in team exploration via an orienteering challenge through Queenstown.
• Meet with a local representative from the City Council to discuss the environmental initiatives Queenstown is taking to preserve its top resource, its pristine surrounds.
• This afternoon venture to Wairau Snow Farm. Learn how to survive Alpine conditions and put your knowledge to the test as you overnight in a snow cave!

Overnight: Snow Cave

Day 8 Queenstown, New Zealand

• Explore the stunning snow fields during your Cross Country skiing lessons this morning.
• Tackle the Big Rungway Challenge! The Rungway is the Southern Hemispheres first and only Via Ferratta – (wire cable way). Via Ferratas have been in existence in Europe for over a century where they were used to move troops quickly through the high mountain terrain during the world wars. Essentially it is a series of rungs, pegs, rails, ladders and cables permanently fixed into the cliff faces of Queenstown Hill, allowing anyone of moderate fitness to experience the excitement, exposure and scenic beauty normally only enjoyed by people with more advanced climbing skills.

Overnight: Queenstown

Day 9 Milford Sound, New Zealand

• Wake up with a burst of adrenalin with a thrilling high speed ride on the Shotover jet boat down the famous Shotover River
• Continue your journey through to the Fiordland National Park where you will meet with your crew on board the vessel. Serene and wild, Fiordland National Park is an overwhelming place. Luxuriant rainforest clings to sheer rock walls washed with waterfalls and in the foreground stands Mitre Peak dominating the skyline. You will be struck by the quality of its silence – a silence broken only by birdsong, or rushing of a distant waterfall.
• Participate in activities including the cruise to the open sea with your nature guide, kayak and explore the shorelines on a sea kayak, view waterfalls, rainforest, mountains, look for penguins, seals and dolphins and enjoy the sea rocking you to sleep.

Overnight: On board sea vessel in Milford Sound

Day 10 Te Kapo, New Zealand

• Say farewell to your crew as you depart and travel through pristine countryside to Aoraki and the Mt Cook National Park region.
• Upon arrival in Te Kapo, you will be met by your host, owner of a local sheep ranch, who will be taking you on as a ranch hand today!
• Put in time on the ranch helping and get down and dirty with daily life as a New Zealand sheep rancher.
• Dinner this evening is in the style of a Kiwi BBQ. This evening explore all the old techniques of New Zealand farming and lifestyles through songs, stories and dances.

Overnight: High-country Sheep Ranch

Day 11 Christchurch, New Zealand

• Journey to Mt Cook to visit the Sir Edmund Hilary Centre. Learn and hear stories of this incredible climber who was the first notable person to climb Mt Everest.
• Compare his trek with the Everest trek you learned about earlier in program, and think of your experiences with Alpine conditions and glacial hiking to give you a better idea of how phenomenal such a feat truly is.
• Tonight there will be a farewell dinner, debrief and celebration party.

Overnight: Christchurch

Day 12 Nadi, Fiji Islands

• Meet some of the friendliest New Zealanders yet as you are introduced to the Little Penguins homed at the Antarctic Center in Christchurch.
• Board your flight to Nadi, Fiji. Upon arrival in the beautiful Fiji Islands, meet your Fijian guide and be welcomed with warm and hearty Bulas.
• This evening, you will speak with a representative of the Ministry of Education who will educate you on the challenges facing youth and community in Fiji – as well as the differences with the American education system

Overnight: Nadi, Fiji Islands

Day 13 Nadi, Fiji Islands

• Be welcomed to Ratu Navula School where you will make some wonderful Fijian friends as you learn about the students themselves, their school and community.
• Alongside your new “classmates” be educated on the plight of the mangrove and Fiji’s coastal ecosystems. One of the key strategies to Fiji’s conservation efforts is its education of its youth, and having these preservation efforts continued for generations to come.
• This evening, a marine biologist will brief you on your coral mission the following day: topics will include the basic ecology of Fiji’s coral reefs, and their life cycles; as well as current threats to their survival.

Overnight: Nadi, Fiji Islands

Day 14 Nadi, Fiji Islands

• Cross some of Fiji’s stunning waters as you make your way to South Sea Island. South Sea Island’s coral has suffered due to the amount of visitors nearby. Participate in preservation efforts at the side of a marine biologist by replanting coral polyps into the live reef
• Snorkel and swim in Fiji’s warm waters and enjoy the myriad of color and life found here.
• Try your hand at tropical survival techniques, by traditional Fijian means. Build a beach shelter, try your hand at weaving, coconut harvesting/milking, and dig a traditional Lovo or earth oven to bake your lunch

Overnight: Nadi, Fiji Islands

Day 15 Nadi, Fiji Islands

• Receive a traditional Fijian welcome at Saunaka Village where you join the community for the day and partake in daily work, as well as bringing your own resources by representing your culture when you visit with the village preschool and read with them
• Have the opportunity to take home a part of Fiji with you as the village women lay out their handicrafts for you to purchase if you desire. This fair trade opportunity directly benefits the families and community as it creates funds going directly back into the village.
• This evening, meet members of a different community, who do not benefit from the family and community support you witnessed at Saunaka at a local orphanage. Your visit and interaction will make a fun evening for them, as well as provide them welcome help with their homework or reading.

Overnight: Nadi, Fiji Islands

Day 16 Nadi, Fiji Islands

• Be prepared to encounter the still very manual labor of Fiji’s Sugar Cane industry as you spend the day on a local sugar cane farm.
• Return to the hotel for an opportunity to clean up before boarding your flight this evening to return to the US.