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ITINERARY
Nelson, the city where we begin our WOLF
adventure, is ideally located on the South Island in the center of three
national parks. This city is not more than 90 minutes away from the
coastal Abel Tasman National Park, Nelson Lakes National Park in the
alpine region, or the pristine wildlands of Kahurangi National Park.
Each park offers extensive back country trekking enabling one to
experience diverse ecosystems not found in the U.S. |
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Aside from the
national parks, Nelson's close proximity to both the coast and the class
4 Buller River allows for excellent white water rafting and sea
kayaking.
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| Marlborough
Sound (day 3) |
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From Nelson we
journey north east to Marlborough Sound. This region is comprised of a
maze of waterways that cover over a 1,000 km of coastline. Since much of
the land is only accessible by boat, Marlborough Sound lends itself to
pristine coral reeves and untouched coves. Marlborough Sound's major
town Picton, known as the Gateway to the South Island, is the hub for
much activity in this region. From there sea kayaking, whale and dolphin
watching and scuba diving are available. The trailhead to Queen
Charlotte Track is also accessible from Picton. This backcountry track
takes you through grottos, wildlife sanctuaries, and hidden caves. |
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Marlborough
Sound to Lake Taupo (day 5)
From the watery mazes of the South Island
we ferry across Cook Strait to the North Island and then drive a full
day north to Lake Taupo. This drive takes us through glacial national
parks and near volcano craters. |
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Lake
Taupo
Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake,
was formed by one of the greatest volcanic explosions in world history.
This geo-thermal "hot" spot has made Lake Taupo one of the
primary places to indulge in sulfur hot springs and pools. Besides its
relaxing baths, the activities surrounding Lake Taupo are plentiful,
such as rafting down a 7meter water fall, bungee jumping, kayaking, and tandem
sky diving. |
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Rotorua
(day 9)
Leaving Lake Taupo we journey to Rotorua.
We use this city as a base camp for our back country trek into the
Whirinaki Forest Park. This park has pristine rivers, long water falls
and forests native only to New Zealand. Before returning to our base
camp, we travel to the Bay of Plenty. |
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Here is our
opportunity to find a pod of dolphins and swim with them. Once back in
Rotorua we may have the time to visit Maori villages to catch a glimpse
of their unique traditional life, including arts, crafts, and music. Do
you want to say anything about the geysers? |
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Waitomo
Caves (day 12)
From Rotorua we enter one of the largest
limestone cave systems in the world, Waitomo Cave. This cave also known
as Glow Worm Cave, is unique for its phosphorescence provided by the
glow worms in the cave's walls. To experience this underground galaxy of
light one can either go spelunking or take an underground rafting tour
leading you through the many stalagmites and stalactites. |
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Auckland
(day 14)
Auckland is the city where we bring our
trip to a close. We will spend just enough time there before flying home
to get a feel for the largest city in New Zealand. It differs greatly
from the other cities we will be visiting as one quarter of all New
Zealanders live there. One can relish the variety of water sports
offered there or partake in the cultural aspects
of the city, such as museums, galleries and aquariums. |
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