- Meet your tour director and check into your hotel
- Auckland tour director-led sightseeing Maungawhau Mount Eden viewpoint, Auckland Sky Tower, Waitemata Auckland Harbour From the the top of the summit of Maungawhau Mount Eden enjoy spectacular views over the city and Waitemata Harbour. See stunning 360° views of the city at Auckland Sky Tower.
STEM: New Zealand
New Zealand’s landscapes have been formed along the Pacific and Australian tectonic plate interface on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and this water conservation tour takes you to some of the country’s most beautiful natural sites. Most of the native ecology is only found in New Zealand and the culture is a surprising integration of European and Polynesian. Enjoy a…
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https://worldstrides.com.au/itineraries/stem-new-zealand
STEM: New Zealand
New Zealand’s landscapes have been formed along the Pacific and Australian tectonic plate interface on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and this water conservation tour takes you to some of the country’s most beautiful natural sites. Most of the native ecology is only found in New Zealand and the culture is a surprising integration of European and Polynesian. Enjoy a…
Request Info Request Quote11 Days
Highlights
Waitakere excursionWetlands conservation service projectRotoiti Lake cruise and thermal bath visitMt. Ngongotaha Skyline gondola and luge rideKiwi bird hatchery visit
Learning Areas
Humanities and Social SciencesScienceSTEMSustainability
Your Adventure
- Theme: Introduction to marine, coastal, and rainforest ecosystems Ecosystem management is championed here as the key to environmental restoration. Instead of focusing on a single species, the entire system is considered. Today, a US Marine Science Master's student will guide you through the model of nature reserves and marine monitoring. You'll also participate in a practical science session in the laboratory, investigating biological indicators.
- Leigh excursion STEM study introduction: Focus on coastal marine ecosystems, Goat Island Discovery Centre visit, Field session and exploration on Rocky Shore and the role of reserves and recovery of biodiversity over time.
- Theme: A focus on New Zealand's geographic contexts Discover the geographic diversity from Auckland to Tauranga. In just 140 miles, you'll traverse five distinct geographical landscapes, including volcanic fields and subtropical rainforests.
- Travel to Tauranga via Karangahake and Waihi After departing Auckland, enter the food belt with the capacity to grow every vegetable imaginable due to the rich, fertile, and volcanic soils. Drop down into the lowlands formed by the flooding of the Waikato River and enter the home of dairy farming. Pass over the Waihou River and enter the Coromandel Ranges, a spine of mountains that follow the tectonic fault line through both North and South islands. Arrive at Karangahake Gorge on the Ohinemuri River with crystal clear water flowing out of a mountain range.
- Martha Hill Gold Mine guided visit Enter the Waihi Gold Discovery Centre, designed to help visitors understand gold mining, both past and present. Study the mining processes, the chemistry of extracting gold and silver, and the sequence of chemical reactions that release these metals from quartz rock. At Martha Hill, learn about modern gold mining methods that minimize environmental legacy. The mining operation runs entirely beneath the town, with virtually no visible evidence.
- STEM study: Rivers and Estuaries Inter-tidal marine ecology session, Plankton study, Wairoa River sediment deposit study.
- STEM study: Macro Environment, Following the Water Cycle, Forests and Rivers McLaren’s Falls Park visit and Wairoa River water experiment, Identify the habitat role of a rainforest, Complete a stream discharge measurement, Use biological indicators to determine water quality.
- Theme: Sustainable Systems
- Kiwifruit demonstration orchard visit Visit a working kiwifruit orchard and learn why the Coastal Bay of Plenty's ideal climate and soil conditions are the perfect place to grow kiwifruit.
- Rotoiti Lake cruise and geothermal bath visit Take the time out and cruise Lake Rotoiti, a lake in the Bay of Plenty region. Rotoiti means small lake, but its a relatively large lake, known for the stunning Manupirua Hot Springs on its shores (which are only accessible by boat). Enjoy lunch on the cruise.
- Mt. Ngongotaha Skyline gondola and luge ride
- Theme: The Source of Life, Maori Culture and Waiora!
- Te Puia visit and Kaitiakitanga introduction
- Kiwi hatchery guided visit Watch genuine conservation in action as you learn all about New Zealand’s national icon, the kiwi. Discover their native environment and what makes them truly iconic. Observe the hatchery’s incubators and be guided through the entire process, from bringing the egg into the facility, to hatching, growing the chick to 1 kg, and finally releasing it back to its original habitat.
- Hobbiton movie set guided visit Follow in the footsteps of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins into the miniature world of The Shire, the home of hobbits. Whether you have seen the Lord of The Rings trilogy or not, you will undoubtedly appreciate the immense effort that went into creating this elaborate outdoor movie set on a still-operational sheep farm. From a giant tree with thousands of hand-glued leaves to the tiny pottery crafted by hobbit artisans, every detail was meticulously attended to. Your guide will entertain you with tales from the filming process and reveal how director Peter Jackson created cinematic illusions. At the end of the tour, cross a stone bridge to the true-to-life Green Dragon Pub.
