STEM & Global Perspectives: New Zealand, North Island

New Zealand is a living laboratory where diverse landscapes, unique biodiversity, and recent human settlement reveal how nature and culture interact. Students apply STEM skills to explore ecosystems, measure human impacts, and understand how people adapt to their environment—gaining a global perspective on sustainability, science, and cultural connection.

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Educational Student Tours - STEM New Zealand

https://worldstrides.com.au/itineraries/stem-global-perspectives-new-zealand/

STEM & Global Perspectives: New Zealand, North Island

New Zealand is a living laboratory where diverse landscapes, unique biodiversity, and recent human settlement reveal how nature and culture interact. Students apply STEM skills to explore ecosystems, measure human impacts, and understand how people adapt to their environment—gaining a global perspective on sustainability, science, and cultural connection.

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7-8 days

Highlights

Maungawhau Mount Eden viewpointSTEM Study ProgramsRotoruaLake Rotoiti boat rideSkyline Rotorua gondola and luge rides

Learning Areas

STEM

Destinations

AucklandTaurangaRotorua

Your Adventure

1 Arrive in Auckland
  • Meet your tour director
  • Auckland tour director-led sightseeing Maungawhau Mount Eden viewpoint, Auckland Sky Tower, Waitemata Auckland Harbour.
2 Auckland
  • Theme: Introduction to coastal marine 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, Lunch, Goat Island Discovery Centre visit, Field session and exploration on Rocky Shore and the role of reserves and recovery of biodiversity over time.
    Learn about coastal processes and how living communities interact, survive and flourish in healthy systems. Follow the sequence of catchment systems that begin in rainforests and end in the Pelagic ocean.
  • Evening reflection and group discussion Reflecting through discussion deepens critical thinking, supports active learning, and encourages students to consider diverse perspectives. By engaging in dialogue, individuals clarify their own ideas, gain constructive feedback, and strengthen collaboration with others. This process not only enhances decision-making but also contributes to personal and academic growth.
3 Auckland - Tauranga
  • 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.
4 Tauranga
  • Theme: Exploring water catchments as a series of interconnected ecosystems Using science, journey from the vast Pacific Ocean into Tauranga Harbour, through the estuary and river, then upward into the rainforest-covered mountains, monitoring how each interconnected ecosystem changes along the way.
  • Mount Maunganui walk Use this vantage point to observe the Wairoa River as it flows into Tauranga Harbor and gradually out to the Pacific Ocean. Tidal movements bring in seawater, which flows over the warm, dry estuary and carries new plankton out the entrance and down the ocean coast as the "Soup of the Sea," feeding the ocean food chains. This walk is subject to weather conditions.
  • STEM study: Rivers and Estuaries Inter-tidal marine ecology session, Plankton study, Wairoa River sediment deposit study.
    Today's themes are Rivers and Estuaries, low energy systems where the river meets the sea.
  • 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.
    Today, you'll study macro environments, focusing on watersheds and the water cycle, forests, and rivers. The emphasis will be on upstream areas and steeper watersheds. Specifically, you'll examine the components of a watershed, including landscapes, geology, streams, forests, pastures, and soils. The interrelationships between these components will be examined, along with the importance of managing them to maintain a stable ecosystem. Expect plenty of field work!
5 Tauranga - Rotorua
  • Theme: Introduction to sustainable systems Explore sustainability through science and systems thinking, understanding how natural processes and human innovation work together to maintain healthy ecosystems, sustainable food and energy production.
  • Kiwifruit orchard guided 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.
  • Travel to Rotorua Before seeing Rotorua, you'll definitely smell it due to the sulfur. Consider it an introduction to a place that is completely unique. Rotorua offers a fascinating view into the Earth's volcanic center. Clouds of steam seem to magically appear throughout the city from Rotorua's four major thermal centers. One geyser erupts about 20 times a day and can spout up to 100 feet.
  • Rotoiti excursion Lake Rotoiti boat ride with lunch, Lake Rotoiti Hot Pools 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.
  • Evening reflection and group discussion Reflecting through discussion deepens critical thinking, supports active learning, and encourages students to consider diverse perspectives. By engaging in dialogue, individuals clarify their own ideas, gain constructive feedback, and strengthen collaboration with others. This process not only enhances decision-making but also contributes to personal and academic growth.
6 Rotorua
  • Theme: Kaitiakitanga and intergenerational sustainability Discover local Kaitiaki and immerse yourself in the responsible guardianship of nature!
  • 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.
  • Forest conservation project Native tree planting, Transplant native seedling.
    Help restore biodiversity by planting indigenous trees, reintroducing species previously absent and extending the rainforest. You’ll also pot a tiny seedling, giving it the chance to grow strong enough to be planted into a new forest next year.
  • Skyline Rotorua gondola and 3 luge rides Sit back and relax as the Skyline Gondola transports you 450 meters above Rotorua and Lake Rotorua, revealing the best views in the region. At the top, embark on an exhilarating Luge ride, winding through over 1 km of Redwood forests. Whether you choose to speed down the track or cruise steadily, you'll find plenty of opportunities to pause and take in the stunning scenery. At the bottom, catch the chairlift back to the top for more breathtaking views from the lookout. Don't forget to visit the Jelly Belly Room to pick out your favorite jelly beans and enjoy the art gallery featuring jelly bean creations.
  • Evening reflection and group discussion Reflecting through discussion deepens critical thinking, supports active learning, and encourages students to consider diverse perspectives. By engaging in dialogue, individuals clarify their own ideas, gain constructive feedback, and strengthen collaboration with others. This process not only enhances decision-making but also contributes to personal and academic growth.
7 Depart Rotorua
  • Travel to Auckland Airport After breakfast, bid farewell to Rotorua and begin your journey to Auckland.
  • Depart on flight home

Start extension to Auckland

7 Rotorua - Auckland
  • 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.
  • Travel to Auckland Airport
8 Auckland
  • Weta Workshop Unleashed
  • Travel to Auckland Airport Bid farewell to your Tour Director and begin your journey home

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