loading spinner
New Zealand

A New Zealand Odyssey: Indigenous Culture & Natural Beauty

Program No. 22753RJ
Explore the unique story of New Zealand as you learn of its distinctive natural environment and rich Maori and European history from local experts.

Enroll with Confidence

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more

Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
airfare
Need airfare?
Our airfare tool can help. Check it out
climate
Plan ahead.
What kind of weather can you expect? Take a look!
itinerary
Please Note:
The itinerary for this program is different on certain dates.
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Sep 29 - Oct 14, 2023
Starting at
6,699
Oct 20 - Nov 4, 2023
Starting at
6,999
Nov 10 - Nov 25, 2023
Starting at
6,999
Dec 1 - Dec 16, 2023
Starting at
6,999
Jan 12 - Jan 27, 2024
Starting at
6,999
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Jan 26 - Feb 10, 2024
Starting at
6,999
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Filling Fast!
Feb 9 - Feb 24, 2024
Starting at
6,999
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Mar 1 - Mar 16, 2024
Starting at
6,999
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Apr 5 - Apr 20, 2024
Starting at
6,799
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Sep 27 - Oct 12, 2024
Starting at
6,799
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Oct 18 - Nov 2, 2024
Starting at
7,099
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Nov 8 - Nov 23, 2024
Starting at
7,099
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Nov 29 - Dec 14, 2024
Starting at
7,099
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Sep 29 - Oct 14, 2023
Starting at
7,749
Oct 20 - Nov 4, 2023
Starting at
8,149
Nov 10 - Nov 25, 2023
Starting at
8,149
Dec 1 - Dec 16, 2023
Starting at
8,149
Filling Fast!
Jan 12 - Jan 27, 2024
Starting at
7,999
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Jan 26 - Feb 10, 2024
Starting at
7,999
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Filling Fast!
Feb 9 - Feb 24, 2024
Starting at
8,099
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Mar 1 - Mar 16, 2024
Starting at
8,099
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Apr 5 - Apr 20, 2024
Starting at
7,699
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Sep 27 - Oct 12, 2024
Starting at
7,699
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Oct 18 - Nov 2, 2024
Starting at
8,199
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Nov 8 - Nov 23, 2024
Starting at
8,199
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

Nov 29 - Dec 14, 2024
Starting at
8,199
Itinerary Note

In 2024, program 22753 spends two nights in Te Anau and one night in Queenstown.

At a Glance

Absorb the beauty of “the land of the long white cloud,” as Aotearoa, the Maori name for New Zealand, is commonly translated. Delve into the story of this island nation’s indigenous Maori people. Examine the natural environments of both the North and South Islands: descend into a pristine volcanic valley, stand alongside bubbling mudpools and meet New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi. Sail the beautiful waters of Lake Wakatipu, enjoy stunning vistas of Queenstown and much more.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to three miles at a time at a normal public walking pace over varied terrain. Standing at least three hours daily; climbing stairs (at times without handrails), getting on/off buses and boats, carrying own luggage. If you believe you require wheelchair assistance to get through an airport you are not fit enough to participate in this program. Elevations up to 3,100 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Learn from experts about New Zealand’s settlement by Maori and Europeans.
  • Witness bubbling mudpools in a volcanic park.
  • Experience the majestic Piopiotahi Milford Sound.

General Notes

For a similar program with greater opportunity for independent exploration (including free days in both Auckland and Queenstown), please view program 22090.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Hamish Campbell
Hamish Campbell earned a Ph.D. in paleontology from Cambridge University, and went on to serve as a senior scientist at GNS Science — the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences — in Wellington, New Zealand, and as geologist at the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Hamish channeled his expertise to write several popular books on New Zealand geology. His passion for New Zealand, geology and learning have made him an exceptional long-time instructor for Road Scholar.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Hamish Campbell
Hamish Campbell View biography
Hamish Campbell earned a Ph.D. in paleontology from Cambridge University, and went on to serve as a senior scientist at GNS Science — the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences — in Wellington, New Zealand, and as geologist at the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Hamish channeled his expertise to write several popular books on New Zealand geology. His passion for New Zealand, geology and learning have made him an exceptional long-time instructor for Road Scholar.
Profile Image of Margaret Copland
Margaret Copland View biography
Margaret Copland is a graduate of the University of Canterbury and the Christchurch College of Education. As a historian, she has enjoyed researching the stories of the early Canterbury immigrants, which she will share with us in her capacity as the Te Puna Ora storyteller. Margaret is an experienced history teacher and she has been a heritage storyteller and local historian for 20 years. Her original stories have been researched and developed to create 13 characters who bring New Zealand history to life.
Profile Image of Kate McMillan
Kate McMillan View biography
Kate McMillan is an associate professor in comparative politics and head of the political science and international relations program at Victoria University of Wellington. Her research and teaching focuses on immigration politics, media politics and citizenship politics, with a particular focus on New Zealand and its region. Kate grew up in Christchurch but has spent much of her adult life in Wellington, with stints also living and working in Melbourne, London, San Diego and Lund.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Penguin History of New Zealand
by Michael King
This bestselling book is arguably the definitive contemporary reference to the history of New Zealand. New Zealand was the last country in the world to be discovered and settled by humankind. It was also the first to introduce full democracy. Between those events, and in the century that followed the franchise, the movements and conflicts of human history have been played out more intensively and more rapidly in New Zealand than anywhere else on Earth. The Penguin History of New Zealand tells that story in all its colour and drama. The narrative that emerges is an inclusive one about men and women, Maori and Pakeha. It shows that British motives in colonising New Zealand were essentially humane; and that Maori, far from being passive victims of a 'fatal impact', coped heroically with colonisation and survived by selectively accepting and adapting what Western technology and culture had to offer.
New Zealand: A Natural History
by Tui De Roy & Mark Jones
The authors, both naturalists and photographers, present the wildlife, habitats and splendour of their adopted homeland in this pictorial celebration.
Purakau: Maori Myths retold by Maori Writers
by Witi Ihimaera & Whiti Hereaka (editors)
A lively retelling of Purakau - Maori Myths - by contemporary Maori Writers.
A Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand
by Julian Fitter
Comprehensive and compact, this Princeton Pocket Guide by longtime resident Julian Fitter and Don Merton at New Zealand's Department of Conservation features 600 color photographs. With range maps, descriptions and excellent introductory chapters on conservation efforts and key national parks for bird watching
Stories
by Katherine Mansfield
This collection includes three marvelous, long pieces which together constitute the beginnings of an unfinished novel based on Mansfield's childhood in Wellington, New Zealand in the 1890s.
The Luminaries
by Eleanor Catton
It is 1866, and Walter Moody has come to make his fortune upon the New Zealand goldfields. On arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men, who have met in secret to discuss a series of unsolved crimes. A wealthy man has vanished, a whore has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into the mystery: a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely patterned as the night sky. The Luminaries, an extraordinary work of fiction, was the Man Booker prize winner in 2013.
The Meaning of Trees
by Robert Vennell
Robert Vennel is the manager of Auckland Museum's natural science collection. In this book, sub-titled "The History & Usage of New Zealand's Native Pants", he tells the story of plants and people in Aotearoa New Zealand. In addition to outlining indigenous bush kai (food), Vennell also investigates New Zealand's native plants in terms of their value for suitability for carving, weaving and rongoa (medicinal uses). He looks at traditional Maori usage of the forest and how it put sustainability above all else as well as how European settlers had to change their way of thinking when confronted with vastly different vegetation.
The Book Of Fame
by Lloyd Jones
In August 1905 a party of young men set sail for England. Among them were ordinary farmers and bootmakers, a miner and a bank clerk. Together they made up the All Blacks, an unknown rugby team from New Zealand. And they had come to show the world what they could do. What they didn't know was that they were bound for fame. In this melding of true history and imagination, Lloyd Jones has recreated an unforgettable journey from innocence to celebrity.
The Bone People
by Keri Hulme
Set in modern-day South Island, this lyrical novel brings together three troubled individuals who represent New Zealand’s varied Maori and European traditions. Winner of the 1985 Booker Prize.
Whale Rider
by Witi Ihimaera
A magical, mythical novella about a young Maori girl and her relationship with a whale, that ultimately saves her village. Based loosely on Ihimaera’s youth in a Maori village.
New Zealand Wildlife
by Julian Fitter
Julian Fitter's splendid introduction to the nature and wildlife of New Zealand features succinct chapters on geography and geology, history, habitats and wildlife, along with hundreds of color photographs. Fitter (Wildlife of the Galapagos) and Tui de Roy, who contributed many of the photographs, also collaborated on Albatross, Their World, Their Ways.
Zealandia: The Valley That Changed A Nation
by Jim Lynch
In 1990 James Lynch QSM conceived the idea of urban conservation through a plan to `Bring the Birds back to Wellington'. Two years later he came up with the daring concept of community conservation. His visionary 1992 proposal for the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (now Zealandia) imagined a predator-fenced, community-driven eco-sanctuary, populated with endangered species and located 2 km from the Wellington CBD. 30 years later Zealandia is a resounding success and Wellington has been transformed into an international showcase of urban conservation. Inspired by Zealandia, eco-sanctuaries proliferated around the nation. This is Jim's account of how Zealandia became a reality and changed a city and a nation. An uplifting account of daring innovation, and of the determination of an ever-expanding community that built a jewel that will be treasured by generations yet to be born.
Mauri Ora: Wisdom from the Maori World
by Peter Alsop & Te Rau Kupenga
Pearls of wisdom - whakatauki - have been gifted from generation to generation as an intrinsic part of the Maori world. Mauri Ora links whakatauki to key personal virtues identified across cultures and generations.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.