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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
This trip was a wonderful experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who has been thinking of visiting New Zealand. In addition to guest speakers covering the history and geography of the islands, it included amazing sightseeing by boats, walks, bus, and gondola. As we walked and traveled, the guides and tour coordinators provided interesting personal stories and reflections on life in New Zealand. It would to hard to overstate the beauty of this country and how much I enjoyed the tour.
No one was more skeptical about traveling with a group of strangers than I was, but the comments I read about making new friends really did prove to be true. It was one of the most pleasant surprises about the trip.
An excellent experience! Learned a tremendous amount about New Zealand flora, fauna, geology, culture, history, government, politics and more.
Never disappointed by a Road Scholar trip! Usually the only issue is you are learning so many interesting things so quickly that you need to return home to truly process everything you’ve experienced and just how great the trip was.
This was the best trip ever! Our group coordinator, Robyn Selwck was terrific as were most of the site guides. Our group really gelled and there wasn't a person in it who was not extraordinary. Lifelong friends were made as well as lifelong memories.
Go go go to New Zealand!!!
This was a great trip. Guides were superlative and the activities were very informative. There were places we would have like to have gone that we didn't, but that's normal for a tour trip like this. In general we were left with a greater knowledge of New Zealand that we had upon arrival and a strong interest in learning more. That's all one can hope for, isn't it? Our guides were all terrific. That's a key element. I would recommend you adding adventures to this trip such as the rail journey from Christchurch across the mountains to the west and perhaps driving to the volcanic plateau of the north island south of Taupo, but otherwise I feel like we ended with a good feel for NZ. Kia Ora.
We did not have good experience, on a two week international tour. Before going, we could not get the travel agency staff to help us ... until "three months before". This was not enough time for international travel arrangements, and cost more than it would have if obtained earlier. Then one of us (we are a couple) acquired Covid, likely from a fellow traveler. , Our whole prepaid trip was gone. Plus It cost a fortune to rent two motel rooms for the required week-long isolation stay. I regret that we did not get the trip insurance .... expensive but worth it in these days of Covid. I would encourage all to strongly consider.
If you want to experience ALL of New Zealand, this is your trip. The history, culture, nature, birds (flying and flightless), conservation efforts, political system, geologic foundation, etc etc etc! My 7th RS trip, and the crown jewel.
The exceptional itinerary afforded the ability to experience the beauty of the country (natural and cultural). The program was further enhanced, without question, by the incredible leaders and fellow travelers. All of these combined made for a memorable trip. AWE inspiring is truly how this trip can be described. If New Zealand is not on your bucket list, add it. If your bucket is full, get a larger bucket.
Great program but buying "trip assistance" is a waste of money. No help in a bad situation or emergency.
Road Scholar has done a nice job of hotel upgrades where possible. We really noticed upgrades in the meals that were provided as well. They do a nice job with educational opportunities as well. We will be back for more trips !
Truly a wonderful way to discover New Zealand! Congratulations to Road Scholar on their well-chosen destinations & guides. I've never traveled with a group before & was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Highly recommended!
I never thought I could learn so much about a new country in two weeks -- and have fun doing it!
Great value for any location. Wonderful variety of experiences, well organized, planned and executed well! Highly recommend for any trip
For the amount of time scheduled, this trip gives a good introduction to the variety of cultural and natural resources in New Zealand. The program leader and guides added a lot to my understanding.
Active program, great itinerary, excellent speakers and field trips, wonderful experiences.
I just returned from my first Road Scholar trip. I started at the top or should I say bottom: New Zealand The Road Scholar trip to New Zealand was outstanding. RS prepared me with information of what to expect, the Travel Dept. made travel arrangements easy..The program was great with a variety of activities. The hotels, the food, the guides, the bus rides and boat rides were all enjoyable. I felt safe; there was always someone looking after us.
This trip was a good way to get a two-week survey of both North and South Islands, urban and rural, via air and bus, with some boat trips as well. The speakers were very informative and were well taken care of. Moderate activity level
We came away feeling we had a full taste of this exceptional country and it’s unique culture. Never have we had so many memorable lecturers. A ***** experience.
We had a wonderful trip crisscrossing both islands with 5 in country flights and 7 different boat tours. We really enjoyed our expert guides who were very knowledgeable and funny. They were always open to our questions and needs. We particularly liked the small group experience, sharing our experience together with a focus on learning. The site visits were all unique and our guides and coordinators knew how to keep us out of the crowds to enhance our experience. When we visited sites we used small earphones so that we could clearly hear our guides even when we were spread out walking around the sites. These earphones were fantastic and really enhanced our experience. This was our first Road Scholar trip and we are excited to start planning our next trip with them.
It was a wonderful trip! We learned A LOT about the Indigenous Culture (Maori) and the Natural Beauty of New Zealand just as the name of the trip offered. We have never had a trip where we learned so much. We now feel as so we know and understand New Zealand and her Kiwis. All of our speakers were experts in their fields. Many of them were successful authors, politicians, retired military, government or state department officers. The time was well divided between the North and South Islands. And equally well divided between the Maori culture, natual beauty including volcanic activity, geysers, seismic activity, flora and fauna. The history of New Zealand and Maori cultural center Te Puia were highlights not to be missed. We were very busy every day, Great group leader! The Grand Mercure Auckland, Novotel Christchurch and Copthorne Wellington and Queenstown were all very good hotels in central parts of their cities with excellent dining options. Millennium Rotorua and Kingsgate Te Anau were rustic and a bit long in the tooth. Food at both of these hotels was also very good. And we ate very well on the field trips all through the journey. We thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this trip.
I would recommend the NZ culture and nature trip to all. It is truly an adventure I won't forget. But this is not for the dot the "I"and cross the"T" type personality. Roll with the flow and what's next works best.
A wonderful two weeks exploring both islands of this beautiful, diverse country. Definitely one for the bucket list!
What a great program!! It covered a great deal of New Zealand in a short period of time. I enjoyed being on the water a number of times; the highlight on water was watching the Hectors dolphins around the boat. We spent a great deal of time outdoors, which I love. The trip into Waitomo Cave to see the glow worms was magical! You couldn't ask for a better leader in Bruce, excellent site coordinators and knowledgeable, interesting speakers. Bring your walking shoes as Kiwis are great walkers. I learned so much about New Zealand, its geology, government, Maori and European history, sheep, and the laid back attitude of the people. Wait until you hear about their form of government. It made me jealous. They are passionate about keeping New Zealand pristine and beautiful.