new zealand overview
New Zealand is an adventure travel and small ship cruising paradise, packed with magnificent raw scenery, craggy coastlines, sweeping beaches, primeval forests, snow-capped alpine mountains, bubbling volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes, all beneath a brilliant blue sky. Opportunities for adventure and exploration include walks on isolated beaches, multi day treks over alpine passes, hiking across active glaciers, sea kayaking remarkable archipelagos, swimming with dolphins or sea lions, soaking in hot thermal springs, white-water rafting through scenic gorges and exploring cave systems illuminated by glow worms. Local New Zealanders or Kiwis, named after the endearing flightless bird, are renowned for their hospitality, charm and sense of adventure.
Our resident guides will lead fun and exciting activities that provide unparalleled access to New Zealand's natural landscape while emphasizing the regions nature, wildlife, history and culture. Accommodations highlight interactions with local residents and include boutique hotels, family run bed and breakfasts, wilderness lodges and backcountry huts. Small group sizes ensure a high guide to client ratio and personalized attention while flexible schedules enhance opportunities for wildlife viewing and natural interaction with local people along the way. Known to indigenous Maori as Aotearoa or the land of the long white cloud New Zealand boasts a variety of unique ecosystems featuring numerous endemic species found nowhere else on earth. 120 million years of isolation from the super continent Gondwana has resulted in a mythical and ancient character where birds have evolved to fill the niches of mammals and primal forests remind us of Tolkein's Middle Earth. Wildlife viewing is exceptional with opportunities for up close experiences with birdlife, seals, dolphins and whales.
