South Pacific eflyer October 2017 Journeys are open to all ambassadors and represent some of the many places where you can experience new cultures and grow your global circle of friends. If you are interested in any of the following Journeys, please contact the Journey Coordinator directly.
26 April 15 May 2018 Kapiti Coast, NZ to Greater Taipei, Taiwan and Nanjing, China MAP FFI Journey Number: #14056 Cost: Approx $4,000-5,000 NZD (Estimated price includes Airfare, Host Fees to FF Taipei, Hotel and Cultural Program in Nanjing, and FFI Ambassador Fees) Contact: Allan Taylor (FF Kapiti Coast) PH: 04-2971622 allandb@clear.net.nz This Journey will consist of seven days with a host family in Great Taipei followed by 4 days in Nanjing. We start with a visit to FF Greater Taipei, one of two clubs in Taiwan s capital city. With a population of 2.3 million and being the capital of Taiwan, Taipei is the center of the island s commerce, culture, education, diplomacy, and high-tech industries headquarters. Visitors to Taipei will find no shortages of museums including the world renown Palace Museum, theaters, concert halls, ancient temples and cultural parks that combine small-scale performance, exhibition spaces, shopping, and fine dining. The Taipei 101 Building (once tallest building in the world between 2004 and 2010) situated in the heart of the city offers fabulous shopping and dining pleasures. The Friendship Force programme in Nanjing, China consists of a four-day cultural visit, including a one-night homestay with a local family. All other accommodation during the programme will be in hotels. The accommodation, meals, tours, local transportation and homestay are arranged in conjunction with FFI partner organisation, the Jiangsu International Cultural Journey Centre in Nanjing. After the 4 days in Nanjing, why not extend your Journey in China see sights such as the Great Wall, Terracotta Army, Forbidden City, the Bund, Li River, Zhangjiajie and its famed Wulingyuan Scenic Area, etc. Our Travel Adviser Susanne McCardle will be very happy to assist with your extension.
August 2018 Gisborne, NZ to San Diego County and Kauai, USA We invite you to get away from winter and join us on the Journey to the western area of USA. Our first hosting is with FF San Diego County, where the weather is always nice and the locals are very friendly. There is just so much about San Diego, which is set on three islands where there are miles of sandy beaches. We might visit the world famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Sea World Aquarium, the museums at Balboa Park, and a visit to USS Midway Aircraft Carrier is a must. FFI Journey Number: #14122 Cost: $3,000-4,000NZD approx. (includes FFI fees & club host fees) Contacts: Miriam Swarbrick (FF Gisborne) PH: 06-868-5273 gisborne@friendshipforce.org.nz We may have the opportunity to move inland and visit the mountains and deserts including Palomar Observatory. Mexico is 30 minutes away. Perhaps we will some shopping and wine tasting at historic Old Town and Mission de Alcala. We then move west over the sea to the beautiful islands of Hawaii and on to our second journey with FF Kauai. Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian island and lies 160 kms from the better known island of Oahu. It is often called the Garden Island and is the site of the Waimea Canyon State Park. The scenery is stunning. Kauai has been the home of over seventy films including classics like South Pacific, Jurassic Park, Elvis Presley s Blue Hawaii, and the opening scenes of M.A.S.H., and Raiders of the Lost Ark were also filmed there. The Hawaiian Island culture is well-represented in Kauai. We may visit the Kaua i Heritage Centre of Hawaiian Culture and Art founded in 1998, which gives a great sense of appreciation and respect for the Hawaiian culture. We will learn about their language, the lei, corsage making, chanting and of course, the hula. That is, if we can dodge the thousands of chickens! Sound good? Please contact the ambassador coordinator for more details.
18 October 3 November 2018 Nelson, NZ to North Moreton and Blue Mountains, Australia MAP FFI Journey Number: #14222 Cost: $2,500 - $3,000NZD approx. (includes FFI fees & club host fees) Contacts: Audrey Ki (FF Nelson) PH: 03-544-6243 audrey.kitto@gmail.com This is an opportunity to visit our cousins across the ditch at not too much cost during spring time. Our first hosting is at FF North Moreton, which is just north of Brisbane. This area has so much to offer beautiful beaches, scenic mountains, lakes, rainforest walks, boutique wineries, kangaroos on the doorstep they ve got it all. There will be a chance to walk through the rainforest near the Glasshouse Mountains Marvel and hear the calls of the whip birds. We may cruise up Pumicestone Passage or along the Brisbane River or enjoy a barbeque at sunset as the kangaroos hop nearby. Get close to a koala at the fabulous Australia Zoo, the creation of legendary Crocodile Man, Steve Irwin. Walk with us along one of the most beautiful beaches in the world at Bribie Island. A warm sub-tropical climate offers comfortable living throughout the year. Historically, Redcliffe was the first settlements in Queensland and was once a penal colony. We then move south and spend 3 days in the amazing city of Sydney. Then it s up the mountains we go to our hosting with FF Blue Mountains. This area is now a major gateway to Western New South Wales and is a very popular weekend getaway for Sydney-siders. The city of the Blue Mountains comprises 26 townships which are dotted along the Great Western Highway and has a permanent residential population of around 74,000. The climate is somewhat more temperate than Sydney. We will be there during their spring when the temperature is very agreeable. The great outdoors is all the go, and they offer a wide range of choices such as the Three Sisters, Jenolan Caves, Katoomba Scenic Railway, Knapsack Viaduct, the Edge Cinema, the Giant Stairway, and much more. On a rainy day, we could visit the Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum and/or the Toy and Railway Museum.
15-30 November 2018 Whangarei, NZ to Ehime & Saitama, Japan Will you join us to visit the autumn leaves in Japan? MAP FFI Journey Number: #14216 Cost: $TBD-NZD (still being calculated and will include FFI fees & club host fees) Contacts: Gwendolyn Needham (FF Whangarei) PH: 09-4377183 whangarei@friendshipforce.org.nz Our first Journey will be to FF Ehime which is located on the island of Shikoku, in the southwest of Japan, and is famous for people making a pilgrimage to 88 designated temples. Ehime faces to the scenic Seto Inland Sea dotted with numerous small islands. It is also a mountainous region with the Shikoku Mountain Ranges including Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest in the west of Japan. Ehime is one of the major producing districts of mandarin oranges and various fish. We will be offered several sightseeing spots such as Matsuyama Castle, Dogo Hot Spring Spa (the oldest in Japan), Ishite-ji Temple (one of the 88 temples of the pilgrimage), Tobe pottery, Shimanami Sea Route, Uchiko Old Town, Omogo Gorge and so on. We will experience tea ceremony and Kimono dressing in a traditional tea house, ceramics painting, indigo dyeing, and whirlpool watching in a ship. We have an option to organize a day trip to Hiroshima (A-bomb Museum) and Miyajima (a World Heritage Site) at an extra cost. We will then move on to FF Saitama which is located in the northern part of the greater Tokyo. They are proud of their Hina dolls, their fascinating Japanese Ogawa paper and the world famous Bonsai village. Saitama is reasonably close to Nikko, one of UNESCO s world heritage sites, which is about 100 km north of Saitama City. FF Saitama will also offer some Japanese traditions such as kimono, tea ceremony, origami and calligraphy there s so much to do. It will be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy and learn about this unique culture.
2017 South Pacific Outbound Journeys Date Number Description October 13211 Taupo and Otago, NZ to Hsinchu, Taiwan October 13212 Taupo and Otago, NZ to Tokyo, Japan October 13229 North Moreton, Australia to Stratford-St. Marys, Canada October 13227 North Moreton, Australia to Southern Connecticut, USA October 13228 North Moreton, Australia to Southern New Jersey, USA October 12986 Perth, Australia to Miyagi, Japan October 12987 Perth, Australia to Ota-Gunma, Japan November 13301 Wellington, NZ to Colonial Carolina, USA November 13298 Tauranga Western Bay of Plenty, NZ to Greater Taipei, Taiwan November 13282 Tweed Valley, Australia to Otago, NZ November 13280 Hobart, Australia to Mundo Maya de Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico November 13278 Adelaide, Australia to Florida Suncoast, USA November 13302 Wellington, NZ to Long Island, USA November 13299 Tauranga Western Bay of Plenty, NZ to Shizuoka, Japan November 13281 Tweed Valley, Australia to Taupo, NZ November 13276 Adelaide, Australia to Mexico City, Mexico November 13279 Hobart, Australia to Filobobos, Mexico November 13277 Adelaide, Australia to Xalapa, Mexico November 13300 Wellington, NZ to Sarasota, USA
2018 South Pacific Outbound Journeys Date Number Description February 14013 Sydney, Australia to Malang, Indonesia February 14013 Sydney, Australia to Liuzhou, China February 14013 Sydney, Australia to Vietnam March 14030 Central Coast, Australia to Osaka, Japan March 14030 Central Coast, Australia to Kumamoto, Japan April 14056 Kapiti Coast, NZ to Greater Taipei, Taiwan April 14056 Kapiti Coast, NZ to Nanjing, China April 14058 Adelaide, Australia to Isle of Wight UK April 14058 Adelaide, Australia to Bavaria Nuernberg-Erlangen, Germany April 14061 Brisbane, Australia to Tauranga Western Bay of Plenty, NZ April 14061 Brisbane, Australia to New Plymouth, NZ April 14065 Newcastle, Australia to Wanganui, NZ April 14065 Newcastle, Australia to Wellington, NZ April 14063 Southern Sydney, Australia to Nagasaki, Japan April 14063 Southern Sydney, Australia to Tottori, Japan April 14046 North Moreton, Australia to Bergen, Norway April 14046 North Moreton, Australia to Cleveland County, UK April 14284 Salisbury and Northern Districts, Australia to West Alajuela, Costa Rica May 14079 Kempsey, Australia to Brasilia, Brazil May 14079 Kempsey, Australia to Recife, Brazil May 14079 Kempsey, Australia to Tarapoto, Peru May 14066 Thames Coromandel, NZ to Big Canoe, USA May 14066 Thames Coromandel, NZ to Fort Worth, USA May 14084 Mount Barker, Australia to Taichung, Taiwan May 14084 Mount Barker, Australia to Taipei, Taiwan June 14092 Albany, Australia to Itanhaem, Brazil June 14092 Albany, Australia to Belem, Brazil June 14115 New Plymouth, NZ to Helsingborg, Sweden June 14115 New Plymouth, NZ to Varel, Germany June 14093 Taupo, NZ to Perth, Australia June 14093 Taupo, NZ to Adelaide, Australia June 14108 Sunshine Coast, Australia to Quebec, Canada June 14108 Sunshine Coast, Australia to North Bay, Canada
2018 South Pacific Outbound Journeys Date Number Description July 14121 Christchurch, NZ to Biarritz, France July 14121 Christchurch, NZ to Isle of Wight, UK July 14122 Gisborne, NZ to San Diego County, USA July 14122 Gisborne, NZ to Kauai, USA August 14138 Newcastle, Australia to Nova Lima, Brazil August 14138 Newcastle, Australia to Curitiba, Brazil August 14145 Perth, Australia to Krems, Austria August 14145 Perth, Australia to Rheinhessen, Germany August 14133 Murray Bridge, Australia to San Jose, Costa Rica August 14133 Murray Bridge, Australia to Coatepec, Mexico August 14144 Auckland-North Shore, NZ to Gold Coast, Australia August 14144 Auckland-North Shore, NZ to Mount Barker, Australia September 14154 Wellington, NZ to Bergen, Norway September 14154 Wellington, NZ to Derbyshire, UK September 14159 Blue Mountains, Australia to Metro Vancouver, Canada September 14159 Blue Mountains, Australia to Medicine Hat, Canada September 14159 Blue Mountains, Australia to Seattle-Tacoma, USA September 14162 Hamilton & Waikato, NZ to Albany, Australia September 14171 Tamworth, Australia to Nelson, NZ September 14171 Tamworth, Australia to Taupo, NZ September 14176 Mount Gambier, Australia to Marlborough, NZ September 14176 Mount Gambier, Australia to Wairarapa, NZ October 14177 Bundaberg, Australia to Baton Rouge, USA October 14177 Bundaberg, Australia to Central North Carolina, USA October 14177 Bundaberg, Australia to Central Virginia, USA October 14184 Hobart, Australia to Shelby, USA October 14184 Hobart, Australia to Florida Suncoast, USA October 14194 Gold Coast, Australia to Toulouse, France November 14216 Whangarei, NZ to Ehime, Japan November 14216 Whangarei, NZ to Saitama, Japan November 14222 Nelson, NZ to North Moreton, Australia November 14222 Nelson, NZ to Blue Mountains, Australia
eflyer Submissions are due to the following contacts by the 20 th of each month: Australian eflyer Contact: John Stapleton jstapleton@bigpond.com New Zealand eflyer Contact: Colin Ridge colinjanet@clear.net.nz FFI Contact: Maryam Jordan maryam@friendshipforce.org friendship force international friendshipforce.org