GEOTOURS NEW ZEALAND JANUARY 13 25, 2018 Trip Cost = $2290 - includes hotels, private transportation, many entries/activities, some meals Optional 2-day extension to Rotorua, North Island = +$295 (land costs) Airline tix are purchased by the participants and GeoTours will advise; round-trip airfare from LAX is about $1400-1500 Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri 1/13/18 Depart USA Depart USA; most flights leave in the evening 1/14/18 In flight Lose a day crossing the International Date Line 1/15/18 Arrive Christchurch, New Zealand Arrive in the morning in Christchurch, the most English city outside of England Afternoon free to enjoy Christchurch 1 night at Southwark Apartments in Christchurch city center 1/16/18 Christchurch to Dunedin (4.5 hours driving time) Morning in Christchurch, perhaps to visit the flower-filled Botanic Gardens Option to take a leisurely boat trip on the Avon River Christchurch is still rebuilding from a devastating earthquake of 2011 Leaving Christchurch we travel south towards Dunedin Explore Moeraki Boulders, like giant bowling balls on the beach Dunedin is called Edinburgh of the South due to its Scottish influence 2 nights in Dunedin at Beechwood Boutique Accommodations 1/17/18 Dunedin & Otago Peninsula (1.5 hours total driving time) Full day in Dunedin Walking tour of Dunedin See the beautiful train station and Octagon, the heart of Dunedin Cadbury s Chocolate Factory interesting and delicious! Otago Peninsula see rare yellow-eyed penguins in their native habitat Optional tour of Speight s Brewery, source of a very popular beer 1/18/18- Dunedin to Te Anau (4 hours driving time) Near Dunedin, do a short hike to Tunnel Beach with beautiful sandstone cliffs Cross the South Island to Te Anau, on a deep, glacially carved lake Pleasant walkway along the shore Afternoon cinema viewing of Shadowland Spectacular film about Fiordland National Park Optional evening boat trip across the lake to the enigmatic Glowworm Caves 1 night in Te Anau at Shakespeare House B & B 1/19/18 Te Anau to Queenstown, with Milford Sound Cruise (7 hrs. driving) Spectacular drive through glacial valleys in Fiordland National Park Cruise by boat through magnificent Milford Sound Deep fjord with waterfalls plummeting to the sea Weather permitting, additional stops within the national park for views and walks Short walks to cascading rivers and wildflowers Continue to Queenstown for 2 nights at Lakeview Holiday Park MILFORD SOUND
Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1/20/18 Queenstown Free time in Queenstown, the top resort town and adventure capital of New Zealand Optional activities (not included in program cost) include: Golfing, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, jet boating, relaxing boat trip on Lake Wakatipu, and other options In the late afternoon take a gondola ride to the peak overlooking Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu Enjoy a delicious dinner at the summit restaurant with glorious views 1/21/18 Queenstown to Fox Glacier (4 hours driving time) Travel through Mt. Aspiring National Park with a hike through pristine forest to waterfalls Reach Fox Glacier Village in Westland National Park Go to a viewpoint to see the glacier 1 night in Fox Glacier Village at Mt. Cook View Motel 1/22/18 Fox Glacier to Westport (4 hours driving time) Sunrise walk along Lake Matheson (or previous day if weather is good) Lake Matheson is famous for its reflections of Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman, New Zealand s two highest peaks Option to do a professionally guided helicopter ride & hike on Fox Glacier ($300); or hike to the front of the glacier (free) Drive north along the coast with a stop at a viewpoint (and possibly hike 90 minutes) to see Franz Josef Glacier Paparoa National Park - fascinating limestone geology, including the famous pancake rocks above crashing surf 1 night in Westport at Buller s Court 1/23/18 Westport to Nelson (3 hours driving time) Optional morning excursion (6 hours, including 4 hours driving) to Oparara Basin Hike to beautiful caves, limestone arches, underground streams Afternoon drive to Nelson 2 nights in Nelson at Admiral s Motor Inn 1/24/18 Abel Tasman National Park (2 hours total driving time) Cruise along the beautiful coastline of Abel Tasman National Park Magnificent hidden beaches amidst hills and forest Option to hike the most scenic part of the trail (2 miles) Option to go sea kayaking at Abel Tasman 1/25/18 Return to USA, or extend NZ travel to Rotorua, North Island Fly home (arrive USA same day, 1/25/18), or fly to Rotorua for 2 nights (+$295) Stopover in Rotorua might not add much to the cost of your flights Rotorua is the cultural heart of New Zealand and a center of geothermal activity Two nights in Rotorua at Fenton Court Motel 1/26/18 Rotorua Visit marvelous Wai-o-Tapu geothermal area, with the multi-colored Champagne Pool Learn about Maori culture at Whakarewarewa Living Maori Village Guided tour, cultural demonstrations, music & dance performance Afternoon free for optional activities Zorbing - a New Zealand invention of rolling down a hill inside of a huge inflated plastic ball Whitewater Rafting on Kaituna River goes down a 22 -high waterfall! Agrodome informative and entertaining sheep show 1/27/18 Depart Rotorua to USA Morning free for optional activities in Rotorua Probably depart in the late afternoon from Rotorua airport; arrive the same day (1/27/18) in the USA
GEOTOURS NEW ZEALAND INFORMATION Group Leaders Matt and Suzan Ebiner will be the leaders of this tour. Matt Ebiner has previously led Study Abroad groups to New Zealand and is familiar with the places on this itinerary. New Zealand is one of Matt Ebiner s favorite countries in the world. Group Size The maximum group size is 10 persons (plus the Ebiners). Transportation We will have a private vehicle, a 12-passenger van that Suzan and Matt Ebiner will drive. Flights Participants will purchase their own airline tickets and GeoTours will recommend the best flights. Without doing the Rotorua extension the routing will be: (airfare around $1420 as of 3/18/17) Jan 13, 2018 LAX-CHC (arrives Christchurch Jan 15) Jan 25, 2018 NSN-LAX (departs Nelson and arrives Los Angeles the same day, Jan 25) If doing the Rotorua extension the routing will be: (airfare around $1460 as of 3/18/17) Jan 13, 2018 LAX-CHC (arrives Christchurch Jan 15) Jan 25, 2018 NSN-ROT (Nelson to Rotorua) Jan 27, 2018 ROT-LAX (departs Rotorua and arrives Los Angeles the same day, Jan 27) The best airline for all of these flights is Air New Zealand. Specific details will be provided to all participants. The fares above are likely to change. SOUTHERN ALPS Money Matters New Zealand is a fairly expensive country, with lots of pricey outdoor activity options (see below). Restaurants tend to be more expensive than in the USA ($10-20 for a main dish), but we will have plenty of opportunities to stop at supermarkets to get picnic items for lunches or other meals. Some of the hotels do not serve breakfast but they have kitchenettes where you can prepare your own. Included Entries/Activities Christchurch Botanic Gardens Moeraki Boulders Dunedin Walking Tour of the city center Dunedin Cadbury World (chocolate factory) Yellow-Eyed Penguins at Penguin Place Dunedin Tunnel Beach Te Anau Shadowlands film Milford Sound cruise Queenstown Gondola & Buffet Dinner Fiordland National Park and Mt. Aspiring National Park walks and hikes Lake Matheson walk Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier viewpoints Hike to terminus of Fox or Franz Josef Glacier Pancake Rocks at Paparoa National Park Oparara Basin Caves and Underground Streams (time permitting) Abel Tasman National Park Boat Cruise and Hike Other short hikes and walks Included Entries/Activities for Rotorua Extension Wai-o-tapu Geothermal Area Whakarewarewa Living Maori Village Optional Activities (cost in US Dollars) Speight s Brewery (Dunedin) - $20 Glowworm Caves with boat trip on Lake Te Anau = $60 Queenstown Bungee Jumping = $100 Queenstown Jet Boating = $100 Queenstown Whitewater Rafting = $160 Queenstown Golfing (green fees and club rental) = $100 Fox or Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hiking - Helicopter ride lands on glacier, than hike on the glacier = $300 Sea Kayaking at Abel Tasman - $100 Optional Activities for Rotorua Extension Zorbing = $18 (one time down the hill) Whitewater Rafting - Kaituna River = $62 Agrodome = $25 ROTORUA FIORDLAND NAT L PARK QUEENSTOWN Pace We will be traveling about 1400 miles around the South Island over 10 days, with several days consisting of 4 hours of driving. We will have frequent stops at viewpoints, restrooms, snacks, for hikes, and for photos. There are many walking, hiking, and adventure opportunities, so New Zealand is best for those who love nature, the outdoors, photography, and active travel.
GeoTours New Zealand Registration Form: January 13 25, 2018 - $2290 (land costs without airfare) 2-day extension to Rotorua (North Island) January 25 27, 2018 = +$295 (land costs without airfare) International airfare is not included and must be purchased by participant (about $1400-1500 round-trip from LAX) CONTACT: Matt & Suzan Ebiner, Trip Leaders, (310) 686-8171, mattebiner@geotours.us REGISTRATION/PAYMENT PROCEDURE 1. Attach a $400 payment (made payable to GeoTours LLC) to this form and mail to GeoTours at the address below or submit payment online through www.venmo.com or www.paypal.com, payable to payment@geotours.us or 310-686- 8171. You can also make an online bank transfer if you are a customer of Chase (through QuickPay) or Wells Fargo (Sure Pay) to payment@geotours.us or 310-686-8171 (GeoTours phone #). 2. Second payment of $500 is due on August 31 3. Final payment is due on November 1. If signing up after November 1 then full payment is due with registration. 4. Payments made after December 1 will be assessed a $50 late fee. GeoTours 1547 E. Puente Street Covina, CA 91724 SPECIAL DISCOUNTS! Sign up with your deposit by April 15 and receive a $75 discount Or sign up April 16 - June 30 and receive a $50 discount Sign up with a trip roommate and each of you gets $25 off GeoTours alumni receive an additional discount of $25 multiplied by the number of GeoTours trips they have done ($75 maximum alumni discount) DO YOU PLAN TO DO THE ROTORUA EXTENSION JANUARY 25 27? +$295 YES NO PARTICIPANT INFORMATION (Please print clearly and use your precise name as it appears on your passport) First Name Last Name Gender: Address City, State Zip Are you a US citizen? Yes No, I am a citizen of Passport # Expiration Email Address Date of Birth Home Phone ( ) Cell Phone ( ) _ ACCOMMODATION REQUEST The program price is based on double occupancy. If you sign up without a roommate we will try to match you with someone of the same sex, but this is not guaranteed. If available, a single room incurs a supplement of +$600. Please check one: Sharing a Twin room (2 beds) Sharing a Double room (1 large bed) Single Room Name of preferred roommate (if any) EMERGENCY CONTACT Name Relationship Address City, State Zip Home Phone ( ) Cell ( ) Email Address _ Cancellations To cancel your participation in the tour, you must inform GeoTours in writing. Cancellation date is the day when GeoTours has received your written cancellation notice Date of Cancellation Cancellation Penalty (in addition to any non-recoverable costs already paid by GeoTours) On or before April 30, 2017 $100 Sept 1 October 31, 2017 $600 May 1 June 30, 2017 $200 Nov 1 December 31, 2017 $1000 July 1 August 31, 2017 $400 After January 1, 2018 No Refund Responsibility The program participant agrees that GeoTours LLC assumes no liability whatsoever for loss of property, injury, accident, illness, death, irregularity and delays during the duration of the tour. In addition, the program participant agrees to hold GeoTours LLC harmless for damage and delay due to equipment problems, quarantine, declared or undeclared war and insurrection, terrorist and criminal activity, revolt, civil disturbance, hostility, military action, strikes, labor unrest, any act of God or nature and for any act of any third party. The participant, by registering for this tour, agrees that GeoTours LLC is not responsible for delay, rerouting, omission and additional expense resulting from the passenger s improper travel documents such as passport, visa and health document. Any losses and expenses related to such circumstances are within the responsibility of the program participants and not of GeoTours LLC. GeoTours LLC is not responsible for acts of any government authority. GeoTours LLC reserves the right to adjust itinerary and contents and to substitute accommodation providers as deemed necessary. GeoTours LLC reserves the right to accept or decline any person as a program participant as well as to refuse to retain any participant s membership in the program. Participants that do not participate in an activity or entry, or who leave the tour early or arrive late, will not be entitled to any refund. By registering for this tour, the participant agrees to all such terms and conditions. I have carefully read and agree to the regulations above. Participant Signature Date Travel arrangements by GeoTours LLC, CST # 2099683-40; www.geotours.us 1547 E. Puente Street, Covina, CA 91724; Phone: (310) 686-8171; Email: info@geotours.us