New Zealand: North Island Culture and Service

Arrive into Auckland International Airport (AKL) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to your hotel in Phoenix and settle in over dinner, relaxing after your long flight, and join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

Head south towards Papamoa Beach in the Bay of Plenty, stopping for snacks and breaks along the way. Spend the afternoon at the beach where you will play team building games with your group, hop in the water for a surf lesson, and enjoy the sunset during an evening cookout.

Spend the next two days with a traditional Maori tribe on a Marae in Welcome Bay. Learn about local traditions and contribute to service projects to restore tribal heritage areas. Hear the stories of the local tribes as you hike Kaiate Falls and the sacred Mount Mauao at Mount Maunganui. Learn from local school students as they teach you the Haka, a traditional war dance, and other songs and dances that include poi. Walk along the beach, search for a seafood feast, and engage deeper into the Maori culture each day.

Continue on to Whakatane to experience the ‘Real Nativ Maori Marae’ stay. Along the way, stop in the “Kiwi Capital of the World” and learn about the kiwi fruit that New Zealand is famous for. Arrive at the Marae and learn how to prepare and lay a hangi (an underground meal), meet the tribal elders, and learn more about the local people and their land from the living chiefs themselves. Set off on the Awa Korero River Walk to visit some of the most sacred ancestral sites as the Maori bring their stories to life. After returning to the marae, reveal the steaming hāngi from the ground before feasting together. Watch the Maori perform dances and songs of their area before a visit to a sacred healing hot pool, a treat for body and mind.

Say goodbye to your new friends at the Marae and travel to beautiful Lake Tarawera for an early afternoon hike. Depending on how adventurous you’re feeling, decide with your group the route you want to take. Trek into the forest surrounded by silver ferns and other native species and view the beautiful waterfalls at the end of the route. Continue to Rotorua to explore the thermal surroundings and go souvenir shopping. In the evening, explore the Redwoods forest in a night walk through the trees.

Finish up packing and head back to Auckland. Say goodbye to your new friends and this incredible country before hopping on your flight home.