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New Zealand Walk
Walk through one of the most pristine places in the world with its glaciated peaks and cobalt-blue fjords framed by thick rainforests.
Overview
A truly unforgettable adventure
Few places on earth can take one’s breath away—day after day—like New Zealand. And few trips there combine the country’s famous walking tracks with a study of its spectacular terrain as masterfully as this one does. Delve into the natural and environmental histories of Aotearoa with Professor Buzz Thompson, who travels to New Zealand frequently for work with Māori iwi on water issues.
Walk through stunning landscapes marked by rugged mountain peaks, sparkling sounds, dense rain forests and pristine coastlines. We’ll cover segments of six of the South Island’s greatest walking tracks, including the Milford Track and the Queen Charlotte Track. Grab those hiking boots and come “tracking” with us!
Dates
November 1–11, 2023Duration
11 daysPrice
From $12,595 per person
Trip size
26 participantsMinimum age
18 yearsFaculty leader
A different kind of classroom
With renowned Stanford faculty and scholars leading the way, every Travel/Study trip is a one-of-a-kind educational experience.
Buzz Thompson, ’73, MBA ’76, JD ’76
Stanford Law School
The Robert E. Paradise Professor of Natural Resources Law and a senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Buzz is a scholar of rivers, their histories and the critical role they play in shaping the countries and regions through which they flow.
“Buzz is a fantastic lecturer with so much knowledge to share. Plus, he has a great talent for getting the audience to participate, and then he links together their various points of view. Exceptionally enjoyable.”
— Sarah Allen, ’72, MA ’75
Itinerary
Walk along six of New Zealand’s greatest walking tracks
New Zealand is a walker’s paradise. Our adventure includes some of the South Island’s most popular tracks. Walking alongside Stanford professor Buzz Thompson and expert guides, these incredible landscapes are brought to life with stories of natural and human history. Our accommodations are perfectly situated for making the most of exploring the great outdoors.
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Queenstown, New Zealand
Begin our adventure today with a pleasant two-mile nature walk that descends through native bush abounding with birdlife to Bob’s Cove and its excellent lookout point. From here, we can see much of Lake Wakatipu and the distant Remarkables mountain range. This evening, join fellow travelers for a welcome reception and dinner.
Accommodations:Hotel St. Moritz
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerQueenstown
Drive to the Routeburn Shelter this morning to begin a full-day, 10-mile hike on the Routeburn Track. Walk through a beautiful ancient beech forest festooned with mosses, lichens, ferns, waterfalls and a river gorge, enjoying lake and mountain views throughout.
Accommodations:Hotel St. Moritz
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerQueenstown / Te Anau
Depart Queenstown aboard the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw, crossing Lake Wakatipu to reach Walter Peak Ranch. From there, we take the secluded ‘backroads’ to Te Anau, winding through rolling hills dotted with livestock, stopping en route for a picnic lunch.
Accommodations:Distinction Te Anu
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerTe Anau
Today’s walk on the Kepler Track begins with a scenic helicopter flight, a 15-minute ride from Te Anau to Luxmore Hut, the starting point for our 10-mile walk. It’s all downhill from the bush line, where we can take in sweeping panoramas of the Te Anau basin and several mountain ranges along our route before making our way down to Brod Bay, passing limestone bluffs en route. At the end of our walk, take a short boat ride from Brod Bay back to Te Anau.
Accommodations:Distinction Te Anu
Included meals: Breakfast and lunchTe Anau
Take in the scenic views as we drive to Milford Sound for our water taxi ride to Sandfly Point, the start of our relatively flat, seven-mile Milford Track hike. After our walk, enjoy a cruise on beautiful Milford Sound and return to Te Anau by helicopter, with breathtaking views of some of the highest and most-photographed mountains of Fiordland National Park.
Accommodations:Distinction Te Anu
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerTe Anau / Nelson / Kaiteriteri
This morning board a private charter flight from Te Anau to Nelson. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch in town before continuing to Kaiteriteri, located just south of Abel Tasman National Park. Check in to our eco-resort, which boasts beautiful views of Kaiteriteri beach and estuary.
Accommodations:Kimi Ora Eco Resort
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerAbel Tasman National Park
We spend today in Abel Tasman National Park, famous for its golden-sand beaches, turquoise waters, estuaries in their original untouched state, lush bush and excellent walking tracks. Our six-mile walk covers the park’s most diverse sea- and landscapes, through beautiful regenerating forest alive with birds and past spectacular views of extraordinarily colorful estuaries and landforms.
Accommodations:Kimi Ora Eco Resort
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerKahurangi National Park
Today’s half-day, five-mile hike begins at Flora Car Park in Kahurangi National Park. The walk follows a ridge, winding through beech forest and groves of candelabra-like mountain neinei (a species of grass tree) as we make our way to Mount Arthur Hut. Return to the resort for an afternoon at leisure, getting a spa treatment, swimming in the pool, walking the beach or going on a bike ride.
Accommodations:Kimi Ora Eco Resort
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerKaiteriteri / Marlborough Sounds
Depart Kaiteriteri this morning, crossing the top of the South Island and stopping at a privately owned sheep farm for a demonstration of daily farming life, including working highly trained dogs and shearing sheep. Continue our drive to Marlborough Sounds and check in to our lodge, situated on the Queen Charlotte Track and accessible only by boat or helicopter. The lodge is surrounded by walking trails and stocked with kayaks and paddle boards.
Accommodations:Furneaux Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerKaiteriteri / Marlborough Sounds
Today we hike 10 miles of the spectacular Queen Charlotte Track, starting at Ship Cove and ending at Endeavour Inlet. The landscape is a mixture of stunning podocarp (a conifer) and beech forest dotted with punga ferns and other New Zealand native foliage. Enjoy a picnic lunch along the trail, returning to our lodge on foot and toasting our journey at a farewell dinner this evening.
Accommodations:Furneaux Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerMarlborough Sounds / Blenheim / Home
After breakfast, board a private water taxi to Picton and then transfer to the Marlborough Airport Blenheim for flights returning home.
Included meal: Breakfast
Make the most of your trip
Want more time to explore? Get the most out of your stay in this region when you sign up for an optional trip extension.
Post-trip Extension: Marlborough Sounds
Spend two extra days exploring the sheltered inlets, clear waters and sandy bays of Marlborough Sounds, where ancient sunken river valleys form nearly 1,000 miles of coastline. Enjoy stunning coastal views during walks through native bush.
Dates
November 11–13, 2023Duration
3 daysMarlborough Sounds
This morning, head out on a coastal track from our lodge, walking through mostly regenerating native bush to the call of bellbirds, fantails and other native birds. Learn more about antimony and the mining industry that thrived in this inlet in the 1880s. Continue into Big Bay with its pristine native beech forest before reaching Punga Cove.
Accommodations:Punga Cove
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerMarlborough Sounds
Today we walk from Punga Cove to Bay of Many Coves, enjoying stunning views of Marlborough, Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds.
Accommodations:Bay of Many Coves
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinnerMarlborough Sounds / Blenheim / Home
Depart the Bay of Many Coves this morning by water taxi for Picton and transfer to the Marlborough Airport Blenheim to board flights returning home.
Included meal: Breakfast
Trip details
Start preparing for the trip of a lifetime
From top to bottom, we’ve taken care of all the details, so you can enjoy a no-stress, worry-free travel experience.
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Pricing
Secure your spot today
The price of your trip covers a comprehensive educational program in addition to meals, accommodations, tours and excursions. Continue reading for a full list of what’s included.
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