Trek New Zealand's South Island Coast with WI guide Dave Sanders, offering some the best 'tramping' in the world. Tramp hut-to-hut and take day trips to some of the nation's many national parks. Hike along glacial lakes, through old-growth rain forest, alpine highlands in Nelson Lakes Park. Visit golden beaches, coastal "blowholes" and hidden waterfalls, trekking through Abel Tasman, Kahurangi, Paparoa, and Arthur's Pass National Parks. Journey along coastal and inland lakes that offer stunning views of snowcapped peaks, waterfalls, rivers, and native bird-watching. Loop your way north from Christchurch through coastal towns and the National Parks, staying in tents, huts, and hostels.

Sample Itinerary

DAY 1: Fly into Auckland and change planes for Christchurch, South Island. Get acquainted with the British coastal city of Christchurch, well known for its beautiful gardens, cathedral, Littleton Port (where many Antarctic expeditions departed) and amazing Antarctic exhibits, both at the International Antarctic Center and the Canterbury Museum's Antarctic Gallery.

DAY 2: Continue north along the coast, looking for seabirds and fur seals, through the wine country towards Nelson at the north end of South Island. Spend the night in rural New Zealand.

DAYS 3-5: Start our hiking in Nelson Lakes National Park with a trek along glacial lakes, rain forest, and high-alpine country. Spend 2-3 nights in back country huts within the park.

DAYS 5-8: Travel North to Abel Tasman National Park to experience one of New Zealands finest "Great Walks." This is a place of granite and limestone cliffs, inviting sandy beaches, and crystal clear streams. We'll carry our backpacks from hut-to-hut and also find time to take a dip in the ocean.

DAYS 9-11: We'll continue our tour through other national parks before heading back to Christchurch. These days may include the parks of Arthur's Pass and Paparoa. We'll set up our tents and spend some time doing day hikes to unique natural features within these special places - golden beaches, coastal "blowholes," hidden waterfalls, and coastal old-growth rain forests.

DAYS 12-13: Return to Christchurch and spend a bit more time exploring this "very British" city. The town is full of lovely parks and the spring flowers will be in full bloom - not to be missed. We'll spend a last evening together, sleep in the city's best-appointed hostel, and depart for the airport on the last day.

Travel, Terrain, Etc...

TERRAIN/ROUTE CHOICES: During the camping portion of the trip, you'll travel on well established, but rugged trails, through foothills, mountain paths, and across the marshes and beaches. On the city-based days, there are a range of daily route options.

TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: During the hiking days, the huts are 2 to 6 miles apart, a challenging, but not insurmountable distance with a backpack on. Day hikes are easier as we will not be carrying much weight.

WEATHER: Spring season temperatures range from high 40s to high 70s. Mountain weather can be colder and wetter. This general area is among the sunniest in New Zealand, however, it is wise to plan for rainy days and pack accordingly.

LODGING/BATHROOM FACILITIES: We will live and travel outdoors, sleeping in tents to huts at night. Bathrooms usually consist of outhouses. We make every effort to ensure privacy and cleanliness. Most huts are provided with heating, toilets, bunks, mattresses and a water supply.

GROUP SIZE: The group size will be approximately 6-9 participants, plus 1 Wilderness Inquiry staff. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities.

CAMP CHORES: Our trips are cooperative in nature. WI staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however most people pitch in where they can. Part of the adventure involves learning about daily camp activities.

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: If you are new to outdoor activities, you need not spend a lot of money on gear. Wilderness Inquiry will provide all necessary kayaking and camping equipment. All you need to provide is your personal gear, such as clothing and a sleeping bag. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you upon confirmation of your participation. If you need to borrow personal gear, that can usually be arranged.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: No previous experience is needed to complete this trip, but this is a physically challenging adventure with a lot of hiking. We recommend you do physical training to prep for this trip and you need the ability to safely carry up to 1/4 of your body weight in a backpack over challenging terrain.

Wilderness Inquiry is proud to serve Caribou Coffee on all our trips. Great food, great coffee, and great company are just some of the ingredients that make Wilderness Inquiry trips special.

[ Dates & Fees ]      

From the New Zealand Department of Conservation website:

Abel Tasman National Park:
For at least 500 years Maori lived along the Abel Tasman coast, gathering food from the sea, estuaries and forests, and growing kumera on suitable sites. Most occupation was seasonal but some sites in Awaroa estuary were permanent. The Ngati Tumatakokiri people were resident when, on 18 December 1642, the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman anchored his two ships near Wainui in Mohua (Golden Bay), the first European to visit Aotearoa - New Zealand. He lost four crew in a skirmish with the local people and soon moved on.

Permanent European settlement began around 1855. The settlers logged forests, built ships, quarried granite and fired the hillsides to create pasture. For a time there was prosperity but soon the easy timber was gone and gorse and bracken invaded the hills. Little now remains of their enterprises.

Concern about the prospect of more logging along the coast prompted a campaign to have 15,000 hectares of crown land made into a national park. A petition presented to the Government suggested Abel Tasman's name for the park and it was duly opened in 1942 - the 300th anniversary of his visit.

The most noticeable features of this park are the golden sandy beaches, the fascinating rocky outcrops (mainly granite but with a scattering of limestone and marble) and the rich, unmodified estuaries. The landscape has been modified, perhaps more than in our other national parks. The vegetation cover varies and reflects a history of fires and land clearance, but the forests are regenerating well especially in damp gullies where a rich variety of plants can be found. Black beech dominates the drier ridges.

The more common forest birds, like tui and bellbirds, can be seen along with pukeko around the estuaries and wetlands. The park's boundary excludes the estuaries and seabed but in 1993 the Tonga Island Marine Reserve was created along one part of the Abel Tasman coast. Like a national park, all life in the reserve is protected.'

 

For more information, visit these links:

Department of Conservation - Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park

Nature & Company - Abel Tasman National Park

Maori Organizations of New Zealand

New Zealand Department of Conservation

[ Dates & Fees ]

2009 Dates	Fee
10/20/2009 - 11/01/2009	$1995	Register Now
11/03/2009 - 11/15/2009	$1995	Register Now
Transportation This trip officially begins in Christchurch, New Zealand, on the morning of the first day of the trip. If you are flying from the US, you will need to fly out two days earlier, to accommodate crossing the International Date Line. To make your travel arrangements for this trip we recommend that you consult with our travel agency, Travel One (800-245-1111). They are very familiar with our trips and can help you make the best flight connections at the best prices. Detailed meeting place instructions will be sent to you when you are confirmed for the trip.
Meeting Places:		Additional Round-trip Fee:
Christchurch		$0 (No charge)