-Day 1 Start tour
Day 2 International Date Line
Lose a day as you cross the International Date Line
Day 3 Hello Auckland
Meet your tour director
Details: Auckland tour director-led sightseeing
Take a walking tour of Auckland with our Tour Director. Hear about Aotearoa’s people and their place in the Pacific, the remarkable flora and fauna found from north to south, and the conflicts that have shaped the nation.
Details: Sky Tower visit
The Sky Tower has stood tall at 328 meters as an icon of Auckland's sky line for 20 years. Here we will have Panoramic 360° views up to 80 kilometers in every direction. From high above the city, spot key landmarks, volcanoes and other historical locations within the greater Auckland area.
Day 4 Auckland
Details: Harbour conservation cruise
Kids are our eco-warriors of the future. They are ultimately the ones faced with a HUGE clean-up of our earth. Let’s get them out on the water, to learn the magnitude of the threats, to understand the fragility of the ecosystem, and ultimately the steps we may take to start getting things better.
Join our passionate marine-scientists for expert education and interactive research studies as we head out on the beautiful Waitemata Harbour. This is a 2 hour learning session out on the water, aboard Dolphin Explorer. Tailored for any audience and age, we incorporate a multitude of visual teaching aids to express how things are out there in the oceans. This is a positive experience, where many kids will want to be marine biologists at its completion
Details: Rangitoto Island visit
The youngest volcanic island located quite close to Auckland. It's symmetrical shape and location make it an icon of Auckland.
Details: Auckland choir performance
Choirs often enjoy performances at churches (some have restricted sacred repertoire and others allow secular,) temples, museums and cultural centers, significant historic sites or exchange concerts with local schools, universities, or community groups. Participating in a choral or cultural festival can also be a rewarding experience. For all performances we work closely with each group to ensure the perfect venue to meet their vision. Speak with your Worldstrides representative about what options would be best for your group.
Day 5 Auckland
Details: Hobbiton movie set guided sightseeing visit
Follow in the footsteps of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins into the miniature world of The Shire, the home of hobbits. Whether you have seen the Lord of The Rings trilogy or not, you will undoubtedly appreciate the efforts that went into the creation of this elaborate outdoor movie set from a still operational sheep farm. From a giant tree whose thousands of leaves were glued on to the tiny pottery of a hobbit craftsman, careful attention was paid to infinite details. Your guide entertains you with tales of what went on during filming, and how director Peter Jackson created illusions through the camera. At the end of the tour, you cross a stone bridge to the true-to-life Green Dragon Pub.
Day 6 Auckland--Christchurch
Fly to Christchurch
Christchurch city walk
Day 7 Christchurch
Details: Banks Peninsula excursion
On the South Island that was first inhabited by the Mori and spotted by Captain Cook in the 1700's. The area is well known for its waterways, scenery and abundant flora and fauna.
Details: Willowbank Wildlife Reserve visit
Where we can experience the local animal life up close. See kiwis, kangaroos, and other native animals, heritage farming animals, and some exotic animals like lemurs and macaws.
Details: Christchurch choir performance
Potential venues subject to final confirmation.
Day 8 Christchurch--Sydney
Fly to Sydney
Details: Sydney city walk
Explore the historical neighborhoods, lush gardens and pathways that hug the city's harbor.
Details: The Rocks
As you stroll along the narrow, cobblestone streets of The Rocks, you can’t help but get caught up in the area’s intriguing past, present and future. Here you’ll find chic restaurants, stylish bars and hearty pubs, all amidst some of the oldest surviving buildings in Sydney. One moment you’ll be touring historic Cadman’s Cottage, and the next you’ll find yourself amongst the eclectic shopping, artisan markets and glitzy galleries that make The Rocks the engaging destination that is it today.
Details: Mrs. Macquarie's Point
You bring the camera and “Mrs. Macquarie” will provide the perfect backdrop. Featuring a breathtaking view of both the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Mrs. Macquarie’s Point has been attracting visitors since its origin in 1810, when an exposed sandstone rock was cut into the shape of a bench. Known today as Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, legend has it that if you make a wish while sitting on the bench, there’s a very good chance that your wish will come true.
Day 9 Sydney
Details: Taronga Zoo visit
Set on Sydney Harbour, the Taronga Zoo is home to many of Australia's native animals. See kookaburras, koalas, dingoes, red pandas, platypuses, and other fuzzy (and not-so-fuzzy) critters in naturalistic settings, and enjoy a beautiful view of the harbor -- "Taronga" is believed to be an Aboriginal word meaning "water view."
Details: Sydney Opera House guided visit
Tour the world-famous Sydney Opera House. The unique design has made it an iconic performance space.
Details: Attend a Sydney Opera House performance
We will attend a performance at the famous Sydney Opera House. Exact performance subject to final confirmation after time of booking.
Day 10 Sydney
Details: Bondi Beach visit
Stop at the famous Bondi Beach for a chance to swim!
Details: Sydney choir performance
Potential venues subject to final confirmation.
Day 11 Start extension to Cairns
Flight to Cairns
Details: Cairns guided sightseeing tour
After bustling Sydney, the city of Cairns may feel like a sleepy little tropical village. Everything in town seems built for relaxation. The homes are built on stilts to catch the cool ocean breezes. Overhead fans whirl in every room. A licensed local guide leads you to the lively, slightly bohemian Esplanade, the focal point of the city. This is where the city began in 1876 as a gold- and tin-mining port. Wharf Street was once the main drag, at a time when the entire area was known as the Barbary Coast because of its rough, criminal element. Now, it is a thriving port, where big-game fishing is a major industry. The actual center of Cairns is the City Place, the town square and a quaint pedestrian mall. The Cairns Museum includes not only artifacts on the city's history but the story of Aboriginal life in the surrounding rain forests. This city is a great gateway into Australia's natural wonders, with the rain forest and the Great Barrier Reef just minutes away.
Details: Palm Cove half-day excursion
Relax on Palm Cove’s gorgeous beaches, where Cairns’ residents and visitors come for fun in the sun.
Day 12 Great Barrier Reef
Details: Great Barrier Reef full-day excursion
No trip to Cairns is complete without a visit to the outer Great Barrier Reef - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and easily one of the world's top natural wonders. Today you transfer from Cairns to the outer reef where you will have fantastic access to this underwater universe. Upon arrival at the reef, snorkelers will delight in viewing the incredible array of life and colors that exist just below the surface. With the onset of climate change and the clearly progressing decomposition of this delicate ecosystem, no time is better than now to experience perhaps the greatest natural wonder on earth.
Day 13 Cairns
Details: Cairns free time
Free time to explore Cairns!
Details: Cairns choir performance
Potential venues subject to final confirmation
Tour Includes:
- Round-trip airfare and other transportation described in the itinerary
- Accommodation in three- or four-star hotels in twin (or occasional triple) rooms with private facilities guaranteed throughout
- Plentiful daily breakfast to start the day energized and ready to go
- Appetizing, culturally representative, three-course dinner daily
- Full time, multilingual, WorldStrides tour director who is LEAP-trained in experiential education
- Local guide at sites and on city tours as described in the itinerary
- All of the venue arrangement fees and promotional costs for included concert performances
- LEAP! Learning through Exploration and Active Participation; trademarked immersive approach of learning by doing
- Entrances and transportation to sites and activities described in your itinerary
- Local guide and local bus driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
- Basic Medical, Dental, Emergency Evacuation Insurance during trip
- 24/7 On Tour Emergency Support
- Up to three college credits upon course completion (grades 9-12) or high school credit (grades 6-12)
- Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
- Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, costs for rental, transport of instruments or music stands, any passport or visa fees, or tips for the Tour Director or multi-day bus drivers. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid tips, or other customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.
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