1
Saturday
April 11
Los Angeles Departure
Depart 9:30 p.m. on Air New Zealand (NZ) #5 for Auckland, nonstop service with meals served en route
2
Sunday
April 12
Travel
Cross international date line
3
Monday
April 13
Auckland-Takapuna Arrival
Arrive Auckland 06.25 and transfer with assistance to Spencer on the Byron; group orientation dinner in private room with speaker (D).
4-7
Tuesday-Friday
April 14-17
Auckland- Takapuna
Breakfast at hotel; attend International School Social Work Conference. Meals covered at the conference are noted on the program brochure.
Pride of Auckland Coffee Cruise (April 20)
8
Saturday
April 18
Auckland-Takapuna/ Te Awamutu
Morning departure (08.30) to Waitomo Caves, via Huntley (app. 3 hours); guided tour of the Ruakuri Caves; the caves take their name from the pack of wild dogs that used to inhabit them (Rua means ‘den’, kuri means ‘dogs’); lunch on own; travel (20 minutes) to Otorohanga to visit Kiwi House & Native Bird Park; travel (30 minutes) to Te Awamutu for overnight with host families (meet at Te Awamutu Rose Gardens, transferred individually by host families); dinner with host families (B,D)
Ruakuri Caves
9
Sunday
April 19
Te Awamutu (Rotorua)
Transfer to Rose Gardens by host family to meet private coach for tour to Rotorua (app. 1 hr. 45 minutes); upon arrival tour the city, including the lakefront and Government Gardens; midday visit of Te Puia, New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Centre and Whakarewarewa Geothermal Reserve for a Maori concert, followed by guided tour of Maori Pa (Village site); take Skyline gondola to Skyline Restaurant for lunch; included in visit of Skyline is one ride on the luge track; return to Te Awamutu and host families for dinner (B,L,D)
Skyline Gondola
10
Monday
April 20
Te Awamutu/ Auckland/
Los Angeles
After breakfast, farm tour with host family; late morning (11.00) departure for Auckland (2 hrs 15 min) to Discover New Zealand Visitor Centre for shopping and lunch on own; afternoon (15.45) Pride of Auckland Coffee Cruise of inner harbor, including tea or coffee and muffin, plus entrance to the Maritime Museum; early evening transfer to airport for 23.00 departure on NZ #2 for Los Angeles; arrive 2:55 p.m. for customs clearance (B)