Coastal New Zealand: Scenic Fjords, Maori History, and Abundant Wildlife
Expedition
New Zealand’s natural beauty beckons with soaring peaks, crystal-clear lakes, and swathes of white-sand beaches. Traveling through scenic fjords, bays, and sounds, witness plunging waterfalls and sparkling waters rich with marine life.
Coastal New Zealand: Scenic Fjords, Maori History, and Abundant Wildlife
EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW
New Zealand’s natural beauty beckons with soaring peaks, crystal-clear lakes, and swathes of white-sand beaches. Traveling through scenic fjords, bays, and sounds, witness plunging waterfalls and sparkling waters rich with marine life. New Zealand boasts flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. It is home to the world’s smallest penguin, a colony of 20,000 gannets, and the magnificent royal albatross with a 10-foot wingspan.
highlights
- NEW PERSPECTIVES: $1,000 CREDIT : Book by March 13, 2024. Receive a credit of $1,000 per person, deducted from cabin fare prior to any additional applicable savings with the purchase of cabin fare. Valid for new bookings only on select departures, subject to availability, not applicable on airfare or extensions, and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.
- NEW PERSPECTIVES: 25% SOLO SAVINGS : Book by March 13, 2024. Save 25% on solo cabins on select departures. Not applicable on airfare or extensions and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.
- NEW PERSPECTIVES: 30% SOLO SAVINGS : Book by March 13, 2024. Save 30% on solo cabins on select departures. Not applicable on airfare or extensions and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.
- NEW PERSPECTIVES: ADDITIONAL 10% SAVINGS WHEN YOU PAY IN FULL : Book by March 13, 2024. Save an additional 10% on the cabin fare when you pay in full at time of booking. Valid for new bookings only on select departures, subject to availability, not applicable on airfare or extensions, and may not be combined with other offers. To qualify for the discount, nonrefundable payment in full is due at the time of booking. Call for details.
- SUITE EXCLUSIVES : Spacious living areas and incredible views immerse you in the beauty of your marine surroundings. Our new Suite Exclusives package helps make your voyage all the more memorable. Learn more
- BAR TAB & CREW TIPS INCLUDED : Your bar tab and tips to the ship’s crew on all departures aboard National Geographic Endurance, National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Orion, National Geographic Explorer, Sea Cloud, and Sea Cloud II are included in your fare. Bar tab excludes certain super premium brands, which are available for sale. Call for details.
- CELEBRATE LIFE'S MILESTONES : Celebrate a milestone with a group of eight or more and enjoy a special amenity package including: 5% savings on voyage fares, custom group photo, US$150 shipboard credit for the group, and other special gifts. Milestone celebration to be communicated at time of booking. Valid for new bookings only on select departures, subject to availability, not applicable on airfare or extensions, and may not be combined with other offers. Deposit, final payments, and cancellation policies for group travel vary from our regular policies. Call for details.
- 10% OFF BACK-TO-BACK VOYAGES : Save 10% on consecutive departures, applicable on voyage fares only and not valid on extensions or airfare. Valid for new bookings only, subject to availability, and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.
- BRINGING THE KIDS : We believe sharing an expedition with children is a life-enhancing experience. Take $500 off for each child under the age of 18 on any departure. Not applicable on extensions or airfare. Call for details.
- SAVE 5% TRAVELING AS A GROUP : Save 5% when traveling as a group of eight or more people. Valid on voyage fares only and not applicable on extensions or airfare. Deposit, final payments, and cancellation policies for group travel vary from our regular policies. Valid for new bookings only, subject to availability, and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.
- COMBINING OFFERS : Certain offers may be combinable, up to two savings opportunities, except where noted otherwise. For example, travel with a group of 8 or more on back-to-back expeditions, and take advantage of both savings.
Trip details
Trip Type: Small Group
Comfort: Luxury
Travel Styles: Marine
Starts: Auckland, New Zealand
Finishes: Dunedin, Disembark Ship
Duration: 14 days
ITINERARY
1Day 1 : Auckland, New Zealand
Arrive in Auckland and transfer to our hotel. Join us for a welcome briefing this evening to meet your fellow travelers.
Arrival Time: Arrive by 5:00 p.m.
Arrival City: Auckland, New Zealand
2Day 2 : Auckland / Embark Ship
Have breakfast at the hotel before joining a tour of this vibrant city center. We'll stop for lunch midday before embarking National Geographic Orion in the late afternoon.
3Day 3 : Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands, boasting an abundance of wildlife and fascinating history. Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a place of cultural, spiritual, and historical significance, and learn of the historical events for which these grounds are remembered.
4Day 4-5 : Great Barrier Island / Coastal New Zealand
Stretch your legs today as we get to know Great Barrier Island on exploratory walks and hikes. As we continue south along the North Island’s verdant coast, we let nature guide us as your captain and expedition leader choose our next site for exploration.
5Day 6 : Gisborne
Today we delve into the cultural riches of Gisborne, where the first Europeans went ashore in New Zealand in 1769. The city’s warm, sun-filled climate reflects its disposition and complements its rich soils, bountiful islands, miles of sandy beaches, and resource-rich oceans. Discover rural life at a 110-year-old New Zealand homestead and witness the daily process of sheep herding and sheering. Take in the greenery of a local arboretum, and cap the day off with a winery tour and tasting.
6Day 7-8 : Napier / At Sea
Spend the morning getting to know Napier, the Art Deco capital of New Zealand. Choose to discover the city’s unique architecture on an art tour, or leave the city behind and join us on a gannet safari tour where we have close encounters at a large Australasian gannet colony.
7Day 9-10 : Abel Tasman National Park / At Sea
Explore this beautiful island where dense rainforests border the snow-capped Southern Alps. Visit Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand's smallest national park, renowned for its golden sand beaches and rugged granite cliffs that kiss the shoreline. Hike or kayak with our naturalists or just relax at the beach. Spend a day at sea getting to know your fellow travelers as we scout for local wildlife and attend briefings and lectures from our staff. Enjoy views of New Zealand’s southern island as we cruise to our next stop.
8Day 11-12 : Fiordland National Park
Over the course of two days, we explore Dusky and Milford Sounds in Fiordland National Park, home to fourteen individual fiords. Here we discover towering waterfalls and snowcapped peaks.
9Day 13 : Ulva Island / Stewart Island
Stewart Island, known in Māori as Te Punga o Te Waka a Maui, is positioned firmly at the heart of Māori mythology. Today we explore the island’s rare native birdlife as well as its well-preserved podocarp forest. In the afternoon, discover Stewart Island’s nearby neighbor, Ulva Island, where we hike with naturalists to discover its unspoiled rainforest.
10Day 14 : Dunedin / Disembark Ship
After breakfast, disembark National Geographic Orion. Enjoy a city tour and an included lunch on the way to the airport.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Costs Include: All accommodations aboard ships or in hotels per itinerary or similar, all meals and nonalcoholic beverages aboard ship, meals on land as indicated, air transportation where indicated as included, shore excursions, sightseeing and entrance fees, special access permits, transfers to and from group flights, use of snorkeling equipment and wet suits, use of kayaks (where available), tips (except to Egyptologists and ship’s crew), taxes and service charges, services of a ship physician on most voyages, and services of our expedition staff.
Not Included: Air transportation (except where shown as included), extensions, passport, visa, immigration fees, scuba diving (where available), meals not indicated, baggage/accident/travel protection plan, items of a personal nature, such as alcoholic beverages, e-mail, laundry. Gratuities to Egyptologists and ship’s crew at your discretion.
Airfare: For all programs, airfare is an additional cost unless otherwise indicated. Sample airfares are based on 2007 fares and are subject to change. We will gladly assist in making your air arrangements.
Note: Complete pre-journey information, including suggestions on what to bring and recommended reading, will be sent after your reservation is confirmed 4-6 months prior to departure.
PAYMENT TERMS
Effective October 1, 2007, all Lindblad voyages departing from and returning to ports outside the United States will be operated by Lindblad Maritime Enterprises, Ltd., a subsidiary of Lindblad Expeditions, Inc.
Reservations: To reserve your place, an advance payment for the program as outlined is required at the time of reservation and is payable by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or check. The per person amount due is noted on each dates and rates screen.
Final Payment: For expeditions of eight nights or less, final payment is due 60 days prior to departure. For expeditions of nine nights or more, final payment is due 90 days prior to departure.
Travel Protection Plan: Travel protection and medical insurance are available at extra cost. Ask about our comprehensive guest travel protection plan for a worry-free expedition. Learn more about Lindblad Expeditions Travel Protection "Plus" Plan.
Smoking: Smoking is allowed only in designated outdoor areas.
Responsibility and Other Terms & Conditions: Certain other provisions concerning, among other things, limitations of Lindblad Expeditions’ and the National Geographic Society’s liability for loss of property, injury, illness or death during the voyage will be provided to all guests on the ship’s ticket sent prior to departure, and are also available where within this site or upon request. By registering for a trip, the guest agrees to all such terms and conditions.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
For Expeditions 8 Nights or Less:
Number of Days to Expedition Start / Prior Per Person Cancellation Fee
90 or more days / $150*
89–60 days / Advance payment cost
59–30 days / 50% of trip cost
29–0 days / No refund
For Expeditions 9 Nights or More:
Number of Days to Expedition Start / Prior Per Person Cancellation Fee
120 or more days / $150*
119–90 days / Advance payment cost
89–60 days / 25% of trip cost
59–30 days / 50% of trip cost
29–0 days / No refund
Partner Details
Lindblad Expeditions Feed
In Business Since 1966
For over 50 years Lindblad Expeditions has been introducing travelers to a unique and exhilarating way of seeing the world. In 1966, Lars-Eric Lindblad successfully led a group of 56 intrepid guests to Antarctica, where only explorers and scientists had ever gone. In 1967 he did it again in Galápagos; effectively inventing expedition travel. Since then, his son Sven Lindblad has created an unmatched expedition style, taking curious people to the world’s wild, remote places for up-close encounters with beauty, wildness, and the seldom seen. Guests get to share their experience with like-minded others and veteran expedition teams and return home with a priceless stock of memories, some of the best photos of their life, and a deeper appreciation of the most remote, pristine places on the planet. Lindblad Expeditions travels to over 40 geographies on all 7 continents. Their fleet is comprised of 15 nimble and intimately scaled expedition ships with passenger capacities from just 28 to 148. Small ships allow captains to safely venture where larger cruise ships cannot, providing guests with authentic, up-close encounters in the world’s most remote, wild, and pristine places. The quality and experience of Lindblad Expeditions’ veteran staff is a driving factor behind their reputation as a global leader in overseas adventure. Guests traveling on their voyages are guided by skilled and passionate captains and Expedition Leaders, as well as an expert team of naturalists, marine biologists, geologists, historians, undersea specialists, experts and photographers. Lindblad Expeditions’ staff-to-guest ratio (no more than 1-to-16) fosters a genuine exchange of knowledge/information on natural surroundings, history, and culture of the places they explore. Lindblad is committed to sustainability and considered the travel industry’s leader in responsible travel, which includes protecting nature, preserving culture, supporting local communities, and operating green business practices. In October, Lindblad Expeditions was awarded the #1 small-ship cruise line by the 2021 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards.
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