YOUR O.A.T. ADVENTURE TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE® Enhanced! Pure New Zealand 2022 Small Groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 13) Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled 1 Dear Traveler, At last, the world is opening up again for curious travel lovers like you and me. And the O.A.T. Pure New Zealand itinerary you’ve expressed interest in will be a wonderful way to resume the discoveries that bring us so much joy. You might soon be enjoying standout moments like these: As I sailed along Milford Sound, I stood in wonder at its rugged beauty. Plunging cliffs rose vertically from the dark waters while raging waterfalls cascaded downwards from lofty peaks. You’ll witness this awe-inspiring beauty when you sail overnight in a fjord cruise ship. With a local naturalist guide, you’ll get intimate views of this unforgettable landscape. For me, it was easy to see how these wondrous vistas inspired generations of Maori to create a spiritual bond with the natural world. You’ll see this reverence for nature and gain a deeper understanding of Maori traditions when you visit a local tribe in Murupara, a town rich in Maori history. You’ll experience a traditional welcome ceremony before prepping a Maori feast cooked underground, known as hangi. Later, you’ll sit down with the tribe to hear darker truths facing modern-day Maori: the poverty resulting from logging concessions. This community has seen a large erasure of jobs due to the advancement of technology in the industry. You’ll hear firsthand the hardships this community is handling and come away with a deeper knowledge and connection to the Maori culture. The way we see it, you’ve come a long way to experience the true culture—not some fairytale version of it. So we keep our groups small, with only 8-16 travelers (average 13) to ensure that your encounters with local people are as intimate and authentic as possible. It’s also why your O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader will be a resident “insider” who can show you the culture as only a local can. To ensure that your adventure is truly unique, put your own personal stamp on it. You can arrive early and stay later, add a pre- or post-trip extension, spend time in a Stopover city, or combine two or more trips. Plus, your itinerary offers ample free time so you can pursue your own interests. So until the day comes when you are off to enjoy your Pure New Zealand adventure, I hope you will relish the fun and anticipation that this O.A.T. Adventure Travel Planning Guide® will inspire. Should you have further questions, feel free to call our Regional Adventure Counselors at 1-800-955-1925. Love and peace, Harriet R. Lewis Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel P.S. For further peace of mind, please know that we are EXTENDING our Risk-Free Booking Policy through 12/31/21. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/risk-free-booking. USA Today “Best Tours” 10Best Readers’ Presented by Choice Awards Solo Traveler 2 CONTENTS A Letter from Harriet Lewis ................................................................2 The O.A.T. Difference......................................................................4 The Freedom to Personalize Your Experience ................................................6 Grand Circle Foundation...................................................................8 The Leader in Solo Travel ..................................................................9 PURE NEW ZEALAND ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: Your Adventure at a Glance: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE Where You’re Going, What it Costs, New Zealand Culture .................... 82 and What’s Included ..................... 10 Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Your Detailed Day-To-Day Itinerary ........ 12 Shipping & More ........................ 86 Optional Tours .......................... 34 Pre-Trip Extensions ...................... 36 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY Post-Trip Extensions ..................... 49 New Zealand ............................ 90 Dates & Prices ........................... 56 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ........ 90 New Zealand: A Brief History ............. 91 ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INFORMATION Australia ................................ 92 Travel Documents & Entry Requirements. 57 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ........ 92 Visas Required .......................... 57 Australia: A Brief History ................. 93 Flight Itinerary for Entry to New Zealand . 59 Fiji ..................................... 95 Rigors, Vaccines & General Health ......... 60 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ........ 95 Vaccines Required ..................... .. 61 Fiji: A Brief History ....................... 95 Money Matters: Local Currency & Tipping Guidelines..................... 64 RESOURCES Air, Optional Tours & Staying in Touch ..... 68 Suggested Reading ...................... 97 Optional Tours .......................... 69 Suggested Film & Video .................. 99 Communicating with Home from Abroad . 69 Packing: What to Bring & Luggage Limits . 71 Suggested Packing Lists .................. 73 Electricity Abroad ....................... 75 Climate & Average Temperatures .......... 78 O.A.T. Health & Safety Measures.......................................................... 103 Notes.................................................................................. 104 Map ................................................................................... 107 3 EXPERIENCE THE O.A.T. DIFFERENCE in New Zealand This adventure not only showcases iconic sights, but takes you beyond them to experience the culture through unique activities, engagement with the natural world, and authentic encounters with local people. Since our founding in 1978, O.A.T. has become America’s leader in personalized small group journeys on the road less traveled. SMALL GROUPS: 8-16 TRAVELERS LOCAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION (AVERAGE OF 13)—GUARANTEED To see the world like the locals, you should The world feels more intimate and engaging travel like one. Our small group size allows when your experience of it is also personal us to take the roads and waterways that are and genuine. That’s why our groups never less traveled, and we often follow them using exceed 16 travelers. This gives you access to the same unique modes of transportation people and places larger groups simply can’t that the locals use—be it a canoe, a camel reach. More authentic interactions. Deeper or a vintage cab. bonds with your travel mates. Personal service from your Trip Experience Leader. Smoother UNIQUE LODGINGS transitions. And a far more satisfying Our lodgings reflect the local character, experience than any traditional tour offers. from smaller family-run hotels and historic manors to comfy inns. Occasionally, larger THE BEST TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS hotels closer to city centers are used. Wherever Your English-speaking, O.A.T. Trip Experience you stay, you’re assured fine comfort and Leader is a resident of the region you are hospitality. visiting, so you will get a true insider’s perspective that brings each place alive— OUR WORLDWIDE OFFICES the stories, food, customs, hidden treasures With 36 regional offices around the world, and more. we are perfectly poised to leverage our local relationships to deliver an excellent experience AUTHENTIC CULTURAL CONNECTIONS and value. During this trip, you’ll be supported Engage with local people through visits to by our team in Sydney. farms, factories, markets, and artisans’ studios; school visits; Home-Hosted meals; and more. Enjoy explorative hikes with your Trip Experience Leader Connect with locals during a Home-Hosted Dinner 4 THE PILLARS OF DISCOVERY Enriching. Inspiring. Unforgettable. These features form the foundation of your Pure New Zealand adventure. GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION (GCF) VISIT A DAY IN THE LIFE GCF was established in 1992 to help change Do you ever wonder, “What would it be like people’s lives in the world where we live, to live here?” when you visit new lands? work, and travel. To date, we have pledged or Let’s find out during your O.A.T. A Day in donated $200 million worldwide. the Life, an exclusive, immersive experience that places you in the heart of a community By investing in the places we explore— where you’ll meet various people where they including local schools, cooperatives, or arts live, work, and play; visit the neighborhood centers—we hope to give locals the skills and school; lend a hand with daily chores; and confidence they need to become leaders of break bread with our hosts. their generation and preserve their heritage for many years to come. We’re proud to play Perhaps you’ll join a local resident or a part in preserving precious locales like the community leader for a guided walk through Bryggen waterfront district of Bergen, a living the town, visit a market, or enjoy a unique example of the glory days of the Hanseatic opportunity to meet teachers and students League, and supporting villages like Harmi in at a local school if school is in session. Estonia, whose once-struggling school is now a center of community life. HOME-HOSTED EXPERIENCES Stories shared. Differences solved. Taste buds CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS engaged. Good will extended. It’s amazing Every culture has its joys and achievements, the things that can happen across a kitchen and we celebrate them all. But every place table, so we’ll break into groups of 4-5 to join also has its challenges, and to gloss over them a local family in their home for a snack or a would not do justice to those whose stories meal. This is a