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Kayak Abel Tasman Bay, explore glacier caves, paddle through foaming whitewater

An illustrated itinerary of one of our many travel adventures for gay men, lesbians, and friends.

This information supplements our
shorter Overview of Wild Kiwi.

New Zealand -- particularly Queenstown and the South Island -- are frequently called the adventure travel capital of the world. On this trip, you'll quickly see why. With our friendly gay and lesbian group, you'll enjoy not only the activities New Zealand offers, but its varied landscape and scenery.

Take the sparkling lakes of Italy and the deep-cut fjords of Norway, the snow-capped Alps of Switzerland and the glistening glaciers of Alaska, the aquamarine waters of Greece and the Highland hiking trails of Scotland. Now pack it all onto one small island -- and you'll be shocked by how much room is still left for sheep. That's New Zealand.

As a Wild Kiwi, you'll enjoy a new activity every day. Glacier hikes, kayaking, mountain biking, canyoning, rock climbing, river surfing, white and blackwater rafting, and even a bungy jump, are just a few of the activities that await you.

1: Sunny Nelson

We begin in cheerful Nelson, at the northern tip of the South Island. This pleasant fishing port and crafts community gets more sunlight than any other spot in New Zealand, and offers a warm introduction to local hospitality during our initial two-night stay.

Linger over coffee at a sidewalk cafe. Browse in the galleries. New Zealand is famous for its many walking trails (known here as tracks); hikers will enjoy The Center of New Zealand Walk, which departs right from town with spectacular views of the bay. Or simply head for Nelson's long stretch of sandy beach. There's nothing like a dose of sunlight to get over jet lag.

For our first evening, we've reserved tables at one of Nelson's top restaurants. This is an opportunity get to know a few of your fellow travelers over dinner.

Who will be there? With our emphasis on active vacations and the outdoors, Alyson Adventures' trips draw people who are energetic and outgoing, who enjoy interacting with life and with each other. The majority of people on a typical trip are traveling alone but there are usually several couples as well. Single travelers don't need to pay a single supplement as we'll match you with a roommate if you'd like the double-occupancy price. A majority of the group will most likely fall in the 30-to-55 age range but there will almost certainly be some who are older and quite possibly a few in their twenties.

2: Biking the Verdant Hills above Nelson

Today we start our outdoor adventures with a relaxing bike ride among the vineyards and farms in the hills above Nelson. Along the way we'll visit at least one winery to find out why the locals are so proud of their wine vintages. We return to Nelson for the evening.

3-5: Island-Hopping in a Kayak or on Foot

The next morning, we head for nearby Abel Tasman National Park. No one who visits this breathtaking park forgets the scenery that awaits. We've planned three days and two nights of sea-kayaking in the clear waters of Tasman Bay, with a hiking option for those who want to stretch their legs instead of kayaking for portions of the route.

If you've never kayaked before, don't worry. We use stable two-person sea kayaks, and fifteen minutes of instruction is all you'll need to learn how to paddle and steer.

Soon you'll glide past wind-sculpted islands onto the golden beach of a sparkling lagoon. Catch a few minutes of sun on the sand, with the lingering tang of salt on your tongue before you stop for your lunch. Then cool off with a swim in the clear sea while you haul your kayak back into the water. Don't be surprised if you see a dolphin flash through the surf this afternoon as your kayak ripples through the gentle waves.

The kayaking, two nights of lodging at comfortable inns overlooking the Bay, most meals and boat transportation are all included in the trip price. Most of the group will be out on the water, but the hiking trails of Abel Tasman also are spectacular, winding through the native beech forests to rocky canyons and picturesque waterfalls. Avid hikers have the option of choosing this activity instead and will have many appealing trails to choose from.

6-7: Along the Rugged West Coast

Today we depart Nelson in the morning to start our journey south. We first follow river valleys past lakes and mountains before our road comes out along the coast. A special treat will be a hike along the headlands overlooking the sea.

Tonight's lodging is in the small village of Punakaiki, famous for its layered, wind- and water eroded seacliffs and blowholes, as well as beautiful Nikau palm tress (the world's most southerly palm).

The next morning we depart from Punakaiki and follow the coast southward to the old mining and port town of Hokitika. Originally settled during the gold rush of the 1860s, Hokitika has undergone several transformations since those heady days. Today, one of the biggest local industries is carving jade (locally known as greenstone). You can watch the artisans at work in several shops. Another workshop produces handcrafted gold jewelry from the small nuggets that are still found locally. We'll stop for an hour as this is our best New Zealand souvenir shopping stop.

If there was ever any doubt that the South Island is lightly inhabited, these roads prove it. Even on the major west-coast road, traffic is so light that most bridges can only handle cars in one direction at a time -- and still there's never a wait. (Even more interesting is one bridge -- still on the main road -- where a one-lane bridge handles not only car traffic from both directions, but also a railroad track!).

We arrive in the tiny village of Franz Joseph Glacier, (or in the nearby village of Fox Glacier) at the base of the largest of these rivers of ice. Tonight or tomorrow night, we can take a quiet walk that takes us through moss-covered forest, just a short distance from our hotel. After dinner, the trail sparkles with that distinctive New Zealand creature, the glow worm. Then, away from the trees and the lights of the city, the jeweled sky comes alive, and we gaze up at the glow worms of the Milky Way, and the four corners of the Southern Cross.

8: Glacier World

At the glacial terminus, a steady torrent of water gushes from a sub-surface river. A picturesque 45-minute hike, against a glistening mountain backdrop, takes us to the edge of the ice. There, we fit on crampons, pick up a pointed walking stick, and begin exploring an icy world on our glacier hike.

Those looking for a shorter day on the ice can take the half-day tour, then turn back after a relatively easy 90-minute walk on the glacier. For others committed to a day of icy adventure, an all-day excursion takes us past towering pinnacles of cerulean teel-blue ice and over shimmering crevasses. We may wander into crystal caves that were formed only last week, and will be gone tomorrow.

From a distance, the glaciers simply look like large, two-dimensional sheets of ice. Close up, they become an eerie ice world, full of tunnels disappearing into the glacier, serpentine rivers of chilled water, fantastic ice structures, and yawning crevasses. Occasional creaks and crunches remind us that as the glacier moves -- some of the world’s fastest, at speeds of up to 2 or 3 feet a day -- new crevasses and formations continually appear and disappear. Our experienced local guides swing their ice axes to cut steps in the rock, and guide us to routes where we can see the many faces of the glacier.

Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are among the few spots in the world where a glacier advances to a temperate rainforest. After a day on the glacier, those who want to explore the green world below can choose from several short hikes.

9: A Mountain Jewel

Even if you aren't normally an early riser, this is a great morning to get up early and go for a hike to take in the grandeur of this unique setting. After breakfast, we leave the glaciers, and drive down the west coast, across Haast Pass and into Wanaka, with stops enroute to see primordial swamps and forests, waterfalls, and vistas of huge glacially-formed lakes, including Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea.

We spend three nights in the quiet mountain village of Wanaka, enjoying a wealth of activities. Perched on Lake Wanaka, with Mount Aspiring National Park rising behind it, Wanaka offers sports on land, sea, and in the air.

We'll arrive in time for a quick hike above our hotel to view the layout of the town, then we’ll settle in for a relaxing dinner. Afterwards, take a walk along the lakefront and through the quaint downtown, stopping at Kai Waka Pai or Cafe Paradiso for a nightcap.

10: Jump, Slide, Rappel: The Art of Canyoning

What will be your favorite activity on Wild Kiwi? Many travelers give that title to a sport you may never have heard of: Canyoning (sometimes known in North America as canyoneering).

Don a wetsuit, then hike down to a crystal stream that over the millennia has carved its way deep into the bedrock. Now, you'll simply follow this stream and canyon as they wind through the rocks and trees.

First obstacle: The stream drops fifteen feet, through a narrow trough, into a pool of water below. There's no obvious way to get down until your instructor demonstrates. It's quite simple: sit at the top, and just slide down.

The next drop-off has no such slide, so you try another technique: Rappelling (known Down Under as "abseiling"), in which you slide down a rope, using a belay plate to control your speed. Then another pool, and a more basic technique: This time you simply jump into the pool of water ten feet below. Bend your knees as you hit, the guide explains, and it goes without a hitch.

Those are the three basic canyoning techniques: slide, rappel, jump. Soon you've got the hang of them -- or so you think. But in the natural environment of the canyon, every situation offers its own peculiarities.

The next water slide looks to be about 25 feet, and just about straight down. No problem, it's a deep pool of water, explains your guide, and you soon discover he's right.

Working along the edge of the canyon, you spot a giant boulder lodged between the canyon walls ahead. A rope runs from your wall to the other side. Moments later, securely clipped to a carabiner, you're sliding along the rope, 100 feet of air gaping below you, and onto the boulder. Hot tea is served on the boulder, but only half the group is able to relax and enjoy it -- the others are firmly gripping the safety rope.

Ready for the next step? You've got to descend those 100 feet. There happens to be a small waterfall in your path, but the guide hasn't noticed it, and you're too polite to say anything. So, before you can say "call me a cab," you're clipped into the rappel rope and splashing down through that waterfall. As with other rappels, the guide has a second safety line attached to you. You can control your descent with the belay plate; but if you mess up, the guide will still have you.

If you're not participating in canyoning, you can sign up for one of many other activities offered. Biking, wine tours, or even a full day of paragliding lessons on Mt. Iron, overlooking the lake, at a site known for its steady winds. New designs have made it easier to learn this once-dangerous sport.

Your first glides will be short distances, from the bottom of the hill to a grassy paddock. Soon, as your instructor communicates through a radio in your helmet, you'll increase the distances. By the end of the day, you could easily find yourself flying solo, right from the summit.

11: Exploring the wonders of Wanaka

Today is a free day to allow you to choose your activity and enjoy more of this beautiful part of New Zealand. While biking, hiking, lake kayaking, and even rock climbing are all on offer, many clients choose to have some down time today to enjoy our wonderful lodge, get a massage, and remind themselves that this is, after all, a vacation. A few might catch the early shuttle up the Matukituki River valley to enjoy a hike to the stunning Rob Roy Glacier, while others might try for a 45-minute flight to spectacular Milford Sound, complete with a boat ride through the Sound (you can make another try when we're in Queenstown if weather today doesn't allow a flight).

An option for today is a unique eco-rafting experience, one that is less challenging than our rafting option in a few days in Queenstown. Spend four hours in a rubber raft with local legend Lewis, experiencing a bit of everything: birdwatching, brewing herbal tea from leaves we've just picked, listening to the history of New Zealand, then shooting a few Class-II and (briefly) Class-III rapids.

New Zealand had its own gold rush, some 15 years after the '49ers of the United States swarmed to California, and the sandy beach alongside the river where we're rafting holds a higher concentration of gold flakes than any other river in the world. In fact, commercial dredgers would be lining the banks if that weren't strictly forbidden. We, however, are allowed to carry away whatever we can turn up by the centuries-old method of panning for gold, and with a few minutes practice, each of us ends up with a small bag of sand that sparkles in the sunlight as the rays reflect on the yellow dust.

12: A Long Rubber Band

Early risers watch a sunrise illuminating the mountains of Mount Aspiring National Park before enjoying our last breakfast in Wanaka. Today's drive across historic Cadrona Pass brings us to a stunning perch on the Crown Range Saddle high above the Kawarau River valley overlooking Lake Wakatipu.

Once we've descended from the Crown Range Saddle, we'll swing down the Kawarau River to our next adrenaline-rush activity: the most anticipated and talked-about Wild Kiwi event and also the briefest. The bungy jump lasts perhaps 30 seconds from the heart-stopping moment you step into thin air, until you've stopped bobbing up and down sufficiently to be hauled into the pick-up raft. But the adrenaline will keep pumping for hours.

It's all deceptively easy. Walk onto the Kawarau suspension bridge, present your ticket, and sit down on the platform. The jumpmaster wraps a towel around both your ankles, ties a sturdy sling to it, and clips you to the bottom of a bungy cord (essentially a very long rubber band, but if they called it that, nobody would sign up). Stand up, walk to the edge -- and now it's up to you.

What's your style? A graceful swan dive is the classic exit. A camera captures the critical moment, and just within our group, we see quite a range. One steps off upright, his hands pressed in front of him as if in prayer; another scrunches up in sheer terror. Our 64-year-old steps off as nonchalantly as if going out to buy a loaf of bread. Two guys admit to having been firmly instructed by their mothers not to jump: one does it anyway; the other obeys Mom. (Our advice for future travelers: Don't tell Mom your plans until after the trip. That way, you can have fun without being disobedient.)

Bungy jumping got its start right here at the Kawarau Suspension Bridge, outside Queenstown. A.J. Hackett no longer offers a free jump to anyone who will take the plunge nude; too many people accepted that promotional offer. But the 140-foot bungy jump is free for participants in our tour.

However -- to answer the most frequently-asked question about Wild Kiwi -- no, you don't have to make the jump. It's free -- but it's optional.

Our day is not yet over! Following the rivers out of the mountains, we pass into the acclaimed adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere, Queenstown, our home for the next three nights.

We've got several activities scheduled in Queenstown, but you have virtually unlimited options that you can try instead during our two and a half days here.

If you're a whitewater fan, this afternoon is a good time for whitewater rafting on Class-III and IV rapids. Based on river conditions and water levels, we'll head for one of two nearby rivers. The wild and untamed Shotover River takes us through six rapids, then we raft through 500 feet of darkness as we pass through the Oxenbridge Tunnel, an historic diversion tunnel built by goldminers. Or we'll raft the Kawarau, the largest commercially rafted river in New Zealand. Here we pass under the Chard vineyards, and through four sets of rapids. We'll paddle under the bungee jumpers on the Kawarau bridge, culminating in the unforgettable Dog Leg Rapids. On the Kawarau, there are sometimes opportunities for cliff jumping, and to swim through smaller rapids.

Back in town, you'll also want to stroll onto the peninsula and the Queenstown Garden. And this evening, you'll discover that Queenstown's highlights extend into the culinary realm, as well.

13: Through Whitewater Without a Raft?

This morning is on your own to explore Queenstown. A good introduction to the area is the gondola ride to the top of Bob's Peak, 1400 feet above town. Sip a drink at the restaurant as you watch bungy jumpers hurl themselves from The Ledge, a precarious platform jutting into space, or paragliders sail above the lake.

Bungy jumping started in Queenstown, and every year some nut in Queenstown comes up with a new adrenaline sport. A few of these we're happy to skip. (If you want to roll down the mountain inside a giant inflatable ball, please reserve it yourself.) But there's one that we really like, which we suggest for this afternoon: Riversurfing.

Never heard of it? Okay, imagine yourself whitewater rafting, with an enormous wave coming up. Now imagine yourself in the same spot, but without the raft. There -- you've got the general idea.

Riversurfing has one thing in common with bungy jumping: The first time you hear about it, you think somebody's pulling your leg. But they're not. Armed with a meter-long boogie board, short fins, helmet, and 45 minutes of instruction, you'll hop into the Kawarau River. For a while, you flow placidly along, admiring the rugged cliffs that tower above you. For variety, try riding your boogieboard like a horse; the balance takes a bit of practice, but soon you'll feel like a wet John Wayne.

Then come the first rapids. Putting your instruction to good use, you change your boogieboard grip to a more stable position, and ride out the waves. Not so hard. You do a full body twist, and come up smiling. What's all the fuss?

Another stretch of calm water, then you see the Class-III rapids ahead. Now the adrenaline starts to flow! Keep left, the guide motions. Before you know it, you've gotten through the churning whitewater. Still not hard. Your instructor motions you to the side, and explains: Try it again, but this time, catch the wave and surf it! A backward eddy carries you upstream to the rapids, and you stand on a rock, then plunge in and try again. Aim 45 degrees upstream, catch the eddy behind that rock, paddle like hell to the rapids, and then catch the wave! On your second try, you succeed, and ride the wave for perhaps five seconds, foam swirling past as you surf in place.

More scenic flatwater. A bridge appears ahead -- something seems to be falling from it -- hey, it's the bridge where you bungee-jumped a couple of days ago! You paddle over to the side and watch a jumper.

And then . . . here come the Class-IV rapids. Your guide motions you ashore, and from a nearby bluff, you preview what's to come. See that wave there, he says, motioning to a pile of water that would seem able to sink the Titanic. That's the one you need to watch. Actually, it would be hard to miss. Minutes later, you're in it, trying to remember your instructions. Attack that wave. Weight the board, and dive down into it. You do your best, but the monster simply slaps you back. Yet somehow, anyway, you pass on through, and soon you're cruising on smoother waters.

Some good news about these particular rapids: If you feel they're too much for you, you can walk around them. Some even better news: Those who wish can walk back and run them again.

This evening, a few of us will go out on the town and see what Queenstown has to offer. With its adventure activities during the summer and world-class skiing in the winter, there’s a lot to look at and plenty of night clubs to visit. What an end to an exciting day!

14: Biking, Hiking, Rock Climbing and More

After two weeks in New Zealand, you'll have some ideas about how to spend your last day. There are plenty of choices.

If you've ever watched rock climbers scaling a cliff, you may have assumed the sport requires phenomenal strength. Yes, certain overhanging cliffs are easiest if you can do a few dozen chin-ups without breaking into a sweat. But most climbing is more dependent on technique and judgment, and after a day of rock climbing, you'll find yourself scurrying up cliffs that you once would have thought would stymie Spiderman himself.

For a day on land, we recommend a hike to the top of Ben Lomond, the mountain overlooking Queenstown and the lake. You can start by taking the gondola, or hike from town, and can go all the way to the summit, or merely to the pass. Depending on your choices, this can range from an easy to a moderately strenuous hike, well rewarded with grand views of the Remarkables.

Those who want excitement without sweating today can jet-boat within inches of jagged overhanging rocks on one of the famed Shotover Jet boats. These remarkable boats, powered by jet rather than propeller, can go through water a mere four inches deep, and the pilots take great delight in blasting full speed toward a looming boulder, then turning a full 180-degrees within a single boat length. Or take a calmer boat ride: the restored steamship TSS Earnslaw makes several trips across the lake each day.

Pan for gold in nearby Arrowtown, once a thriving settlement, and the nearby ghost towns of Macetown and Bendigo. You could get there by bus -- but we recommend mountain biking. The dirt road to Macetown takes you across 40 fords, perfect for a hot day.

Horseback riding is available on Doonholme Deer farm, where both new and experienced riders are welcomed -- though we recommend that beginners stick to a half-day ride. The trails take you into 800 acres of rolling countryside, with spectacular mountain views that seem to be ubiquitous in Queenstown.

Those who developed a taste for canyoning in Wanaka can experience a new canyon near Queenstown. Splash through waist-deep water and jump into a pool below. The waterslide here has a special twist: As you push off from the top, you can't see even the bottom. You'll just have to trust your guide that it's all going to work out. (One reassuring fact: your guide slides down first.)

Or, weather conditions permitting, take a day trip to Milford Sound. Rudyard Kipling described this deep fjord as "the eighth wonder of the world." A winding trip through dark forest takes you to the tip of the glacier-carved inlet, where you board a boat to ride past cascading waterfalls and Mitre Peak, rising a full mile high from the water. The boat draws so close to a thundering waterfall that you could fill a wineglass with the spray. In fact, one waterlogged guest has done exactly that. Southern fur seals eye us carefully as they sunbathe on a rock.

Perhaps you thought we were exaggerating when we called Queenstown "the adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere." But by now, it has earned the title.

This evening, we'll come together and celebrate one last time as we end our two week vacation together at our closing dinner at one of Queenstown's finest restaurants.

15: Departure Day

The hardest thing about our trips is saying goodbye to a wonderful group of new friends. As we make our way home from Queenstown, however, there's one thing you can be sure of: active vacations like this one draw a special type of person. We depart knowing that many of us will see one another yet again.

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