Â鶹´«Ã½

New Zealand

Faculty: Holly Shelton and Kelly Chang
Class Meeting Time: Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Trip Dates: May, 2026
Cost: $2,400

A Hobbiton house

Highlights

What is home? Who is a hero? What are the impacts of empire – evil or otherwise?

This trip centers on Aotearoa, the north island of New Zealand, home to Maori, descendents of Europeans, other cultural groups, and hobbits. We will marvel at the natural beauty of God’s creation and how people have stewarded and/or exploited natural resources differently over time and across cultures.

Some highlights of the trip include hiking volcanoes at Tongariro, exploring beaches and islands along the coast, snorkeling, observing wildlife unique to Oceania at the Zealandia ecosanctuary, rafting an underground river with the magical illumination of glow worms, learning the haka tradition of the All Blacks rugby team, touring some key Lord of the Rings sites, and going bungee jumping (as an optional extension). We’ll visit a Maori village and recognize the importance of historical treaty grounds that established European settlement in New Zealand. There will be some free time for choosing your own adventures in the cities of Wellington, Auckland, and Rotorua.

If conditions allow, we may even briefly visit New Zealand’s south island and/or Fiji to round out our experience in Oceania, once again exploring the concept of home and sense of place. Both New Zealand and Fiji have been majorly influenced by Polynesian cultures and the British empire. It also lives in the popular imagination as a place of natural beauty through movies like Lord of the Rings.

So… what does it mean for us to partake of the natural splendor and diverse images of God in humanity across cultures in different times and place on this trip? What has peace, justice, and reconciliation meant in the culture, landscape, and fantasy worlds of New Zealand? Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime trip “there and back again”!

This will be an active trip, including several hikes. Thus, you should be in good condition to participate in these activities, but we will include some lower impact options on days of extreme physical activity.

Tentative Itinerary

Day 1-3 Fly from Portland to Wellington (WLG), welcome dinner
Day 4 Wellington: New Zealand/Te Papa National Museum, Tongarewa & Zealandia Museum, the world's first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary
Day 5 Wellington: Weta Caves and other Lord of the Rings sites
Day 6 Free day to explore your own interests at your own arrangement (optional activity examples: paragliding, ziplining, ferry trip to South Island, whales)
Day 7 Wellington: free in the morning before transfer to Tongariro National Park
Day 8 Tongariro National Park: Hiking around volcanoes. Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage site for both its natural and cultural significance, heralded as the best one-day trek in New Zealand. A lower-impact option may also be available.
Day 9 Rotorua: Visit Wai-o-tapu, a thermal Wonderland, Lake Taupo, at Ngati Manawa land we’ll receive a welcome from our Maori guide, who will take us through the largest man-made forest in the world.
Day 10 Rotorua: Mitai Maori Village where we will learn about the history of the area and an authentic introduction to Maori culture before enjoying a traditional Hangi Dinner.
Day 11 Free day to explore your own interests at your own arrangement (optional activity examples: Kiwi Hatchery, Zorb, ziplining, luge, Te Puia, Whakarewarewa Maori Village)
Day 12 Hamilton: Hobbiton movie set
Day 13 Waitomo: Ultimate underground adventure on a 3-hour Black Water Rafting Labyrinth Tour, including an underground river and caves studded by glowworms.
Day 14 Paihia: Dolphin cruise in the Bay of Islands or guided snorkeling at the Goat Island Marine Reserve
Day 15 Paihia: Treaty of Waitangi grounds, a place where much of New Zealand’s history was shaped through the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Day 16 Auckland: Auckland Sky Tower and All Blacks Experience (rugby and haka)
Day 17 Auckland: Downtown Auckland (bungee jumping opportunity), Auckland museum, harbor trip, Auckland Zoo
Day 18 Auckland: Free time for last-minute shopping, adventure, museums, or rest.
Day 19 Tentatively: South Island or Fiji
Day 20 Tentatively: South Island or Fiji
Day 21 Return to Portland