Ride Rail Carts and Jet Boats Through a Forgotten World in New Zealand

AS NEW ZEALAND REOPENS ITS BORDERS to international travelers, Australia-based small group tour operator Intrepid Travel has ramped up its offerings to its neighboring nation. Among their new trips is the five-day Forgotten World Adventures tour through King Country in the Whanganui region of the North Island.

Underground Tunnel Rail Cart Tour in New Zealand
Underground Tunnel Rail Cart Tour in New Zealand. Courtesy of Intrepid Travel

The highlight of this adventure-filled New Zealand tour from Intrepid Travel is a day at Forgotten World Adventures experiencing a ride through 10 hand-built brick tunnels — a kilometer and a half in length — and more than 25 bridges along an old railway line running between Stratford and Taumarunui, passing through both bushlands and hilly outcrops. In Tokirima, guests will enjoy a ploughman’s lunch with homemade baked treats before setting off on a seasonal visit to Lauren’s Lavender Farm followed by a jaunt to Tongariro National Park, with the option to hike to Waitonga Falls.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand, intrepid travel, forgotten world adventures
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Photo by Graeme Murray/ Courtesy of New Zealand Tourism
The Bridge to Nowhere over the Whanganui River in New Zealand, intrepid travel, forgotten world adventures
The Bridge to Nowhere over the Whanganui River in New Zealand. Courtesy of Intrepid Travel

The tour also includes a jet boat ride to Mangapurua Landing in Whanganui National Park for a guided Bridge to Nowhere walk to the Valley of Abandoned Dreams, as well as a canoe trip down the Whanganui River. The new trip starts at US$1,605 per person, including three nights in a hotel and one in a lodge, plus four breakfasts, three lunches, and a dinner.

Also offered on the North Island is the five-day Bay of Islands Adventure (from $1,220), which starts in Auckland with visits to ancient kauri tree forests, the seaside town of Russell, Poor Knights Islands, and a glow worm cave — plus opportunities to see fur seals, dolphins, whales, and penguins. For those who prefer pedaling, there’s also the new four-day Cycle Otago Rail Trail (from US$915) along the nation’s oldest rail trail with stops in the former gold mining towns of Alexandra, Omakau, Wedderburn and Hyde.

Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand, intrepid travel, forgotten world adventures
Poor Knights Islands. Photo by Alistair Guthrie/ Courtesy of New Zealand Tourism

Intrepid Travel also added two premium-level tours — with upgraded accommodations and experiences — to its New Zealand collection, one on each island. The eight-day Premium New Zealand North Island itinerary (from US$2,810) travels from Auckland to Wellington, with visits to Hobbiton from The Lord of the Rings, Rotorua geothermal park, Lake Taupo, and Tongariro’s volcanic areas, plus a private catamaran ride in Wellington Harbor. The 10-day Premium New Zealand South Island trip (from US$3,220) goes from Christchurch to Queenstown, bringing Intrepid Travel-ers to glaciers and lakes, as well as on a Milford Sound cruise and brewery tasting.

The New Zealand adventure tours are just some of the new itineraries from Intrepid Travel, which also include a collection of eight new itineraries in the U.S. that celebrate diversity, including ones focused on Black communities, designed with the National Blacks in Travel & Tourism Collaborative, and Indigenous culture, with representatives from the Crow and Lakota nations.

Hobbiton in Waikato, New Zealand, intrepid travel, forgotten world adventures
The Hobbiton movie set from The Lord of the Rings. Photo by Matt Crawford/ Courtesy of New Zealand Tourism

By Rachel Chang

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