Walk into Bag End and get a drink at the Green Dragon, and end with dinner on Sydney Harbour. Feed kangaroos out of your hand, get a selfie with a koala, and go whale watching at the peak of the humpback migration. The Māori families who live on top of a geyser field cook lunch in the ground and boil corn for you in a hot spring, with a hundred-foot geyser going off behind the village. Worimi guides drive you out into twenty miles of moving sand dunes and teach you to sandboard down the faces.
Two countries, a week in each, and they feel nothing alike. Rotorua is a lakeside town where the ground steams in the morning and Hobbit country is over the hedge. Nelson Bay is an Australian beach town on a peninsula wrapped in national park. We're out in the hills and on the water by day, and in town in the evenings.
A dream trip to Australia and New Zealand, specifically curated for high-functioning young adults with Autism, Anxiety & ADHD (diagnosed or not). We'll base ourselves in two small towns rather than two big cities, so we can throw ourselves at everything on offer and still get plenty of time to decompress and chill.
Forty-four hobbit holes dug into the green hills of the Shire, with the gardens planted and the washing on the line. Look inside one, then get a pint at the Green Dragon
You get a bag of feed on the way in, and the kangaroos come straight over and stay until it's gone. Get your selfie with a koala, then go find the quokka, the Tasmanian devil, the echidna and the wombats
Twenty miles of moving sand dunes, the biggest in the southern hemisphere. Worimi guides drive you out into them and teach you to board down the faces
The whole town sits on an active volcanic field. Get into a pool of hot gray mud in the middle of it, then watch the biggest geyser in the southern hemisphere go off
Get on a boat at the marina at the end of our street and go out after humpbacks, in the peak weeks of the migration south. The bay has its own dolphins too, there all year round
The last night is in Sydney. Farewell dinner by the water with the Opera House lit up across the harbor and the bridge over your shoulder
We run this itinerary once at a time, with one group. Here is the departure that is currently open. Trips fill up quickly, so apply early.
Trip price, per person
$9,575
Pay a $2,400 deposit to secure your place, then the balance in 12 monthly payments of $597.91, with $597.99 as the final payment, finishing 60 days before departure.Adding the optional Meet & Greet package (round-trip flights from LAX and full arrival support) brings the total to $12,375.
You land in Auckland and we drive south to Rotorua together, which is home for the first week. It's about three hours through farmland and green hills, and New Zealand starts making sense somewhere around the second one. We'll get everyone into their rooms, then eat together. Nothing else is asked of you today.
Executive on Fenton, Rotorua, or similar
An hour out of Rotorua the road turns into farmland, and then there's a gate, and behind the gate is the Shire. Hobbiton is a real place and it is kept alive rather than kept as a museum, with the gardens planted, the washing on the line and smoke coming out of the chimneys. You'll walk the paths between forty-four hobbit holes, look inside one, cross the bridge past the mill, and finish at the Green Dragon Inn, which is a working pub. Back in Rotorua for the evening.
Executive on Fenton, Rotorua, or similar
Eleven minutes out of town is a working farm that has been showing people what it does for fifty years. You'll watch the sheep shearing and the working dogs, then head out into the farm itself on a covered trailer and hand-feed sheep, cattle, deer, llamas, ostrich and alpaca, who come straight up to you and are not shy about it. On the same site is the National Kiwi Hatchery, the only purpose-built kiwi conservation center in the world open to the public, where they bring the chicks up to the glass. Lunch is at the cafe on the farm. The afternoon is yours: there's a park with jet boats, a wind tunnel and a sky swing four minutes down the road, and a wildlife park in native bush nine minutes the other way where the lions are fed at half past two.
Executive on Fenton, Rotorua, or similar
Whakarewarewa is the only living Māori village in New Zealand. Not a reconstruction and not a show: around two hundred people live there, on top of a geothermal field, cooking food in the steam vents and boiling pools the way their families have for three hundred years. They guide you through it themselves, on a marae still used for weddings and funerals. In the afternoon we go twenty minutes out of town to Hell's Gate, an active volcanic valley, where you get into geothermal mud baths and then a sulfur spa.
Executive on Fenton, Rotorua, or similar
Nothing is scheduled. Rotorua is a spa town sitting on a geothermal field, so the easy default is the Polynesian Spa: twenty-eight hot mineral pools strung along the edge of the lake, in town and walkable. Some people will spend the whole day there. Others will go into town, or sit by the lake, or stay in and do nothing at all. Your guides are around either way.
Executive on Fenton, Rotorua, or similar
A day in the forest on the edge of town. The Redwoods Treewalk is a chain of suspension bridges strung between hundred-year-old redwoods, with lanterns hung through the canopy. Then the gondola up the hill and the luge back down it, which is a wheeled cart on a winding track that you take as fast or as slow as you like, and you can go again as many times as you want. We finish at the Secret Spot: wooden hot tubs in the same forest, fed by a freshwater spring instead of a geothermal one, so there's no sulfur in the air and they bring you drinks.
Executive on Fenton, Rotorua, or similar
We drive back up to Auckland and fly across to Sydney. It's about three hours in the air and Sydney is two hours behind, so you land not much later than you left. From Sydney it's two and a half hours north up the coast to Nelson Bay, a marina town on a peninsula with a national park wrapped around it, and home for the second week. We'll get in, get settled and eat together in town.
Mantra Nelson Bay, or similar
Twenty minutes from where we're staying is a twenty-five acre wildlife park with more than a hundred and ten species in it, and it bills itself as the most hands-on one in the region. You get a bag of feed on the way in, and the kangaroos come straight over and follow you around until it's gone. You also get to stand alongside a koala for the photograph. Ninety-three species live there, so the list runs a long way past the obvious: quokkas, a Tasmanian devil, echidnas, wombats, dingoes, five kinds of kangaroo and wallaby, emus, a cassowary, a saltwater crocodile, and a red panda that has nothing to do with Australia at all. The afternoon is at One Mile Beach, which is lifeguard patrolled and about as good as a beach gets.
Mantra Nelson Bay, or similar
October is the peak of the humpback migration down this coast, and the boats go out from the marina at the end of our street. Port Stephens also has a resident bottlenose dolphin population that lives in the bay all year, so the dolphins aren't a matter of luck the way the whales are. The rest of the day is around the marina and the town.
Mantra Nelson Bay, or similar
Stockton Bight is the largest moving coastal sand dune field in the southern hemisphere, twenty miles of it running all the way down to the sea. It is Worimi land, returned to the Worimi people and managed by them, and Worimi guides take you out into it in four-wheel drives and teach you to sandboard down the faces. You get an unlimited-runs pass, so you go until you've had enough. There are camels at the beach end for anyone who wants one. We finish at Birubi Beach, where the dunes meet the water, for the sunset.
Mantra Nelson Bay, or similar
Nothing is scheduled for the morning. There's the lagoon pool where we're staying, the marina, the main street and the beaches, and if the weather took a day from us earlier on this is where it gets put back. After lunch we drive south to Sydney, two and a half hours down the coast, and spend the last night in the city. Farewell dinner by the water, with the Opera House lit up across the harbor and the bridge over your shoulder.
A Sydney city hotel, or similar
Sydney airport is twenty minutes from the hotel, and the roads are empty on a Sunday morning. For those on our Meet & Greet service we'll travel to the airport together and fly home as a group. For everyone else the trip concludes at the hotel, and your guides will help you sort out transport and any last-minute plans.
N/A - Departure Day
What others are saying about WanderRock trips
"Guides are skilled in leading tours and promoting self-confidence while traveling. Kempf explains that these are groups "comprised of young adults that recognize and accept each other as true peers." He adds that "WanderRock creates unique spaces and life-enriching experiences for those that want to safely step into the unknown."'Read Full Article →
"Kempf and Raede, along with their team of trusted tour guides, have put careful thought into every aspect of each trip. Choosing simple and predictable accommodations means travelers have a safe place to recharge, for example. "The support is the curation," says Kempf."Read Full Article →
Our experienced team brings together decades of expertise in travel, education, and supporting neuro-diverse young adults. With backgrounds in education, international tour guiding, and personal experience navigating the world as neuro-diverse individuals, we build and run these trips ourselves.
Co-Founder / Head of Trip Development
Danny Raede, diagnosed with Asperger's and ADHD at age 12, is the Executive Director of Offmap, a training and coaching organization for families on the Autism Spectrum, and the Co-Founder of WanderRock. He has traveled to 19 countries and enjoys making Neapolitan pizza in his spare time. He lives in London.
Co-Founder / Head of Curriculum Development
Ted has been designing programs for neuro-diverse young adults since 2008. With a Masters in Education and extensive travel experience, he brings both academic and practical expertise to our programs.
Lead WanderRock Guide
Eileen brings extensive experience living in Asia and working as a tour guide. She has traveled to 10+ countries and specializes in cultural immersion experiences.
Lead WanderRock Guide
As a neurodiverse individual himself, Shane brings a wealth of international experience, having traveled to dozens of countries across four continents. He specializes in creating authentic cultural experiences and meaningful connections.
Real experiences from recent WanderRock adventures
"This trip to Japan was a masterpiece of an itinerary which provided something that blew me away every single day. Thanks to all of you for caring about me as a person, putting your best foot forward to insure my happiness and giving me experiences unlike anything else that I had ever seen or done."
"The trip I took to Japan with WanderRock was one of the best experiences of my life, I was able to make so many new friends that have similar struggles to me which was so exciting. The guides were great enabling us to experience a new culture which might otherwise be overwhelming, and in a way that made us feel comfortable."
"All the guides were super helpful and friendly and always willing to answer any questions we had on the trip. It was my first time traveling abroad without my parents. My favorite part was Kinosaki I loved the onsens and it was so relaxing and therapeutic.
I also loved all the different foods, I got to try and experience for the first time. It definitely brought out my confidence in myself I know I can do anything I set my mind to. My biggest lesson I learned is that I need to listen to my body whether it be mentally or physically. I also learned that I can travel on my own. I just need to trust myself."
"With my trip with WanderRock to Japan I experienced a sense of inner peace and silence even with autism that I had never had before in my life. I learned to see what's in front of me rather than trying to prepare for the next cataclysmic event that was going to be stressful to me. In my opinion, I was given the right amount of freedom to make my own decisions and the right amount of rules and control to not feel overwhelmed.
Help or support was never far away from me on any of the other individuals traveling with me. I'm the kind of person that struggles making any plans without planning it to death. This was the freedom and safety I needed to truly experience and jump right in. The connections and opportunities I was able to be apart of on my trip in Japan was nothing less then stunning."
"I've always had low self-confidence, and never really held any belief in my capabilities. All of that changed after this trip. This trip gave me a peace of mind about myself I'd never known. I learned what I was capable of when put in an environment that fosters growth and learning, and found a place I felt like I belonged.
I found a new sense of confidence in myself that I don't know if I would've found without going on a trip with WanderRock. If you're on the fence about taking this trip, I highly recommend going out of your comfort zone for it. This trip changed my life for the better, and I'm sure it can change yours too if you let it."
The foundational principles that guide our approach to travel and personal growth
The combination of good stress (from visiting new places, trying new things and the physical act of travel) plus deep restorative rest (from things like meditation, nature, hot tubs, and hanging out with friends) equals growth.
Those who have had more experiences in their life have more contrast, and thus are able to have more perspective about the decisions they make in the world. It's a lot easier to navigate home life once you've had to navigate the challenges of life on the road.
There's only so much that can be done through reading and learning. To get the real knowledge, you need to get out there into the experience of it, experiencing the world with all 5 senses, exploring a foreign town, or meeting new people. There is no replacement for direct, lived experience.
The environments we spend the most time in tend to cause us to act in certain ways. A nice, quiet bedroom with a computer on a desk will promote time spent on that computer. A giant cliff with a waterfall and hiking trails will cause tendencies of hiking.
A transformative journey designed to build confidence, independence, and lifelong skills
Understanding who this trip is designed for will help ensure you have the best possible experience
You must maintain reliable communication during the trip with a working mobile phone that can connect to WiFi or cellular data in New Zealand and Australia.
You should be able to keep pace with the group while walking and handle standing for extended periods during activities.
You should be able to handle changes in plans, adapt to new situations, and maintain stable behavior throughout the trip.
You must be able to handle basic daily tasks and self-care without constant supervision or assistance.
While we strive to make our trips accessible and enjoyable, there are some important requirements to ensure everyone's safety and comfort.
You must be able to:
While we take breaks and pace ourselves, this trip requires good mobility and stamina. October is spring in both countries, so days are mild and evenings are cool.
You must be:
While we provide support and understanding, we cannot provide crisis intervention, mental health counseling, or medication management during the trip. Our guides are not therapists or nurses and are not licensed, trained or equipped to handle mental health emergencies or severe medical situations.
You must be able to:
While we provide group support, we cannot offer constant one-on-one supervision or assistance with basic daily tasks. You must be able to function independently for routine activities.
Your trip includes everything you need for a comfortable and engaging experience in New Zealand and Australia
Breakfast every morning where we are staying
Lunch included on the farm, village, wildlife park and dune days
Welcome dinner in each country and a farewell dinner
We provide 2 different options for starting your trip. You'll choose your arrival option during the application process.
Self-Guided Arrival
Fully Supported Journey
Los Angeles to Auckland is a non-stop, and Sydney back to Los Angeles is a non-stop, so this is one of the more straightforward long-hauls there is. What the package removes is everything around the flight — the booking, the airport, the immigration hall at the far end, and doing any of it on your own. It handles:
You'll be able to choose between these options when you proceed to the application.
Everything you need to know about this trip
Our trips are designed for young adults aged 18-32, though we may be a bit flexible on the upper age limit depending on the individual. The majority of our travelers are in their 20s and early 30s.
Your fellow travelers will be others interested in getting more life in their life. We carefully ensure everyone is a good fit for both the trip and the group, making sure travelers will get along, have a great time, and be able to handle the stressors of international travel.
No. While this trip is designed for young adults with Autism, ADHD and Anxiety, you do not need to have an official diagnosis to join us.
This trip runs with 12-16 travelers plus 2 WanderRock guides. Some of the activity operators cap their group sizes, so on a couple of days we split into two groups and run the same day in a different order.
Two bases plus a last night in Sydney: six nights in New Zealand, four in Nelson Bay, one on the harbour. In Rotorua we take a block of identical one-bedroom suites at a lodge a short walk from the town center, each with its own hot tub and patio. In Nelson Bay we take apartments at a resort built around a lagoon pool, a few minutes from the marina and the main street. You'll share with at least one other traveler of the same gender, and everyone gets a real bed of their own.
Your trip includes accommodations, in-country transportation, breakfast every day, four activity lunches, three group dinners, all planned activities, attraction tickets, and guide services. International flights are included if you choose the Meet & Greet package, otherwise they are not included. Personal expenses are not included.
Yes, travel insurance is required for every traveler, and we verify it before departure.
Your policy must include:
Declare any pre-existing medical conditions when you buy the policy. Insurers routinely refuse medical claims for conditions you did not declare, and it is the most common reason a claim fails.
Coverage starts at around $40 for a straightforward policy and rises with age and declared conditions. You can start comparing plans at Squaremouth. We cannot advise you on which policy to buy.
You upload your policy document to your Traveler Portal before departure. We check that it is in your name, covers your travel dates, and meets the minimums above.
Expect to walk 3-5 miles per day at a moderate pace with breaks. Both towns are small and flat, and most days are a short drive out and back rather than a long march. You should be comfortable being on your feet for several hours, and on the dune day you'll be walking on soft sand.
October is spring in the southern hemisphere and school holidays have just finished in both countries, which is exactly why we go then. Rotorua runs around 63°F (17°C) in the day and cool at night, and the geothermal fields actually read better in cool air because you can see the steam. Nelson Bay is warmer, around 72°F (22°C), and the water is swimmable. Pack layers and a light rain jacket for New Zealand; we don't stop for weather.
Not really. New Zealand and Australia have no tropical disease risk, no malaria, no dengue, no required vaccinations, and drinking water straight from the tap in both countries. The two things worth packing are strong sunscreen, because the sun in this part of the world is genuinely fierce even when it isn't hot, and any medication you take regularly. There's more detail in the trip notes below.
Straightforward, but it needs doing properly. Both New Zealand and Australia control ADHD stimulants such as Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta and Vyvanse. You can bring them, but they must be in the original labeled pharmacy packaging, in a quantity consistent with personal use for the trip, and carried with a letter from your prescribing doctor. Declare them on the arrival card in both countries. If you take stimulant medication, tell us before you book so we can walk you through it.
Familiar, and very good. Both countries eat much the way the US does, with better coffee and a lot of excellent lamb, beef and seafood. If you want something you recognize, you will find it on every street. We can accommodate vegetarians easily. Please discuss severe allergies with us before booking.
Yes. There's a full free day in each country with nothing scheduled at all, a free afternoon on the farm day, and most other days finish by mid-afternoon. This is your time to recharge, swim, do laundry, or explore on your own.
You need one for each country, and both are done online in a few minutes. New Zealand requires an NZeTA, and Australia requires an ETA. Neither is a visa in the old sense, but both must be approved before you fly and neither is granted at the airport. We'll send instructions and deadlines well in advance. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date. Other nationalities should check their own requirements.
Our experienced guides are trained to work with neuro-diverse individuals and create an inclusive, supportive environment. We carefully screen all participants to ensure group compatibility and provide structured activities while allowing for personal space and downtime when needed.
No. This trip is designed for young adults to travel independently. Parents can travel with their child through one of our private trips, which can be built around a family's dates and needs.
Our guides lead the group, run the arrangements in your itinerary, and are with the group throughout. They are trip leaders rather than caregivers or support workers, and the trip includes plenty of unstructured time. Everyone traveling needs to manage their own daily tasks.
We have staff in California and London to provide around the clock coverage, and our guides are trained in first aid. Travel insurance is required for every traveler, and your insurer provides emergency medical coverage, evacuation and repatriation. Both New Zealand and Australia have excellent hospitals with English-speaking staff, and there is a public hospital in Rotorua and another in Newcastle, close to both of our bases.
Parents can contact our U.S. office for urgent matters and travelers have access to Wi-Fi for staying in touch with family. Both properties have fast wifi throughout.
Please read these important trip notes as they contain details and guidance on important things like passports, border entry requirements & more. By booking this trip, you are signaling that you have read, understood and agreed to these notes.
A valid passport with an expiration date AT LEAST 6 months out from the END of the trip is required. Please make sure the name on your passport is your full legal name & matches the name on any airline tickets you book separately.
Please make a copy of your passport and other important documents, and bring 1 copy with you, leave 1 copy at home, and email yourself 1 copy.
United States citizens require an approved NZeTA for New Zealand and an approved ETA for Australia before boarding. Both are applied for online, cost very little, and are usually approved within a day or two, but neither can be obtained at the airport. We will send instructions and deadlines well before departure. Ultimately, you are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. Contact us if you need assistance.
Due to conditions such as weather, transportation schedules, public holidays, availability or other factors, we may make changes to this itinerary before or during the trip. We will advise you of any such changes as soon as possible. On some activities the group may be split across two sessions or two days — this is normal.
You will have roommates on this trip. You will be sharing a room with at least 1 other person (sometimes more than 1). We'd recommend bringing earplugs & an eye mask in case they snore.
We'll do our best to make sure your roommates are the same sex as you and in 99% of times that will be the case, however sometimes due to logistics outside of our control, we cannot guarantee this. (On a past trip we arrived at a hotel in Paris, on the hottest day on record ever, to be told that all the rooms with 3 beds in them didn't have working AC. So we had to choose between different sleeping arrangements than planned... or no Air Conditioning.)
Two bases, with the flight between them in the middle: six nights in Rotorua and four in Nelson Bay, then a last night in Sydney before flying home.
Rotorua, New Zealand: A block of identical one-bedroom suites at a lodge just under a mile from the town center. Each suite has its own hot tub, patio and en-suite bathroom, and every unit is the same, so there is no better or worse room to be allocated.
Nelson Bay, Australia: Self-contained apartments at a resort arranged around a central lagoon pool, a few minutes' walk from the marina and the main street. Every apartment has its own kitchen and bathroom.
Sydney, Australia: One night in a city hotel for the last night, so that nobody has to leave Nelson Bay at four in the morning to make a flight. Every nonstop from Sydney to Los Angeles leaves between 10am and 11am, and the drive is two and a half hours.
Property names are confirmed to travelers before departure and may change if availability moves; the standard and location will not.
Los Angeles, CA: We'll stay in a standard, chain hotel such as a Hilton. (Only applies to those who have chosen the "Meet & Greet" option.)
Life on the road means that you may not get as much privacy as you are used to back home. You'll be sharing a room with at least 1 other traveler and will be expected to keep your sleeping area neat (ish). You'll also be expected to practice daily hygiene (brush teeth, shower, deodorant) so that you don't cause discomfort to your fellow travelers.
There is a full free day in each country with nothing scheduled, a free afternoon on the farm day, and most other days finish by mid-afternoon. This is your time to do laundry, call home, swim, play games with your fellow travelers, explore the area, do some shopping or whatever else suits you.
We travel by private van in both countries, and everything on the itinerary is inside an hour of where we sleep except Hobbiton, which is an hour each way. There are two longer drives: three hours from Auckland down to Rotorua on arrival, and two and a half hours from Sydney up to Nelson Bay after the flight across. Both towns are small and walkable once we are there. Traffic drives on the left in both countries, which is worth remembering every time you cross a road.
A WanderRock trip includes lodging, transportation & activities, but does not include all meals. New Zealand and Australia use different dollars, and both are very close to cashless — tap-to-pay works essentially everywhere, including on buses and at market stalls, and many places no longer take cash at all. Bring a card with no foreign transaction fee and you will barely need anything else. Tipping is not expected in either country. Our guides will help you with any money-related needs during the trip.
We plan for every known contingency, but unexpected things can and do occur when traveling. If such emergencies occur, we'll do our best to resolve the situation. This may include re-routing part of our itinerary due to natural disaster or health concern, extending or shortening the length of our stay in certain locations or other remedies as the situation requires.
Whatever happens, you can be assured we'll keep everyone traveling with us (and family back at home) advised of the situation, and will communicate as much as possible. Please see "Problems & Emergency Contact Info" below for more details about personal issues such as Illness, Meltdowns or Injury.
We require all of our travelers to pack for Carry-On only, which means no checked bags are allowed. You should plan on packing 7 days worth of clothes, as there will be plenty of laundry opportunities along our itinerary. That means that we require you bring a backpack of no more than 40L in size as your main bag. You'll find it much easier to handle a backpack than a rolling suitcase and we will provide guidance on specific brands, sizing & more in our packing guide, which will be sent to you after enrollment.
Bring one set of clothes you do not mind getting sand in every seam of. The dune day sees to that.
Straightforward in both places. The Rotorua lodge has guest laundry facilities on site and the Nelson Bay apartments have a washer in the unit, so nothing needs sending out. Your guides will sort out detergent.
October is mid-spring in the southern hemisphere. Spring school holidays in New Zealand, New South Wales and Queensland all finish in the week before we arrive, which takes the crowds and the accommodation prices with them. That timing is the whole reason for these dates.
Rotorua sits around 63°F (17°C) in the day and drops to the high 40s at night, with rain possible on any day. Nothing in the New Zealand week is weather-dependent, and the geothermal fields actually look better in cool air because the steam is visible.
Nelson Bay is warmer, around 72°F (22°C) and mild in the evenings, with the ocean warm enough to swim in.
Pack layers and a lightweight packable rain jacket. We are not going to stop just because it is raining.
This is the one health item worth reading properly, and it is not the one people expect. The ozone layer over Australia and New Zealand is thinner than anywhere else on earth, and UV levels in spring are extreme even on cool, overcast days. People burn badly here in weather that would be harmless at home.
Bring SPF 50, put it on in the morning and reapply it after swimming and again in the afternoon. A hat and sunglasses are worth packing. The days most likely to catch someone out are the dune day, where the sand reflects the light back up at you, and the boat day, where the water does the same. Your guides carry spare sunscreen for anyone who forgets.
Australia's reputation is largely folklore as far as this trip is concerned. Everything we do with animals is at licensed operations with handlers present. Nelson Bay's beaches are lifeguard patrolled and we swim between the flags, which is the only rule that matters there.
There are no required or recommended travel vaccines for New Zealand or Australia beyond being up to date on your routine ones. Neither country has malaria, dengue or rabies. Please consult your doctor and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) website if you have any specific concerns.
Beyond that, take the same sort of precautions you do at home. Wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer, and maintain proper hygiene.
Our WanderRock guides are here to help you have the best trip you possibly can. They come from many walks of life, from yoga instructors to outdoor adventure guides to people who have worked helping college kids be more independent, and bring their expertise with them to help guide you through the trip.
Unlike a tour guide, they are not deeply knowledgeable about specific touristic attractions & the history of an area, but are trained in things like first aid & CPR, conflict resolution, peacekeeping and basic outdoor survival. On this trip the specialist instruction — the village, the dunes, the farm, the boats — comes from local people who do it for a living, several of them on land their own families have held for generations.
Two days on this trip take place on living cultural sites rather than at attractions. Whakarewarewa is a village where around two hundred people actually live, and Stockton Bight is Worimi land held by the Worimi people. In both places our hosts set the rules, not us.
In practice this means a short welcome before you go in, staying with the guide rather than wandering, not photographing people or private homes without asking, and never touching the cooking pools or the steam vents. On the marae at Whakarewarewa, shoes come off and food and drink stay outside. Your guides will walk you through all of it beforehand, and none of it is difficult once you know.
We expect all travelers to behave in a way that is respectful of the cultures, places & people that we are interacting with, and to be respectful of the other travelers and their preferences. Should issues arise, our guides are trained in conflict resolution and will do their best to diffuse and resolve the situation.
In extreme situations where a travelers behavior is a consistent and major disruption to the group, or in cases of concern for the health & safety of any of our travelers, our guides may, at their discretion, remove a traveler from the group, without a refund.
Abuse & Bullying: Everyone has the right to feel safe & accepted when on our trips. For that reason, verbal abuse, physical abuse, bullying and sexual harassment focused on any person (whether thats a fellow traveler, guide or local person) will not be tolerated, and our trained guides will deal with those situations swiftly. Should a traveler be found to be in violation of this policy, they will be removed from the group.
Sexual Relations: No sexual relations are permitted between guides & travelers or travelers and other travelers.
Sex Tourism: Patronizing sex workers isn't tolerated on any WanderRock trip. Anyone who is found to be in violation of this policy will be removed from the group.
Drugs & Alcohol: Use or possession of illegal drugs (as determined by the laws of the country we are in) is not tolerated on any WanderRock trip. If you choose to drink alcohol, you must be at least the legal age to do so in that country, and we expect you to do so in a responsible manner.
Recklessness: We expect all of our travelers to maintain situational awareness and keep themselves safe. Any traveler who has consistently demonstrated an extreme lack of judgment when it comes to keeping themselves safe will be removed from the group.
Note that we are talking about "walks out into the middle of traffic repeatedly" type recklessness, not "forgets to lock the hotel room door".
International travel can be a stressful & amazingly exciting experience at the same time. Los Angeles to Auckland is a non-stop of about thirteen hours, and Sydney back to Los Angeles is a non-stop of about fourteen. There is a further three-hour flight in the middle of the trip when we move between countries. You also cross the international date line on the way out, which means the calendar loses a day, and get it back on the way home. All travelers need to make sure they are ready to handle the rigors of jet lag, long plane flights, and disruptions to their normal routine, and need to be healthy enough to go on the trip.
Flexibility is a key trait that will help you have a great time. You may have to let go of some preferences you have back home, as we may not be able to accommodate your requests, and may have to change our itinerary at the last moment due to unforeseen circumstances.
When traveling with us, you'll experience the vast array of food available in the world. Some of it will be extremely foreign, and some extremely familiar. New Zealand and Australia are about as easy as this gets — the food is largely familiar, the coffee is better than at home, and there is excellent lamb, beef and seafood everywhere.
Vegetarians are easy to accommodate and both countries label allergens well. If you have certain food allergies, we'll work to the best of our abilities to help you eat food that is safe for you, but can't make any guarantees for many reasons, including lack of control of the supply and lack of choices in smaller towns. If having a certain type of food is a life or death situation for you, this probably isn't the trip for you.
Tap water is safe to drink everywhere we go in both countries, and both have food safety standards comparable to the US. Bring a refillable bottle rather than buying plastic ones.
Both Rotorua and Nelson Bay are small, quiet towns. Violent crime is rare and this is one of the lower-risk trips we run. Petty theft happens as it does anywhere, so keep bags closed and don't leave things on the beach while you swim. We recommend a lock for your bag.
The use of illegal drugs is not permitted on any WanderRock trip, and is grounds for immediate removal from the program without a refund. Cannabis is illegal for recreational use in both New Zealand and Australia, and is prohibited on any WanderRock trip regardless of local law. The legal drinking age is 18 in both countries. If you choose to drink alcohol, we expect you to do so in a responsible manner and in line with the laws of the country we are currently in at the time.
Should problems arise, whether that be an illness, injury, emotional overwhelming event, or lost baggage, the WanderRock guides accompanying you on your trip are your first place to turn to for help. If, for some reason, you don't feel safe turning to them for help, call the WanderRock office at (628) 529-1318 for assistance.
Rotorua Hospital and John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, forty-five minutes from Nelson Bay, are both within reach of our bases, and healthcare in both countries is excellent and English-speaking throughout. Your travel insurance is what pays for it, which is why we require it.
Please read this section carefully if you take stimulant medication. New Zealand and Australia both control methylphenidate and amphetamine-based medications, including Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta and Vyvanse. You may bring them, but the requirements are strict and they are enforced at the border in both countries.
What is required: the medication in its original labeled pharmacy packaging with your name on it, a letter from your prescribing doctor stating the condition and the dosage, a quantity consistent with personal use for the length of the trip, and a declaration on the arrival card in both countries. Carry all of it in your hand luggage, never in a checked bag. Declaring correctly is straightforward and causes no trouble; failing to declare is what causes trouble. If you take any of these, contact us well in advance of booking and we will walk you through it.
Most other common medications are legal and readily available in both countries, and pharmacies are excellent. Note that you will be crossing a border mid-trip, so the same documentation needs to satisfy both New Zealand and Australia. At the end of the day it is ultimately your responsibility to do due diligence and make sure you are complying with all relevant rules & regulations.
Have questions? We're here to help! Reach out to us through any of these channels:
Mailing Address
WanderRock Travel
2443 Fillmore St. #380-2362
San Francisco, CA 94115
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