NEW ZEALAND SYDNEY STUDY ABROAD IN SUMMER 2020

STUDY A B R OA D I N

NEW ZEALAND
   SYDNEY
    S UMM ER 2020

                Brought to you by

ITINERARY
CHRISTCHURCH
The Garden City

Please note that site visits and speakers are subject to
availability and may change. Final itineraries will be provided as
the program departure date draws near.

DAY 1
Your group flight arrives in Christchurch, the South Island’s
Garden City. On the way into the city from the airport, you will
stop for a site visit at Air New Zealand’s Engineering hangar. A
welcome dinner will be provided at Pegasus Arms, a favorite
local establishment.

DAY 2
Get to know Christchurch on an engineer-led tour of the central
city. You will discover the effects of the Canterbury earthquakes
as well as innovative seismic design first-hand. In the afternoon,
undertake a site visit of the Lyttelton Port and enjoy lunch and
a presentation with the port’s engineering manager. Conclude
the day looking for the endangered endemic kiwi bird during a
tour of Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, and afterwards, take part
in an authentic Maori cultural experience including a powhiri
greeting ceremony and traditional hangi dinner buffet.

DAY 3
Today, you will meet with local leaders in diverse engineering
disciplines. You will learn about cutting edge robotic technology
at Invert Robotics. This will be followed by a factory tour of a
New Zealand-based social enterprise that is developing and
implementing an efficient, adaptable, environmentally friendly
and socially empowering solution to the global housing crisis.
You will also visit the University of Canterbury for a tour of the
Civil and Natural Resource Engineering Department and their
expansive Structural Engineering Laboratory.

Engineering
     The Natural
     Environment

New
Worlds
     New
     Views

ITINERARY
WELLINGTON                         TAUPO
Windy Wellington The Great Cloak of Tia

DAY 4
Take a morning flight to the nation’s capital where you will
be transported to other worlds at Weta Workshop, in the
heart of “Wellywood”, Wellington’s film district. You will see
how engineering brings the movie industry to life through
props and miniature sets like that of Thunderbirds Are Go. In
the afternoon, you can explore New Zealand’s renowned and
interactive national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa.

DAY 5
Witness the distinct changes in landscape as you travel north by
coach to Lake Taupo. Check in to your lakeside lodge and enjoy
a free late afternoon and evening beside the lake for which the
city is named.

DAY 6
Today you’ll investigate volcanic geothermal energy, and the
variety of applications found around Taupo: you will start at the
Geological and Nuclear Sciences Research Centre, followed by
a tour around Wairakei Power Station. Try some local shrimp
during the group lunch at Huka Prawn Park and learn how the
park is also linked to the geothermal energy in the region. You
will also make a stop at the legendary Huka Falls and will finish
the day with a soak in the Wairakei Terrace hot pools and a
group buffet dinner.

ITINERARY
AUCKLAND
City of Sails

DAY 7
On the way north to Auckland, you will stop at the Hobbiton
set from the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film
series. The movie set is still a working sheep and beef farm, and
offers spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges. This will
be followed by a lunch buffet at the Green Dragon Inn. Arrive
into Auckland in time for a free evening.

DAY 8
Make the most of your free day today with a full array of
opportunities available to you in Auckland. You might be
interested in catching views from the Sky Tower, riding a boat
to nearby Waiheke Island, shopping on Queen Street, visiting
the War Memorial Museum, walking along the wharves, or
venturing to one of many chic neighborhoods.

DAY 9
This morning, you will visit the working Chelsea Sugar Factory
where you will learn about the history of the site and see how
sugar is processed from raw product to consumable. After lunch
you will visit the University of Auckland and investigate the
niche discipline of Sound Engineering, learning first-hand how
modern technology influences the music you hear every day.

DAY 10
Today you will catch a ferry from Auckland city center to
Rangitoto Island which emerged from the sea just 600 years
ago and which is the youngest volcano in New Zealand. Climb
the summit track through the world’s largest pohutukawa
forest and the enjoy spectacular panoramic views of Auckland
and the Hauraki Gulf.

Hands
   On
        Minds
        On

Traditional
  Cultures
        Global
        Economies

ITINERARY
Sydney
The Harbour City

DAY 11
Jet over to Sydney in just a few hours on Australia’s Qantas
Airlines. After lunch, undertake a walking tour on which you will
learn about the original inhabitants of the Sydney basin. Your
indigenous guide will explain aspects of Aboriginal identity,
political history, protocols and the issues currently facing
Aboriginal communities. The legendary Sydney Vivid Festival
will likely be running while you are in town, so you may wish to
use your evenings to explore the exhibits across the city.

DAY 12
Continue your engineering site visits today in this dynamic
and global Australian city. Visits are still to be confirmed for
2020, but will likely include a tour of Sydney Metro during
which you will learn about its technology and fully automated
operations; or a tour of Hawker Pacific, the leading integrated
aviation solutions provider in the Asia Pacific region. Your day
may also include a visit to Barangaroo, Sydney’s massive urban
regeneration project that showcases how city populations can
live sustainably.

DAY 13
Today, you will likely visit a software engineering company,
where you will hear about engineers’ creation of a powerful
platform for unstructured data processing. Conclude your RSAP
Down Under experience with a behind-the- scenes tour of the
Sydney Opera House and group farewell dinner.

DAY 14
Return back home on the group flight, or contact STA Travel to
arrange to extend your stay for personal travel.