Dates
Tuesday, June 14
Wednesday, June 15
Thursday, June 16
Friday, June 17
Tuesday, June 14
Heading for Kiwi Country!
We'll arrive at Auckland International, go through customs (you'll get forms to complete on the plane declaring what you're bringing in - it's a good idea to have the basic information about your carry-on instrument at hand in case this needs to be declared), and then meet our tour staff from Present Australia. Our on-the-bus guides will be Loma Priddle and Marilyn Clough and our tour coordinator is Kathy Peterson. Because we've already spent 12 hours on the plane, we take the buses directly to the hotel, and check in, freshen up a bit, and then head out for an orientation tour.
Rydges Hotel
Federal & Kingston Sts, Auckland City
Tel: 011-64-9-375-5900 | Fax: 011-64-9-375-590
At 12:30 we'll load up the buses for an orientation tour of Auckland - one of our first stops will be Mt. Eden, the peak of the narrow part of New Zealand's North Island and we'll see some of the landmarks of this city that straddles the land between the Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea.
After our return to the hotel and a little time to explore our immediate surroundings, at 5:30 we head to the lovely Iguaçu Restaurant for dinner in Parnell Village, one of the enclaves within Auckland that has great shopping and galleries. After dinner, we return to the hotel and you have the evening free to explore Auckland at night.
Wednesday, June 15
Time for our first rehearsal on the ground - after breakfast at the hotel and the arrival of those graduating seniors who couldn't leave on Sunday's flight, we leave at 9:15 for Holy Trinity Cathedral for rehearsal set up and a 10 AM rehearsal of the orchestral program. The cathedral is a fascinating mix of two styles, built 30 years apart, and the stained glass is of modern design and incorporates native themes as well as the usual religious subjects. It's also home to a number of musical events, and is adaptable to a wide range of uses. After rehearsal, we lock the instruments in the basement vault, and head out independently for lunch and exploration in Parnell Village. We'll meet back at the Cathedral at 4:30 for departure to University of Auckland's Waipapa Marae for a Maori powhiri welcome (see information in the New Zealand section of your handout for details on Maori culture and appropriate behavior.) If you'd like to know a little more about Maori music, you might start at The Bone Studio for a look at some traditional instruments.
- Move to the Whare nui (meeting house)
- Exchange activities with the Te Waka Huia performance group and the Native Studies students/faculty
- Observe the kai (pit-cooked food) being lifted from the hangi pit
- Performance by the Te Waka Huia group
- Move to the Whare kai (dining room) for a hangi dinner
- Depart Waipapa Marae for the hotel (appox. 8-9 pm)
When we arrive back at the hotel, your eveing is free!
Thursday, June 16
You'll have a free morning until 1:45 PM, when we'll load back onto buses and return to Holy Trinity Cathedral for a 2:30 performance. After rehearsal ends, transfer a short distance to Barrycourt Conference Center for simple dinner, and return to the Cathedral at 6 PM to get ready for our first concert at 7:30 PM, where we'll be welcomed to New Zealand officially by the US Consul General Siria Lopez. This evening will, we hope, include the first official event of the Stanford Club of New Zealand, a newly formed alumni group who are eager to extend hospitality to us and see what's been happening at The Farm since they left.
Friday, June 17
After breakfast, we will leave at 9:45 AM for Waitakere Ranges Arataki Centre where we can:
- See spectacular views from the lookout
- See the Maori carvings
- Get up close with live displays of native insects 11:30 AMDepart Arataki Centre
- Scenic drive through rain forest
We'll make a stop for lunch on our way to Piha Beach, the best surf beach around for a walk on the black sands beach. We'll return to the hotel for a short break before we head to the Sails Restaurant for our NZ Bing Dinner, which will be followed by hearing the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the New Zealand Town Hall to cap off the New Zealand leg of the tour.
