Planting trees, controlling introduced pests, and building trails may sound more like work than play—but work can feel pretty satisfying when you’re on the banks of a glacial lake, on a gold-sand beach, or on a cliff overlooking waters swarming with dolphins. Teaming up with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC), Pacific Discovery’s monthlong voluntourism journey schools clients in New Zealand’s wildlife conservation and national pastimes: caving, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, and skiing. The itinerary is a true Kiwi full monty, stretching from the top of the North Island to the volcanic wilderness around Lake Taupo to Queenstown on the South Island. Travelers start with five days in the Bay of Islands, where the DOC maintains the country’s largest marine park and more than 500 Maori archaeological sites (terraces, villages, and forts). At Lake Rotoiti, guests assist the DOC on projects like the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project: preserving 12,355 acres of beech forest in Nelson Lakes National Park. Accommodation includes hostels (one on the ocean’s edge) and rustic lodges.

Outfitter: Pacific Discovery; pacificdiscovery.com
Price: $3,150
Length: 28 days
Departs: July

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