New Zealand - Comprehensive I 2025

07 Jan 2025 - 23 Jan 2025 (17 days)

NZD11,595 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth

Tour price (Per person): NZD11,595 * USD6,820 * GBP5,393 * EUR6,502 * AUD10,546

Single Supplement: NZD1,450 * USD853 * GBP674 * EUR813 * AUD1,319

Can be linked with:

New Zealand - Comprehensive II 2025

16 Oct 2025 - 01 Nov 2025 (17 days)

NZD11,595 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth

Tour price (Per person): NZD11,595 * USD6,820 * GBP5,393 * EUR6,502 * AUD10,546

Single Supplement: NZD1,450 * USD853 * GBP674 * EUR813 * AUD1,319

Can be linked with: New Zealand - Chatham Islands Extension 2025

New Zealand - Comprehensive III 2025

05 Nov 2025 - 21 Nov 2025 (17 days)

NZD11,595 - No Spaces Available

Wait List
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Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth

Tour price (Per person): NZD11,595 * USD6,820 * GBP5,393 * EUR6,502 * AUD10,546

Single Supplement: NZD1,450 * USD853 * GBP674 * EUR813 * AUD1,319

Can be linked with: New Zealand - Chatham Islands Extension 2025

New Zealand - Comprehensive I 2026

06 Jan 2026 - 22 Jan 2026 (17 days)

NZD12,100 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): NZD12,100 * USD7,117 * GBP5,628 * EUR6,785 * AUD11,006

Can be linked with:

New Zealand - Comprehensive II 2026

09 Oct 2026 - 25 Oct 2026 (17 days)

NZD12,100 - Spaces Available

Book Now

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Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): NZD12,100 * USD7,117 * GBP5,628 * EUR6,785 * AUD11,006

Can be linked with:

New Zealand - Comprehensive III 2026

27 Oct 2026 - 12 Nov 2026 (17 days)

NZD12,100 - Spaces Available

Book Now

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Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): NZD12,100 * USD7,117 * GBP5,628 * EUR6,785 * AUD11,006

Can be linked with:

New Zealand supports a host of unusual endemic land birds and a rich assemblage of marine birds and mammals. Our comprehensive tour is designed to seek almost every possible endemic and take full advantage of New Zealand’s oceanic diversity. Beginning in Auckland, we target North Island Brown Kiwi, amongst a multitude of other species that will no doubt be lifers. The first of our several pelagic excursions then takes place in the Hauraki Gulf in search of the recently rediscovered New Zealand Storm Petrel and a myriad of other species. Continuing to the fabled Tiritiri Matangi Island, we will bird this predator-free reserve for the prehistoric South Island Takahe, strange North Island Kokako and Stitchbird, before combing the Miranda shoreline for the bizarre Wrybill and numerous migrant waders. We finish our time on North Island visiting Kapiti Island searching for the endangered Little Spotted Kiwi, migrant Long-tailed Cuckoo and Tomtit.

Crossing onto South Island, our first stop is Blumine Island Bird Sanctuary, where the dazzling South Island Saddleback and New Zealand Robin will no doubt entertain us, before we embark on another pelagic adventure into the fantastic upwelling off Kaikoura, searching for an abundance of albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels. Travelling across South Island, we will seek the endemic flightless rail known as the Weka, as well as the critically endangered Black Stilt, before hiking through pristine Red Beech forest surrounded by breathtaking glacier-lined mountains, where Pipipi (Brown Creeper) and the massive Kea can be found. In Fiordland National Park our targets will include Blue Duck, the cute New Zealand Rockwren and New Zealand Falcon, before catching our ferry to the rugged Stewart Island in search of Southern Brown Kiwi and a variety of other specialities prior to another pelagic outing visiting several nearby islands. Our final destination will be Dunedin, where a visit to a Northern Royal Albatross colony and a Yellow-eyed Penguin breeding site will certainly be amongst the many highlights of this rewarding tour. With excellent lodging and meals, awe-inspiring scenery and fantastically friendly “Kiwis”, this is sure to be a tour of a lifetime!

Top Birds

Southern Brown, North Island Brown & Little Spotted Kiwis; Paradise Shelduck; Blue Duck; Brown Teal; New Zealand Scaup; Yellow-eyed, Fiordland & Little Penguins; New Zealand Storm Petrel; Wandering, Antipodean, Southern Royal, Northern Royal, Campbell, Shy, Salvin's & Buller's Albatrosses; Cook's, Westland & Black Petrels; Buller's & Hutton's Shearwater; New Zealand Grebe; Spotted, Rough-faced, Foveaux, Otago & Spotted Shags; Weka; South Island Takahe; South Island & Variable Oystercatchers; Black Stilt; Wrybill; New Zealand Plover; Black-billed Gull; White-fronted & Black-fronted Terns; New Zealand Pigeon; New Zealand Falcon; Kea; New Zealand Kaka; Yellow-crowned & Malherbe's Parakeets; Rifelman; New Zealand Rockwren; Tui; Grey Gerygone; North Island Kokako; North Island & South Island Saddlebacks; Stitchbird; Yellowhead; Whitehead; Pipipi; Tomtit; New Zealand Robin; New Zealand Fernbird; New Zealand Pipit.

Top Mammals

New Zealand Fur Seal; Hector's & Dusky Dolphins; Killer Whale

Habitats Covered

mudflats, estuary, river, pelagic, wetlands, islands, alpine grasslands, mountain beech forest, temperate rainforest

Expected Climate

subtropical to temperate. the south can get very cold. New Zealand often experiences four seasons in one day, so you should be prepared for sudden changes in weather and temperature.

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

mostly very relaxed with some longer walks

Accommodation

very comfortable

Ease of Birding

mostly undemanding

Number of Species Expected

135+

Photographic Opportunities

excellent

What our clients say about us

Erik Forsyth
SS, New Zealand 2018

Erik Forsyth is a brilliant  tour leader and birder;  I would definitely like to travel with him again in the future!

Erik Forsyth
LP, New Zealand 2017

Erik Forsyth's depth of knowledge of the birds of New Zealand was astounding. He delivered on all the species possible, and some even became good friends with multiple good sightings before the trip was through. He was good-natured and managed our group well throughout the long hours of driving on several days. The accommodations were good, as were the night walks for kiwis, the pelagic tours, and the visits to islands and refuges to see rare, endemic and endangered species. I loved the trip from the beginning to the end. We had good weather, too! Thanks, from the bottom of my heart, for the wonderful experience exploring New Zealand. I fell in love with the birds and the country. Thanks, Erik, for making it happen. Four stars, two thumbs up, all possible positive accolades.

Erik Forsyth
PJ, New Zealand 2022

Even though the weather did not always cooperate Erik was able to get us to sites to see the endemic birds of NZ. The pelagic trips were excellent as was Erik's quick response to having to use an alternate boat for our last trip. He was very helpful in allowing me to spend time with a relative I had not seen in a long time and she and I were able to visit while waiting for the Interisland ferry.

Erik Forsyth
SC, New Zealand 2018

Erik Forsyth was excellent, a great guide; professional, knowledgeable, friendly and pleasant to be around. He was also a careful driver who spent many hours driving us around New Zealand. All in all, I was left very satisfied and happy with the tour; and this being my first Rockjumper tour, I was left with a very positive impression of the company and its staff. I would certainly like to use Rockjumper and Erik again!

Erik Forsyth
AW & DW, New Zealand 2018

We thoroughly enjoyed the tour, which covered a wonderfully varied range of environments, scenery, birds, etc., and was a great introduction to New Zealand. Erik Forsyth did a good job of rearranging times and/or dates for two of the pelagics, which were ultimately successful--even given substantial rain and wind.

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