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New Caledonia

Western Pacific Odyssey: New Zealand to Japan

Example 29 Day Cruise aboard Akademik Shokalskiy
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First offered in 2007, the "WPO" is known as a "must do" expedition for any birder because of the opportunities this voyage provides to see some of the rarest pelagic seabirds in the world. This 29-day adventure on the Akademik Shokalskiy, led by expert birding guides, cruises on a route through the South Pacific from Auckland, New Zealand to Yokohama, Japan. If you tire of the wildlife viewing, you also have numerous opportunities for snorkeling, swimming, and relaxation. Visit Papua New Guinea, the Caroline Islands, Honiara, Kolombangara Island, Makira Island, New Ireland, Norfolk Island, Torishima, and Yokohama!
Great Barrier IslandVisit beautiful AucklandNorfolk IslandYokohama, JapanNew Caledonia
Highlights
  • Sail for the rich waters of the Hauraki Gulf where there are numerous speciality seabirds
  • Cruise across the New Britain Trench, an area known to be extremely rich in cetaceans
  • See short-tailed albatrosses and their nesting sites on Torishima Island
  • Spend five exciting days in the Solomon Islands
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Auckland, New Zealand | Embark

Join Akademik Shokalskiy in the heart of New Zealand’s commercial capital, Auckland. Settle into your cabin and join your expedition team and captain for a welcome on board.

Day 2: Great Barrier Island and the Hauraki Gulf

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend the morning exploring the beauty of Great Barrier Island. Defining the eastern extent of the Hauraki Gulf, this beautiful island is largely forest-covered and there will be opportunities to explore ashore or join a Zodiac cruise. In the afternoon, we will sail into the Hauraki Gulf. Continuing northwards we have had considerable success with finding the critically endangered New Zealand Storm-petrel in the water of the northern Hauraki Gulf.

Day 3: Bay of Islands

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Wake this morning in the beautifully protected and historic waters of the Bay of Islands. After breakfast, there will be an opportunity to explore ashore where you might be fortunate enough to find local endemics including saddleback and robins. In the evening, we bid goodbye to New Zealand and set our course northwards, passing Cape Reinga. 

Day 4: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
En route to Norfolk Island, take the opportunity to learn more on seabird identification and listen to briefings on what we can reasonably expect to see once ashore on Norfolk Island.

Day 5: Norfolk Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
After clearing Australian Customs (please note a visa may be required), spend most of the day at Norfolk Island’s remnant forest, home to the three endemics – Norfolk Island Parakeet, Slender-billed Whiteeye, Norfolk Robin and Norfolk Gerygone.

Day 6: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
At sea on a northward course, cross a large underwater seamount, a productive area for seabirds including Tahiti, Kermadec and Collared and White-necked Petrels.

Day 7: New Caledonia

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
New Caledonia is a fragment of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. This small and tropical island has been described as a taste of France in the Pacific, where Melanesian traditions blend with French sophistication. Sail along the southern shores of New Caledonia this morning and amongst the species we will be looking for is the New Caledonian Storm-petrel. Head to the forested slopes of Mount Koghi for the afternoon. This is often the best place to find several specialities including New Caledonian Goshawk, South Melanesian Cuckooshrike, Streaked Fantail, Southern Shrikebill, New Caledonian Crow and New Caledonian Grassbird as well as Striated Starling and Metallic Pigeon, before returning to the ship and enjoying an evening in port.

Day 8: New Caledonia

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
We plan to depart from Noumea very early this morning to ensure we arrive early to Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue. This reserve is home to the unique Kagu, we hope to get good views of this extraordinary bird as well as many other endemics and localised species. 

Day 9-10: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Enjoy leisurely days at sea and a chance to relax, catch up on notes, reading and sleep. Birding can also be good including Polynesian Storm-Petrel.

Day 11: Santa Ana, Solomon Islands

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Located just a few miles offshore from Makira Island, Santa Ana is one of the most easterly of the main islands in the Solomon Islands archipelago. Santa Ana has a distinctive avifauna so we can expect to find an interesting mixture of birds including small island species such as Silver-capped Fruit-dove mixed with some of the Makiran endemics like White-headed Fruit-dove, Sooty Myzomela, Makira Honeyeater, Makira Flycatcher and White-collared Monarch. Santa Ana is also home to an endemic and highly distinctive subspecies of Rufous Fantail and we will also be looking for Sanford’s (Solomon) Sea-eagle and Oriole Whistler.

Day 12: Anuta Island in the Makira Group

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Makira Island is located in the eastern Solomons. Anuta is a small inshore island on the south shore. Makira Island holds its own treasures, including the White-headed Fruit-dove, Chestnut-bellied Imperial-pigeon, Makira Honeyeater (San Cristobal Melidectes), San Cristobal Starling, Makira Flycatcher, Makira Cicadabird, White-collared Monarch, Sooty Myzomela and Mottled Flowerpecker.

Day 13: Honiara

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Anchor off Honiara and depart in the early morning into the forested mountains behind Honiara, here we are on the lookout for a number of the many Guadacanal endemics.The birding here is quite exceptional and there is the potential for a good list of endemics and localized specialties including Ultramarine Kingfisher, Yellow-eyed, White-bellied and Solomons Cuckooshrikes, Common Cicadabird, Chestnut-bellied and Black-and-white Monarch, Steel-blue Flycatcher, Midget Flowerpecker, Brown-winged and Singing Starling, Yellow-faced Myna, Olive-backed Sunbird and the Black-headed Myzomela. 

Day 14: Tetepare Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Located in the New Georgia group of islands, Tetepare is an excellent example of a community conservation project as the entire island has been set aside as a community run reserve. it is the largest uninhabited tropical island in the Southern Hemisphere and there are a number of new Solomon endemics to look for here including the highly localised Dark-eyed White-eye. Other possibilities include Melanesian Scrubfowl, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Island Imperial-pigeon, Buffheaded Coucal, Crimson-rumped Myzomela, Cockerell’s Fantail, Kolombangara Monarch and, if we are extremely fortunate, both the Nicobar Pigeon and the extremely poorly known Solomons Nightjar.

Day 15: Kolombangara Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Kolombangara is a dormant or semi-extinct volcano. Birdlife is generally plentiful and we hope to see the spectacular Sanford’s (Solomon) Sea-eagle, Cardinal, Duchess and Meek’s Lorikeets, Kolombangara and White-capped Monarchs, Crimson-rumped Myzomela, Ducorps’ Cockatoo and Metallic and Singing Starling. We may also have an opportunity to look for the elusive Roviana Rail during our time ashore. We complete customs formalities here prior to departing the Solomon Islands tonight.

Day 16: Off the coast of Bougainville

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today the ship is at sea near the Bougainville and the New Britain Trench. Experience shows that it is a very productive area and it is likely to see Heinroth’s Shearwater, it is also great for cetaceans.

Day 17: Off the coast of New Ireland

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today cruise along the coast of New Ireland, where the day's target is the recently rediscovered Beck’s Petrel. Also there is another chance for Heinroth’s Shearwater.

Day 18-19: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
During these days at sea, the ship crosses the equator – a cause for celebration! There are a number of species to be on the lookout for, including Bulwer’s Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, White-tailed Tropicbird, White and Sooty Terns and the Frigate Bird.

Day 20-21: Caroline Islands

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
We will enter the protected (and historic) waters of the Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon this morning. Once we are clear of Customs we will head ashore and join the guides birding on the main island of Weno. You can hope to see species such as Purple-capped Fruit-dove, Oceanic Flycatcher, Caroline Reed Warbler, Caroline Islands Swiftlet, Caroline Islands White-eye, Micronesian Myzomela and Micronesian Starling. The next morning there will be an option to take a long Zodiac ride to Tol South Island where after a very demanding climb (especially in the heat and humidity of these islands) there is a reasonable chance of seeing the endemic Teardop (or Great Truk) White-eye and Chuuk Monarch. Alternatively join our expedition guides exploring the island of Dublon or take the opportunity for a snorkel during the morning.

Day 22-25: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners
It’s a long-haul to the Bonin Islands and the birding can be quiet, but there is potentially some good sightings including Matsudaira’s and Tristram’s Storm-Petrel, Bonin and Bulwer’s Petrels, Wedge-tailed and Bannerman’s Shearwaters.

Day 26: Chichi-jima Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
We will complete Customs and arrive into Japan at the largest of the Bonin Islands, Chichi-jima, before exploring the settlement and the surrounding area.  During the afternoon we will look for the critically endangered Bryan’s Shearwater. This species is only known to breed on a small islet off Chichi-jima 

Day 27: Torishima Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Landings are not permitted at Torishima Island, but you can cruise close by in hopes of spotting the Short-tailed or Steller’s Albatross. Other species in the vicinity include the Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses, Streaked Shearwater, and both Tristam’s and Matsudaira’s Storm-petrels.

Day 28: Hachijō-jima Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Located in the Izu Islands archipelago, Hachijo-Jima is a picturesque subtropical volcanic island. The island’s two main mountains are the volcanoes Mt Mihara in the south-east and Mt Nishi in the north-west. The island is home to the endemic Izu Thrush, Ijima’s Leaf-warbler and Owston’s Tit. We will also look for Japanese Wood Pigeon, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker and Japanese (Izu) Robin. 

Day 29: Yokohama, Japan | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
After breakfast and completing Japanese arrival formalities, disembark the Akademik Shokalskiy. Bid farewell to your fellow voyagers and board a complimentary transfer from the ship to Yokohama City Air Terminal. 

Ship/Hotel

Akademik Shokalskiy

Lecture hall of the Akademik Shokalskiy

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$10,080
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Main Deck
Two lower berths, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private washbasin. Nearby shower and toilet facilities are shared with other Main Deck cabins. These cabins have a porthole.
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Superior
One bunk (one upper and one lower berth), writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. These cabins have windows.
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Superior Plus
Two lower berths, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. These cabins have windows.
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Mini Suite
Separate bedroom with a double bed and a sofa in the lounge, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. Mini Suites have windows.
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Heritage Suite
Large lounge area, separate bedroom with double bed and a sofa in the lounge, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. Large forward and side facing windows allow great views.
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Main Deck Triple
One bunk (one upper abd ibe lower berth) and one additional lower berth, writing desk, wardrobe and drawers. Private washbasin. Nearby shower and toilet facilities are shared with other Main Deck cabins. These cabins have a porthole.

Notes

- Single clients are matched with a sharer of the same sex in a twin-share cabin. Payment of a single supplement guarantees a single cabin. The single supplement is 1.8 times the price of the voyage with the exception of the suites which are double the single rate.
-Emergency medical evacuation coverage for a minimum of US$100,000 per person required. Contact us for details on arranging travel insurance.
Included
  • 28 Breakfasts, 27 Lunches, 28 Dinners
  • 28 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • House beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
  • One night hotel accommodation in a twin share room (incl. dinner/breakfast)
  • All expedition shore excursions
  • Programme of lectures by noted naturalists
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Required Visas if applicable
  • Laundry 
  • Mandatory medical evacuation insurance

Map

When to Go

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Good to ideal period to travel, and many people choose to visit at this time.

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Beyond expectations! Then again we weren't sure what to expect. Lovely stay at the lodge, met other like-minded travelers (many had their trips planned by Adventure Life) and the owner was a gracious hostess. It felt like you were one happy family, visiting with a favorite aunt.
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