While sailing in French Polynesia on the Paul Gauguin (800/338-4962) in September ’13, I took advantage of one of the ship’s excursions in Bora Bora: the “Aquabike Adventure.” The excursion cost a total of $299 for two people.
In New Zealand, you can stay at a vineyard overnight in a stationary motorhome that sleeps two (double bed), with facilities en suite, as offered by the motorhome company Maui (phone 011 800 200 80 801).
I took a 15-day tour, “New Zealand Experience,” with AAT Kings Tours/USA (Anaheim, CA; 866/240-1659). It started on Oct. 8, 2012, and was a wonderful trip, with excellent guides and excellent hotels.
In Christchurch, New Zealand, after the Cathedral in the Square was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquakes, the church decided to construct a Transitional Cathedral while deciding whether or not to rebuild the primary cathedral.