“New Year’s in New Zealand” offers nine students a series of unique opportunities over 15 days that include physical challenges as well as opportunities to learn about a new culture and to give back.

According to the SMU Outdoor Adventures Web site, the trip will take place from Dec. 27 to Jan. 13, 2010 and boasts a variety of experiences for adventurers of all skill levels, including whitewater rafting, sea kayaking and hiking.

In addition, participants will spend time with and learn about the culture and customs of the indigenous Maori people and engage in service learning with the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

David Chambers, SMU associate director for recreational sports, said the trip was inspired by “New Zealand’s strong attraction for the recreational world.”

“It is a very mountainous country and has everything from beaches to snow. [New Zealand] has a very good culture for adventure recreation,” he said.

Chambers said New Zealand is often a “bucket list” destination for travelers.

For the past three years, SMU Outdoor Adventures has offered international trips, including excursions to Costa Rica and Fiji.

Strong interest in continuing to offer unique, active experiences abroad convinced the recreational Sports department to plan the New Year’s event.

One major reason for going “down under” over the Christmas holiday, Chambers said, is because winter in the northern hemisphere is summer in the southern hemisphere.

That may help explain the steep costs of the trip, which increase after Sept. 25.

Prior to the early registration period that ends this Friday, the cost for SMU students is $4,299. After Sept. 25, the cost increases $200.

Chambers said the airlines are not providing special incentives to travel to New Zealand at that time of year because it is the peak of tourism season. However, nearly all expenses are included in the cost of the trip, including airfare and accommodations.

A major component of the trip is service-learning, which Chambers said has become a staple with Outdoor Adventures.

Past trips to Costa Rica and Fiji have included assisting with chores on a family’s farm and helping collect supplies for handmade crafts.

Chambers said it gives students an opportunity to see what life is like for the native people and to appreciate their culture.

Carol Clyde, director of the SMU Leadership and Community Involvement office, said she has worked with Chambers and Outdoor Adventures and is excited about students having the opportunity to give back while abroad.

Clyde, who just returned from a trip to Rwanda, knows first hand what a benefit doing service abroad can be.

“A lot of times when you’re visiting [a new place], you see things from a tourist’s perspective. It is rare that you see what a culture, a community and people are really like,” Clyde said. “When you do service, a lot of brick walls come down.”

Chambers agrees.

“It’s important to put yourself in their shoes so you know what they go through in their daily life,” he said.

Students concerned about the rigor of the trip need not worry. Chambers assures prospective travelers that the staff and tour guides accompanying the group will assess individual fitness levels and will not force students to go beyond their limits.

Also, students will be staying in guest houses and modern accommodations, not “roughing it” in tents while on the trip.

H1N1, a lingering concern for students domestically as well as those traveling abroad, does not worry Chambers and his staff. He said some of the main priorities for the guides are cleanliness and sanitation, which he said should stave off infection, along with maintaining one’s normal hygiene regiment.

Maia Van Dyke, a senior pre-med major and Presidential Scholar, said she would be interested in the trip.

Van Dyke, who has traveled to both Australia and New Zealand before, said the landscape is not to be missed.

“New Zealand is gorgeous in the summer,” she said.

Van Dyke said, “College is the right time to go, and experiencing it with SMU is great.”

For students interested in learning more information about the trip, an information meeting will be held on Oct. 7 from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports.

A trip itinerary can also be found online at: www.smu.edu/recsports/adventure.