Expeditions Schedule:

We are planning the following voyages

January to March 2009 & 2010 - Ecotourism and Science - Pitcairn

See our drop-down menu on Pitcairn (above)
Two & three-week voyages to the Pitcairn Islands with Birders, Scientists, Divers and Tourists. For a voyage schedule click here. We pick up passengers in Mangareva (Gambier Islands). The at-sea bit takes two days to Pitcairn in each direction - berths are available on these voyages and when at Pitcairn you will be hosted onshore with local families - don't miss this opportunity.

These trips include visiting Henderson Island (a World heritage Site), a pristine, uninhabited tropical island - paradise indeed. These voyages depart from Mangareva on Tuesdays and arrive back on Tuesdays. We meet Air Tahiti flight VT951 in both directions.

For more information on booking your passage to Pitcairn click here - or more background information on the Pitcairn Islands in general check out our links page

__________________

SUWARROW NATIONAL PARK EXPEDITIONS:

Join us on a Suwarrow National Park Expedition - sharks, sharks, sharks, not to mention manta rays, whales, uninhabited islands, fresh tuna for lunch and a million seabirds (we don't eat these). These are two week voyages to extremely remote islands.

July 2008 Suwarrow Expedition
Flight: Air NZ (NZ19) LAX to Raro arrives Monday morning at 6am
21st July (Monday) - Depart Rarotonga (Cook Islands) at noon
22nd July - At sea
23rd/24th July - On Palmerston Island visiting Marsters family
25th July - At sea
26th/27th/28th July - Exploring Suwarrow, bird watching, diving etc
29th July - At sea
30th July - Ashore on Nassau
31st July/1st Aug - Ashore on Pukapuka
2nd/3rd/4th August - At sea
4th August (Monday) - Arrive in Apia (Samoa) in afternoon
Flight: Air NZ (NZ26) Samoa to LAX departs Monday night - 12:45am
Price: $2800US

April 2009 Suwarrow Expedition
Flight: Air NZ (NZ19) LAX to Raro arrives Monday morning at 6am
27th April 2009 (Monday) - Depart Rarotonga (Cook Islands) at noon
28th April - At sea
29th/30th April - On Palmerston Island visiting Marsters family
1st May - At sea
2nd/3rd/4th May - Exploring Suwarrow - bird watching, diving etc
5th May - At sea
6th May - Ashore on Nassau
7th/8th May - Ashore on Pukapuka
9th/10th May - At sea
11th May (Monday) - Arrive in Apia (Samoa) in afternoon
Flight: Air NZ (NZ26) Samoa to LAX departs Monday night - 12:45am
Price: $2800US

May 2010 Suwarrow Expedition
Flight - Air NZ (NZ19) LAX to Raro arrives Monday morning at 6am
3rd May (Monday) - Depart Rarotonga (Cook Islands) at noon
4th May - At sea
5th/6th May - On Palmerston Island visiting Marsters family
7th May - At sea
8th/9th/10th May - Exploring Suwarrow - bird watching, diving etc
11th May - At sea
12th May - Ashore on Nassau
13th/14th May - Ashore on Pukapuka
15th/16th May: At sea
17th May (Monday) - Arrive in Apia (Samoa) in afternoon
Flight: Air NZ (NZ26) Samoa to LAX departs Monday night - 12:45am
Price: $2800US

__________________

TOKELAU / PHOENIX EXPEDITIONS (Kiribati):

Nukunonu and Atafu (Tokelau Islands)
Canton, Enderbury, Rawaki, Orona, Gardner & McKean,
Sydney, Winslow Reef, Howland & Baker Islands
Swains Atoll (American Samoa) & Funafuti (Tuvalu)

August 2008 Tokelau / Phoenix Expedition (20 days)
Flight: Air NZ (NZ27) LAX to Samoa arrives Wednesday at 5:30am
6th August (Wednesday): Depart Apia in afternoon
7th August - At sea
8th August - Swains Island (American Samoa)
9th August - Nukunono (Tokelau)
10th August - Atafu (Tokelau)
(date line change)
13th-14th August - Camping on Orona, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
15th August - Birnie, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
16th August - Canton, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
17th August - At sea
18th August - Winslow Reef
19th-20th August - Howland & Baker (USA)
21st/22nd/23rd/24th August - At sea
25th August (Monday) - arrive at Funafuti (Tuvalu)
26th August (Tuesday) - Flight to Nadi (Fiji) at midday
Price: $4000US

May / June 2009 Tokelau / Phoenix Expedition (19 days)
Flight: Air NZ (NZ27) LAX to Samoa arrives Wednesday at 5:30am
14th May (Thursday) - depart Apia in afternoon
15th May - At sea
16th May - Swains Island (American Samoa)
17th May - Nukunono (Tokelau)
18th May - Atafu (Tokelau)
19th/20th May - At sea
(date line change)
22nd May - Rawaki Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
23rd May - Enderbury, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
24th May - Canton, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
25th/26th May - Camping on Orona, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
27th/28th May - Gardner, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
29th/30th/31st May - At sea
1st June (Monday) - arrive at Funafuti (Tuvalu) late in day
2nd June (Tuesday) - Flight to Nadi (Fiji) at midday
Price: $3800US

May / June 2010 Tokelau / Phoenix Expedition (19 days)
Flight: Air NZ (NZ27) LAX to Samoa arrives Wednesday at 5:30am
20th May (Thursday) - depart Apia in afternoon
21st May - At sea
22nd May - Swains Island (American Samoa)
23rd May - Nukunono (Tokelau)
24th May - Atafu (Tokelau)
25th/26th May - At sea
(date line change)
28th May - Rawaki Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
29th May - Enderbury, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
30th May - Canton, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
31st May/1st June - Camping on Orona, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
2nd/3rd June - Gardner, Phoenix Group (Kiribati)
4th/5th/6th June - At sea
7th June (Monday) - arrive at Funafuti (Tuvalu) late in day
8th June (Tuesday) - Flight to Nadi (Fiji) at midday
Price: $3800US

__________________

LINE ISLANDS EXPEDITION (Kiribati):

Papeete, Tahiti (French Polynesia)
Flint, Millennium (aka Caroline)
Starbuck, Malden & Christmas (Kiribati)

October / November 2008 Malden Expedition
30th October (Thursday) - depart Papeete in afternoon
(dateline change)
1st/2nd November - At sea
3rd November - Flint Island (Kiribati)
4th/5th - Millennium Atoll - aka Caroline (Kiribati)
6th/7th November - At sea
8th/9th November - Starbuck Island (Kiribati)
10th/11th/12th/13th/14th/15th November - Malden Island (Kiribati)
16th/17th November - At sea
18th November - arrive Christmas Island (Kiribati)
19th November - Air Pacific flight for Hawaii departs at 6am
Price: $4000US

__________________

Note: Air New Zealand has direct LAX to Rarotonga flights every Sunday evening, and direct Samoa to LAX flights every Monday night - priced at about $600USD each way.

Refund policy:
50% refund if you cancel more than 60 days before departure
25% refund if you cancel 60, or less, days before departure
75% refund if voyage cancelled due to bad weather
Please note that Pacific Expeditions Ltd will make efforts to
re-schedule the voyage in the event of bad weather.

Extra costs include your international airfares, your travel insurance and other costs when ashore on Pitcairn, Tahiti, Rarotonga, Tokelau's, Fiji, Tuvalu, Samoa & Christmas Island.

Read about our June 2005 Suwarrow Expedition here.

Read about Palmerston here.

__________________

Pricing of voyages - a general comment

Most voyages are priced at approx US$200 per person per day - this includes equipment for diving and camping ashore. Discounts are available for group bookings. You can also charter the whole boat for $2,000 USD per day. Then you get to go where you want - and do what you desire - real freedom and real adventure !

Upcoming projects - Science Expeditions

1. Phoenix Islands Restoration Project .
Invasive species eradications and bird surveys are scheduled
for McKean, Birnie and Rawaki in May/June 2008. In June/July 2009 we plan to continue our island restoration projects on Enderbury and Orona.

2. Tuvalu Whale, Dolphin and Shark Survey.
Planned for early-September 2008. Three weeks of cetacean work around all the main atolls of the Tuvalu Group for New Zealand scientists (funded by NZAID).

3. Line Islands Coral Coring Expedition.
Planned for mid-October 2008. Three weeks of coral coring at Starbuck, Malden & Filippo Reef by Georgia Institute of Technology (USA).

4. Vanuatu Conservation Survey.
Planned for late 2009. A month of invasive species surveys and bird counts on the outlying islands of Vanuatu. Establishing rat and cat free wildlife sanctuaries is our long term goal.

5. Lau Biodiversity & Conservation Survey.
First stage is planned for late 2009. For this long term project we are in a joint venture with the Lau Provincial Council (Fiji) to identify suitable islands and reefs for incorporation into a "Lau Provincial Park". This preliminary biodiversity survey is conducted in co-operation with scientists from the University of the South Pacific (in Suva) and conservation NGOs such as BirdLife International and the WWF. This project goes hand in hand with the development of eco-tourism in the Lau Archipelago, and hence will enhance sustainable economic development in these remote islands.

Science Volunteers
Paying volunteers will be considered on these scientific expeditions.
Note: a reasonable state of fitness is essential. Flexibility and good humour in difficult circumstances are essential. Exploration is both fun and hard work – join us to find out.