Questions jim@battenkill.com		Spontaneous Inventions Uncle Jim's TravelingCanoe Circus These special exploratory trips are often of our most exciting and memorable BattenKill Adventures. Usually lead by Jim and Carolyn and senior BattenKill staff, these trips are popular with experienced BattenKill alumni or other intrepid travelers who thrive on the sense of discovery and serendipity that occur on first time forays into to new places. You are part of the exploration, setting the plans for those to follow, by helping make decisions what to do next, which route sounds most interesting, sharing insights with guides and local people about your highlights and what needs improvement. · Canoe New Zealand New Zealand, where the outdoors is a way of life: adventures on water, snow, rock, and dirt pile up in every corner of this cluster of islands. We will spend several days on one of New Zealand's best canoeing routes, the Whanganui River, a large river freckled with class I and II rapids as it carves its way between the distant snow capped giants of Mts. Taranake and Ruapehu. Another day we will be off to paddle the Mangatainoka, a natural thermal pool. Our 10 days will be filled with adventure since New Zealand is a land of astounding contrasts roughly the size of Colorado. There are subtropical rainforests, crystal-clear lakes and rivers, volcanoes, and thermal springs scattered around the islands. Green rolling hills dotted with sheep and seemingly endless forests are often just an hour's drive from rugged mountains and semi-desert areas. Expect classic BattenKill inn to inn river touring. Congenial hotels provide hospitality, lodging and meals along the way and classic New Zealand hospitality. Canoe New Zealand will be first offered on April 17-27, 2005. Canoe Belize Azure blue rivers, ancient Mayan ruins, and a lush tropical setting are the perfect ingredients for our newest trip. Belize offers a wonderful blend of old and new and the canoe is a glorious way to discover this tiny Central American country. We meet in Belize City, but don’t linger long before heading off to Lamanai Outpost Lodge on the New River Lagoon. We arrive at the lodge by canoe and quickly feel at home after a warm welcome by Mark and Monique and their staff. We settle in and begin to relax in the comfort of our thatched roofs cabins and start to soak in the sounds and smells of the tropics. While at Lamanai we will enjoy paddling on quiet rivers, ideal for bird watching, exploring the Mayan ruins of Lamanai and perhaps sitting in on an evening lecture. From Lamanai we continue to discover Belize as well as neighboring Guatemala. We plan to enjoy a day of paddling on the Belize river and then spend two days at Tikal. Situated deep in the jungle the towering pyramids rise above the jungle’s green canopy to catch the sun. As we visit the site and wander from one site to another we will be taken in by the lush vegetation, animal life and peacefulness that all contribute to this wonderful experience. Lodging at the Tikal Inn allows us to enjoy easy access to the site and have the opportunity to experience sunsets and sunrises over this ancient mystical site. From Tikal we journey back to Belize and the Mountain Pine Ridge. Here we will have an abundant of activities to choose from while being pampered in the evenings at Five Sister’s Lodge. Paddling choices are plentiful with the river Macal offering many miles to choose from. More Mayan ruins at Caracol and cave paddling will also fill our days. Belize is waiting to be enjoyed and we invite you to join us and discover it’s magic for yourself. We will return to Belize on January 6-16, 2005.   Contact Us BattenKill Canoe, Ltd. 800.421.5268 or 802.362.2800 fax--802.362.0159 ©2002 BattenKill Canoe, Ltd.. All rights reserved