Home

New News!!!

  1. We currently have 23 travelers enrolled. There have been so many inquiries about the trip and several people have expressed to us they will be enrolling soon! Please help spread the word about the transformation people undergo when they step out of their comfort zone and try something new!
  2. If you know anyone on the fence about joining our group, EF Tours is offering a discount for Black Friday enrollees. How much of a discount? Wait for it… well, let’s just say it is exactly 0.00015396 of the total cost of the trip for students – that’s $100. A hundred saved is a hundred earned!
  3. FLASH BOTTLE AND CAN DRIVE – Make contact with a minimum of ten people and request to “take care of their bottles and cans” for them. Make sure to tell people your purpose for fundraising! The Saturday morning following Thanksgiving (11/27) is the perfect day to make requests since people are feeling grateful after the holiday and eager to help out! (If people are like us then there are usually lots of returnable cans and bottles at this time of year too.) If you can collect them that day or during the following week and store them until Saturday, December 7th, we can use my utility trailer to bring them to the redemption center. We are thinking we can easily raise $1000 in a few hours as long as everyone can get 10 people to donate. Utilize Facebook and other social media outlets to reach as many people as possible.

Welcome to the Hefti Science Tours base camp on the web! By clicking on the menu tabs above you will find all sorts of information pertaining to our July 2022 Journey Down Under. Make sure to check out the trip itinerary right away if your bucket list happens to include New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii! You will be amazed by what we have in store for you!

Following our highly successful trips with Pulaski High School students and community members to Costa Rica in 2017 and Iceland in 2019 we will be partnering with EF Tours once again to create a travel program that can best be described in a single word…

Epic.

We are altering the format of this trip a bit compared to the others we have taken. Our goal is to make it accessible to as many people as possible as we are offering an open invitation to community members, friends, and family.

Please feel free to contact Hefti Science Tours if you have any questions or concerns about our next expedition! We hope you will consider joining us for Journey Down Under!

 

Check out these YouTube videos made by past student travelers to get a better feel for what our Journey Down Under will be like – but be warned: they are a tad bit inspiring!

Are you ready to Journey Down Under???

Visit the link to the EF Tours enrollment page: www.eftours.com/2197001zs

Blog

Posted on

Hello world!

In the coding world “Hello World!” is a typical first program so I feel it is fitting for me to start my first blog that way. I am not as fluent a writer as my brother but I need to share some too. Unlike my brother’s witty blogs, I will utilize photos because every picture …

Continue reading “Hello world!”

2022 Journey Down Under Itinerary

15 days educational trip visiting New Zealand, Australia, extension to Honolulu

From afar, New Zealand and Australia may seem similar. An up-close look reveals distinct cultures and personalities.

Both descend from the same British colonial family tree, so you may struggle to tell the accents apart in the streets of Auckland and Sydney. But as you dig deeper in the Maori culture in Rotorua and Aboriginal roots along the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, each country’s individual identity becomes clear.

  • Day 1: Fly to New Zealand
  • Day 2: Cross the International Date Line
  • Day 3: Auckland to Rotorua
    • Meet your Tour Director at the airport
    • Travel to Rotorua
    • Watch a sheep and dog show at the Agrodome
  • Day 4: Rotorua
    • Take a Rotorua duck tour
    • Take a tour of a Rotorua geothermal park
    • Visit a Maori Village for a traditional Hangi feast
  • Day 5: Rotorua • Auckland
    • Ride the Skyline Gondola
    • Travel to Auckland
    • Learn about jade carving in a local craftsman’s shop
    • Take a tour of Auckland
  • Day 6: Auckland • Sydney
    • Fly to Sydney
  • Day 7: Sydney
    • Take a tour of Sydney
    • Visit the National Opal Collection
    • Take a cruise of Sydney Harbor
    • Visit the Hyde Park Barracks Museum
    • Visit the Sydney Tower
    • Take a walking tour of the Rocks neighborhood
  • Day 8: Sydney
    • Explore on your own
    • In-depth excursion at Taronga Zoo and Opera House

Explore two sides of Sydney. Take a ferry to Taronga Zoo, where you’ll join a local guide in discovering Australia’s famous animals and natural habitats. Return to Circular Quay and take a tour of the world-famous Opera House where you’ll go behind the scenes and see what it takes to get a live production on stage. Lunch is included.

  • Day 9: Sydney • Cairns
    • Fly to Cairns
  • Day 10: Cairns
    • Board a cruise to the Great Barrier Reef for an included full day of snorkeling
    • Explore on your own
    • In-depth excursion Snorkeling with a marine biologist

Enhance your time in the world’s largest reef system by opting for a snorkeling adventure with a marine biologist. Learn about the sights and sounds of the Great Barrier Reef from an expert who can teach you more about the animal and plant life you spot in this interactive, aquatic classroom

  • Day 11: Cairns
    • Explore on your own
    • In-depth excursion: Kuranda

Take an excursion to the picturesque mountain town of Kuranda, where you’ll learn about traditional Aboriginal culture and customs through live dancing and boomerang throwing at Tjapukai Cultural Center. A short walk from Tjapukai is the Skyrail gondola, which you’ll board to take a journey through a pristine rainforest that spans Red Peak and Barron Falls stations’ dramatic mountain lookouts.

  • Day 12: Cairns • Honolulu
    • Explore Cairns on your own
    • Fly to Honolulu
    • See the Dole Plantation
    • Visit the Waimea Valley
    • Dinner in Honolulu
  • Day 13: Honolulu
    • Spend the day relaxing on the beach or exploring more of Honolulu
    • In-depth excursion: Luau evening

Follow the gentle sounds of the ukulele to tonight’s luau, a traditional Hawaiian feast under the stars and swaying palm trees. Once you’ve put on your lei, sit back and enjoy the Polynesian art form of hula, as dancers in grass skirts and flowing gowns perform in perfect time to the beat of the drum. A luau feast usually features chicken, fish, pork and a variety of fresh island fruits and vegetables, so be sure to bring your appetite.

  • Day 14: Honolulu • Depart for home
    • Visit the USS Arizona Memorial
    • Tour Honolulu with an expert local guide
    • Dinner in Honolulu before departing for home
  • Day 15: Arrive home

About Us

Brothers Jamie and Jon Hefti are Pulaski community members and experienced travelers and group leaders. They look forward to working collaboratively with trip members to ensure the best possible experience for all.

Jamie is a biology teacher at Pulaski High School and will serve as the liaison between EF Tours and all trip members.  He will manage trip logistics and provide the organizational leadership necessary for efficient international group travel.  Jamie also serves as the teaching assistant for high schoolers looking to earn college credit for their experience by taking a course through Southern New Hampshire University.

Jon is the founder of the Hefti Foundation, a 501(C)3 philanthropic organization committed to raising money for endeavors which enhance the lives of community members.  Jon is a station shift supervisor at Oswego Harbor Power LLC and has excellent management skills.  He has taken the lead on trip fundraising activities and hopes all trip members will take advantage of group and individual opportunities to help defray the cost of the trip.