WWI battlefields tour, New Zealand theatres of war, specialist guide, memorials, NZ Liberation Museum in Le Quesnoy, France.

8 day small group tour commences and concludes in Paris.

Trace the history and follow in the footsteps of New Zealands campaign on the Western Front during the first World War.

Visit the new Liberation Museum funded by New Zealand and commemorating the liberation of Le Quesnoy in France and the capture of the German garrison there.

Learn more about the Kiwis advance from a leading battlefields guide and commemorate ANZAC Day in Le Quesnoy.

Includes an overview of the Western Front and New Zealands involvement, Passchendaele where NZ suffered our highest single day death toll, the Valley of the Somme, the Salient, Messines, Ypres, Tyne Cot, Menin Gate, Polygon Wood, Albert, Le Quesnoy, the new NZ Liberation Museum, Commonwealth War Cemeteries and Memorials.

• Spaces on this unique tour are very limited so apply now
• Commences 20 April
• Commemorate ANZAC Day at the NZ Memorial in Le Quesnoy

8 DAY ITINERARY

We invite you to join us on this WW1 commemorative tour to visit the newly opened NZ Liberation Museum in Le Quesnoy, the battlefields of Western Europe featuring New Zealand involvement, and to celebrate ANZAC day with the people of Le Quesnoy.

Tour commences in Paris Saturday 20 April, and concludes back in Paris on Sunday 28 April

This is a small group tour and is limited to 8 persons.

Major New Zealand memorials*, Passchendaele, The Somme, Ypres, Arras Tunnels, The Menin Gate and Tyne Cot are all included, however other NZ/Commonwealth cemeteries including those listed below are optional and a selection can be included (at no extra cost) should group members have a relation or link with someone buried there and wish to visit. N.B: Subject to: proximity of cemetery to our daily planned route, advice to us (by email including the name and address of cemetery) a minimum of 8 weeks before tour commencement, and time restrictions.

YPRES area

Ramparts Cemetery Nine Elms British Cemetery Bailleul Communal Cemetery Dochy Farm Cemetery This is where the New Zealanders launched their attack on Gravenstafel ridge on 4 October 1917, in the lead-up to Passchendaele.

*New Zealand Memorial Stand on Gravenstafel ridge where the New Zealanders fought fiercely with the Germans.

*Passchendaele Start Line The New Zealanders made it to here in a successful attack, and it became their start line for the attack on Passchendaele. Wolf Farm.This is as far as the New Zealanders got on 12 October 1917.

*Tyne Cot Cemetery There are over 1200 names here, representing every town and district in New Zealand.

Buttes New British Cemetery After the defeat at Passchendaele, this area became part of the New Zealand sector.

Polderhoek Nicholas VC This is where the New Zealanders attacked the German strongpoint at Polderhoek Chateau.

*Hooge Crater The New Zealanders endured a bitter winter here, with the Germans close by.

Gabion Farm This area became the jump- off point for the New Zealand attack at Messines.

*New Zealand Memorial As the New Zealanders advanced, they came across many German dead.

Cabaret au Bon Fermier Making their way into the town, this was one of the first strongpoints the New Zealanders encountered.

St Nicolas Church This position was staunchly defended by a combination of the 3rd Bavarian and 40th Saxon divisions.

Messines Ridge British Cemetery The New Zealand Memorial to the Missing shows the cost of Messines and those who died during the German Spring Offensive in 1918.

*Hyde Park Corner In 1917, the New Zealanders lived in deep dugouts here, preparing for the attack on Messines Ridge.

Mud Corner Cemetery Many of the men buried here fell during the Third Battle of Ypres.

La Basseville Andrew VC In the fight for La Basseville, Leslie Andrew bravely took out an enemy machine-gun position.

*Armentières Mairie Although the New Zealanders socialized here in the town, the area was also their introduction to warfare on the Western Front.

Cite Bonjean Cemetery The cost of learning warfare on the Western Front is evident at this cemetery.

*Ypres Menin Gate Memorial Commemorating at fallen Allied troops.

ARRAS area

*La Carrière Wellington This is where the New Zealanders dug and expanded their famous tunnels.

Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery Visit the graves of the 26 New Zealand tunnellers and the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

Gare d’Arras This is where the New Zealand Tunnelling Company based its headquarters.

Havrincourt Bridge Advancing through here, New Zealanders erected the largest temporary bridge ever constructed on the Western Front.

Metz-en-Couture Cemetery The New Zealanders battled the Germans back and forth over this ground, with intense fighting.

Crèvecœur Attempting to cross the river here, the New Zealanders ran into major problems.

Beaudignies The Germans were falling back, and the New Zealanders and British were in hot pursuit.

The Somme

*Caterpillar Valley Cemetery It was from this cemetery that the Unknown Warrior’s body was taken and returned to New Zealand.

*New Zealand Memorial This is where the New Zealanders and the British attacked alongside tanks.

Flers and tanks Tanks were slow and unreliable, but a couple quickly proved their worth.

Goose Alley It took ten days of bitter fighting for the New Zealanders to take this trench.

Warlencourt Cemetery The losses suffered here by the New Zealanders show the sacrifices made by soldiers at the Somme.

Euston Road Cemetery The New Zealand Division was called back to the Somme in 1918 to help stop the German advance.

* Polygon Wood

* Rossignol Wood In the battle for Rossignol Wood, the New Zealanders kept fighting their way forward, demoralising the Germans.

Grévillers Cemetery The memorial here remembers those who died in the Battle of Bapaume.

1871 Monument Around this monument there was fierce fighting between the New Zealanders and the Germans.

Bancourt British Cemetery The New Zealanders took Frémicourt, but Bancourt was well defended by the Germans and proved costly.

* New Zealand Memorial - Le Quesnoy The Germans were almost surrounded and it became a race to see who could take the town.

* Town Square - Le Quesnoy.

* NZ Liberation Museum

*ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the NZ Memorial in Le Quesnoy followed by commemorative breakfast.

Paris

Free time in Paris to explore at leisure.

Includes

• 8 nights twin share Hotel/Bed and breakfast accommodation.
• Breakfasts daily.
• Private vehicle transport from and return to Paris.
• Commemorative ANZAC breakfast.
• Commemorative dinner.
• Entry to the NZ Liberation Museum.
• Entry to Arras Tunnels.
• Services of an experienced WW1 Battlefields guide.

Price

• $5,695 per person share twin.
• Single supplement: Plus $2,795