Location
Multiple Locations +2
  • New Zealand
    • Auckland
    • Rotorua
    • Wellington
    • Queenstown
  • Australia
    • Sydney
    • Byron Bay
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Program Tags
Adventure Travel After College College Credit Conservation Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning Post-High School Volunteer Abroad Wilderness
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Activities
Animal Viewing Backpacking Bird Watching Camping City Exploring Hiking Kayaking Mountain Climbing Rafting Remote Exploring Rock Climbing Sightseeing Snorkeling Surfing Swimming Trekking
Timeframe
Fall Spring
Housing
Hostel Lodge Tent
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
22

Pricing

Starting Price
16500
Price Details
All in-program travel and transport, excluding flights
All accommodation
All meals
All expeditions, activities, excursions, volunteer projects and entry fees as described in the itinerary
Experienced Program Instructors and local guides
Informal lectures from resident experts on conservation and eco-tourism
Experiential core curriculum that pushes students to reflect and ask questions of themselves
Certificate of Program Completion
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Meals Park Fees Tour Guide Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance
Apr 13, 2025
Apr 16, 2025
218 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Immerse yourself in the extraordinary landscapes and cultures of New Zealand and Australia with Pacific Discovery’s Gap Semester program. This 10-week adventure is designed for young travelers (17-22) eager to learn and grow through unforgettable experiences. Explore diverse terrains, from the beaches of Australia’s coast to New Zealand’s lush mountains, and engage in hands-on conservation efforts and sustainability projects. The journey includes cultural exchanges with the Maori people, adrenaline-pumping outdoor activities, and opportunities to develop leadership skills.

Transform your perspective, make lasting connections, and build resilience in this once-in-a-lifetime journey!

Imagine hiking lush green trails across New Zealand’s iconic fjords, and uncovering the mysteries of ancient rainforests. It’s an opportunity to connect deeply with the environment and the communities around you. Reach out to learn more!

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

We understand that we have a long way to go in achieving the diversity we strive for among our students, staff, and partners. We are committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive organization, and we recognize that this requires time, effort, and resources. At Pacific Discovery, we deeply value diversity, equity, and social justice, and we are dedicated to creating educational experiences that reflect and promote these values. Our program curriculum incorporates social justice education and encourages students to explore their own identities. To further support these efforts, we offer a 'Diverse Voices' Scholarship.
All of our Pacific Discovery programs are LGBTQIA+ friendly, and our operations team have attended CIS Abroad's LGBTQ+ Allyship Training, to ensure we’re doing what we can to support this community. We provide an open and non judgemental space for students to explore who they are at this pivotal time of their life, and in our admissions process we seek information not only on a student's gender, but their pronouns and gender identity. We’re aware of the differing cultural perspectives of LQBTQIA in the countries that we visit, and can direct students to a semester location where they’ll feel the most comfortable. Operationally we ensure that our instructors use inclusive language and can facilitate conversations with students around their identity, and discuss the rooming situations with LGBTQIA+ students.
Our programs are designed to support students with a wide range of neurodiverse conditions while following our essential eligibility criteria. For students needing extra help, we provide personalized wellness plans . These plans include coping strategies, care protocols, and specific requirements to help them engage effectively in the program. Our instructors have access to mental health first aid resources and are well-prepared to offer strong support to students with these needs.
Our programs offer a variety of physical activities, including hiking, surfing, rafting, and mountain biking. We make sure to accommodate students with diverse needs such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic medical conditions, while working within the infrastructure of the host country and our program schedules. We're mindful of the varying levels of accessibility in the countries we visit and can help students choose a semester location where they feel most at ease.

Impact 🌎

Sustainability is one of the 6 core components of each Pacific Discovery program, where we educate students about the local and global environmental issues, how to travel sustainably, and have them think deeply about their impact and what they can do in their daily lives to affect change.

We recently embarked on a Net Positive Benefit project where we are qualifying what impacts our groups have on the local communities, taking into consideration carbon emissions +/- social impacts +/- conservation impacts +/- community impacts. On our programs, students engage with non-profit organisations such as Litter Intelligence, Scholars of Sustenance, Ulu Mau puanui, Llama Pack project where they directly work for a better future - planting trees, eradicating invasive weed species, helping local communities and food banks.
We make a conscious decision to partner with host communities and suppliers who are passionate about our students' participation and involvement with them being of a positive benefit to the community. We want our presence to enable positive sustainable growth for our partners and this mantra is ingrained in the fabric of our programs.

Program Highlights

  • Rewarding volunteer conservation projects in National Parks and wildlife reserves
  • 3-day 4WD tour of K'gari Fraser Island with stand up paddle boarding and snorkelling
  • Learn to ride waves during a multi-day surf camp in Australia's East Coast
  • Canyoning adventure in the Blue Mountains (swimming, jumping, and abseiling through waterfalls)
  • White water rafting adventure over rapids and the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world

Program Reviews

4.88 Rating
based on 41 reviews
  • 5 rating 95.12%
  • 4 rating 2.44%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 2.44%
  • Housing 4.85
  • Support 4.85
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 17 - 24 of 41 reviews
Default avatar
Caroline
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best 2 months of my life!

A new adventure everyday- whether it was jumping off a bridge into a river, eating kangaroo meat, bungee jumping, attempting to surf, or watching a wild sheep being sheered right in front of you; there was always something new and exciting! I learned so much about myself, as well as being more appreciative of the simple things in life (hot shower, hot meals, shelter from the rain. It is also so important to fill your life with happy company and adventure. Coming from a small family, having 12 people surrounding me at the dinner table every night, for every meal, and every new and sometimes crazy experience, was so special. Our group quickly became family and were so comfortable with each other. Pacific Discovery was always so organized and quick to respond to any questions we had since I signed up for the trip. I definitely felt every penny I spent on the trip came back to support me while I was in Australia and New Zealand. So much was included and the program leaders were so prepared with knowing where to go and knowing the little hide-a-way spots for a hot springs swim or coffee stop. I was hesitant about the camping expeditions of the trip initially, but being open-minded and having positive encouragement from the group made it a fun and easy transition. I wish I could do this trip again tomorrow!

What would you improve about this program?
It was hard to constantly be "on the go". We only stayed in towns for 1-3 nights so always needing to repack got tiring. But we had the perfect balance of free time within the major towns to catch up on laundry and sleep, so it always felt worth it. And of course we were always excited to see new places!
96 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Xinhua
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

pac disco=incredible memories

This trip has been more than I ever hoped for. The volunteer projects, expeditions, cities we visited and the spontaneous moments of pure adventure made this experience completely unforgettable. I’ve really learned how to challenge myself and how to conquer many things, not just including heights and physical activities, but also mentally. Everything we did was just a reminder that you are so lucky to be able to have this type of opportunity where you can fully diverse and immerse yourself into something that is completely bigger than you or any problems that tend to consume your mind. It helps you realize to live in the moment! Not only that, but I was challenged to do and see things differently than what I normally would do. New concepts and ideas were put into my head which not only allowed me to be a better consumer of the earth in a ecco-friendly way, but it also gave me the strength to be strong in any given situation and that self worth is very, very important. And to top it all off, I have met some incredible individuals that I am honored to call my AussieKiwi family. I know that the amazing friends I’ve made here will be friends of mine for a very, very long time. It’s an understatement to say that these two months have been one of the best times of my life. I am eternally grateful for this experience.

What would you improve about this program?
I would love to have more time in the cities we stopped at because there was so much to do and so little time.
100 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Isabella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

From Baltimore to Down Under

Pacific Discovery is totally a one of a kind experience! The equal balance between volunteer, site seeing and adventure is exactly what I was looking for in a program. No day was complete without a swim, which usually happened either as the sun was rising or jumping off a bridge while driving to a new city. Besides all the insane things we did on this trip, the spontaneity each day brought also kept things exciting. One of my favorite parts was after returning home all my family and friends saying "I saw your pictures! I can't believe you did that!"

What would you improve about this program?
Its hard not to drive so much in Australia but maybe spread out the driving and throw more adventuring stuff in.
101 people found this review helpful.
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Julia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Adventure Worth Sharing

I think when most people are young, adventure is all they dream about. I remember sitting at the top of a grassy hilltop. Surrounding us where beautiful, blue bays of clear water. The wind swept over the hills and made the long grasses ripple like waves. An intense sense of peace came over me as we watched the sun slowly dip towards the horizon. Another day in Mimiwhangata has come to an end. Tonight, we will play a few games, eat dinner in our wool shed home, and we will fall asleep beneath the Southern Cross.

What would you improve about this program?
We spent the last week at a farm in Australia, it would've been nice to spend less time there and more time in Sydney. By the end of the trip all we wanted to do was explore, relax, and spend time together. It was difficult to do that at the farm since we were working all day.
98 people found this review helpful.
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Default avatar
Theresa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Such a great experience

I am so happy that my son had the opportunity to travel with Pac Disco! What a wonderful healthy experience. The community is conscious of what I want for family - eco-living, economical use of money and travel, community service, organic farming, working together as peers/mentors/leaders, integration into other cultures. Exactly what my son needed to help him mature into the wonderful young man he is today.

What would you improve about this program?
My only complaint is that the information leading up to the program launch was delivered in different emails. Very hard to keep track of the details.
81 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Grady
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I had a blast!

It was so great! I had a blast! Met some great friends that I will be friends with forever. Learned so much more about myself and how to live within a budget. I really enjoyed it! I would love to do it again!!

What would you improve about this program?
It really was amazing!
79 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Naomi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Trip Ever!

Going on this program was definitely the best decision I ever made! It allowed me to travel abroad with a group of amazing people while doing amazing adventures I would never have done otherwise such as skydiving, rock climbing, abseiling and scuba diving. I have always loved camping so the canoe and hiking trips were incredibly fun, but physically and mentally challenging. So many experiences on this trip pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me grow as a person. The scenery in New Zealand and Australia is breathtaking and the places we went on this trip such as the Whanganui River, Kahurangi National Park and the Blue Mountains are examples of some of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I would recommend going on this trip, I would go again if I could!

What would you improve about this program?
The only thing I would change would be to make the program even longer.
74 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kalob
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Pac Disco is the way to go!

At the beginning of my Pacific Discovery trip, I was a little nervous. Of course, I didn't know any of the people I would spend the next 2 months with. This made for a difficult first could of days. After this passed, Pacific Discovery became one of the funnest and most rewarding things I have every done in my life. A challenge for me in particular was The Crossing, an organic farm we volunteered at on our second week in Australia. It was hard because ALL of the food we ate was extremely healthy. Now, I had never eaten like that before (especially not for a whole week) but after the first couple of days I started to really enjoy the food. The taste and the energy it gave me. This set me up for a great 2 months of healthy eating--which I enjoyed very much. The leader of my trip, Kim, was outstanding. She had so much life experience and knew how to handle any situation, we all learned a lot of valuable travel skills from her. My plans for life are to travel the world and live how we did on Pacific Discovery--happy, healthy, and in the moment.

What would you improve about this program?
The biggest problem for me on the trip was some of the kids had to be babied a little more than I thought was necessary. I know there isn't much to do to fix this but it is what stood out to me most. I always thought to myself, "we're adults, she is our guide, not our mother."
84 people found this review helpful.
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Questions & Answers

My trip was also ranging between 18-22 years old. Most of the people were 18, but I was 22 at the time, done with college, and was the oldest besides the trip leaders. I wasn't bothered by this though because it was still awesome to hang out with such outgoing and motivated people!