New Zealand & Australia Gap Semester | Pacific Discovery

I had a few months in between graduating college and starting graduate school, and I knew I wanted to travel abroad. I could have chosen to go abroad with my college program, but I decided to take a risk and go with a group of 13 people from all over the world that I did not know. I am so glad that I chose Pacific Discovery instead! Thanks to this program, I have made friends all over the world that are now a family to me, and the experiences that we were able to have together were unforgettable.

I did so many things on this trip that I never thought I could do, and I feel like a stronger person because of it. I had little camping experience and no backpacking experience, so I was worried about the backpacking and canoe trip expeditions. Turns out, those were some of my favorite and most memorable parts of the trip! That backpacking trip was both physically and mentally challenging for me (I'm scared of heights and a little unsteady on my feet at times to name a few things) but everyday I pushed through and surprised myself. My group leader and the other participants always encouraged me and cheered me on, and that was so refreshing especially on longs days of hiking. Those expeditions made me realize that the scenic views are so much more beautiful (how could that even be possible, right?), but they really are even more beautiful when you work for them.

Pacific Discovery inspired me to keep on exploring and to seek out adventure, whether it may be across the world or just around the corner in my own town. And since I'm not new to backpacking and camping anymore, I feel confident in my knowledge and background from this trip to go on some more adventures and can't wait to plan my next excursion!!

If I were to do it all over, I would choose Pacific Discovery over any other program because their main goal is to help you develop as a person by immersing you in different cultures, pushing you out of your comfort zone a little bit, and surrounding you with awesome people through it all. Couldn't be more grateful for this experience of a lifetime.

During my sophomore year of college, I began researching study abroad programs. I came across Pacific Discovery and knew the New Zealand and Australia program was the perfect program for me.

I am so happy I made that decision. Scott & Rachel were wonderful throughout the whole process. The coursework provided by Seattle Central Community College was all independent study with syllables and instructions provided prior to the trip. I loved that there were no formal classes and that I learned and grew so much by living those incredible experiences.

The trip was unforgettable. The itinerary was the perfect mix of outdoor adventure, worthwhile volunteer/conservation projects, and free time. I crossed more things off my bucket list in 9 weeks than most people get to in their lifetime.

The friends I made came from all different backgrounds and locations. We became like family and I can't imagine not ever getting to meet those incredible people.

This program changed my life. There isn't a week that goes by when I don't think about a memory from that time and I would definitely recommend it to everyone!

Pacific Discovery delivers an extremely enlightening, culturally educational, life changing experience to each and every one of its participants! This trip was the best two months of my life, and I am forever in debt to Rachel and Scott for making my life into something meaningful! Everyday was an adventure on this trip, now, months later, the trip feels like it was simply a beautiful dream because I still can't contemplate all the amazing things I got to do! I faced fears while sky diving and jumping off of rocks and had the time of my life. There wasn't a minute where I felt uncomfortable or unsafe. The friends I made are life-long and family to me. My leader, Kim, was unbelievably inspiring and fun! There was never a dull moment. Even on long road trips the group stayed laughing in high spirits. This trip is the epitome of happiness! I'll never regret a minute, or a swim, or a laugh, or a game of psychiatrist! Even the volunteer work was spectacular! Giving back to the world while traveling through it is an amazing experience that you wont get like this anywhere else! The leaders constantly work towards keeping everyone healthy and happy ensuring that their personal trip experience is everything we could hope for and more! I learned more about myself and the world in these two glorious months than I did in all my eighteen years before it! Get ready to cross everything off of your bucket list and prepare for a brand new thirst for adventure and swim every chance that you get!

I started researching gap year programs at the end of my senior year and had no idea what I was doing, but somehow I found Pacific Discovery, and I'm so glad that I did. It was honestly the perfect program for me in so many ways. If I had to describe it in one word, I would say "balanced". First of all, the leaders were so supportive and fun; I really trusted them and it felt like they really trusted all of us. It has the perfect amount of service/learning and exploring/fun. I gained so much independence and confidence in myself and my ability to travel.
I remember during our first week of service, we were camping on this beautiful farm on the coast. Every night, we'd cook dinner in this little wool shed and afterward, we'd sit in a circle and drink hot chocolate and play games like charades and mafia. Honestly, some of my best memories from the trip are just of hanging out and getting to know the rest of the group.
Halloween was also very memorable. It was during another service week, this time we were camping by a lake. During the day, we planted trees and that night we played "Ghost in the Graveyard", which is kind of like Hide 'n Seek, and ate candy. I remember screaming so loudly when someone jumped out at me from the dark trees. It was honestly one of my favorite Halloweens I've had.
I think my favorite memory, though, was of the week we spent backpacking. It rained the entire time, but it was still so much fun. I remember hiking on this windy ridge on our last day; we were all freezing and soaking wet, dreaming about the warm van that was waiting for us at the other end. A particularly strong gust of wind blew the rain cover off of the backpack of the boy in front of me and we both stopped and watched it fly away and he looked at me and said, "It was slowing me down anyway.." and I laughed and we kept walking.
I have so many good memories from my semester with Pacific Discovery and met so many amazing people. I think it gave me the break I needed after school ended. I learned so much about myself and about the world and what I want out of life, which sounds cheesy, but it's completley true. It made me excited about life again and I am so thankful for that.

I give this program a 10/10 in all categories...and I mean it. Whether we were canoeing the Whanganui River, backpacking in Kahurangi National Park, celebrating the Sevens Rubgy Tournament in Wellington, or doing trail maintenance on North Keppel Island in Australia, we were always challenging ourselves, trying new things, growing closer, and having a blast. I went skydiving for the first time (amazing!), I saw a massive Maori cliff carving accessible only by water (we swam for ten minutes to get there), I fell asleep many nights under the starriest skies I've ever seen, and I frequently wondered if the world could really be so beautiful.

I know that there are an overwhelming number of abroad programs to choose from, but I urge everyone to consider this one. You will love it!

Pacific Discovery made the best two months of my life amazing and inspire me to travel. This trip had so much to offer like volunteering, learning about the countries and environment, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and making friends for a lifetime! Seeing Australia and New Zealand from my leaders and seeing how much they both love their country and care for it so much, made me love the countries even more. Trekking through the Kahurangi National Park made of seemed like the worse week of our life with the constant raining but it turned out to be the best and brought us closer as a group and seeing the van at the end of the trail was like hitting the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. During the volunteer weeks it was great talking to the locals and seeing their side of everything. They opened up to us and showed how passionate they are with the work they have done to keep the countries beautiful and green. I love the bonds that I made with my trip mates and happy with the lifelong memories we shared together on this trip. I want to thank Pacific Discovery for showing me how to be a confident traveller and showing me the true beauty of Australia and New Zealand.

Having never flown over an ocean, my flight from LAX to Wellington was very nerve racking, but once I got there, saw the city and the people I'd be spending the next 2 1/2 months with, the nerves died down and I knew my adventure was just beginning. The New Zealand and Australia Semester took us around all of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia, taking in the gorgeous serenity and the bustling cities. We climbed mountains, canoed rivers, helped make the national parks cleaner and better for hikers, we jumped off bridges and out of planes and had an amazing time. It was great being able to give back to the national parks by helping tidy up the paths, because we would've never made it if our trails were cleared and well marked (who knows, we could still be out there...I wouldn't mind!)

The leadership days were really helpful and beneficial to growing leadership skills. Each week or weekend, a new person would be our leader, would assign tasks or "get to know each other" experiences, would have to organize all the housing or gathering of people...I feel like I can now lead a group of individuals who are close to my age but still be looked at as a friend and a leader.

I was pushed on several occasions both physically, mentally and emotionally. I think the biggest example was when we were in the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park hiking up a mountain. No one saw the first stair, but me, and it said something like 3,000 stairs to go. I thought it was a joke. One of the girls, Nikki, myself and our leader Dan, were going full speed up these stairs build into the side of the mountain. About an hour later, we weren't there yet and my legs were on fire. I told them to go ahead without me and I would continue my journey up the mountain. Every 15 steps I would stop and take a breath, turn around and take a photo. I ran into really nice couples along the way and chatted about their experiences, which helped take my mind off the pain of my legs. Dan, our leader, had told us awhile back that all the negatives can easily be turned into positives, just by flipping a brain switch. So although I was in so many physical pain, I turned that negative into a positive, and thought that I was going to have a great butt and legs after this hike! I kept pushing through and was so happy when I saw Nikki and Dan standing at the top...however that was false Summit #1. The next section of the hike was bouldering over massive rocks and boulders (duh!). I lost them once again and it was back to my mental climb. I thought so many times, "I can just turn around and go back to the hostel," but I couldn't let myself do that. I needed to finish this hike by myself to prove that I could. I made it to false summit #2, took a deep breath and looked at the mountain next to me. I was sweating bullets and the mountain one over was covered in snow and there were occasional avalanches that you could hear. All I wanted was to roll in that snow! I continued following the path and stumbling over boulders and came around a corner and saw, maybe half a mile away, this red hut in the distance, and I knew I had made it. I was so proud of myself, being an athlete I thought this hike would be easy...it definitely proved me wrong. Nikki, Dan and I ate lunch at the top and took some breathtaking pictures, then went back down. We even ran back to the hostel, even though our knees were killer and our legs jell-o. We took a nice rewarding break in the hostels sauna. I know that this hike in particular will always be with me and when I think something is too hard for me to complete or push through, I can look back and say "I pushed through then, what's holding me back now?"

Overall, I walked away from the experience being a better person, an adventurer who wants to now travel the world and will always be grateful for this trip, the leader and the people that were involved, as well. I thank Pacific Discovery for the opportunity and I wish others like me will have similar discoveries and adventures!

I had always wanted to travel to New Zealand. As I got older, I decided that I would find a way to make it there while doing some sort of volunteering or community service. After hours of searching, I stumbled upon Pacific Discovery. The program was exactly what I was looking for. It was a environmental conservation program with lots of team building and adventures. I was looking for a program that would help me move out of my comfort zone and experience new things, and that's exactly what I got from Pacific Discovery.

During my trip, I made amazing bonds with my fellow group members and we all became as close as family. We all encouraged and supported each other when times were tough, such as our four day hike in the mountains or during our rock climbing camp.

To be completely honest, words cannot truly describe how amazing I felt this program was. All I can tell you is that not a day goes by where I don't think of my experiences from this trip. The things I've learned and overcome from this trip have helped me see things with a more open mind, and I'm truly happy for that.

If you are looking for a program which lets you experience the true culture of a country while expanding your horizons to many new and amazing experiences, then Pacific Discovery is the program for you!