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
219 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 33 - 40 of 41 reviews
Default avatar
Madison
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Experience of My Life

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What would you improve about this program?
To be honest, there is not much I would recommend be changed from this program except to maybe be a few days or so longer to allow the group to rest more in between locations during the trip.
78 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sadie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unforgettable

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87 people found this review helpful.
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Serena
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

We woke up at four in the morning, packed everything into the trailer, and piled into the van once again. We should have been miserable, but we were all still smiling.

In New Zealand and in Australia, I woke up each day with bright eyes and ready feet. I had not a care for my aches or pains (though there were always many) and felt full of a never ending supply of adventuresome spirit. It was very rare for one of us to feel a lack of excitement for the day's plans- though, of course, it did happen; living every hour with the same group of people for two months comes with its inherent challenges. But, waking up with the next dawn, I would realize that I was on the top of a mountain in Kahurangi National Park, and that I had trekked all the way up there on my own two feet. Or that I was camping in the bush in Australia, being woken by the laughter of the kookaburras. Or yawning, sore as can be, at Surfaris Surf Camp in Crescent Head, ready to throw myself into the arms of the Pacific Ocean once again, to be battered by its waves until I could learn to ride them. I felt giddy with the beauty of the world and its people. This trip never felt like...a program to me. It just felt like living. Like true, joyous living.

What would you improve about this program?
The truth is, I was rarely unhappy on this trip. The difficulties came when we moved too quickly from one place to another, with no chance to rest in between. This also added a strain on group dynamics which was my greatest challenge.
92 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Nikki
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Time Ever

This program was essential to my successful gap year. Meeting everyone for the first time in Auckland, NZ will be an unforgettable experience. I remember feeling scared, nervous, and awkward... but so did everyone else. Seeing how our group dynamics changed by the end of the trip was pretty incredible. We were so close that we still make time to meet up (after the program)! The people I met on this trip will hold a special place in my heart. We went through some hard times, and the best of times. We laughed, cried, sang, and danced together. They are seriously the coolest people I know, and I am so fortunate to have met them!

On another note, Pacific Discovery provided me with the chance to fully explore New Zealand and Australia. We went on many adventures and I learned some lifelong skills-- both technical and social. I find myself often wishing I was back on this program!

What would you improve about this program?
For the leader to foster more reflections at night. There was a lot of "play" but very little "serious moments". Also, the activities in Australia were not comparable to NZ. Fraser Island was not my favorite.
86 people found this review helpful.
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Sophia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

New Zealand & Australia experience of a lifetime!

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100 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
George
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wish I could do it all over again!

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What would you improve about this program?
One thing I would change is more interaction I guess with people of the countries. We had a good amount of interaction in New Zealand with the locals but not so much in Australia.
89 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Josie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Experience of a Lifetime

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82 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Amanda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My experiences on the other side of the world

My gap year trip to New Zealand and Australia will go on my list of most amazing experiences of my life. Not only was I half a world away from home, but I participated in so many activities that would usually fall outside of my comfort zone. After beating cancer, I thought challenging myself both mentally and physically would be an optimal way to demonstrate that I had gotten my strength back. This trip certainly fulfilled that goal. Not only did I hike over 30 miles or bungee jump from a suspended glass room, but I grew as a person. I learned that attitude is the key to getting through anything and it's the tiniest shift in perspective that allows you to overcome difficulties. I came home so proud with all that I was able to accomplish, with a new optimistic mindset and, not to mention, a few lifelong friends. I would not trade this experience for anything.

What would you improve about this program?
I loved everything about this program, but unfortunately a case of bad weather removed one whole expedition from my specific trip. In the future, I think it would be helpful to have backup trips planned in case of such an event.
87 people found this review helpful.

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!