Pacific Discovery | New Zealand & Fiji Summer Program

I can't tell you enough how amazing Pacific Discovery is. I went on the New Zealand and Fiji summer program and it was literally the best month of my entire life. You get so much for your money and build friendships that last long after the trip is over. My favorite parts were visiting Hobbiton and white water rafting. I went by myself but came back with best friends that I still keep in contact with and visit. I never felt unsafe, it's very well organized but you still get plenty of free time for yourself. Fiji is beautiful as well and a great addition to the trip. The volunteer work is done in beautiful places and you get to really give back to the earth and learn about conservation. I really like how you get to travel both islands of New Zealand and in addition to all the fun adventure stuff you still get to visit museums and other places to learn more about New Zealand's culture. NZ is definitely the most beautiful and amazing place I have ever been and I'm so happy I went with Pacific Discovery. They are a genuine company and the program leaders are so great at what they do.

This program exceeded my expectations! Something I will always look back on and smile about is our week working in Mimiwhangata National Park in New Zealand. This was early on in our program and we worked for a week planting trees and helping around the farm owners in the area. The park was a peninsula with beautiful rolling hills and I don't think there was a day we didn't see a rainbow. There was no cell service so our nights were spent playing games and bonding around the fire. It allowed the group of 13 strangers to become a Pacific Discovery family faster than imaginable. I will forever be thankful for the experience this program gave me and friendships formed. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an adventure of a lifetime.

I came on this trip to get a mental break from life and school and it was truly the best month of my life. I learned so much about life and about myself. The program was rich with adventure and opportunities that I never imagined myself doing: from bungee jumping and sky diving to getting my scuba diving license in Fiji and diving with bull sharks. I never expected the trip that I got. It was amazing meeting up with 13 strangers and by the end of the program I gained a family. Saying goodbye to everyone was one of the hardest things I've had to do. This program didn't only push me out of my comfort zone, it gave me a new outlook on life and made me realize and embrace taking advantage of every second of the day. If you are looking for a trip that will give you a break from school, stress, and anything else this is the trip to go on. I wish words could describe how thankful I am that I decided to go on this trip.

This trip was exactly what I was looking for. We did a ton of fun outdoor activities like rock climbing, cave exploring (with glow worms and cute guides), white water rafting down twenty foot waterfalls, scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, zorbing, kayaking, and mountain biking. We visited Hobbiton, a bird sanctuary, and some hot springs. We also did a lot of educational touring. We visited a Maori museum and sampled ingredients that indigenous peoples used as food sources and for medicinal purposes. We learned a lot about the culture. Additionally, we were able to visit cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Nelson. My favorite thing to do in the cities was explore and visit the farmer's markets. One of the great things about this trip was that once we settled into a new place, there would be a lot of time to explore off on our own. This meant that we were creating our own experiences and bonding with others in the group. We also did a lot of conservation work, planting thousands of trees and relocating flax plants. It was hard work but it was satisfying and it paid off. Our housing ranged from simple, white walled rooms with creaky beds on a farm, to beautiful lodges complete with a basketball court, pool, and hot tub. It is totally worth the trip. Our trip leader and his wife were the founders of Pacific Discovery, and they gave us very valuable life-lessons, mainly that achieving a sustainable lifestyle is completely possible, and you don't have to give up a comfortable lifestyle to do so. You don't have to be a mountain man to go green. I loved this trip so much, and I definitely plan on returning, and maybe even pursue a living here.

This program was an excellent opportunity for me to branch out and relax. After I graduated high school, I was planning on starting college early in the summer. However, my parents offered to pay for the flights for a summer adventure and I needed to take a break from academics. This program was one of the best ways I've ever spent my summer because it exciting, fun, and a learning experience.

The program timing was excellent because we got the opportunity to stay at the beautiful parks for a week and a few days in the cities, but still stopped by some great tourist sites along the way (Hobbiton being my favorite). I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to travel, but is nervous about all the planning and language barriers. The staff are welcoming and it requires very little planning on your part.

Save yourself from a boring summer. Instead spend a month visiting unbelievable places with unbelievable people. Not only do you get to go see cool places but you get to see them in the way they're ment to. The group leader knew the country like the back of his hand and did an outstanding job of sharing everything the country had too offer and made it incredibly easy to have fun. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are everyone is easy to get along with. In fact it's almost impossible not to have fun. Because everyone around you; they're looking to have fun too. Bringing the phrase "good vibes" to a whole new level.

I have always wanted to go to New Zealand, and I am so glad I went there with Pacific Discovery. I was nervous about not knowing anyone and I had never been out of the country before. However, once I got on the plane with my group and we landed in New Zealand that didn't matter anymore. All of a sudden I was surrounded by people where just like me. We all came from different backgrounds and experiences, but we also had a lot in common. From day 1 the PD staff brought us together and made us a family. Regardless of hardships we always came through.

That was the best part about this trip. Every experience from planting trees, to Maori cultural experiences, to snorkeling in Fiji we all shared it together. This trip was the time of my life. I got to live my dream and make a difference while doing it. If I had one recommendation to give anyone who wants to do something like this it would be "Just go." I'll never forget the people I met on this trip or the amazing adventures we had.

Going on a Pacific Discovery trip was one of the best decisions of my life. I went on the summer program to New Zealand/Fiji right after I graduated college. I was having a really hard time with the fact that I would not be going back to school in September for the first time in my life. It was a security that would soon no longer be a reality for me. My friends were all spreading out, I was jobless, I was heartbroken, and I was just not in a great place.

While this trip didn't give me all of the answers, it gave me clarity on a lot of aspects of my life. I didn't think I had much else left to learn after college, but I grew and by the end of the trip, I found myself in a really good place again. I felt like I could breathe and love the world once more. I highly recommend Pacific Discovery to anybody who is graduating college or anybody who needs to just get out.

I went skydiving, scuba diving, planted 3500 + trees, white water rafting, caving, rock climbing...it was an adventure. I'd do it all again.