Ultimate NZ: Gap Year in New Zealand

The only thing I had to think about was a valid passport, flight tickets and enough clothes to survive for my travels in NZ. The Ultimate NZ tour is well organized so I didn't have to worry about a thing during the whole week. Easy peasy!

I booked directly through Ultimate and they provided me with enough information, tips, and tricks to prepare for my gap year. They respond to you within 24 hours on weekdays or if you send them a message over the weekend, they'll get back to you first thing on Monday. I felt like I could ask them anything and they would help me instantly.

About two weeks before the start of the tour, they even send you an UltimateNZ welcome package by email with all the information you need for the tour, so fun and useful!

The only advice I have is to do your research about when and where you're planning on going in NZ. It was pretty cold when I got to Auckland, so a warm sweater and a raincoat will come in handy if you're planning on going in November.

Also, make sure you have enough money to buy some yummy NZ snacks and some drinks when there's a campfire.

If you're traveling solo like me, don't be scared or nervous. You'll meet so many people on the tour and in the hostels you'll be staying at. Just go with the flow, be yourself and your NZ gap year will be the best year of your life.

We woke up each morning at a decent time, not too early, not too late. This was perfect, because I need my sleep! After breakfast, we met in the lobby for the morning activity such as a city tour or a beach walk.

After morning activities, we had lunch together and got ready for the afternoon activity. This time was spent either digging our own hot pool on the beach, visiting the Cathedral Cove or having a relaxed and cozy afternoon with some games and a hot chocolate.

At night we had dinner together, typically a barbecue or pizza, and then to close off the night we went to a bar in the city or in the Coromandel we sat around the campfire and had a cozy and quiet night in.

Every day is different but just as fun. The longer you spend time together as a group, the more you become a little family. It was just so great to see how everyone got along so well with each other. I've definitely made some lifelong friends!

My biggest fear was going to New Zealand by myself, not knowing how to deal with all the paperwork and having to figure everything out once I got there. I'm so happy I booked the Ultimate NZ tour since they literally help you with everything. I immediately made friends on day one, and I even traveled with some of them after the tour.

Our tour guide Faye gave us so much travel inspiration and made us excited to see all of NZ's beauty. She even helped us to figure out campervans, different hostels, etc. Ultimate also provides you with a SIM card, a meeting at the bank to open up a NZ bank account and much more.

Faye and the entire team at Ultimate made my first week in NZ one of the best weeks of my entire gap year. Thanks, Ultimate!

Definitely the Coromandel. Those three days were unforgettable and my personal highlight of the Ultimate NZ tour. Everything was so unbelievably green, the air was fresh, the water oh so blue. It was the real and pure NZ nature that I was hoping to see and I got to experience with an amazing tour guide and fun group! I miss it already.

I really recommend fpr everyone to start their NZ gap year with the UltimateNZ tour -- it's the best tour ever!