Program Reviews

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!

This was honestly one of the best experiences I have had in my life. I was really unsure at first but after a few days I could not believe how incredible the program was. I actually enjoy gardening now from all the conservation work I did. I was so surprised about that and so was my family! The work actually turned out to be so much fun. I loved getting up and helping out anyway I could.

I still have a huge grin on my face every time I think for my adventure with Pacific Discovery. I have so many amazing memories and experiences I will never forget. One of my favourite experiences was getting to try a circus class in Byron Bay. I had always had an interest but I've never had the opportunity. My group leader Kim was so awesome she told me about some circus classes and made sure that I got to go to the class by helping me research places and driving me there as well. Another favourite memory of mine is when my group was at Pelorus in New Zealand and we all walked to a waterfall to look at glow worms. It was just so beautiful and so amazing to share that experience with everyone.

Scott and Rachel have created an amazing program. I was so scared about what my group was going to be like and my group leader. I found out I had nothing to worry about. Everyone was in the same position I was. We all wanted to be friends and get along which was so nice. I could not have asked for a better group of people. My group leader Kim was also just so special. She was always there to talk and was so willing to make this trip special for everyone there. It was so nice to be on a program where you could tell everyone involved wanted the trip to be the best for every participant. At times, yes, it was tough but it was worth every minute. I still can't believe how much I have grown. I know now how strong I actually am which I am so grateful for.

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.

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!

Even after months to process, my Pacific Discovery experience is still difficult to put into words. I feel so privileged to have participated in the New Zealand/ Australia semester program that Scott and Rachel so brilliantly planned.

Highlights for me (although difficult to choose only a few) were learning to rock climb, sleeping under the stars multiple times, feeding and playing with eels at Nelson Lakes, staying up late to see a cavern of glow worms light up, meeting my Pacific Discovery family, volunteering at a permaculture farm in the bush, learning to surf in an amazing surf town in Australia and volunteering and exploring the amazing Mimiwhangata Coastal park.

It would be a lie to say the trip wasn't challenging, but the trials are what make Pacific Discovery so unique. On the trip I definitely pushed myself out of my comfort zone which I wouldn't have done otherwise when traveling on my own. Which was awesome. Every trial resulted in a glorious triumph and incredible learning experience. The hardest part for me was scrambling through the cave on the Kahurangi hiking trip. Being claustrophobic, I was definitely scared. Pushing through it with friends and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel was one of the most rewarding parts of the trip.

Although I considered myself an experienced traveler, I learned more I could ever dream of on the trip. I learned so much about the countries we were in, about the people of the countries, relationships with others on the team and strangers all while discovering so much about myself. Scott and Rachel are two of the most inspiring people I've ever met. They are geniuses who have a beautiful relationship with world around them and so many of the people in it. Also I wouldn't have wanted our trip to be lead by anyone other than our leader, Kim. She is so kind-hearted and has a gift for sharing her happiness and knack for adventure with everyone she meets. I always felt safe yet independent during the trip. Pacific Discovery gave me the confidence I need to continue traveling and discovering the world in a way that brings myself, those around me and the earth happiness.

I decided to do this trip as a chance to try things that I had never done before and be in a part of the world that I had never been to. This trip did exactly that. I had never been back packing, or canyoning, or canoeing, or anything of that sort before this trip. My leader (Dan) was as helpful and fun as anyone could have been. He was very supportive and helped everyone learn things they struggled with. By the end of the trip we were all comfortable living outdoors, cooking our own meals, and really traveling by ourselves.

Not only that, but I got to experience one of the biggest rugby tournaments in the world in New Zealand, I went to the famous Steve Irwin Zoo in Australia, oh and I jumped out of a plane 13,500 feet in the air! While all of these things were cool, I really felt I could enjoy these things because I was still giving back to the country. We did many volunteer projects during the trip and it made me feel like I was doing something productive for someone other than me. It's easy to be enjoying all that the countries had to offer, but it wouldn't feel right unless we did something in return.

I knew nobody going into the trip, and now I can proudly say that I keep in contact with everyone from my trip still a year and a half later. This was an amazing trip with amazing people and is truly an incredibly unique experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Scott and Rachel have put together a program unlike any other gap year program offered. Pacific Discovery is not just an ordinary gap year experience, it reaches above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The program is well-thought out, balancing the perfect amount of work and play. When I was searching for a program, I was looking for something that involved a substantial amount of community service, but also a program that allowed me to spend some time focusing on myself and pushing my boundaries. I wanted a program where I could travel with friends and be surrounded by people who were like-minded. I wanted something where I was going to grow as a person and challenge myself. Pacific Discovery blew my expectations out of the water.

Pacific Discovery allowed me the opportunities I would have never received if I had travelled elsewhere or on my own. They have made incredible connections with the people that we worked with and I genuinely felt like I was contributing something when I was doing environmental work. For example, we worked with a park ranger and his family in Mimiwhangata (New Zealand) doing various jobs each day. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that hauling logs into bushes, whacking weeds, gardening, planting trees, or fixing up roads could be so much fun. Working with wonderful, kind people makes such a huge difference. Each day was a new adventure and once we got the jobs done we were able to relax by the beach in the one of most beautiful places in the world. It was incredible to be able to talk to the family and park ranger to see what a difference a group of 13 people can make. One of my favourite volunteer experiences was working on a perma-culture farm in Australia. We were welcomed into a family's home to learn about the perma-culture lifestyle and help them with their home. We stayed in old train carriages that they had turned into quaint bedrooms. During the day we worked either gardening, making a fence, or building terraces. We learned all about sustainable living through hands-on work experience. I could have never imagined how much I learned in just one week. Overall, I was amazed at how many wonderful people Scott and Rachel had connected with over the years and how much I enjoyed working on various projects throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The many adventures that I partook in were definitely a highlight of my life. My favourite part of the whole trip was going on a 90km canoe trip down the Whanganui River. It was near the beginning of the trip and it was a wonderful way to bond with other participants on the program. I was able to spend one-on-one time with different people each day in a canoe. It made us work together and allowed us to get to know one another very quickly. Some other highlights of the trip were learning how to rock climb, being able to stand up on a surf board after a 4 day surf camp, pushing myself out of my comfort level while hiking in Kahurangi National Park, snorkelling with the turtles, matarays, and hammerhead sharks, canyoning and abseiling in the Blue Mountains, spending a day at the most enjoyable water park, white water rafting and not falling out of the boat, and bungy jumping 134 metres off of a cable car. The program allowed me to challenge myself in ways I never thought imaginable and grow into a stronger, more confident person.

Lastly, the people on the trip were what made the trip so incredible. Scott and Rachel pour their heart and soul into everything that is planned. I was privileged to spend the first 3 weeks with Scott on our program and a few days with Rachel as well. It just shows that they care about the participants and they want to make your experience as wonderful as it can be. Also, my trip leader, Kim, was one of the most amazing people that I have ever met. She was well-organized, thoughtful and friendly, made sure everybody was comfortable, had a tremendous amount of life experience, and was one of the most kind-hearted, selfless people I have ever met. Also, the fact that she was from Australia made all the difference when it came to knowing her way around the places we visited. I feel as though I have a second family with Scott, Rachel, Kim, and all of the other participants on the program. I wouldn't have wanted to travel with anybody else.

I highly recommend Pacific Discovery if you are looking for a gap year experience of a lifetime.

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.