New Zealand/Fiji Review

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.