I wish I was still there

When I signed up with ISV in October 2010, I had no idea of what to expect once I set foot in New Zealand in May 2011. Turns out, what was awaiting me was an unbelievable experience that I will cherish forever. Not only did I make the best of friends, experience a different culture, travel the whole country, I also made a difference. My group planted around 2000 trees, removed numerous weeds, prepared plants for future ISV groups and I also saved an endangered bird. Our project site looked straight out of a movie, unbelievable scenery I never would have seen if I would not have travelled with ISV. By volunteering, I got to see and experience a side of New Zealand I would never have experienced if I had been travelling by myself. During the first two weeks of my trip, we had a weekend off and we were unsure of what to do with our free time. We asked the locals of Punakaiki and our project leader what we should do and they suggested we take a two day hike, on the Croesus Track near Barrytown. Turns out, that hike is the most memorable part of my trip.

For the last two weeks, we hopped on a bus and drove across the whole country, seeing unbelievable sights, doing many adrenaline packed activities such as white water rafting, black water rafting, glacier hiking, bungy jumping are countless others. I fell in love with New Zealand, its culture, its people and its beauty, and I will never forget the experience I had travelling with ISV.