Pacific Discovery New Zealand & Australia Semester Program
Location
-Multi-Country Locations: Australia and Oceania Region, Various cities in each country
Australia: Brisbane, Byron Bay, Crescent Head and 5 other cities
New Zealand: Auckland, Christchurch, Nelson and 6 other cities
Description
New Zealand and Australia are two of the most ecologically intact and diverse countries in the world - immerse yourself in these amazing countries! Our 9-week experiential travel program offers an inspiring experience ‘down under’, with three week-long volunteer conservation projects in different national parks and marine reserves throughout New Zealand and Australia; challenging multi-day expeditions; and educational adventure travel through New Zealand and Australia's stunning mountain, forest and beach environments.
This educational travel summer program is suitable for high school graduates, gap year students, college students and graduates, ideally 18-24 years.
Pacific Discovery programs combine sustainable educational adventure travel, cultural immersion, experiential education, volunteer and community service projects, personal and leadership development, and tons of fun! For gap year and college students, the opportunity to combine this with optional transferable academic credit gives you an unbeatable study abroad or gap year travel experience.
Since 2001, Pacific Discovery has provided travel study programs for hundreds of students and graduates, utilizing a staff of experienced and qualified program leaders and faculty.
If you have a thirst for adventure, to explore places you've dreamed of, learning through hands-on experiences, and making friends for life, then join us!
"Traveling with Pacific Discovery has been one of the most personally rewarding things I have ever done. The program's small group sizes and focus on responsible travel allows you to interact with a country's local culture, customs, and environment on a much deeper level. I had the time of my life on the trip!" - M Lowrey
Highlights
- Three rewarding volunteer conservation projects in National Parks and wildlife reserves, partnering with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation and Australia’s Parks and Wildlife service...
- Volunteer Project 1: Mimiwhangata, Coastal and Maritime Park, Northland, New Zealand
- Volunteer Project 2: Nelson Lakes National Park
- Volunteer Project 3: Keppel Bay Islands National Park, Great Barrier Reef
- Four multi-day adventure expeditions...
- Expedition 1 – Whanganui National Park, 4-day self-sufficient river canoe journey
- Expedition 2 – Kahurangi National Park, 5-day self-sufficient tramping (back packing) trip
- Expedition 3 – Fraser Island National Park, 3-day hiking and 4WD trip
- Expedition 4 – Surf camp, 4-days learning to surf on Australia’s East Coast
- Enjoying culture in the friendly cities and towns of Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Queenstown, Christchurch, Byron Bay, Katoomba, Sydney
- Whitewater rafting on the Kaituna River
- Parliament tour and National Museum in Wellington, New Zealand’s vibrant capital
- Traveling the West Coast of NZ’s South Island – one of the top-ten road trips in the world – stopping overnight at Punakaiki and Franz Josef Glacier, and an eco-kayak trip on Okarito lagoon
- Day hikes amidst the breathtaking environment at Mt Cook National Park
- Snorkelling with turtles at in Byron Bay
- Canyoning in the spectacular Blue Mountains
- Series of informal lectures from local conservation experts
- Very personalized small group experience, max 12 (compare with other programs of up to 40)
Fantastic New Zealand or Australian program leader/s
The program consists of
1. Three week-long volunteer conservation projects in different areas of New Zealand and Australia, run in conjunction with the Department of Conservation (DOC), New Zealand’s pre-eminent conservation and resource management organization (the equivalent of the US Forest Service and National Park Service). Project work may include species preservation and monitoring, controlling introduced pests, managing visitor impacts, trail building etc. Participants will get a hands-on introduction to strategies initiated to protect and care for these eco-systems and the plants and wildlife they contain.
2. Multi-day outdoor activities including a 4-day surfing camp, a 5-day canoeing journey, and a 5-day backpacking trip. The purpose of these activities is to teach participants the hard-skills needed to overcome the natural challenges specific to each activity and more importantly to teach soft-skills, including lateral thinking, initiative, leadership, decision-making, and teamwork. Participants will experience a great deal of personal growth, gaining confidence in themselves and their abilities.
3. Overland travel component. Travelling through New Zealand and Australia’s stunning mountain, forest and beach environments, experiencing activities such as hiking on spectacular Fraser Island, evenings around the campfire, swimming in crystal clear lakes and rivers. Participants will gain insight into local indigenous cultures, examine historical and contemporary society, discover some of the world's most livable cities, and experience firsthand the legendary Australasian welcome.