Semester Abroad in New Zealand & Australia - Conservation

This program is perfect for someone that loves and appreciates the outdoors and is very active. I had an amazing experience and made some unforgettable memories. I also made amazing new friendship with the other people on the program.

Pacific Discovery was an amazing experience! I formed amazing friendships and did countless bucket list activities. This program allowed me to grow as a person and push past my comfort zone. You won’t regret signing up for one of their trips.

The New Zealand and Australia trip was a wonderful experience for our son. The group experience allowed him to travel to a new country in a safe environment without family. He wanted to travel independently but we wanted him to learn within a safe environment first. Pacific Discovery has given him the skills knowledge to now go out and travel on his own.

I have been on the Australia/New Zealand gap semester, had an amazing time here did so many cool tings, had amazing instructors and learned so much about a lot of things and it also changed my life in an positive way! I can really recommend it for people how really love to travel and learn and enjoy doing outdoor activity’s

The 70 days I spent pacific discovery in Aus/NZ were absolutely unforgettable. My instructors were absolutely incredible people. Both were so knowledgeable and so qualified to lead us. The program was the perfect mix of freedom and structure. It was a great mix of camping/hostels. I learned so much about myself and the world I live in. I gained more than I could have ever imagined. New Zealand is the most incredible place I have ever been and you will never want to leave. If you are at all considering this program, DO IT. There is so much joy on the other side of the fear holding you back

Pacific Discovery gave me one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. The 10-week gap year program was a perfect mix of adventure, learning, and personal growth. The staff were very knowledgeable, and always there to encourage us. I left with lifelong friends and memories, plus a newfound appreciation for nature and different cultures. If you're looking for a meaningful, eye opening adventure, I can't recommend Pacific Discovery enough!

Pacific Discovery gave me one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. The 10-week gap year program was a perfect mix of adventure, learning, and personal growth. The staff were very knowledgeable, and always there to encourage us. I left with lifelong friends and memories, plus a newfound appreciation for nature and different cultures. If you're looking for a meaningful, eye opening adventure, I can't recommend Pacific Discovery enough!

The Australia and New Zealand semester was the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on! From the beautiful beaches of AUS to the stunning southern alps of New Zealand, every single activity and view on this trip was amazing. There is nowhere I would rather have spent the last 70 days, and no group I would rather have been with!

The Australia and New Zealand semester was the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on! From the beautiful beaches of AUS to the stunning southern alps of New Zealand, every single activity and view on this trip was amazing. There is nowhere I would rather have spent the last 70 days, and no group I would rather have been with!

I had an amazing time with amazing people on the Australia New Zealand Gap semester! It was an incredible program that showed us how to live and travel more sustainably, make the most of our time with every experience, and learn from others we meet along the way! I definitely recommend this program!!

I had an amazing time with amazing people on the Australia New Zealand Gap semester! It was an incredible program that showed us how to live and travel more sustainably, make the most of our time with every experience, and learn from others we meet along the way! I definitely recommend this program!!

I came into this program with different circumstances than most people. I didn’t necessarily feel like I needed a gap year, but my top choice college offered me admission for the class of 2028, meaning I would have to take a year off. I liked this program when I looked at it and I signed up, but I didn’t really come with any major or specific plans or goals in mind. I ended up growing not just in areas I knew I was going to be challenged in, but in so much more that I didn’t even know about myself. I am leaving this program as someone who is much more thoughtful about myself and my action, and I am more motivated than ever to focus on being the best I can in things that I am interested in, even if that means facing you do challenges along the way. These 10 weeks truly were s life changing experience and I am extremely grateful I was pushed into taking the year off and am very glad I signed up for pacific discovery. Thank you!

This trip was like no other. I did things I never dreamed of doing and loved every second. I accomplished things I didn’t think were possible and grew so incredibly independent, confident, and free spirited.

I gained a lot of good travel skills, such as flying on a plane by myself, cohabitation with others, conflict management, etc. I would recommend this program because you get two countries out of it and you get to explore cultures that school didn’t really teach you about!

Being on a PD program is a cool experience, because this environment teaches you a lot about how to deal with future struggles. For example: how to deal with people, who are really different than you are. I would recommend this program, because it offers more than just gap year/ travel experience. It taught me a lot about my own personality, abilities and my growth. I think this program challenges you to step out of your comfort zone, and led me to being more confident. This is an opportunity to learn about nature, culture, yourself, new physical activities, hoe to approve certain situations and personality trades.

Going on the New Zealand and Australia gap semester program with Pacific Discovery was one of the best decisions of my life. I learned so much about myself, the world around me, and made lifelong friends.

Became more comfortable with being uncomfortable. A good opportunity to have reflection time and work on finding yourself. Lean into the negative things more and use your positivity to help others when they need it. A perfect way to distance myself from my normal home life. Great opportunity to explore myself and my values. Loads of time to reflect.

I became more invested in nature and being outdoors. This trip has inspired me to become more aware of how I affect the planet and how I can help change my own life. This trip also helped me overcome my fears and had me try new things I ended up loving.

This was an incredible trip and I highly recommend it to any prospective students. I made such amazing friends, saw so many amazing places, and did so many cool activities. It was the experience of a lifetime and I would do it 1000 times over.

I feel like I have become more independent. I would recommend it to others because it was a once in a lifetime experience. I felt like I came into the program with an open mind which I think was the best decision for me.

My time in New Zealand and Australia with Pacific Discovery has forever changed my perspective on life. I pushed myself to try a myriad of activities such as skydiving, rafting, canyoning, etc. which helped me expand my comfort zone. I learned how to fully appreciate nature and all it has to offer as well as the local cultures from different parts of the world. Lastly, I realized that just because you are put with a group of strangers you just met, it doesn’t mean there has to be conflict or drama; our group bonded very quickly and I made what I believe are going to be lifelong friends that I am very grateful for and this experience would not have been the same without them.

This program taught me so much about the importance of being open minded and curious about the world. It encouraged me to try new things and expand my comfort zone. I definitely feel like I came out of it more mature and empowered.

I loved my Pacific Discovery experience. Getting the opportunity to travel a new place with experienced instructors and a whole group of new best friends was one of the best things to ever happen to me. This was life changing and I will never forget it.

This program has been a fantastic experience for me. This trip gave me the opportunity to focus on my mental health and how I choose to live my life. This trip made me realize how negative self talk can affect my mood as well as my self image. I was able to understand on this trip that whether things are going well or if things are going badly for me it’s up to me to be positive about it.

I met 11 of my new best friends on this trip. This trip gave me the opportunity to go to places I never imagined I would go to. After this trip I am more self sufficient and confident in my abilities to travel alone!

Visiting Australia and New Zealand had always been on my bucket list, and I couldn't be happier that I got the opportunity to experience it with Pacific Discovery. You can tell how much meticulous planning they put into curating each program's itinerary and making sure that you'll see as much of Australia and New Zealand as possible in your 70 days there. On the program, you'll embody the traveler's spirit, always on the move and never staying in any one place for more than a couple of days. Looking back, the breadth and depth of activities you get to partake in on this program are amazing. From surfing on Australia's pristine beaches to taking in New Zealand's most famous glacier, your experience with PD will leave you with memories that last a lifetime. I am really so grateful to Pacific Discovery for giving me the ideal start to my gap year. I can't think of a better way to have spent the last 3 months. I want everyone to be able to have the same life-changing experience I did, so I highly recommend Pacific Discovery if you are taking a gap year! You'll learn about sustainability, culture, and the unique environment on these islands, but more importantly, you'll learn so much about your true self. If you're like me and haven't made up your mind about what you want your future to look like, this program will help give you clarity on what truly drives you to be who you are. By the end of the program, you'll have caught the travel bug and be well equipped to set off on your own travels, so make sure to leave some time for a program extension if you can! Planning your own travels and living independently is such a rewarding experience. Plus, you're not going to be ready to say goodbye to New Zealand! Once again, thanks to PD for this incredible experience!!

When I went into this semester I was expecting things to be easy breezy and for us to just travel around look at some kangaroos and laugh. While that did make up a lot of the time this semester, I was happily surprised at the challenges that were presented to me during this semester. I was challenged physically through backpacking in Nelson Lakes in the middle of a wind and rain storm, I was challenged mentally with learning how to coexist with 14 other people who I had never meet before. Through all these challenges I learned so much about myself and my limits and about other people and how to respect but also push there limits a bit. I met some people on this trip who continue to impact my life, I stay in touch with lots of them and have even traveled to visit them here in the US. My instructors, Richard and Karlee, have also continued to influence me even after leaving the program. The Australia and New Zealand semester really brought me down to my raw form and the help rebuild me into someone who I wanted to be and I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to meet all these people and see all these things because without that experience I know I wouldn't have the courage to go after the things I want now.

I had the most amazing time on my gap year program! We got to explore so many cool places and have many amazing (yet challenging) experiences. I was given the opportunity do things that I never thought I would. The group leaders were incredible and supportive.

Taking a gap year was one of the best decisions I have made. Initially excited and, as my first time out of the country, a bit nervous, my worries quickly faded away as my group and I explored Sydney together. Still in contact with almost every member of the group, we all became very close during our time together. This was also helped by the fact that we had an amazing program leader. All of my expectations were surpassed. The conservation projects were engaging, interesting, and the people we worked with were knowledgeable and passionate. From planting trees for koalas to working with school kids to walking trap lines for invasive species, exploring Australia and New Zealand off the beaten path was spectacular. Though the projects were incredible, my favorite memories of ones in with the group were enjoying some free time together. We explored cities and countrysides, learning about the culture and histories of the places we visited. A few highlights included a canoeing trip, white water rafting, abseiling, sleeping next to a glowworm infested waterfall, and seeing all of the different wildlife (which are crazy cool). I highly recommend this trip to any and all!

I had one of the greatest times in my life going on a Pacific Discovery trip. It was incredible and I learned more about myself then I ever imagined I would. Rach and Scotty led the trip and they were amazing guides and teachers. I have always highly recommended this type of trip to students who might feel stuck in college or not sure what to do. The trip will open up your eyes to new experiences, cultures, and make you think about how to live your life in a more adventurous way. Wish I could do it all over again and experience everything I did again for the first time. Cheers, Gregg Starr

At the start of the trip, I was most excited about the traveling in a new and different place. The culture and land were so amazing to learn about and see. Getting to do things like help restore animal habitats, maintenance for a youth camp, rock climb, and do a multi-day trek was fun and rewarding. The unplanned outings are also high lights, like a spur of the moment Wallaby v. All-Blacks rugby game, or going paint-balling. What I ended up enjoying the most though, and learning just as much from, was the connections I made with the people I traveled with and met along the way. Things I value, like how to work and communicate effectively with different people, letting go of an issue or how to resolve it. We lucked out with Kim Kenyon as our guide, who was instrumental in facilitating our personal and group growth. Coming out of high school, these were the learning experiences I needed to grow as a person. I highly recommend Pacific Discovery, the volunteer projects are engaging with the community, the adventures are fun and challenging, and the people and experiences are unforgettable.

Pacific Discovery planned out the trip incredibly, and everything we did was mind-blowing. The trip really allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and experience new things that I definitely would not be able to do at home. The program also really allowed me to explore myself as a person in a way that I never have before. I felt like I really grew through all the activities we did and through any hardships that we had (we had very few though). Overall, I had the time of my life and learned so much, especially with two incredible instructors, Beth and Stacey.

Pacific Discovery is a great company staffed by passionate, wonderful people who are great at what they do. The trip was incredibly well planned and allowed for a broad range of activities and learning experiences.

After searching through countless gap year programs, I had finally settled on one - Pacific Discovery Australia & New Zealand. I loved the balance it had between service projects and adventure activities. Going into it, I knew I was about to have a great adventure, but I could have never expected the extent to which the program would impact me. It wasn't just seeing new places and meeting new people - it was being in awe of places you couldn't have imagined, finding connections to different cultures, and becoming more aware of yourself in the process. And there would be no better way to experience all this than with the group of people you come to call your closest friends. Going through all these experiences together, growing together, allows you to become connected on a whole other level. The mission of Pacific Discovery really does come to life as the program fosters awareness for yourself and the world around you.

I had always wanted to go Australia and New Zealand, and this program gave me the amazing opportunity to do so! Going into the program, I wasn't really sure what to expect. The website and pictures I had seen looked amazing, and I expected and wanted to grow as a person from this experience, but how and by how much, I had no idea. From the very start, Pacific Discovery taught us that the greatest learning comes from outside of our comfort zones. This trip was the first time I was continuously pushed out of my comfort zone, whether it was being away from home for 2 months, being with 13 other people from all different backgrounds, abseiling down a 30m waterfall with my heart pounding outrageously in my chest, jumping out of a plane from 13,000 ft and soaring like a flying squirrel, and countless other occasions. I learned that to really make the most of an experience, I have to take what I experienced and internalize it so that I can learn from it and come back to it for future reference. There were ups and downs and ins and outs, but at the end of the day, I'm a physically and mentally stronger person than I was at the beginning of the trip - because I internalized and learned the lessons from experiences outside of my comfort zone, thanks to the way that PD runs the trip.There is so much emphasis on personal growth, learning more about your own identity, and getting the most you as yourself can get out of the trip. Along the way, I met incredibly wise and incredibly eccentric people; I learned about genius designs that revolutionized my view of "eco-friendly," I became aware of so many other lifestyles than mine own, I developed and grew as a photographer, and most of all, I came out of this program with a stronger sense of who I am and how I want to live my life. All of this personal growth in a land that some people only dream of coming to, the beautiful vistas and great cities of Australia and New Zealand. Gazing up at the millions of stars visible in the night skies there, I was reminded of just how large the world is, and how much we all have to learn from different places and from each other, something that this Pacific Discovery program definitely emphasized very well. For that, I thank you so much, PD. With love, -Ashley Yu

What an amazing program this is. Not only was the program well established and run, the trip itself was great in every way as well. There are many parts that work together to make this trip great, whether it is community service, adventure travel, or urban exploring. And I personally think thats what makes it so great, every single day is different and every day you are pleasantly surprised at what you see at do. I made friends that I know that I will continue to talk to for months to come, saw things that I would only dream of seeing, and had experiences that have and are going to continue to shape me and help me grow as a more aware and global person. Pacific Discovery is a great program, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to travel abroad.

This program is amazing! It far exceed my expectations in every way. I made life long friends with the other participants and our program leader. Our program leader was great about giving us enough freedom to have responsibility and share in leadership rules, but not so much that we were unsafe. The adventures I had on the program were exhilarating. Some times it was challenging however everyone worked really well together to make it all run smoothly. I am very pleased that I decided to go with Pacific Discovery because no other program could have gotten me a better experience for my first time out of the country. The program did a wonderful job of inspiring me to travel more and to be confident in the skills that I got, and worked on during the program. I recommend this program to everyone!

I recently returned from the 9-week Australia and New Zealand trip with Pacific Discovery. The trip itself is fantastic; the travel and sites you get to see on this trip are on point in trying to gain an adventurous and cultural experience of the lands down under: from surf camps to canyoning in Australia, to multi-day hikes and canoe trips, white water rafting and rock climbing in New Zealand. Further, the volunteer conservation projects offer a unique perspective into sustainability and environmental maintenance that is rewarding for any type of traveler. I myself had completed a bachelor's degree and was in the midst of applying to medical school when I decided to join this trip. It was an amazing and inspiring experience that opened my eyes to an entirely different aspect of the world, and reminds us not to overlook the natural adventure all around us. Finally, the coordination of the program is perfected to the tee. The trip coordinator acts as more of a peer than a supervisor, and the trip encourages the participants to take initiative to make the most of the own travel experience. It also promotes leadership and social skills over a number of different tasks, from coordinating bookings, to organizing dinners, or leading expeditions. Not to mention, you'll make some of the greatest friends of your life on the trip, and you'll never want the adventure to end. Quite a life-changing few months for myself, and a re-inspiration about all the amazing things life has to offer.

I had a few months in between graduating college and starting graduate school, and I knew I wanted to travel abroad. I could have chosen to go abroad with my college program, but I decided to take a risk and go with a group of 13 people from all over the world that I did not know. I am so glad that I chose Pacific Discovery! Thanks to this program, I have made friends all over the world that are now a family to me, and the experiences that we were able to have together were unforgettable. I did so many things on this trip that I never thought I could do, and I feel like a stronger person because of it. Pacific Discovery inspired me to keep on exploring and to seek out adventure, whether it may be across the world or just around the corner in my own town. If I were to do it all over, I would choose Pacific Discovery over any other program because their main purpose is to help you develop as a person by immersing you in different cultures, pushing you out of your comfort zone a little bit, and surrounding you with awesome people through it all. Couldn't be more grateful for this experience of a lifetime.

Choosing Pacific Discovery was the best decision I could have made for my gap semester. Every single aspect of this trip was above and beyond what I thought it could be. I had the most incredible time and made lifelong friends. I cannot recommend this program enough. The places we visited, the people we met, our guide (Holly is the coolest person ever), and all of the incredible things we did are experiences I will never forget. New Zealand and Australia are two incredibly exciting and fun countries, and were so much fun to explore and travel through. The entire program was incredible and I would do it again and again if I could.