Travel For Teens: Australia and New Zealand Service

Going to Australia and New Zealand was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Paragliding was insane definitely the most unforgettable part and getting to see kangaroos and koalas up close felt like something out of a movie. We spent time planting trees, which was actually really cool and made me feel like I was doing something good for the environment. Exploring Sydney, climbing the Harbor Bridge, and going to a rugby game gave me a real feel for the culture. Every day was packed with something new, and I still think about it all the time.

Starting off, I would recommend any TFT trip. They are a very experienced company with staff that are very organized and familiar with the countries that you are visiting. This Australia and New Zealand trip had the perfect amount of volunteering time as well as excursions to have fun with. We had about 20 hours of volunteer service where we helped at a non-profit animal center. Aside from these hours, we would take trips to waterfalls and beaches to relax, but also immerse ourselves into the culture. We were able to visit small markets and farms as well as iconic sights such as the Sydney Oprah House. Travel for Teens has given me new experiences worldwide that I definitely would not have been able to plan or do by myself.

In the Summer of 2018, I had the amazing opportunity of traveling to Australia and New Zealand. It was absolutely amazing. I got to do once-in-a-lifetime activities such as scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Bridge Climb. These are memories that I will never forgot. I had the most amazing counselors and met friends that I still keep in touch with. There was not a day that I did not love. If you have the opportunity to do this, you should, I can guarantee that you will not regret it.

From paragliding in New Zealand to snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef of the coast of Australia, I had the best 21 days of my life with Travel for Teens. I will never forget looking out the window on Air New Zealand as we flew through the snow-capped mountains to land in Queenstown. The beauty of this foreshadowed the once-in-a-life time experiences I had the privilege of doing on this amazing adventure. The counselors made me feel so at home in places I’ve never been, and the friends I made gave me memories I will cherish forever. I recommend this trip to anyone who loves adventure and lives for the moment.

I am so glad to have been able to travel to Australia and New Zealand this past summer. I was able to explore brand new countries, all while making amazing friends. Coming into this trip, I didn’t expect to be crying in the airport, not wanting to leave, but that’s where I ended up. I met amazing friends and did amazing things along the way. I can honestly say that it was the best three weeks of my life! I recommend this trip to anyone who is considering it.

I went on the Australia and New Zealand Service trip and it was life changing. I met some amazing people, which I became close with after about a day. I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes that I have ever seen. I visited the place where my favorite movie, The Lord of the Rings, was filmed. I held a koala and went glamping in the outback. I interacted with the locals and most importantly, I ventured out of my comfort zone, which makes for a more interesting adventure. The counselors were amazing and helpful and despite the age difference, no one ran out of things to talk about. TFT allowed me to experience something amazing and at such a young age, I was able to travel to a whole different world.

For the summer of 2018 I traveled with TFT to New Zealand and Australia. It was probably one of the most fun and exhilarating trips I’ve ever had. I traveled solo and made so many new friends. The counselors were great and I felt safe the entire time. The whole trip was thoroughly planned out, with each excursion being a way to break out of my comfort zone and be adventurous. Every singe day I was so happy and looked forward to seeing the new bits of culture out in the beautiful countries I visited. In New Zealand, I was fortunate enough to go paragliding. The view was spectacular, I felt like I could graze over the mountain tops. The mountains looked like a photo out of a photoshopped post card. I enjoyed every second of the experience. One of the highlights for me wa the service part of the trip. We worked at Sheoak Ridge, a nature reserve in Australia. We built pathways and played with wallabies. It was so much fun and warmed my heart knowing that I was making a difference to the different animals at this reserve. Besides the fun activities during the trip, the people traveling along with me was what really made my trip with TFT so special. There were around 18 people in my travel group and each and everyone person was full of life and shared the same passion as me to travel. The friends I made are long lasting and the experiences we shared is what will bond us forever. I highly recommend traveling with TFT especially to New Zealand and Australia. I felt as if I was living my best life each and everyday. I plan on traveling with them again next year.

There are so many amazing and breathtaking moments from my Australia and New Zealand trip, we did so much from seeing the Sydney Opera House to paragliding in Queenstown. We immersed ourselves in the culture going to Aboriginal and Maori Hakas and some of us even got to join in. There was also the fulfilling volunteer work where we got to help at a nature preserve by making trails and clearing areas full of weeds. We also got to have a little fun with the animals, getting to feed the wallabies, going on bird watching tours, and a nighttime nature walk. During our volunteer work, we camped in the Outback, some of us even slept in hammocks under the stars. At nights after a hard days work we would sit around a campfire cracking jokes, telling stories, singing songs, and playing games. We were so disconnected from technology we got to just enjoy the nature and the company of our new friends. The counsellors were also amazing, leading us on these adventures and taking care of any of the few problems we had. There were days when things didn’t go to plan, but they made it work. Overall, it was an unbelievable trip with unforgettable experiences, culture, volunteer work, and people.

I will never forget the three weeks I spent in New Zealand and Australia with Travel for Teens this summer. From the moment I stepped off the plane I fell in love with New Zealand. The beauty country is just breathtaking, and all the activities we did while in New Zealand were exhilarating. After an amazing few days in NZ we were off to Australia which was just as an amazing country. The service work we did while in Australia was incredibly fulfilling. I absolutely enjoyed every aspect of the trip, from day one to twenty-one! The counselors were the best!! They were approachable, spirited, and full of fun positive energy. The other campers on the trip were awesome, and by the end of the trip we all became like a big family! I can not wait to one day return to these stunning countries!

TFT did an amazing job with this trip! The traveling was seamless and the activity organization was superb! I got to try everything I could have hoped to get my hands on and learned even more in the process! As the title suggests, I traveled across the world but never once felt unsafe or nervous. TFT creates an experience which makes you feel apart of a family! Without question, I wish I could re-live the experience!!

I️ traveled with TFT to Australia and New Zealand and it was such an amazing experience from pair gliding to climbing the Sydney harbor bridge we did everything! With travel for teen i️ got the unbelievable experiences of pairgliding off of a beautiful New Zealand mountain , scuba diving in the great barrier reef , going on sandboarding and climbing the Sydney harbor bridge plus so much more.The consolers even helped to make it such fantastic time, they knew so much about every place we went and knew how to answer anything about Australia and New Zealand. You also got to know so much about all of the nature in Australia during the community service part of the trip, they teach you all about different plants and animals in Australia and what you can do to help the environment. This is such a phenomenal trip!

Traveling to Australia with Travel for Teens was an experience I will never forget. The counselors were so engaging, the friendships I made were long lasting, the excursions we went on (snorkeling, sand boarding, bridge climbing, koala holding) were mind blowing, and the service we did at a Wildlife Hospital was incredibly fulfilling. Whether you chose to go to Australia or not, I highly recommend that every high school student travel abroad before they leave for college. It is a necessary step to leaving the nest. It's a "test flight," and I've never had a better time being "tested" in my life.

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I went on this trip and it was so fun! We not only enjoyed touring Australia’s and New Zealand’s best sights, but we also got to help the wildlife community at the Eagle Nest Hospital. When I was there I helped repair an animal enclosure so that wallabies could access their food. The volunteer work was not only fun but rewarding. In addition to the great community service, I enjoyed feeding wallabies and kangaroos, holding a koala, climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge, sand boarding down sand dunes, viewing beautiful waterfalls, and so much more! Lastly, the people made the trip a great experience that I will never forget. The counselors were so kind, funny, and informative and the other kids on the trip I still talk to today. I had a great time! Can’t wait for where I will go next with Travel For Teens.