Category: New Zealand

Submitted by Olivia Chamberlin on the 2025 Winter program in New Zealand…

After coming home from this study abroad program and reflecting back on the incredible month I just had has left me speechless. All of the excursions and experiences I have been able to make throughout this past month will be lifelong memories that I hope to share many times in the future. Many people have asked me what my favorite part about the trip was and I never had just one answer to that question, but now that I have had time to look back on everything, I came up with an answer. My favorite part about the trip was that everything has a meaning in NZ, whether it’s the way something’s built, or a symbol on a wall, or someone’s jewelry. Everyone cared so much for one another and for their beautiful country it was very moving to see. This trip has taught me a lot about myself and how much I can push myself to do something, especially when it came to the hikes. I learned things about myself that I don’t think I would have learned without this trip. Overall, I feel incredibly lucky and fortunate to be able to have gone on this trip and I can’t wait to share my stories to others in the future. (Submitted February 1, 2025)

Submitted by Olivia Chamberlin on the 2025 Winter program in New Zealand…

After spending some time in NZ and getting used to the adjustment, it was really nice to pay attention to the details about what makes NZ unique. One of the experiences that stuck out to me the most was staying at the Marae, a sacred and communal place for the Māori people. Having the privilege to learn such a beautiful culture in such a personal way really opened my eyes and my perspective on things. It allowed me to learn their values and appreciate a culture that does things very differently than others. It was a once and a lifetime experience that I will cherish forever. The rest of the trip so far has been amazing as well. All of the hikes and excursions we have done were incredible and I feel extremely lucky to be able to do all this. (Submitted February 1, 2025)

Submitted by Maggie Parker on the 2025 Winter program in New Zealand…

This past month has been the best month of my life. All the fresh food I had, people I talked to, hikes around the country, and friends I made along the way will stick with me for a lifetime. One thing that really stuck with me was the infusion of Maori culture and Western culture. Similar to the States, Europeans came to found New Zealand, but there were already native groups fully established on the islands. This caused much war and tension, very similar to American history. Instead of completely eliminating Maori culture forever, there is an integrating back into society. With schools teaching children both English and Maori, street signs being written in Maori, and even names of towns being changed back to the original Maori name, there is an acceptance of native culture that was so unique and wonderful to observe for a month. “Kia ora”, is a common phrase most often used for hello. However, depending on the tone of your voice and the context of the conversation, it can have many, many meanings. “Kia ora” is also used to say goodbye. So with that, kia ora to the best month I have been able to experience, to the friends, food, and hikes along the way, and to the amazing country of New Zealand. I know I will come back one day. (Submitted January 29, 2025)

Submitted by Maggie Parker on the 2025 Winter program in New Zealand…

One of the events I have been most looking forward to is the Tongariro Crossing. The hike was a half marathon distance, 13.1 miles, and increasingly rewarding the more I hiked. After the summit, with winds whipping, all my layers on, and being up in the clouds, my program comes across the Emerald Lakes. Seeing the crystal clear water, the steam from the volcanoes, and walking along volcanic rock made my entire week. I had been anticipating this hike, and it was well worth the wait. (Submitted on January 23, 2025)

Submitted by Olivia Chamberlin on the 2025 Winter program in New Zealand…

Going on my first study abroad was very nerve wracking, but so exciting at the same time. After spending a little over a week in the first destination, Dunedin, NZ, I’m able to reflect on how my first few adventures went. My favorite excursion we went on was the wildlife tour. We saw many different bird species native to NZ, sea lions, seals, and rare penguins. Our tour guide told us we were lucky to see the penguins at all, let alone seeing four of them. Something that stuck out to me is that a lot of the people who live here know a lot about their culture and the history behind NZ. It was very interesting to see this because I feel like not many people in the States would be able to tell you a lot of information or the history behind where we came from in so much detail. So far, this program has allowed me to see things I would have never been able to see and I’m so excited for what’s to come! (Submitted on January 15, 2025)

Submitted by Margaret Parker on the 2025 Winter program in Dunedin, New Zealand…

Within the first week of my arrival in New Zealand, it has become so clear how loved and respected nature and animals are here. The culture here is to take care of the environment and protect the species that have been affected by humans. During the first few days, my project group for the classroom went to the Settlers Museum in Dunedin. We learned about the whaling industry and how whales were hunted to extinction by the European settlers and the indigenous group on the island, the Maori. We followed up this research with the program’s trip on a wildlife tour. My guide explained how whales are some of the only animals in the world that have migrated back to the region after extinction. It is very rare for animals to disappear after hunting and then choose to come back. That being said, they stay very offshore, away from where the hunting occurred, even generations later. This was referred to as generational trauma by my tour guide.
The tour guide then showed us fur seals, sea lions, and penguins. We saw the world’s rarest penguins, the yellow-Eyed Penguins, and she explained the conservation work they are doing. The penguins are ridden with diseases that are passed onto the babies when in the eggs. Once the adult penguins lay eggs, they are taken to a clinic, given medication and fed back to health, then returned to the parents. This increases the survival rate of the babies from almost zero to 100% survival rate. This is just some of the work New Zealand does to protect endangered species.

As for the sea lions, we saw the world’s rarest sea lion too, the New Zealand Sea Lion. These guys are also in danger of extinction. Our tour guide has spent her academic and professional career researching and protecting sea lions. They are often thought to be aggressive, but really they are just the “dogs of the water” and people are more intimidated by their size. If a human stays still and acts boring, the sea lion will not be interested in you. The sea lions are facing danger with gun violence and being shot by people who thought they were under attack. The sea lions are on protected beaches and there is a large movement of education for these animals in order to protect the species.
The work that I learned about was truly inspiring and I felt the love and care being shown to the animals. The respect for nature is near and far and it was very remarkable to see such care for the environment. I was very lucky to see such rare animals, and my hope is one day, with the help of people just like I met on the wildlife tour, the animals will not be nearly as rare as they currently are. (Submitted on January 9, 2025)

Submitted by Emma Morandi on the 2024 Winter HOSP program in Australia and New Zealand…

After a short plane ride, we made it to New Zealand! I was surprised to learn there are more differences from Australia to New Zealand than I expected. The geography is mostly mountains, farm land and beautiful sights. We got to have an awesome experience with the locals of Napier. Outside of our hotel, a food truck festival took place. We got to try some really tasty food such as seafood paella, crapes, and donuts. We sat on the lawn of the town square with the locals and listened to live music. This band wrote all their own music and it was amazing to relax and listen to their great songs. The locals are very friendly and have a huge sense of community. Many people were dancing and children were running around playing all night. We got to watch a beautiful sunset after. The next morning, in the same area, they hosted a farmers market. I got some amazing coffee and a croissant. The vendors were very friendly and I loved getting to meet locals.(Submitted on January 30, 2024)

Submitted by Mara Cabrera on the 2024 Winter KAAP program in New Zealand…

Week 2 in Dunedin has been such a dream! I am so sad to say that we will be leaving on the 17th. In the past two weeks we have been here I have learned so much about this beautiful town and its history. Just a couple of days ago, we went on the Otago Rail trail which is one of the most difficult group activities we will be doing on this trip. Having been scared for months about it, I can now say it was a very fun experience. I was very nervous about the duration (22 miles) and the intensity of the rail trail. However, after completing the trail I was very proud of myself and all my classmates for being able to do it. The Otago rail trail is something I will always remember and I cannot wait to see what else this trip has in store for us. (Submitted on January 30, 2024)

Submitted by Alexys Padilla on the 2024 Winter KAAP program in Queenstown, New Zealand…

For our third week, we traveled to Queenstown from Dunedin and spent 3 days enjoying the town and diving into thrilling experiences in the adventure capital of the world! All of our program hiked Ben Lomond to what was called the “saddle” of the mountain as it was a brief plateau before the summit. Once our group collected there we had a quick snack break and most turned back to begin the decline of the trail from there, while 5 others and I and our two program advisors took on the challenge of summiting the mountain! This hike challenged both my mental and physical boundaries, but in the best ways and I felt so proud of myself being able to get to the top of such a challenging mountain. We took lots of pictures and celebrated our success at the top before making the downward trek, which was honestly more physically painful than the incline. The next day I spontaneously decided to go bungee jumping with 2 other girls in my group and I was the only one that day out of all visitors who opted to get dunked into the river below! That was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done but was well worth the money and overcoming the feelings of fear and anxiety. I learned so much about myself on this part of the trip and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to experience it! (Submitted on January 27, 2024)