New Zealand on a Gap Year and Backpacking in New Zealand
Backpacking and Gap Years in New Zealand
New Zealand is a small country with a small population, but it seems to have pigeon-holed two corners of the gap year industry - adventure activities and outdoor activities.
Backpackers treat the country like a giant theme-park, hopping from place to place, cramming in as many adventure activities and challenges as possible in a short space of time. If you want to bungee jump, climb, kayak, raft, skydive or zorb, then New Zealand has it all.
Which comes to the second point - outdoor activities. New Zealand is famous for its natural beauty - its snowcapped glaciers brothered with jagged mountains; crystal clear lakes feeding into raging rivers; bright beaches and warm seas, and finally throw in a bubbling-pot of volcanic activity and you get some of the most magnificent scenery in the world. ‘Lord of the Rings’ was filmed here for a reason - not because the Kiwis are small (quite the opposite in fact) but because of the landscape.
Backpacking in New Zealand should be a part of any round the world trip. Kiwis are laid back, kind and fun. New Zealand is one of the most popular countries for gap years, so get the adrenaline pumping and make the trip yourself.
Map of New Zealand
Gapyear.com Guides
A Guide to New Zealand
The best thing about New Zealand is that, despite the sheer number of attractions, sights and activities on offer, it's still a very small country; there's less than five million residents in total!
This guide is absolutely stuffed with useful information about visiting New Zealand. If you're heading to New Zealand then make sure you give it a read.
Idea of the Month
Country Expert
Nikki Smith
Nikki is our country expert for New Zealand. It's safe to say that she loves the country and everything about it, hence why she lived in a caravan for so long (you'd better ask her)...
Nikki has travelled around the world and her favourite place is still New Zealand. It most be something in the water; it's definitely something in the food (apparently veggie heaven - read her guide all about it).
If you have any questions about Nz then you had better ask Nikki... go on...
Bungee Jumping - New Zealand
New Zealand is famous for its extreme sports and adventure activities. No trip is complete without a bungee jump...
There are three major jumps in New Zealand and each one gets higher. It's a challenge to do one, but three!? Well...
One of the most famous and most popular is The Nevis Bungy at 134m. If you're looking for outdoor adventure, beautiful scenery and extreme highs then this is the one for you...
