For an adventure-seeker like myself, clicking the submit button on a plane ticket for New Zealand took less than 10 seconds. A three-week break between semesters provides the perfect opportunity to add another stamp to my passport, alongside Australia, Canada, Mexico, Morocco and Spain. I was drawn to New Zealand by irresistible opportunities to snow ski on the pristine Southern Alps, bungee jump off of the Original Kawarau Bridge, try zorbing and hike across the beautiful landscapes.
The door to excitement and adventure is just a short, three-hour plane trip and a few hundred dollars away. My time and money are limited, but I simply cannot pass up another unique cultural experience. Each country I have traveled to thus far brought an invaluable experience of internationalism. I have watched the United States and Australia strive to be leaders in the multicultural arena. In Australia, I am learning the significance of British settlement, and gaining a new understanding of Australian identity. In Mexico and Spain, I learned the value of indigenous and national languages. Though I cannot predict the outcome, I still humbly anticipate the lessons my trip to New Zealand will teach me.
Transportation in New Zealand requires a bit of planning. The appeals of a camper-van are flexibility and spontaneity, but rental fees are expensive. Backpacking and public transportation save money but can limit how much you are able to experience.
As for sleeping accommodations, I prefer hostels for their reasonable cost and prime opportunity to meet other travelers. I first stayed in a hostel in Sydney after 17 hours of traveling. My prior experience of hostels was restricted to American horror films that portray them as large boarding houses, filthy and full of danger. However, my image of hostels is now drastically different.
Hostels are often the best option for thrill seekers. They often offer a range of rooms, from private to boarding house-style bunkrooms. Most hostels offer discounts on local activities and sometimes host evening activities, such as trivia night or a trip to a local pub or nightclub.
After hours of virtual touring New Zealand to make plans, I still have no clue how I will fit all I want to do into a short week and a half. New Zealand-exclusive opportunities represent my highest priority: skiing in the Southern Alps and jumping off the world’s first commercial bungee jump site at Original Kawarau Bridge, the world’s first commercial bungee jump at 43 meters above the Kawarau River — don’t tell my mom!
Other pursuits in my international adventures include a multicultural experience. I hope to achieve this by touring a working sheep farm and maintaining a budget by participating in free experiences, like hiking through New Zealand back lands, glaciers and forests. Cheap, yet invaluable escapades that result in the best memories: tasting the local cuisine, getting ‘lost’ in the maze of hiking trails and striking up conversations with local strangers.
Touring a working sheep farm is also high on the to do list because it will give me the multicultural experience I crave from every country I visit. Hiking through the New Zealand backlands, glaciers and forests allows me to experience the natural beauty of New Zealand on a very cheap budget.
Though I will try to plan an itinerary, I will also be sure to leave time for spontaneity. In a foreign country, it is best to experience as much as time and money will allow. Thrill-seeking adventures are fun and create great memories, but cultural experiences allow for a deeper understanding of people and how we all fit into the world together.