Program Details
| Program Length | Start | End | Price | Age on Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Program | FEB 10 | JAN 11 | 25,000 | 17 |
| Intensive Program | JUL 10 | UG 10 | 9,000 | 15 & 17 |
Everyone knows New Zealand’s landscape of glaciers, geysers, volcanoes, mountains, beaches, and islands served as Middle Earth in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings, and more recently was the location for his King Kong. Experiencing the country’s immenseness and beauty firsthand is staggering. New Zealand consists of two islands divided by Cook Strait (which takes approximately three hours by ferry to cross). The North Island boasts volcanoes, hot springs, mud pools, geysers, and beautiful beaches, while the South Island has rugged Alpine mountains, glaciers, and access to activities like swimming with dolphins and whale-watching.
New Zealand is a multicultural country with the two predominant cultures being the European (or Pakeha) and the Maori. These two influence each other to create a unique combination of traditions and art. There is also a Pacific Island influence, and a growing Asian culture, as well as a plethora of other minority groups, which makes for a diverse mix of cuisine, music, art, and architecture. The way of life is generally relaxed. Sports and the outdoors play a huge part in the life of a Kiwi, as New Zealanders are affectionately called. The most notable of these are rugby, cricket, soccer, bush-walking, tramping, snow-sports, water-sports, netball, and basketball.
Dinner is the main meal, and while the most traditional meal is the roast—a huge family feast—in recent years many other cultural influences have penetrated cuisine. If it’s a special occasion, you may get the opportunity to experience the traditional Maori way of cooking food—a hangi, similar to a Hawaiian luau, where meat and vegetables are baked in an underground oven for several hours.
