Don't Forget To Pack: WATERPROOF rain pants and rain jacket
Best Left At Home: Fancy clothing or anything that you don't want to get dirty
Best Eats in the Area: RealFruit ice cream from the Pink Shop
Favorite Local Activity: Tide pooling and shell collecting
Where to Study: Outdoors on a front porch or in a hammock!
Must-Try Local Dish: Pavlova with strawberries and passionfruit curd
Best Photo Op: The Pinnacles summit (Kauaeranga Kauri Trail) at sunrise
Your Biggest Fail: Leaving my boots outside in the rain before a field trip. I had to wear the wet boots all week and it was another two weeks before they dried completely.
Buy This: ponamu jewelry (just make sure it's responsibly sourced!)
Not That: anything from the generic gift shops in Auckland or Queenstown
Most Interesting Class: my Directed Research Project (officially "Applied Directed Research in New Zealand")
Best Part of the Program: Living and learning in a small, intentional community and always having friends to go tramping or wildlife-spotting with.
Unforgettable Weekend Trips: Coromandel Forest Park, surfing in Raglan, and Whatipu Beach. Also Fiordland National Park and Mt. Aspiring National Park during spring break in the South Island!
Bonus Pro Tip/s: There are a ton of opportunities for backpacking and camping in your time off, at any level of intensity. If you have the gear, it's completely worth the space in your luggage to bring your tent, cold-weather sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking stove, water filter, hydration bladder, and/or hiking poles.
Our 3-Minute Travel Guide series is inspired by the University of California's Education Abroad Program's (UCEAP) blog.
Explore all CGIS programs here!
