i highly reccomend NZ, i have a friend i worked wth in canada who is from here and a bunch of friends have come here over the years and there was one spot that they all told me to check out.

but back to the beginning... i was just finishing my summer job and had no idea what to do next i was planning to move to a city and try going to school but things kept getting delayed and i didnt want to waste my savings waiting to move, i was feeling pretty bored and lost. i was talking to my friend one day and she was planning to go to south east asia and i just said lets go to NZ for a year, she said okay and then 3 weeks later we were boarding the plane.also it only took about 4 days to get our visas approved. really easy.

we bought one of the tour bus tickets (kiwi experience) because it was only 300 cnd to see the whole country and you could get on and off whenever. i didnt really know what it would be like. it turned out to just be a big party which was fun for a short time. i couldnt really relate to most of the people there. their packs were filled with clothes perfumes and more clothes whereas my bag has camping gear and climbing stuff and not much clothes haha.

so the place my friend all told me to go to was Marahau, on the south island. sandy beaches and the sunniest bay in NZ. its the beginning of the abel tasman national park, a sweet hike. that is where we did WWOOFing. the population there is pretty small but it gets crazy in the summer when tourists do the hike.

after work everyday everyone would meet up at one of the two cafes for beers and thursdays were open mic night with some wicked musicians. i got a job there in a little burger caravan (i gained so much weight from all the burgers and beer haha but so good!) all the locals were so unique and there was big house full of hippies. i stayed to work and my friend went on to the rest of the south island doing some more wwoofing. she ended up in one place that was really dirty and the work they wanted done was silly so she almost snuck out in the middle of the night haha. only lasted the one night. but the other places were good. one was sailing.

after i ran out of work we went to a festival called luminate. 8 days on top of a crystal mountain with amazing music and heaps of beautful people. i wish it never ended. then i hitched/bussed around the south island on my own. i felt safe hitching on my own. there are tons of people who do it and i never had to wait long.

milford sound is sooooo cool! its in fiordland naitonal park. if you come to nz and dont go there it would be a waste of a trip.

i also went kayaking in franz josef on a lake that is like a mirror when its calm. something worth checking out

all of the landscapes here really are so amazing! and well...the guys are nice to look at too haha. i met my man and that is why im still here.

we also joined couchsurfing.org. its free and very handy. i think its in most countries, probably even hawaii.

well i pretty much just wrote a novel haha but hope this is helpful to whoever reads it and inspires them to come here

Thank you ladies. your replies are getting me all the more excited. Katietheladi, we are doing wooffing! This is so awesome. If you mentioned New Zealand (NZ?) that is second on our list, after hawaii. Do tell about your experiences! =)

i am pretty shy and came to NZ on a year working visa with a friend. we only spent about the first month and last few months together. after the first few days of jet lag and amazement of actually being here something in me totally changed. i wasn't feeling shy anymore and i have made some amazing friends. I also did WWOOFing for a bit. living in a little caravan and an outdoor kitchen and amazing gardens. its great hanging out with the locals cause they will most likely be able to show you somewhere other tourists would never find. it definitely helps traveling somewhere that english is well known (i think it is in hawaii?) for the first time. and don't pass up any opportunity to go out an explore, take a walk in the forest, listen to natures music. have heaps of fun! its also nice to have a friend along, ali lost her wallet and i was able to help her out until she got some new cards sent and then later on i was really broke and she was able to help me out until i found a job. i hope you have a blast and learn heaps

Ah! That is so exciting! I have never done volunteer work on an organic farm but I did a stint in Todos Santos, Mexico for eighteen days and I had no prior experience of being off on my own and I have some inspiring tips!

-Trust your instincts! If you feel you should or shouldn't do something, follow your gut

-Trust YOURSELF, you are capable of anything you put your mind and heart into

-Bring a first aid kit, just in case

-AND most of all allow yourself to fully live in the moment,

This is such an awesome experience and I hope you enjoy it, have fun and be safe!