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Gap years down under
A gap year gives you plenty of time to immerse yourself in a different culture, explore a different country and experience a different way of life. And if you’re planning on being away for at least 12 months during your gap year, QS Top Universities suggests you consider going to the end of the earth – well almost anyway.
Australia and New Zealand are countries that deserve more than a week or ten days of your time. So a gap year seems like the perfect opportunity to head down under. QS Top Universities looks at what there is to do down under and experiences that will enhance your time abroad.
Visas
Visa requirements for students visiting either Australia or New Zealand during their gap year are relatively straightforward. An Australian visitors’ visa will give you up to three months to spend in the country whereas a New Zealand visitors’ visa will give you a maximum of nine months to spend in the country over an 18 month period. This visitor’s visa doesn’t allow you to work though so you must prove you have enough money in the bank to support yourself while you are there. Some people like to work for a short time during their gap year – to do this in either Australia or New Zealand you must apply for a working visa.
So what is there to do during your gap year?
Seasonal jobs
Depending on the time of year you visit, there will always be seasonal jobs available from thinning apples to picking blueberries, working on the ski slopes or as a lifeguard at the beach. These jobs are perfect for those only in town for a short amount of time and employers understand this. As long as you’re prepared to work hard for the six weeks or three months you sign up to, they’ll be happy for you to leave at the end of it and continue on with your travels.
Homestays
If you want a truly rural experience then homestay or farmstay opportunities are a plenty. You’ll be able to don a pair of gumboots (wellies), wrap up warm in a swandri (and if you’re in Australia, wear a hat with dangles to keep the flies away, not to mention sleeping in a swag), and experience the rural life: milking cows, moving cattle, feeding the animals, collecting eggs, making hay, building fences and even tending to your own vegetable garden. If life is usually cosmopolitan, in confined and highly populated spaces, the country air, open fields and peace and quiet may well be an unforgettable experience.
Holidays
You won’t be working during your entire gap year so what else is there to do while you’re in that part of the world?
New Zealand is known for its adventure tourism: from white water rafting to bungy jumping, jet boat tours to sky dives. So if you’re an adrenaline junkie then New Zealand’s the place to be.
If the sunshine and warm temperatures are more your thing then Australia is where you’re guaranteed of such weather. There are the ever-popular Gold Coasts, the beautiful Whit Sunday and Fraser Islands, and one of the world’s great wonders – the Great Barrier Reef. If you want to get away from the coast then you can head inland for another spectacular natural wonder – Uluru also known as Ayers Rock.
Further afield
Once you’ve had your fill of Australia and New Zealand – remember you can always go back for more – why not explore some of the Pacific Islands: Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia. You’ll be able to experience yet another unique culture being kept alive by those living on these small islands dotted in the Pacific Ocean. They’re easy to access from both Australia and New Zealand and you can divide your time between lazing in the sunshine on Castaway or Treasure Island with many other backpackers to working in a small community – teaching at a school perhaps or helping out in the local medical centre.
Study Abroad