Thanks to Studentsgoabroad, I was able to do a six-month internship in New Zealand. On October 12th, I flew from Zurich to Wellington, where I ultimately got to live for seven months. During my stay, I worked in a local architecture firm in the city center. I got to learn a lot of new things, both about working as an architect and about the culture and lifestyle of the people. In between, I also traveled a lot, whether on weekends, during holidays, or on public holidays.

When I landed at Wellington Airport, my boss welcomed me warmly. He showed me around the city and drove me to my accommodation. Upon arrival at the accommodation, my roommates also welcomed me. We all got along very well from the beginning and had the best time together. The organization arranged for me to stay in a student accommodation of the local university, so I could live with people my age. Five of us lived together in a traditional New Zealand house in Kelburn. We had a small garden with a sea view, a communal kitchen, and two bathrooms. Our shared apartment almost always hosted a party every Friday, which made it very easy for me to make friends.

On Monday, October 16th, I had my first working day. My colleagues all welcomed me warmly, and since the Rugby World Cup was still going on at the time, I was lucky enough to watch my very first rugby game in the office on my first day. While we all watched the game together, we had brunch. Afterward, everything was shown to me, and I had time to get a bit familiar with the work. Initially, I did simpler tasks like modeling the surrounding context, but over time, I was able to work on more demanding topics. The atmosphere in the office was always very good, and everyone supported each other.

Besides the internship, I traveled a lot. We drove to Taranaki, where we camped with tents. We undertook a ten-hour hike on Mount Taranaki, which was very challenging. After that, we continued to Taupō. We rented a kayak and paddled over Lake Taupō to the Bay Māori Rock Carvings. On the way back, we were fascinated by the Huka Falls and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.

During the trip through the South Island, we flew from Wellington to Christchurch, where we also rented a car and drove across towards Fiordland. On the way, we stopped at various places like Lake Tekapo, the Blue Pools, and Queenstown. The most beautiful place, in my opinion, was Wānaka. The landscape was stunning, and the tree in the water left me speechless. When we arrived in Fiordland, we booked a boat trip in Milford Sound.

On the way back, we made a short stop in Kaikōura, where we could observe a large seal colony.

However, my favorite trip was in the north of Auckland. We rented a car and drove straight from the airport to Cape Reinga. Along the way, we stopped here and there and spent the night in the car. Traveling by car was a bit complicated because wild camping is prohibited. Therefore, we always had to find a suitable camping site first. However, the Department of Conservation published a map that listed all the camping and parking spots, which made it much easier for us.

On the way further north, we hiked up a mountain called Dukes Nose. The view from there was breathtaking. We drove along the east coast to the northernmost point, where we visited the famous lighthouse. Just as we arrived, we saw a beautiful rainbow directly over the sea. After that, we moved on to the nearby sand dunes. You could rent boards there to surf down the dunes. However, it was very exhausting as you had to climb up first each time. Right afterward, we traveled to a 90-mile-long beach, also known as 90 Miles Beach. What we didn't know was that this beach is also used as a highway. On the way back towards Auckland, we visited Urupukapuka Island in the Bay of Islands, which could only be reached by a small ferry. The island was my absolute highlight. There were very few people, and there were small beaches and forests everywhere. We also saw many sheep and even a stingray. On the way back by boat, we also saw small penguins in the water.

When we got back to Auckland, we spent the last two nights in a hostel called LyLo, which I can only recommend. We had already visited the same hostel in Christchurch and were not disappointed. A small fun fact: When we went to the common room in Christchurch, I noticed that the architecture firm I was working for at the time had designed it. This hostel has the usual "capsules" for sleeping, which are common in Japan. The bathrooms and common rooms are very modern and generously designed, and you feel very comfortable.

On the second last day, I booked a whale safari tour with "Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari." The tour lasted about four hours, and we saw many dolphins, birds, and even a Bryde's whale. I can only recommend this tour; the staff was super friendly and showed great respect for the wildlife. We found all the places and sights with the app "Roady," which I also highly recommend for a trip through New Zealand.

In summary, I can only say that New Zealand is a perfect travel destination for people looking for a mix of nature, culture, tradition, action, and tranquility. The country offers a wide range of activities, sights, and hiking trails. It is not too crowded, but everyone is very open and friendly, which makes making friends very easy. I enjoyed the entire trip, and I would even say that a part of me stayed there.

Written by Nadja from Germany (Architecture intern in Wellington, New Zealand with StudentsGoAbroad)