Get creative
Organize your art supplies and get to crafting. Consider making Maori poi balls, recreating a New Zealand greenstone carving, or learning how to perform a Haka. You can even try out a game of rugby, one of the most popular sports down under!
Need more inspiration? Check out these virtual tours of famous New Zealand museums.
Pick a film
Watch a movie that relates to your destination. Some ideas for New Zealand include:
- Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) and The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
- The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)
Learn some history
Dive deep into the history of the vibrant cultures down under. Study the Maori culture, the landing at Gallipoli, or the Treaty of Waitangi. Then, take a virtual tour of Wellington with this video.
Choose a book
Read and discuss a book that takes place in your destination or describes the local culture. Pick from titles like:
- A Good Keen Man by Barry Crump
- The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
- The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
Fill up your plate
Arrange a potluck and encourage your friends to bring a traditional dish from your destination. Know a chef? Hold a virtual savory or sweet cooking class with your travel group or support a local restaurant that offers delivery/take-out of your destination’s cuisine. Try cooking up some meat pies, pavlova, fish and chips, or host a Sausage Sizzle in your backyard.
Learn the language
Call up a friend or set up a group video chat and practice your language skills. Learn to talk like a local by perfecting your understanding of Kiwi slang or learn how to properly pronounce Maori words you might encounter in New Zealand.
Did you know?
There are ten sheep to every one person in New Zealand…that’s un-baa-lievable!
Meet Your Partner in Travel
Kia Ora! Jenn spent a year living and working in Auckland, New Zealand. While there, she visited all over the North Island and road-tripped across the South Island. A few of her highlights were Milford Sound, the glow worms in Waitomo, seeing Yellow-Eyed Penguins in the Catlins, and hiking Rangitoto Volcano in Auckland. She recommends trying L&P soda with your “fush and chups,” trying a Feijoa fruit, and taking a deep gaze at the southern hemisphere’s night sky.