Ok so all you've heard about New Zealand is there's a lot of sheep and they're pretty good at rugby. Well funnily enough there's a lot more to it than that! Imagine a country the size of Britain but with only 4 million people. As well as the cultural and party cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch theres wide expanses of nothing but amazingly diverse countryside. Imagine hiking on a glacier then travelling a few hours up the coast via mountains, wind swept remote beaches to arrive in a tropical paradise with white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.

Kiwis (New Zealanders) are mad on the outdoors and New Zealand is the adrenalin capital of the world. Go from bungee jumping via helicopter to white water rafting and then high speed jet boating -available with no experience!!! If that's not your cup of tea then how about a thermal spa, Maori culture or hike up a volcano?

Even More Reasons:

Due to the difference in exchange rates most things are 2-3 times cheaper in NZ than the UK!

Unlike the UK in New Zealand you can ski in the winter and get a great tan in the summer

You've seen Lord of the Rings why not go and see the set!

Try something crazy like skydiving, bungee jumping, black water rafting -the list is endless!

You won't be alone -every year thousands of like-minded travellers backpack and work their way around New Zealand

Because it is a small country compared with travel destinations such as Australia, youll find it easy and cheap to travel from place to place

Within the country there are a variety of transport options for varying budgets and itineraries, many of them based specifically for the backpacking market

Working allows you to meet and live with Kiwis and experience even more New Zealand culture

New Zealand is a nuclear free zone and is a safe destination for travellers