MacKenzie Marino is a student at Westminster College. She is an ISA Featured Blogger and is studying abroad with ISA in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
There’s a lot of things that you should definitely try if you ever visit New Zealand, but one thing I would definitely recommend is the food. There’s plenty of delicious things to eat like sausage rolls (sausage wrapped in wonderfully flaky pastry), mince pies, and my personal favorite: potato wedges topped with sour cream and sweet chili sauce. It may sound like a strange combination but trust me: it’s absolutely fantastic.
Another thing you should totally do is visit a thermal park and swim in a hot spring. I went to Wai-O-Tapu, and while I’m still trying to get the smell of sulfur out of my clothes, it was stunningly beautiful. It was also a great place to learn a lot about the natural history of New Zealand – it’s crazy to think about how the caves in the ground all formed, and what causes the phenomena of the hot and cold spring there!
The third thing I think everyone should do is visit at least one museum. In my travels so far I have visited a few, and even the ones geared towards children provide a great experience. There’s a good chance you’ll learn more about the Maori, rugby, and the natural fauna of New Zealand if you take a peak – and the museum in Palmerston North is free to enter for everyone, so it’s definitely a must.
Your Discovery. Our People… The World Awaits.