Making memories in New Zealand

When Anna Underhill took breaks from staying up late to study for her high school exams in the United States, she’d imagine what it would be like to explore New Zealand.

“I used to scroll through pictures of places I’d rather be, and New Zealand was always the most beautiful. I think all paths would eventually have taken me there.”

In 2015, Anna made her dream a reality when she spent a semester studying abroad at Massey University in Palmerston North.

Anna took four papers while studying in New Zealand, including one on horticultural crop development and yield.

“Studying horticulture in New Zealand was very hands-on. We worked in an apple orchard each week, which gave me a new interest in fruit production,” says Anna.

Other highlights of Anna’s time in New Zealand included learning to speak some Māori and backpacking around the country. She went on a cruise on Milford Sound, hiked in the Southern Alps, visited glaciers and camped near penguins and seals.

I look back on my five months in New Zealand and I can hardly believe I was lucky enough to travel there and make such fantastic memories.

Anna Underhill, United States, Study Abroad student