Where to study - New Zealand or Australia?

Study Abroad in New Zealand or Australia?

• I planned on studying abroad a semester my junior year to New Zealand, but now Australia has also come to mind and I'm torn. I love that New zealand is all about outdoor adventure activities, but hate that its considered a more quiet country. im really big on night life, good times and parties, and Australia is bigger on that then new zealand im assuming..and I cant decide! so i would really appreciate your feedback and opinion on one or both. maybe comparing activities/experiences youve had or done in either. thanks so much! i also have read reviews saying new zealand is usually cold, but i thought that was only the south island? isnt the north island hot like australia? thanks!

• Answer:

  One thing you might need to appreciate when reading these answers is that; MOST AUSTRALIANS KNOW NO MORE ABOUT NEW ZEALAND THAN YOU PROBABLY DO. Very few Australians have ever been to New Zealand, so I wouldn't value their feedback too much. New Zealand's climate is not cold, you have to appreciate that Australians like to put on this act about any place that's not as warm as Australia. NZ has a mild temperate climate much like that of England, Northern France, The low countries, Western Germany, Melbourne and Tasmania, Seattle most of populated Chile and pockets of South Africa. That makes it warmer than most of the USA and Canada. And the eastern coast of New Zealand has dryer and hotter microclimates until you hit Otago which is cool and dry do to the more southern latitudes. As for nightlife and being quiet, they're about the same. While NZ only has 1 metropolitan area with 1 million+ population and two cities with 300,000+, they've all got decent nightlife scenes with nightclubs, public bars, theatres, etc. And they've all got strong student social scenes. Obviously Sydney has more than 4 million and Melbourne close to 4 million, but most of Sydney is drab suburbia. It's got a good nightlife scene as you'd expect for a city of that size, but most of its inhabitants don't directly experience it often. Much of the focus for young Sydneysiders seems to be spectator sports, celbrity gossip and soap operas. And remember that the Australia beyond the state Capitals is pretty dull. In NSW there are two other Metropolitan areas with 400,000+ populations called Woolongong and Newcastle, and they're about as urbanised as an American small town. To tell you the truth as far as nightlife and social scenes for student's goes either country would be very good (assuming you were planning on studying in either Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington or Dunedin, and weren't thinking of Adelaide or Hobart). I don't think you'd regret choosing either. Although if you like outdoor adventures, I think NZ would be the better choice.