Rooted Life Adventures

29/12/2024

⭐ Lacking energy, confidence and keen to establish emotional boundaries, our students join us for many different reasons. Hear directly from some of our recent students from the Young Adult New Zealand Gap Year Program⭐

Applications are open for our Spring Semester intake in February - save $2000USD on fees until the end of December, just a few more days to schedule a call! rootedlifeadventures.com

22/12/2024

What do the parents have to say about our New Zealand 10 Week Young Adult Program? Find out more here!

16/12/2024

This feedback, right here, is why we do what we do. And we're so grateful that our students and their families chose our New Zealand 10 week program for their gap year program experience. Thank you, thank you! 🙌💚

03/12/2024

Fire and ice? Not all our students were bold enough to give the cold-water immersion a go, but we had a few willing participants!

Contrast therapy, also known as hot-cold therapy, has been proven to have numerous health benefits including improved circulation, reduced inflammation, the promotion of healing and enhanced mental clarity. Would you give it a try?

02/12/2024

Yes, animals are cute and are usually a highlight on our programs, but did you know they also have therapeutic benefits? Interacting with animals has been proven to decrease levels of cortisol, the stress-related hormone, putting us at a more relaxed state.

Both our New Zealand and Costa Rica programs include interactions with a range of animals in a variety of places, and there are always opportunities for us to safely connect with animals in their natural habitat.

29/11/2024

Have you ever touched an iceberg?

Our New Zealand students recently visited Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park on their Fall Gap Year Program. The icebergs shown in these photos are a result of a recent Tasman Glacier calving, an infrequent event where ice sheets crack off of the Glacier wall and drop into the lake beneath. A lake filled with icebergs, of all sizes, is always an extraordinary experience and some of our brave students enjoyed a quick, chilly, dip! ❄️

Aoraki / Mount Cook, the highest peak that's featured in most of these photos, is the highest mountain in Australasia, at 3,724m/12,218 feet. Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is a deeply energising, spiritual place, and it's also famous for being the training ground for Sir Edmund Hillary in preparation for his successful Mount Everest expedition in 1953 with Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay.

28/11/2024

25/11/2024

Who knows the name of this cheeky alpine parrot that's been paying us regular visits on program? This endangered parrot is one of the most intelligent birds in the world and can only be found on the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. 🦜

23/11/2024

We love a water-based activity, and so do our students! A few weeks ago, we all embarked on a half day canyoning experience with .explorers, here in the Queenstown region, and our students had a great time getting amongst the adventure.

We descended and explored the canyon by zip line, abseiled waterfalls and slid down everything possible! We plunged into crystal clear natural pools, floated down narrow passageways and cascaded down chutes – all in beautiful, natural surroundings.

Canyoning is an exciting and exhilarating experience, and it can also be a great opportunity for personal growth. Our students build confidence through trying something new, they practice listening and following directions whilst continuing to trust in themselves and their actions. It's also heartwarming to see the students cheer each other on and provide support.

22/11/2024

Are you, or a young person you know, looking for a Gap Year Program this Spring? Our ten week New Zealand program, suitable for 18 - 22 year olds, departing in February is currently accepting applications.

Plus, you can save $2000USD on enrollment fees if you sign up before the end of November! Simply head on over to our website rootedlifeadventures.com to apply or arrange a call to find out more.

Our Founder and Executive Director, Austin, would love to speak with you.

22/11/2024

Welcome to Milford Sound, also known as Piopiotahi, dubbed by Rudyard Kipling as the Eighth Wonder of the World! Our students were fortunate to experience a sunny, dry day in Milford - but it's known to be the wettest inhabitable place in Aotearoa New Zealand, so the waterfalls were still pumping! A day in Fiordland National Park is always a day well spent 💚⛴

09/11/2024

Our Wellness Director, Mickey, shares more about the hikes we do on the New Zealand gap year program.

07/11/2024

📸 Here's some snaps of our gap year students enjoying being playful in the outdoors whilst on our New Zealand program.

Remember, we are currently accepting applications for our Spring 2025 New Zealand program! If you sign up before the end of November, you can save $2000 on your program fees!

05/11/2024

It's hard to disconnect from our phones and the endless apps that preoccupy our lives in, sometimes, meaningless ways. On program we prioritise this, limiting screen time in a supported and encouraging environment.

Because, honestly, who wouldn't prefer this kind of connection? ⛰️💚

02/11/2024

Our students undertake ⭐ 50 volunteer service hours ⭐ on their Rooted Life Adventure gap year program.

Rooted Life Adventures proudly work with the team at Baskets of Blessing Charitable Trust, based right here in Queenstown NZ. Baskets of Blessing is an organisation that provides a platform for coordinating generous donations of products, time and money, delivering unexpected gift baskets and frozen meal/food packs to individuals and families suddenly struggling from unexpected life challenges. Baskets of Blessing now distribute over 500 gift baskets per year and up to 3000 free frozen meals per month.

Our students love volunteering as part of our gap year curriculum. Students feel useful knowing they're supporting the local community; they take their responsibility seriously - stepping up to the job in hand, feeling a great sense of pride and satisfaction with the outcome of their mahi (work).

Baskets of Blessing create customised gift baskets to reinforce that people do care and to offer positive uplifting moments for those who need a little bit of extra TLC. All recipients are nominated anonymously and are actioned without judgement.

This is a terrific organisation and volunteers are always welcome as they rely on community support to provide help for those in need. Thank you to all our enthusiastic students for their hard work and smiley faces, week after week!

01/11/2024

On the shores of Lake Wānaka, our Fall Semester students experienced a Māori Whakatau, a welcome, to connect them with the indigenous Māori culture of New Zealand.

Our students/the visitors, otherwise known as Manuhiri, were welcomed by the Tangata Whenua, the people of the land. In these photos you can see our students partaking in a Hongi, which is the pressing of noses. This is a traditional Māori greeting and is a sign of peace, life and well-being. The Hongi represents a connection between people and the Tangata Whenua. Ka pai / how good!