Posted 28 Apr 2009

Gap year, volunteering abroad travellers heading to the sunny climes of Australia and New Zealand can be safe in the knowledge that they may be heading to some of the world’s most admired and popular locations.

According to Mercer’s annual list of best places in which to live and work globally, Auckland comes in at fourth place – six spots ahead Australia‘s Sydney at 10th place and streets ahead of Melbourne, which placed 18th.

Rob Knox, principal of Mercer, stated that Melbourne needs to work on its air quality and transport links, while Sydney fared so well due to its foreign schools count and good air transport links.

"Most of the differences within Australian cities tended to be in this area of public services and transport," he told the Herald and Weekly Times.

A wide variety of factors such as health services, congestion, pollution, censorship, mail and local amenities were taken into account by the judges.

Coming first on the list was Austria’s Vienna, followed by Zurich and Vancouver, which claimed equal fourth with Auckland.

Another reason why gap year travellers may want to visit New Zealand could be the revamping of a new website, www.ski-newzealand.co.nz, which allows users to design their very own skiing holiday down to the last detail.

Category: Australasia