The scenic delights of New Zealand have attracted many a young backpacker on their travels around the world.
But the 'grey gapper' phenomenon has seen growing numbers of older travellers signing up to the backpacker lifestyle for a break, even those in retirement.
One such traveller is David Bolton, a 74-year-old Briton living in British Columbia in Canada who first headed to New Zealand back in 1995 with his wife.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "On our first trip 13 years ago we went hitch-hiking for five months around both islands, as I wanted a good look at the country to which I had nearly emigrated from England in 1956.
"When we could not pitch our tent we stayed in the backpackers' lodges - 32 different ones in all during the trip."
And this was where he realised that the true beauty of the backpacker lifestyle was not just visiting remarkable places, but meeting new and remarkable friends.
He added: "The real fascination lay (and still lies) in meeting people and the compensation for the rigours of the backpacker life is being exposed to such a mix of nationalities and motivations."
Anyone heading off on their gap year this summer should ensure they have a comprehensive backpacker insurance policy in place before they depart.