A Few Closing Statements

Since I last wrote I've travelled [almost] halfway around the world.  My last days in Dunedin were spent taking exams and bidding farewell to friends.  I was saddest to part ways with my flatmate Rachel, but it's a small world after all.  I also got my first ever traffic violation trying to get to the airport on time.  Woops.  120 in a 100 zone.  No worries, I just have to pay the $80 fine the next time I come into the country (which is hopefully at a time when I'm a bit more....financially stable?)  We did make the flight on time, however, and flew into Wellington, an artsy/hip city on the North Island.  The Te Papa museum, home of a colossal squid with eyes the size of soccer balls, inspired me to order sushi for dinner that first night.  Yumma.

With six girls in two cars and luggage overcrowding the seating spaces, we toured a bit of the North Island, despite the shit weather, including Taupo and the Bay of Islands.  After sleeping in the car for a few days, we took a much needed swim in the Pacific but continued to eat cold oatmeal and kiwifruit for nutrition.  Three of us were able to stay with a friend's aunt for one night and had the luxury of hot oatmeal and fluffy towels.  A day in Auckland concluded my New Zealand semester as we met our Kiwi friend, Alan, for dinner and a drink in the Sky Tower.  A wonderful ending!  The flights home weren't too bad and I was able to see Nicole and Allie in LA for a few hours before coming back to Detroit.

There are already little things I've noticed in the beginning phases of reverse culture shock.  Tipping makes everything expensive.  Cars and roads are now opposite?  Time zones are strange.  Americans really are loud and often obnoxious.  However, our internet and phone bills make sense here.  There's central heating AND air conditioning and you'll always get at least one radio station in the car.  Our universities have school spirit, free printing, and only a week of the dreaded exams.  And although I'll miss spreading manuka honey on every piece of bread I eat, it does not compare to my love for peanut butter.  No one else does it right.

Thank you so much to everyone who's reading this because if you are it means that you care and you have had something to do with my semester abroad.  The advice and love I've gotten from you all is much appreciated.  I've learned so much the past five months and please don't be surprised or offended if I stutter when you ask how it went.  It's nearly impossible for me to sum up what has been my life down under, but hopefully you've gotten a taste of it through this blog.  Love and cheers!

Queen Street Lovin' and Up to the North!

The last two weeks have brought about the reality of saying our goodbyes.  After Holly's birthday party and attending final lectures, friends have started to leave.  We went out for one last time with everyone on Queen Street last Thursday, then had a huge potluck for Derrick on Friday.  We made so much food and I was really proud of our cooking capabilities (even the guys)!!  I'm two flatmates down and there are just the North Americans left.  I've also had some dinners with Rachel, Ellen and Katie...including a Mexican fiesta =)  Funny how get-togethers always revolve around some sort of food or beverage.  I also took exam number one and it was fine.  They're really hard-out on tests here.  You get a number and sit at the appropriate desk in a room of at least 250 people and have like 30 proctors or something ridiculous like that.  I felt like I couldn't breathe in that room.  Anyways, two more to go...one Monday and one Tuesday.  Maybe I should start studying...

In other news I took a day trip by myself (via bus) to Port Chalmers.  It's a cute town on the coast that exports timber and has tons of resale shops.  And a house with seashells instead of grass.  It was a nice day to walk and think about stuff and I drank one of the best chai lattes ever.  I also listened to or watched the entire Wings series with my Michigan friend, Jarrett.  We were very disappointed in our boys but we figure that we should share the Cup once in a while...annnd speaking of sports I also attended an ALL BLACKS game =)  For those of you who don't know, it's NZed's national rugby team and according to a bartender, "These games make the city alive with rugby".

The next day I headed out on a very last minute trip to the top of the South Island ("Ann we're leaving in 10 minutes.  You're not packed?  Well get packed and let's go!")  Sam, a Kiwi friend, has a sister who lives in Motueka, which is the closest town to the Abel Tasman National Park so we were able to stay with her for free (and even watch some television.  I was like a zombie in front of that thing.)   We drove the 10 hours up on Sunday and had all day Monday to look around the area.  The weather was absolutely perfect!!  Sam showed us some really cool spots that we would have never found on our own...Kaiteriteri Beach (it's so cool that even Shania has a house there)

Abel Tasman Coastal Track, Harwood's Hole.  There was a lot of water and sand and blue sky with mountains in the background.  Wonnnnderful.  Oh, and the hole is sweet.  It's a 176 metre drop that leads down into a cave system.  

It's like that one episode of "Planet Earth" when the guy parachutes into that huge hole in the ground....anyone know what I'm talking about?  Okay, well it was cool.  Have you ever eaten a Braeburn apple?  We passed their orchards on our way as well =)  yumm

Tuesday we stopped for lunch at Nelson Lakes National Park and realized that the good weather was probably over.  The frost line on the hills was almost to the road...and as we continued driving it got closer!  Through Lewis Pass there were a couple of inches on the ground and it was the same as we got near Dunedin!  I can't believe I'm seeing snow in June.  This is my second to last update.  I'll be home very very soon.

Cramped in an 11 Person Van

The past 2 weeks:

-Katie got into the bar using my passport, right after I walked in

-Flatmate, Ditte, did the soundboard for a play about quantum physics, murder, and love

-lots of rain...22 out of 24 days were wet ones

-learned how to make amazing vegetarian chili

-Capping Show, a sketch comedy about life in Dunedin and at the University.  Highlights include men in thongs, songs about drunken teens (instead of dancing queen), and lots of nudity.  Hope College would not let that go on, that's for sure!!

-Kiwi friend, Jack's choir concert

-explored the art museum finally

-wine at the park with Holly when the sun decided to finally shine

-"The Office" drinking game...everyone should try this

Last weekend was a long one thanks to the Queen's birthday, so we rented a van and piled eleven of us in!!  It, um, definitely wasn't a new van, you could say that...someone had ripped the speakers out so Alex brought his laptop to play music from, which of course didn't last that long.  Ha!  We stopped at the boulders in Moeraki, and a few random look-outs on the side of the road.  It was a long drive, but we got to Arthur's Pass in the evening and checked into the hostel for a night.  The next morning we hiked to the Devil's Punchbowl, which is this really big waterfall.  We had fun climbing on the rocks and got up close to it, which of course soaked us.  After that little jaunt we went to Temple Basin which we found out is a mini ski resort!!  The mountains have snow now and we played in it for a bit before eating our lunches.  There were people we met that were planning to sleep in the lodge and ski the next morning...although I think they are pushing it since the snow isn't that deep and what's there seems to be ice.  Either way, the views were great and we took sooo many pictures (mostly because of Marta, the Spaniard, who's a bit over-obsessive).  The weather was absolutely perfect.

We continued driving toward the west coast and stopped off at a beach to watch the sunset over the Tasman Sea.  Eventually we made it to Franz Josef Village where we stayed for the night at a really great hostel that had a sauna.  Sunday, part of the group did a guided day-hike on the Fox Glacier and the rest of us hiked to the base of the Franz Josef Glacier.  There were markers to tell us where the glacier was 150 years ago and it's crazy how much it's retreated since then!  We walked past the barriers to climb on the ice and had time to take a few photos before we heard some crumbling and decided it was a good idea to avoid avalanches.  There were waterfalls there also and sweet moss-covered rocks that I had fun photographing.  After that little jaunt we checked out the Fox Glacier and picked the others up to get back in Peggy Sue once again.

Then we headed down to Queenstown, even though we've all been there, because they have Derrick's favorite burger joint there and this is his last week in NZ already.  10 of us stuffed into a 6 person room for the night and we just walked around and shopped most of the day Monday.  The Remarkables (mountains overlooking Qtown) are still remarkable.  No photos this time, but they will be worth the wait =)

The Wings are still on fire......LET'S GO DETROIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adventure Attempt...Adventure Success!!

You should all know that it rained for a week straight here in Dunedin while the weather is getting warmer in Holland.  And it's the cold rain that goes to your bones and since there's no heating...pretty much we all froze.  Okay I'm done complaining =)  Last weekend we wanted to do something other than sit around the flats, so Kris offered to drive 5 of us out to the peninsula to check out one of the beaches that is apparently beautiful and has nice hiking trails.  She bought a car here when we first arrived and the windshield wipers were broken.  No big deal, we'll rig something up with string and have the passengers operate the wipers by hand so the driver can see!!  Of course.  Well, not only is Kris nervous to drive on the other side of the road, but she also is a little shaky with manual...and of course half-way out there it got to pouring.  So we turned back and nipped that idea in the bud since the manual wiper blades weren't fast enough.  Rachel and I cooked soup and bread instead and had a nice chill rest of the weekend trying to stay dry and warm.

Last week consisted of rain...did I mention that?  And also lots of essay writing.  One on "child obesity and physical education" and "the ecology of adventure".  At least they were interesting.  I randomly ran into a friend, Laura, from earlier in the semester and she invited me to join her and some others for a weekend trip to Kaikoura.  One of the greatest weekends since I've been here!!!

Friday consisted of 7+ hours of driving.  That's like getting to Pennsylvania or something from Mom's.  Basically a long way for a weekend trip.  Anyway, the 8 of us (from Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine, Colorado, Texas, Sweden, Italy) crammed into the mini-van and made it to the cutest and nicest hostel I've ever stayed at.  We pretty much went to sleep that night as we were tired from doing nothing all day.  Laura, Alisha, Emily, and I woke up the next morning for a gorgeous sunrise over the Pacific Ocean.

After spending a bit of time watching the colors change, we got our things around and went to swim with the dolphins!!!  We got our gear all fitted and such and hopped on a boat to take us to them.  The dusky dolphins are one of the smallest types in the world and are known for their socializing and acrobatics.  When we got to their pod we jumped in the freezing cold water and snorkeled around.  They were so friendly and came right up to us, doing circles around us, jumping and the works.  At times there were 6 or so within arm's reach, but they were too quick to touch!  I dove down a few times and they circled my body and kept eye contact for a few minutes before another one would get in the way =)  

It was so neat to swim with them in their natural environment!!!!  After 40 minutes or so we got back on the boat and went to a different spot where there were even more.  I just can't believe how friendly they were--one time I had 4 of them swimming right toward my face before they turned off at the last second...I can't say I've ever played chicken with a dolphin before!  It was so neat.

After getting changed out of the wetsuits we followed the pod for a while and watched them do some back slaps and flips.  There were literally hundreds of dolphins.  We also saw quite a few Great Albatross...the largest seabird in the world.  They only breed in Antarctica but hang out around NZ's south island.  We also saw a humpback whale in the distance, which was a surprise. It floated at the surface for a while and then took a dive like you'd see in Planet Earth when the tail flicks up into the air and then disappears into the ocean.

The rest of the day was spent talking about dolphins and Emily, Laura and I went on a hike around the peninsula since it was a nice day.  We saw seals (they seem to be on most beaches here) and obeyed the sign that told us "Please do not attempt to move seals"  You know someone must have tried that before for them to put the rule up.  Sheesh.  Kaikoura is a place where the mountains seem to run right into the ocean.  And not only are there the snow-capped peaks, but also rolling green hills, rocky cliffs, rocky beaches, pine forests.  Oh, and palm trees.

New Zealand is amazing and I'm trying not to think too much about this summer because I want to enjoy the rest of my...6 weeks?  I am definitely looking forward to coming home, however.  I miss family and friends and RJ of course =)

Living the Life

The week after the semester break was full of attempts to do homework and listening to stories from friends.  There is so much to do here and everyone I talked to did something adventurous!  Last weekend my flatmates and I found our favorite bar in Dunedin.  It's been getting colder here, and this place has live music with fireplaces in one room, an outdoor hangout spot, plus another club-ish room with a DJ.  Soo wonderful.  And between South Bar and the library we will stay warm this winter.  The rest of last weekend included the farmer's market, a wine and cheese party at our place, and a night of "Pulp Fiction".

Last week I did a lot of reading and researching so I would be free for another great weekend...which it proved to be.  Thursday night I had a communal dinner with Rachel, Holly, and Alan and we played Scrabble before it got cold and we went to South Bar.  Friday night we stayed in to prepare for our girl's overnight hike on Saturday!  Holly, Andee, Michelle, Rachel, and I drove 25 minutes to the trail head and hiked the Silverpeaks all day yesterday to get to the Jubilee Hut.  This hike included what is locally known as the "Devil's Staircase" and is suitable for "Experienced trampers only".  So of course we continued on!!!

                

Come to find out, the Staircase is not as clear cut as it sounds.  At all.  It started out with heaps of mud.  We then bush-whacked our way down a really steep cliff full of gorse (super sharp prickly hellish bushes) like it was no big deal.  Rachel and I were leading and got us a little off-track as there were no trail markers and only slightly matted down grass and bush to follow.  But we got back on (after sacrificing our previously flawless legs) and made it to the Jubilee Hut successfully!  I led the girls in a yoga session, which felt oh so good, and then it was time for dinner.  Woops, Rachel and I left the potatoes I made in the fridge at our flat, so a can of beans and a half an apple it was.  Haha.  The others shared a bit and we fell asleep at 9ish after a few hands of cards and journal writing.

Day Two of the girlie adventure turned out to be perfect weather as well.  With the icy ground, the mud wasn't too bad, and going up Devil's Staircase was so much more fun than going up.  At points we were pretty much rock climbing.  Only a few slips from the group, but no bad spills, so that was good.  The ridgeline we were following gave views of Dundedin in the distance, surrounding mountains in the Otago region, and the Pacific Ocean of course.  The trail we were on will not be doable in a few weeks with snow and colder weather on its way...and rain would have been impossible as well...so pretty much we were really lucky with the conditions we were given =)  We got to know each other better and had so many laughs along the way.  We proved some of the doubtful neighbor boys wrong and had fun doing it!

I booked a flight to Wellington during my last week here and will be doing another weekend get-away with some girls next weekend.  Must get to work in order to be able to play =)

Visitors: Part Two

Highlights

-overnight kayaking

-Big Mountain and Old Ice

-Big Tree and Big Buck

-Arthur's Pass...or not.

So Dad and I drove to Te Anau where we were going to get a ride to our overnight kayaking trip.  We spent the day in Te Anau shopping and walking around and woke up super early the next morning for the van pick-up.  To get to Deep Cove, we had to take a long boat ride across Lake Manapouri which provided us with the most amazing sunrise.  

Another bus later and after lots of loading and unloading we were ready to get in the water!  Our group consisted of 1 guide and 8 clients in 4 double kayaks.  Doubtful Sound is amazing.  The weather the first day was warm and somewhat sunny, so we were able to take lots of photos.  

Dad and I had time to venture off when we got to Hall Arm and had fun looking at the jumping fish and huge cliffs.  It's hard to imagine what it would be like covered in ice.  We camped overnight in tents and kayaked back to the beginning the next day.  Day two rained the entire time, but it was great because Doubtful Sound is known for its waterfalls, so we saw heaps of them.  Dad and I dominated (of course) during the squall of wind and rain and waves.  A pod of 15 or so dolphins also swam past us a couple of times also!!!

After that adventure, we drove off and stopped overnight for a hot shower and beds to rest our heads on.  We slept so well that night!  Next we drove to Mount Cook, the tallest peak in New Zealand (12,316 feet) and did a day hike there.  We took our time and went over two swing bridges which were pretty cool.  The whole area (and a lot of NZ) has been formed by glaciers, some of which are still there.  The lakes turn colors like turquoise or tan and is super cold and we got to see the end of the Tasman Glacier (among others).  If you figure the last Ice Age was 12,000 years ago...and the ice was formed before that....we were looking at some really old ice.  This boggles my mind. 

We took a nap at the edge of the lake and moseyed back to drive to Lake Tekapo.  This is another lake that gets its color from the glacial runoff and this town offers (apparently) the darkest and best night sky for star-gazing.  We also had the best mushroom soup that night.

Next we drove to the Peel National Forest where we wandered for a while...it sort of reminded me of the woods up north.  Other than the fact that we saw 1000 year old trees and big stags and sheep and a cute church tucked into the woods. 

          

The birds make crazy noises here, which I don't think I've mentioned before, and they always do their call when you least expect it.  It's also sweet how every hike we did while I had visitors was completely different terrain...one of the things I love about this place.  We made it to Christchurch and did some shopping, stopped off in a few Irish pubs, had a Bangladeshi meal, and just enjoyed each other's company the last night.

I'm so grateful to my visitors and I thank the people who helped get them here.

My plan was to hike in Arthur's Pass and make my way back to Dunedin.  I hitched up there, torrential rain and lots of flooding, hitched back, then home.  Thursday was a long day.  One ride worth telling about is these two 20-something guys who picked me up.  They know more about the NBA than I do maybe and have the lifelong goal of going to a game!  They talked my ear off about different players and rules and coaches and stadiums...these guys from a small town in NZ know about the Palace of Auburn Hills.  WHAT?!  It was too funny.  Anyway, I'm safe and I must now begin to think about classes =)

Visitors: Part One

Part One Highlights for those who don't want to read details:
-RJ visits
-wallabies and penguins and seals
-Dad visits
-chocolate and beer
-hiking and skydiving

After making my way up to Christchurch, I wandered around for a day, went out for drinks with an Israeli guy and German couple, and tried to get sleep before picking up RJ in the morning!!!! I was so happy to see him and we rented a car and checked into a nice little motel. We pretty much wandered and talked and were just happy to be for that first day. We went to the Canterbury Museum, Art Museum, botanical gardens, and saw street performers. RJ got picked to help out with one of the shows and I'm hoping he doesn't switch professions =) The next day was all planned out...however the weather altered plans for us so we drove south and stopped off at a few points. We had lunch in Timaru, walked around the trails in one of the gorges, and stopped in Waimate at the wallaby farm. This place was nuts. There were peacocks, a mentally impaired pony, huge rabbits, ducks, sheep (of course), a possum, and 40 wallabies. They were in pens based on personality types and we were given unlimited time to feed and pet them. When we were done with that we went inside and got to hold Baby Rhubarb. It took everything inside of us to not steal her away. We saw some yellow eyed penguins in Oamaru and then found a hotel (cheaper to have 2 beds than 1 apparently).

Next, we drove down to Dunedin, but not before stopping at Shag Point to see 60ish seals staring us in the face!! Their beady eyes just looked at us and we got pretty close to some of them....boy did they smell. We made it back to my flat and I showed him around town a little bit. We met Katie for drinks at The Baa and to watch the NCAA championship game. Rachel made dinner for us and we went out for karaoke with some friends. Of course I was feelin' the flow and did Eminem proud. So fun! We drove to Long Beach which was really rainy, went in a cave for shelter, and met Dad at his hostel. I showed him my place and we went to do some tours. Cadbury Chocolate is good and they gave RJ many extra pieces for beating the little boy in question answering. We killed time looking around the railway station and driving a ways out on the peninsula before the Speight's Brewery tour. It was interesting since I didn't know much about beer and the tasting afterwards warmed us up. The next day's plans were spur-of-the-moment as it was rainy and cold, so we drove to Wanaka to get out of Dunedin. The weather was much clearer there and we finally made it after many bathroom stops, a petrol fill-up, a beer stop, and lunch. We hiked up Mt. Iron that evening and walked down by the lake as well.


The next morning we had a really good breakfast (pancakes for RJ, muesli for me, the usual for Dad) and went to hike up Mt. Roy. We didn't really know how difficult it would be when we started...but it was definitely a challenge. We took as much time as we needed, but once we got near the summit we just wanted to sit down already! The view was fantastic and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Have I mentioned that I love this place?? We ate our lunch and Dad modeled for a Beck's ad. As we were sitting there thinking about the accomplishment of hiking in the Southern Alps, these two kids come running (yes, running) up the trail. The energy of the young. Anyway, we trekked the long way down and drove to the airport to skydive! The plane was so small and ascended pretty quickly. We had views of the Southern Alps and of Wanaka and the weather was perfect and sunny and it couldn't have been better. Seeing RJ just fall out of a plane at 12,200 feet freaked me out but I didn't have time to think about it because I was next. The 45 second free fall lasted forever and I can't describe how beautiful the scenery was. It was such a thrill and I am so glad we were able to do it together!! We showered and met Dad for dinner, which was so good. I had the best wine I've had here yet and we talked about what a great day we had and how lucky we all are! While nothing can compare to this day, there were more adventures to be had of course.
I dropped RJ off at the airport and we said our goodbyes that next morning (I think I'm on Saturday now). I was sad to see him go, but we had such a wonderful time together and I'm really grateful he came this whole way to visit!!
Whew. Part Two will soon follow....

Girl, stick your thumb out, let's go somewhere!

Yes, I know.  Hitch-hiking is extremely unsafe in the US and in Canada and in Europe.  However, we've been told it's both safe and common here in the beautiful New Zealand.  We've heard many success stories and now we can contribute a few =)  Rachel and I headed out Friday afternoon and got picked up by a nice fellow who dropped us off in the small town of Oamaru.  We checked into a backpackers there and ate some canned beans and rolls before heading out to explore the town.  There was a cute historic district which has been kept in tact (West Branch meets Greenfield Village) and then went off in search of yellow-eyed penguins...the rarest penguins in the world!!  After looking around for a little while at the reserve, we thought we were out of luck and found a nest right by the path.  Two little penguins were only a couple of feet away!!  They are pretty small, about the height of a normal person's lower leg (not as tall as yours, T) and were so adorable.  It was difficult to get good photos because the flash and shutter scare them, but maybe you can get the idea.  Yay!!!

The next morning we had flat whites (the closest thing to drip coffee here) and went hiking on the Skyline Walk.  It started out in a wooded area, much like you'd see up north Michigan, and then went through a bunch of farmland where we zigged and zagged to dodge the sheep.  Okay not really, they moved for us.  But still.  Sheep are everywhere if I haven't mentioned that yet.  We eventually made it back towards town, tasted cheese at a cheese factory (I'm now an expert), and decided there was nothing else in Oamaru to see.  Oh I forgot to mention the cartoon clouds here.  

After much confusion on our part and 3 rides later, we were at a good point to walk to the ocean.  I must mention that one lady had absolutely no room in her messy car.  Not only was it messy but she had her 3 show dogs with her.  Too funny.  We talked about "Best in Show" and dog competitions and dog loving and dog breeding and dog names and dog families.  I bid goodbye to the poodle who I shared a seat with and we walked down the road to Moeraki Village.  Since we didn't want to spend money on a hostel and the weather was really nice, we decided that we would sleep outside.  Rachel and I set up camp and had the most delicious dinner of rolls, brie, and blackberry jam, plus hard-boiled eggs...along with carrots for some crunch and plums for dessert.  It may not sound too wonderful to you, however after hiking all day and much hitching confusion, it was perfect.  We walked along another hiking trail where we munched on wild passion fruit (dessert's dessert) and stopped for a glass of wine at the tavern.  Keeping one eye on the rugby game and one eye on the Babes on Bikes turned out to be too difficult and we walked back to our sleeping bags for some rest.

The sunset was full of brushstroke clouds and the sunrise was a deep orange over the dark blue Pacific Ocean this morning...which made me slightly homesick for Hope.  We walked down the beach to see the boulders, which are these huge, smooth, symmetrical, round rocks that are a mystery to science.  There are many Maori legends associated with them and it was neat to see something so random.  We then ate lunch at Fleur's Place which I must go back to sometime.  Maybe Dad will want to treat me to some fresh fish when he gets here.  After having a nude swim in the ocean we decided to find a ride back to Dunedin.  We were so reluctant as we had hot temps and sunny skies all weekend and dreaded going back to schoolwork...however we made it back via a nice couple and marked this weekend as a success.

I promise we were smart and will continue to be smart when proceeding with such endeavors.  Cheers!

Tramping the Ridgeline

Whew.  Another busy week!  After the craziness that was St. Paddy's, I spent a lot of time reading in the library and also cooked some zucchini lasagna for my flat (thanks for the recipe, Grandma!)  I'm still enjoying my classes and actually have 2 essays to crank out this week which I'm of course dreading.  Aye.  This weekend I went with the Tramping Club to Fiordland National Park which is on the southwest part of the South Island.  We bussed out there on Friday evening and stayed in a "shelter" which was really just a roof over a little bit of pavement.  We were sandwiched in, which helped us stay warm, and we got started on our separate trips in the morning.

I was with 8 others (lead by Jono, a Kiwi tramper extraordinaire) and the plan was to go on a track up to Key Summit and then follow the ridge line and eventually go down to McKellar Hut (irony?)  When we got to Key Summit, the clouds and fog made it difficult to see, but they soon lifted and gave a nice view of some snow-capped peaks and valleys below.    We then went off-track and walked atop the peaks for the whole day.  Just up and down following the mountain line and had beautiful views on all sides the entire time!  Everywhere we looked were more peaks, blue skies, floaty clouds, and rivers wayyyy down below.  Apparently it rains a lot in this part of New Zealand, but it was not the case this weekend!  We were really lucky to have such great weather.

      

We descended a peak that was extremely steep and made it down to the campsite after about 10 hours of tramping.  We set up a "tent" and then boiled water for tea and pasta.  The stars soon came out and there were so many.  (Orion as we know it is upside down here and they call it "The Pot" because his belt and sword look like a handle and pot.  We tried to tell Jono about Orion and he just didn't get it.  Hmph).  Anyway, we looked at the stars and played some games of Mafia before Katie spotted what she thought was a black cat going through my pack.  Nope, it wasn't a cat...in fact it was a possum!  They are black in NZ instead of the weird tan color and this guy wouldn't leave us alone!  Jono chased it, Mike threw things at it, we ran it up a few trees.  Nothing worked.  I still slept outside in the "tent" with Jono, Mike, and Carrie and our sleep was only disturbed by my gasp from a dream of four possums attacking us.  

Today we hiked about 4 hours and took our time through mossy forests and grassy fields before we got back to the bus stop.  By that time we were all sore from the constant movement and stretching and massages were oh so good =)  I had a really nice talk with Rachel on the bus ride home and ate the last of the granola bars homemade by me.  I just had the most amazing shower and am now going to sleep.  Hopefully for a long time.

Adventure Capital of the World

Well this most certainly was an eventful weekend!  My flatmate, Rachel, and I joined on this trip to Queenstown sort of last-minute, and we had an amazing time!!  I'll give you the run-down...

Friday morning (ridiculously early) we got on a bus and started our journey.  We stopped off to do some wine tasting at a vineyard with the most beautiful backdrop ever.    It looked fake.  Come to think of it, a lot of New Zealand looks fake at times.  Anyway, the wine was tasty and it was fun to learn a bit about the history of the Wooing Tree.  From there we went to the Kawarau Bridge where the first bungy jump ever was done, and so of course we all had to follow AJ Hackett's lead and do the jump ourselves down 43 meters.  I wasn't nervous at all until I stood at the edge and looked down and I was thinking, "Wait, I have to jump off a bridge??"    It was the sweetest sensation to be flying and I just want more adventure now =)  I got some great photos with my wonderful Canon and here's just one of them!  After that, we checked into our hostel and headed out for dinner at Speight's Ale House.  I had some sort of whitefish that I can't pronounce which was really good and more wine (hey, it was included!)  It took a long time to get our food since there were 30 of us in the group, so it was a nice long dinner before heading out for the evening.

Saturday morning we woke up to go jet boating!  The drivers of these things are crazy because they're going at 80 kph and they get so close to the canyon walls before deciding to do a 360 turn.    It was definitely a thrilling morning!  We were given free time to explore town, so Rachel and I walked around in search of jandals for her (what we all call "flip flops") and also for some lunch.  We ate at this place called FergBurger and the burgers there were  gigantic.    Huge I'm talking.  Like the size of your face probably.  Anyway, next we were off for a tramp up to Queenstown Hill which proved to be another wonderful view.  The Remarkables are the mountains that border the town and we got some good shots of them.  That night we went out dancing and had a tonnnn of fun meeting people and such.

Sunday, our last day in Queenstown, was very relaxing.  We took a gondola ride up to a luging track and took a few runs down that before we had a light lunch in the park.  And some really good gelato (fig and pistachios!)  I met some sweet people this weekend and got closer with the ones I already knew.  All in all, it was a fun weekend!

This week will be filled with reading so that I can go away again this weekend.  My calendar is getting pretty full and I'm looking forward to having some visitors in a few weeks' time!  Cheers--

Flat Warming turns to Burning

Well, sort of.  So apparently there's this tradition at Otago where they burn couches in the street.  Strange, yes, but I saw such an event the other night.  We hosted a flat warming for our friends in the complex, which turned out to be about 20 or so.  After a little while of mingling and hanging out we headed to this other party that was supposed to be lively and fun with music and drinks to go around.  We were there for a bit when someone started a fire, and yes, chairs and the like were burned to ash.  No worries, the police were there quickly and no one was hurt.  Strange things happen in Dunedin...

Yesterday was Friday and some of us are lucky enough to not have class,  so we went on a 5 hour tramp up to Flagstaff via the Pineapple Track.  I went with people who I didn't know too well and enjoyed their company a lot!  It's been fun to hear about other people's travels and home life and uni experiences, and I've definitely learned a lot of random facts since I've been here.  The route we took yesterday was challenging at some points, but the view at the top was soooo stunning.   It's indescribable by both words and photos, but please take my word for it.  When we rested at the top, Derrick had brought a loaf of bread and a jar of both peanut butter and jelly for sandwiches.  (No peanut butter for me sadly since I gave it up for Lent).  But the best thing about it was that Alan had never tasted one before and his face told it all.  He instantly fell in love.  Hahah!!

Today was spectacular as well.  Rachel and Stephen and I went to the farmer's market where I treated myself to raspberries and a lavender plant.  We also had breakfast there where I tried some dahl soup with fresh bakery bread (just like Harvest, Ma!)  The weather was perfect today and there was hardly a cloud in the sky, so for $4, the three of us took a bus out to the Otago Peninsula.  The beaches here are home to quite a few endangered species of birds and penguins and there are sea lions and seals basking in the sun depending on where you go.  I had it in my mind that I wanted to see a seal, so we walked 14 km to Allen's Beach and yes, I did in fact see a seal =)    Dinner tonight was grilled veggies and corn and Chardonnay.  Dessert was Hokey Pokey ice cream, which I'm not too keen on, but the Kiwis love it so I had to try it.  Tomorrow morning is river crossing training so that I can go on trips with the tramping club in the next few months.  Aye.  Busy busy.  Maybe I should figure out if I have homework....

I hope that Dance Marathon went well at Hope and that you are getting yourselves rested again!  You're on the home stretch for Spring Break (most of you).  I send my love.