Arcadia New Zealand

Kia ora. Fourteen years ago I was asked to set up an Arcadia program for New Zealand that would include a four-day orientation and various activities that would highlight what New Zealand is all about. As the years have moved on, events have increased in variety and number, but one event that has remained hugely popular for each group every semester is our three-day activity weekend. The three-day weekends are optional but this semester we had 93 out of 94 students participate – that is 99% voluntary participation. They certainly carry a reputation of being worthwhile and are timed early in the semester.

This semester Otago, Canterbury and Lincoln students came to Queenstown where we explored the gold laden Shotover River by jet boat, hiked a full day on the Routeburn Track (one of the Great Walks), and had fun exploring Queenstown (some students booked themselves a bungy jump for the afternoon). The Victoria University students crossed Cook Strait by ferry, travelled to Abel Tasman National Park and after a morning checking out baby seals, hiked golden sand beaches, swam and slept on a boat and then the next day kayaked back out of the park on ocean kayaks. Auckland students went to Waitomo Caves where they put on wetsuits and a rubber inner tube and floated down a cave stream with glow worms shining on the roof of the cave like stars. They walked through native forest to a stunning waterfall and had a surf lesson on a windswept west coast beach famous for its left hand curl.

The most heartening thing for me about these three-day weekends is seeing students (and some are not so outdoorsy) get the joy of being out there and breathing in that beautiful fresh air, pushing their bodies harder than they usually go, opening up to each other like you only seem to do when there are no phones and computers around, watching them drink water fresh from a mountain stream without the fear of giardia, seeing them gain that massive sense of achievement of making it to Harris Saddle and back, and then the giggly fatigue in the bus back to town. I truly LOVE it! And then the icing on the cake is the email a few days later asking me what three-day hike I would recommend for them to do next. Definitely no shortage of job satisfaction here.

So for those that took part in out three-day weekends this semester I thank you. For those future students, the Arcadia NZ crew looks forward to our three-day weekend with you. It is never boring! :)

Jane