Student Bloggers

It is incredible that just a week or so ago, being here in New Zealand seemed like a distant dream, and now I have NZ dollars in my wallet, a NZ phone number, and lots of Kiwi memories to treasure already!

Traveling here was not as torturous as I thought it would be at all! In fact, getting to travel with the wonderful other Arcadia students was quite fun! We all met each other at the LAX Air New Zealand terminal, shared in our excitement for leaving to such an amazing country, and bonded over our similarities like mutual friends and being from the same state. About 12 hours later and an almost sleepless night, we arrived in Auckland! Tired and a little nervous, we were all met by the wondrous and enthusiastic Arcadia staff. Kate, Jane, Annabelle, Tom, and Max all answered our numerous questions and gave us a delightful Kiwi welcome!

Day one in Auckland started with settling into our hotel and doing some ice breaker name games. As silly as it may have seemed, the games were actually quite helpful with remembering everyone’s names! Memorizing 50 names in one day is no easy task! Jane and Kate were our fearless leaders and had the steep goal of trying to keep dozens of sleepy-eyed students awake until 8 o’clock. We started with a tour of Auckland, lunch by the pier, and a hike up a large hill for an amazing view of Mt. Rangitoto and the city. After an afternoon swim and hunting for beach glass, we all ventured off to an Italian restaurant for pizza, pasta, and salads. After walking, hiking, and swimming all day, our pizza and pasta couldn’t come soon enough!

Day two began bright and early as we all re-loaded our heavy suitcases on the bus and headed off towards Rotorua. Kate and Jane gave us all great New Zealand history lessons along with Kiwi tips and tricks as we drove away from the big city. Before long, we stopped for lunch in Matamata. Matamata is also known as…Hobbiton! Home of the SHIRE! I was absolutely giddy as I geeked out over the Hobbit-themed visitor center and the town’s welcome sign. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the actual Shire, but I know I will certainly go back later this semester for a full tour! After leaving Hobbiton, we went to a New Zealand farm show where we saw 19 different kinds of sheep! They were absolutely adorable and the show was delightfully silly. We then got to tour a Kiwi bird sanctuary! We learned a lot about New Zealand’s national bird and even got to see some first-hand! Their habitats are very dark, as they are nocturnal, but with some perseverance we were able to find them and admire the endearing flightless birds. After settling into the hotel and adjusting to Rotorua’s interesting sulfur smell, some of us ventured into the town in search of dinner. We must have looked so silly as we stormed the town, all of us loud, a little lost, complete with nasally American accents. Dinner was followed by an absolutely glorious trip to the hot springs for a late night swim. The pools were full of rejuvenating minerals, and the water was welcoming, warm, and socializing with all our new friends was lovely!

Day three started with a buffet-bar breakfast before we hopped on the bus for some Rotorua sight-seeing. Our first brief stop was to the boiling mud pools right outside of Rotorua. These mud pools released some pretty strong sulfur smells, but it was a cool natural phenomenon to witness. Immediately after, we rushed over to Wai-O-Tapu to see the Lady Knox geyser eruption and the geothermal pools. Again, the sulfur smells was very prevalent, but by then our noses were all adjusting well. Wai-O-Tapu’s pools and craters were colorful and intricate, each a result of amazing chemical reactions. Later that afternoon we all hopped in our togs (Kiwi for swimsuits) and went zorbing! Zorbing consists of two or three people sliding into a large hamster-ball type vessel filled with some water and rolling down a large hill. I had no idea what to expect, but it was an absolute blast! We all had a ball (pun intended)! Our day concluded with a Maori tribal experience, complete with a welcoming ceremony, demonstrations of indigenous traditions and the haka, and a hāngi feast. Everything tasted so earthy, fresh, and savory. Lastly, as Maori tradition states, we all sang songs together on the bus ride home.

While it was very sad to leave our new Arcadia friends who were going to Otago University, my fellow Canterbury peers and I were all filled with anticipation to see our new home city! I’ll write with updates soon! Kia Ora!