Student Bloggers

I can’t believe this trimester is already half way over… but that means only 6 more weeks of lectures! I am not officially done with Uni until November 14th though, since we get a “stress free” week after finals end and then a three-week period for exams. Luckily, I have a little over two weeks during exams of free time to study (in the car on the way to explore more of NZ).

I spent the first week of my break going on field trips for my New Zealand Flora and Fauna class. We explored Zealandia and the Otari Wilton’s bush from 9-5 Monday through Friday. I had such a great time with my fellow classmates, who were a good mix of other internationals and local Kiwis. I learned so much in one week about New Zealand’s native plant and bird species; I would definitely recommend this class. *BONUS* the final exam is during the first week back after break, so one class is done!

That Saturday after my field trips had finished, I flew into Christchurch to meet up with some of my Arcadia friends from Vic. We somehow managed to fit the 5 of us with bags into a little hatchback we rented (let's just say we got really close). My favorite part of the trip was Queenstown. I can’t wait to get back and explore more. We met up with some of the Canterbury students we knew from orientation and had coffee with the lovely Jane! Then we made our way to the Nevis Bungy jump… That was something else. Fergburger was the next stop, and it is a must do in Queenstown if you are a burger fanatic like me. YUM. We also went luging from the Gondola, which is pretty much real life Mario cart. I’m so glad I wore my GoPro and was able to capture the collisions and wipeouts.

After Queenstown, we made our way to Wanaka and drove up the west coast the last few days. When planning your two-week break, I highly recommend booking accommodations beforehand. We ended up having to tent camp near Fox Glacier in the pouring rain. The wind was so bad the tent looked like it was caving in throughout the night. The four of us managed to stay dry and warm huddled together in the tent (one slept in the car). We made our way to Greymouth the next morning and found an awesome accommodation on the beach. We treated ourselves to some spaghetti and wine after that rough night before.

Another one of my favorite parts of the trip was in Kaikoura! We drove through on our way to Picton to catch the ferry home. While driving on the coast, we decided to stop by a scenic lookout to take pictures. When we got to the viewing deck, seals were scattered across the beach. They were swimming, playing, sleeping and barking to each other! It was one of the most adorable things I have ever seen. I still have not made it to the seal colony at the Red Rocks near Wellington, so after that experience, the Red Rocks trip has moved up to my number one thing to do this month.

It’s weird going home to your home away from home. It was like a vacation from my vacation (I promise I’m doing my schoolwork, mom). The ferry ride from Picton to Wellington is amazing I’m sure, but I always miss it since I have to drug myself with Dramamine to avoid seasickness. One day I will be awake to enjoy the ride. Wellington is still as beautiful as ever. The first day back the weather was perfect, so I made my way down to the farmer’s market for some fruits and veggies. I even braved Wellington’s hills and went on a run outside. My legs are still killing me 3 days later. I’m glad to be back in Wellington, but it’s hard to get back in the school routine. Only 6 more weeks though! Time to start planning the next trip, cheers! :)

-Kenzie