Here is the first email I sent out:
I am so excited to be writing everyone from New Zealand! I arrived 3 weeks ago and I am finally getting settled. I arrived first in Auckland (on the north of the northern island.) and we spent the first full day and night there. I arrived at 5-am New Zealand time after sleeping about 7 hours on the plane. The flight was surprisingly quick, I watched a movie, passed out, then watched another movie and a half and we were descending into Auckland. After getting acclimated we went tramping (hiking) up Northhead to see the full city. It was really beautiful up there. We could see the entire city, all sorts of houses and right out over the water, we were surrounded on 3 sides. After walking all over the city we went to dinner as a group. Later that night we hit the town and went to sleep by about 11- completely wiped out. The next day we spent the day exploring the city by foot a bit more and visited the Aquarium. We got to see penguins and all kinds of fish. We saw them feed a sting ray which was about 4 feet wide, with a 3 foot stinger as a tail. It was the coolest largest sting ray I had ever seen! Later on that day we went on our large tour bus (with driver Mark) and drove a few hours to Rotorua. The town of Rotorua is known mostly for its... smell. It smells like sulphur extremely strongly and it's the first thing that hit me as we walked off the bus. It's like a wall. Seriously. The first day in Rotorua was more of a night, so we went out for dinner all separately. That next morning we went out in the smelly air to visit the sulphur pools and we visited the geyser. There is a geyser in Rotorua and it can only go off once ever 24 hours or so, so each day they put some kind of soap into the geyser and a few minutes later out comes shooting mass amounts of water. They discovered that the rock heap was actually a geyser a way long time ago when prisoners were staying at a local prison went down to the water to wash their clothes. They rinsed their clothes and put soap on them and a few minutes later the water spring was shooting way up about 50 feet into the air... needless to say they went back every week and set it off for fun. We also went to a Zoo type area, it wasn't so much animals in cages as it was a nature walk through an area with many types of trout and birds in the area. We got to see many animals and even got to see the infamous nocturnal Kiwi bird! There was only one that was awake when we were there, but it was really neat to see, since there are only a few left in NZ, their only native land. Before heading home we made one final stop at a ZORB place! It was the neatest thing that I have ever doe. Seriously! I rolled down a hill in a giant plastic ball with two others and some water inside with me! It was such a blast! You will have to check it out online! I think I have discovered my new favorite recreational sport!! If it is a sport that is... That night we went to the Polynesian spa and soaked ourselves in mineral pools of all different temperatures. It was a great relaxing way to end the evening off. That next day we flew to our appropriate schools.. me to Wellington along with 16 others.
Arriving in wellington in the morning we were all dropped off at our separate flats each one in a different location across campus and town. I am right next to campus, just down the hillside/steps, and most of my friends are up the hill some more on either end of campus. My flat is really great. Two people were moved in already when I arrived in the morning and helped me drag my bags up to the third floor of my townhouse style flat. Two girls moved in after me and the five of us started to find out more about each other. I am living with Jay from Wayland, MA (literally right down the road) and he goes to Bates College (and knows a bunch of people that I know) Phil is a British boy from Brighton, England. Claire is from California and goes to Colorado State, and Peyton is a girl from Texas. We all get along pretty well for the most part.
Just after arriving in Wellington I got the chance to attend an All Blacks game! They are the national rugby team for New Zealand! I arrived just in time too, since they only play in Wellington twice a year, this being the final time! It was such a blast, besides the rain which soaked me through then later turned to hail... but that is besides the point! I got to see them do their Haka ritual and the game was just great! I ended up leaving before it ended since I couldn't feel my toes, but I watched the rest from a local pub which was totally worth it!
I started classes one week after arriving in Wellington and I am taking 4 classes. I am taking Electromagnetism - for physics, duh, and a religion course called Myth and Ritual which focuses on different religions and is something that I can not get at SMC. I am also taking a course Dramaturgy and the Avant Garde, which is a Theater/ English course that is really 4 classes combined and broken up by the work load. Each of the classes have tutorials associated with it which are like little lab classes of about 10-15 people. I have 13 hours of lecture/tutorials each week and then 4 sessions of a 4 hour lab over the semester. The course load is a lot, but I start early and get out early each day.
I have already climbed Mount. Victoria twice and I have been down to the waterfront wharf several times. Going into town is a trek since its down a giant hill, coming back up is worse since its up a pretty steep hill, up 178 steep stairs and then up another slightly less steep hill and around a bend to get home. There is a cable car that brings you from downtown up to right beside campus taking the hill away which is a great help when I am carrying groceries.
Ooh and I have a picture website at www.photobucket.com/mcary1088, so check it out!
Arriving in wellington in the morning we were all dropped off at our separate flats each one in a different location across campus and town. I am right next to campus, just down the hillside/steps, and most of my friends are up the hill some more on either end of campus. My flat is really great. Two people were moved in already when I arrived in the morning and helped me drag my bags up to the third floor of my townhouse style flat. Two girls moved in after me and the five of us started to find out more about each other. I am living with Jay from Wayland, MA (literally right down the road) and he goes to Bates College (and knows a bunch of people that I know) Phil is a British boy from Brighton, England. Claire is from California and goes to Colorado State, and Peyton is a girl from Texas. We all get along pretty well for the most part.
Just after arriving in Wellington I got the chance to attend an All Blacks game! They are the national rugby team for New Zealand! I arrived just in time too, since they only play in Wellington twice a year, this being the final time! It was such a blast, besides the rain which soaked me through then later turned to hail... but that is besides the point! I got to see them do their Haka ritual and the game was just great! I ended up leaving before it ended since I couldn't feel my toes, but I watched the rest from a local pub which was totally worth it!
I started classes one week after arriving in Wellington and I am taking 4 classes. I am taking Electromagnetism - for physics, duh, and a religion course called Myth and Ritual which focuses on different religions and is something that I can not get at SMC. I am also taking a course Dramaturgy and the Avant Garde, which is a Theater/ English course that is really 4 classes combined and broken up by the work load. Each of the classes have tutorials associated with it which are like little lab classes of about 10-15 people. I have 13 hours of lecture/tutorials each week and then 4 sessions of a 4 hour lab over the semester. The course load is a lot, but I start early and get out early each day.
I have already climbed Mount. Victoria twice and I have been down to the waterfront wharf several times. Going into town is a trek since its down a giant hill, coming back up is worse since its up a pretty steep hill, up 178 steep stairs and then up another slightly less steep hill and around a bend to get home. There is a cable car that brings you from downtown up to right beside campus taking the hill away which is a great help when I am carrying groceries.
Ooh and I have a picture website at www.photobucket.com/mcary1088, so check it out!
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