July 5: I can't believe we finally made it to Christchurch!! After all these months of planning and waiting my study abroad semester at the University of Canterbury has begun! The first thing we did was check in at Ilam Apartments where I got the keys to my new home. It is also my first apartment ever!! I love it! I live with four other freshmen Kiwi girls who are all super nice. We each have our own big rooms and we have two bathrooms, a cute kitchen, and common t.v. area. After unpacking and stocking up the fridge and cabinets with food, I met with Eunice and the thirteen other IES Abroad students from America. Eunice is our amazing program director - she is like a mother to us. The first thing we did was split into groups and venture on a scavenger hunt around the university campus. The campus is really nice. It kind of reminds me of Ithaca with the buildings and trees, except it's very flat and a bit bigger. Afterwards we went out to dinner in town at Riverview Buffet Restaurant where we ate and got to know each other. Excellent first day!
July 6: The next day we all ventured into the city. After a nice lunch at the Botanic Gardens Cafe, we ran around Christchurch on an even bigger scavenger hunt. This was awesome because I was able to navigate my way around and find a lot of cool places like Cathedral Square, Arts Center, the Holy Grail Sports Bar (where they play all the rugby matches), the bus exchange, nice shops, and a ton more.
July 7: Today I attended the International students' orientation. They introduced us with a traditional Maori welcoming. They spoke in Maori and also sang for us! It was awesome. I love the Maori language. Fun Fact - The Na'vi language in the movie Avatar is based on the Maori language. The director had visited New Zealand and loved its flow and melody.
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| Castle Hill |
July 8: Today I enrolled in my classes! I am taking 'Science, Maori, and Indigenous Knowledge,' 'Kapa Haka Maori Performing Arts,' 'God, Mind, and Freedom,' and 'Sport Nutrition.'
July 9: Today the whole IES group left for our overnight trip in Springfield! We stayed at a youth hostile called Smylies. The drive was incredibly scenic and we ended up at Castle Hill. We hiked up the hills and there were so many crazy cool limestone boulders and amazing views. This place is near where the battle scene in the
Chronicles of Narina: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was filmed. After an amazing dinner at Smylies, we went out to a small pub and hung out with the locals.
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| Castle Hill |
July 10: After a delicious breakfast at Smylies we visited a cute little farm. We learned all about the sheep, sheep dogs, and alpacas. Alpacas looks like llamas and have incredibly soft wool. I loved watching the sheepdogs chase the sheep, I'm pretty sure I want a sheepdog as a pet. They are so smart!! We also got to try sheering the sheep. The best part of this day was jetboating! It wasn't as epic as the Queenstown Shotover Jet but it was still fun!
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| Sheep sheering |
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| Antarctic storm room! |
July 11: Today, Sunday, was our day off from IES activities so I hung out with my family. It has been really nice having them here to help me get settled. We went to the Antarctic Center located at the Christchurch International Airpirt. This is where many Antarctic missions are organized. We explored the gallery area which had many displays about modern day Antarctica, including the Antarctic Treaty partners, the human impact on the continent, the wildlife and plant systems, and Antarctica’s effect on the globe. We watched a sound and light show called "Beyond the Frozen Sunset" which showed absolutely stunning footage of the continent. Then we got to experience a simulation of an Antarctic storm. We threw on heavy jackets and shoe covers and went inside a room with an igloo and snow. The lights dimmed and the wind picked up as people started talking over the intercom of a storm headed our way. The sound effects were awesome. But it was so windy and freezing that Lindsey and I wondered why we were doing this to ourselves after about three minutes. We ran out when they opened the doors and were very thankful we were not actually stuck in an Antarctic storm! After that we got to see Little Blue Penguins! The most exciting part of our Antarctic experience was the Hagglund ATV ride. The Hagglund we rode had actually been in Antarctica! We rode up and town rough terrain, hills, and pools of water.
July 12: Classes begin!!!
The next morning Jessica, Lindsay, Sarah, Cathy, Courtney, Stephanie, and I woke up at 5 am and caught a shuttle to the train station. We took a 2 and a half hour TranzCoastal trip to Kaikoura. The views were spectacular! We saw the sunrise, Kaikoura mountain ranges, and the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline. Not to mention all the cows, sheep, and baby lambs! So cute! There also was an air viewing carriage where we could go outside and take pictures on the train. Kaikoura is located on a rocky peninsula protruding from rich farmland and snow capped mountains. Moa Hunters inhabited the peninsula 900 years ago. In Maori legend, Maui placed his foot on the Kaikoura peninsula to steady himself while he 'fished-up' the North Island. The Maori name Kaikoura translates to 'meal of crayfish' (Kai - food, koura - crayfish), and it is crayfish for which the region has traditionally been famous. Kaikoura is so epically beautiful. It is a cute little town and while walking down the street, the mountains just struck me every time I turned around! We had a coffee in a cafe and I bought a whale bone necklace. They get the whalebone from beached whales. We then walked along the shore to the end of the peninsula. It took forever to get there because we kept stopping along the way to take pictures and take everything in. We all could not stop talking about how crazy lucky we are to be here. On the way back we stopped for an ice cream and ate it on the beach. On the train ride back we watched the sunset and fell asleep. What an incredible day!
