Three Weeks and then some down

{See facebook for more pictures}

This past weekend, along with a couple of friends, joined the Tramping Club on a hike to Aspiring Hut near Mt. Aspiring outside of Wanaka, NZ. Leaving Friday night we hit up a few bars along the way and camped outside the trail head that night. Hiking to the hut Saturday we arrived late afternoon. A friend and I used the time before dinner to explore the surrounding woods and stream which was covered in the most amazing moss that was 2-3 inches deep and felt like a deluxe mattress. We partied in the hut Saturday night, as the tramping club had driven up a two-man band to play, and had a blast. Hiked back Sunday morning and arrived back in Dunedin after dinner.

The weeks continue to fly by as weekdays are spent going to class, hanging out in the library and playing ultimate Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It's a nice relaxing rhythm and I have been watching movies most nights with flatmates in my complex. This coming weekend I think I'm going to stay home. I was planning on skiing but decided to wait until the conditions improved. I'm excited to go skiing in the near future because I've never skii'd above tree line and don't really know what it will be like. The weekend after this I'm off to Christchurch for Ultimate tournament and All-Blacks Rugby game at night.

So it goes...

Two weeks down...

I started my second week of classes today, and I finally feel like life is beginning to settle in. Classes here are much easier than in the US, and although I plan to attend class, many kiwi's often skip class as there is no attendence and all powerpoints and lectures are online right after class. My Maori studies class has 2 sections of over 500 people each section. That class is the size of my graduating class at Middlebury. All of my classes are good except for English which isn't particularly interesting, but the books look good.

My next few weekends are pretty planned out, which is exciting. Most international students look to get out of Dunedin on the weekends or at least make some sort of plans to travel, tramp (hike), or ski. This coming week, a friend and I are going on the tramping club trip (Bush Ball) which is a hike and party in a the Fjordlands in western South Island. The following weekend I plan on going skiing in the mountains in Queenstown/Wanaka, and after that to an ultimate tournament and All-Blacks game in Christchurch.

Pictures from Pineapple Trail

breaking radio silence

my first week here was good, although getting used to the cold buildings has been an adjustment as there is no central heating or insulation. I have met a lot of people over the past week mostly all international students, and most of those being Americans. The kiwi students are just arriving to campus so the city should get busier.

On saturday i went on a hike on the pineapple trail which is a mountain ridge the goes along the back of the city of dunedin. From the top of the ridge we could see all across the bay and the city, it was beautiful and there was about an inch and a half of snow on the top. I will try and post pictures when possible. The vegetation in the woods was really interesting and seemed almost tropical even though it was still quite cool temperature wise.

Early in the week i went to St. Claire's beach which was beautiful. Although the water was fridgid it was a beautiful day outside and there was amazing 7-10 foot swells. Surfer's were out in full wetsuits. After a long walk on the beach barefoot and almost losing toes to frostbite, we finally made it back to north dunedin by bus.

Getting Ready to Leave

I will be starting this blog to keep in touch and update friends and family back in the US...

I leave tomorrow I will write when i land