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Students can select from 1 of 3 different locations:
The University of Waikato, Hamilton
The city of Hamilton is nestled on the banks of the mighty Waikato River on the North Island and is known for its walks, gardens and cafes.
The University of Waikato provides students with a multitude of opportunities beginning with the “O” week: a time of celebration as all the new students enter campus.
Hamilton is the premier location in the country for Maori Studies programs.
The University of Waikato is modern and innovative, with the largest campus in New Zealand including an extensive computer network, the largest sports fields of any campus, an indoor recreation center, two outdoor pools, and even a Scuba Diving shop on campus. There are over 50 sporting and cultural clubs active on campus and weekly activities and entertainment organized by the Waikato Student Union.
The University of Canterbury, Christchurch
Christchurch is the city of exploration, where urban regeneration and heritage thrive and is the largest city of the South Island,
A huge range of exciting recreational options in nearby locations of incredible natural beauty including the rugged beauty of Banks Peninsula, the historic French town of Akaroa, thermal hot springs at Hanmer, snowboarding on the Southern Alps, and whale watching near Kaikoura.
The UCSA (Student Association) has more than 150 student-run affiliated clubs and societies that you can join.
UC offers an Arrival Week Programme for all international students arriving to study at UC for the first time. It includes the new student induction, International Enrolment in Person and Orientation Day.
The University of Otago, Dunedin
Dunedin is a university town with a strong Scottish heritage and colonies of albatross and penguins on the peninsular nearby.
In Dunedin, students can catch some waves, relax at the gardens, visit the galleries and museums, cycle the Otago Peninsula, or take some spring water at the Speight’s tap – it’s free and there are no chemicals added to it.
Otago has a full-time volunteering coordinator, who will help students arrange activities.
Study Abroad students can select from an extensive range of papers (courses), with many opting to learn more about their adopted home or even get out and explore Dunedin and the wider region through numerous papers with a fieldwork component
During the month of May, I looked to give back to the community of Dunedin. I found The Halo Project, which is a wide spread restoration project in Long Beach, Otago. When I was here, I learned more about the place I am in and what my work is contributing to. I also made some new friends. That day we planted many native species and since there was so many of us we got a lot of work done.
Within a day, we dug holes for the seedlings, planted them, and folded cardboard protective barriers to be placed around them. I appreciate the opportunity to give back to the community l am in even when I am far from home.
As one of 50 university students who were brought down to the Long Beach planting site, we helped plant a whopping 1450 seedlings in one day, as well as completing other gardening and environment restoration tasks. This mahi (work) contributed to Halo Project’s wider goals of forest restoration, dune protection, and habitat creation at Long Beach Recreation Reserve.
I also worked in the Otago student garden every weekend. During these days, I have learned of the consistency it takes to tend to a garden. We were always assigned a task, whether it was weeding, shoveling compost, or planting new crops. At the end, we all split the harvested vegetables to take home and include in out meals. I also connected deeper within this community, even when I’m abroad. Being in New Zealand is much like being in Hawaiʻi, the people and lifestyle are very similar. I met a lot of different people at the garden and we each contributed in our own way. Just by showing up and giving a helping hand, we accomplished a lot in the garden. It goes to show that no matter where you, you can make a difference.
It was the last home rugby game at Forsyth Barr Stadium for the Highlanders. The student section was packed. Abbie, also from Linfield, visited me in Dunedin. She is currently a 6 hour bus ride away at the University of Canterbury. The game was very exciting as the Highlander pulled off a win in the very last minute. It was a great way to end the season. I showed Abbie the sights of Dunedin by taking her to the Otago Museum, Baldwin Street, which is the steepest street in the world and then we made our way to St. Clair beach for sunset.
Let me tell you about my favorite experience in New Zealand thus far. After 3 months of practice, my Māori 108 class and I performed a kapa haka concert filled with songs, dances, and excitement. We performed songs that we never saw the lyrics to, we were taught in the traditional way, in the dark. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for this class as it shared the Māori culture and language with me in a hands on way. It brought me closer to new friends and provided me with new skills and confidence in singing and dancing. I was especially proud of myself when I got a handle on the poi dance. Controlling a ball tethered to a string is not as easy as people make it seem . The poi took many hours to practice.
Holding our poi.
On the night of the performance we were adorned with traditional piupiu (flax-stranded skirt) and moko kauae (women’s chin tattoo). It all came together when the curtains were drawn and we sung and danced our hearts out. We performed a mōteatea (song of sadness), two waiata-a-ringa (action songs), one poi dance, and one haka.
Ready to perform papa haka.Perform on stage with a huge smile.
Truly, this was such a special moment for me to 1) learn about the people of Aotearoa and 2) to share what I learned with others.
It has been a whirlwind the last couple of weeks. With the Easter holiday, mid-semester break, and my family visiting me, a lot has happened. Let’s start with Easter. I am still amazed by the kindness New Zealanders have. By some distant connection, my flatmate and I went up to Christchurch to spend the holiday with a family. They took us in, hosted us, and fed us amazing food. It was a refreshing break from the college meals weʻve been having. I truly will remember this kindness others have been showing me and one day pay it forward.
Following the holiday in Christchurch, my tutu (grandma) and aunty met up with me in New Zealand. They explored the North Island and then flew down to the South Island to see me. This was the start of our epic road trip through New Zealand. When I say epic, I mean EPIC! Here is how it went.
Starting in Christchurch, we drove to Lake Tekapō, then to Lake Pukaki. We stayed in Twisel for a night, then went on a four-mile hike in AorakiMt. Cook National Park the next morning. It was a gorgeous day with stunning views of the mountain. After that, we drove to the town of Wanaka and enjoyed the immaculate view of the lake and the iconic Wanaka tree. This trip took place during mid-April, so it was the peak for Autumn colors. We even went jetboating on the lake and up a river in Wanaka.
Arrowtown was the best place to see the bright yellow and orange trees. We briefly stopped here on our way to Queenstown. Queenstown was another beautiful stop. We enjoyed a lamb and potato dinner since sheep are a staple here in New Zealand. In fact, there are about 7 sheep for every New Zealander that lives here. During our long drives, counting how many sheep we saw in the fields was impossible. The next day we took a day trip to Milford Sound. This place has to be the number one place I have visited thus far in New Zealand. I was overwhelmed by how beautiful it was. It is a glacier-carved fiord filled with waterfalls, dolphins, seals, and epic sea cliffs.
After Queenstown, I got to show my tutu and aunty my University. Although when we first got back to Dunedin, there were large wind gusts, the weather turned out perfectly sunny. After giving them a campus tour, we went to see the blue penguins on the peninsula. This is my second time seeing these tiny ʻfairyʻ penguins; it never gets old. They are now my new favorite animal.
As you may be following along, I am enrolled in a Māori performing arts class. Today marks 30 days from our concert performance. We so far have learned three songs, two of which have complete dance actions with them.
This past Saturday and Sunday, we had our wānanga, which translates to “to meet and discuss.” Essentially, it is a gathering of learning and knowledge. These days were full of learning and practicing the waiata (songs). We came into the weekend only knowing the words to one song. We then came out of the weekend having learned the actions of that song and knowing two more songs. Of course, my group and I rewarded ourselves with ice cream after such a long weekend of learning.
Practice area
A key part of this class is to learn the songs in the dark. Te reo Māori (Māori language) has traditionally been strickly an oral language. Writing was not introduced until the Europeans came around. Before that, all of the Māori whakapapa (genealogies), creation narratives, and stories were passed down orally. There were also certain times of the night that these were taught and they were usually in the form of song.
Our next song involves the poi and haka. The poi is a common dancing instrument used in Aotearoa. It is a foam ball wrapped in plastic attached to a string. Typically, the women dance with the poi, and the men do the haka; however, it is not required that we stick to those gender designations. I am learning the poi performance, and I am not as grateful as seasoned dancers make it seem. Since they grew up learning to dance with poi, I am giving myself a bit of grace. Hopefully, in the next month, I can practice enough to look somewhat good.
In the span of a couple of weeks, I have checked off so many things from my bucket list. I have found a good group of friends with the same sense of adventure. We have gone on hikes and camping trips. One trip that amazed me was far south of New Zealand in the Catlins. This coastal region is filled with amazing waterfalls and wildlife. We saw penguins, seals, and dolphins during just a 3-day camping trip. We took our boogie boards and wet suits at Curio Bay and swam with the Hector dolphin colony. As we rode the waves, they would rush right past us. It was truly an amazing site.
Dolphin swimming a wave in Curio Bay, New Zealand
After seeing the dolphins, we went to Nugget Point to see an iconic lighthouse and some seals. There were at least 50 seals playing in the pools below. They were hard to spot, but once you saw one, you saw many more.
Nugget Point LighthouseMe at Nugget Point Lookout
I have really gone out of my comfort zone and am willing to try just about anything here. I came in with an adventurous attitude, and New Zealand has matched it with flying colors. I joined the kayak club here, and we had to take lessons on how to roll a kayak. It is a fun new skill that I had no idea about. I also participate in the premier football (soccer) club here at Otago University.
Another club I have joined is the Otago bike club. There are so many fun communities within Dunedin and so much to do. I finally have a routine with my classes and really try to study during the week so my weekends remain free. My next adventure takes me to Queenstown and Wanaka.
I am enrolled in Waiata Te Tīmatange, which is a Māori song and performing arts class. It is by far my favorite class and teaches me so much about the culture and the language. Each waiata (song) we are taught reveals a new understanding of the Māori worldview and their customs. We recently learned a waiata tangi, a song of mourning. Next, we are learning a waiata aroha, a welcoming song. We are learning a total of five Māori songs and dances to perform in our end-of-semester concert. Pre-colonization, the Māori language was strictly oral; nothing was written down. All of their genealogy and creation stories were passed down through songs and dances. This practice is utilized in our class. We learn the songs in a dark room where the instructor repeats the lines over and over again. We are never handed the words in writing. I actually learn the words and their meaning quicker this way and I think it will last longer in my long-term memory. I look forward to all of the waiata and haka performances we will learn.
Here are some words in te reo I have learned:
aroha – love, compassion
whakapapa – layers of geneology
whānau – family
manaakitanga – kindess, generosity
In addition to school, I am exploring more and more of Dunedin. The weather is a lot like Oregon, sometimes it’s sunny, and then sometimes rainy and cold. We are going into autumn and the leaves are slightly changing. The other day I went to see the Pukekura Blue Penguins. They are the smallest penguins in the world. At dusk, these penguins make their way onto land to rest for the night. At the top of the Dunedin peninsula, these penguins waddled home. They are in their molting their feathers and replacing them with new ones.
I am on day 3 of my classes, and I am enjoying all of them. Each course is so different from the others that it keeps me engaged and enthusiastic. I am taking geography, microbiology, Māori society, and Māori performing arts courses. Otago is a massive university with 20,000 students, so understandably, the lecture halls are filled with many people. However, I donʻt feel like a number here. The professors are so nice, knowledgeable, and approachable. They are experts in their field and passionately share the content. In some of my classes, the professor changes every few weeks or even every class. The University brings professors in that know so much about the topic we are learning.
My Māori performing arts class is really going to push me out of my comfort zone. Our final ‘exam’ includes performing a concert at the end of the semester. Our first class taught us some te reo Māori (the Māori language). I have a background in knowing the Hawaiian language and was not surprised by how similar the words and sentence structures are. I feel like this is the best way to learn about the land I am on and the people that originate here. I connect deeply with the Māori culture as I pick up on the similar facets between it and Hawai’i.
At the end of my school days, I find a flatmate to head to the campus gym. For the first two weeks, they offer free fitness classes like spin, yoga, boxing, and pump. They are so fun and really get your heart going. I also signed up for the canoe and tramping (hiking) clubs and am trying out for the football (soccer) club. With so much to do here, I will not be bored. I am sure making the most of my time here in Otago.
This is my first entry, and I already have much to share. I flew into the south island of Dunedin, New Zealand (Aotearoa) on February 17th. Until then, I spent a week exploring the North Island of Aotearoa. I am attending the University of Otago for the semester. Last week was our orientation week, and the school offered many activities. In the span of 7 days, I have gone on 10+ adventures already.
The Octagon is in the center of the city. It is a 30-minute walk from my flat. It just so happened that an annual bagpipe festival was going on the day we explored the Octagon. Dunedin has a rich Scottish history and is a place for many Scottish buildings and events.
A 15-minute walk from campus, I happened to stumble upon the botanical gardens. With 26 hectares to explore, I will be going multiple times to be able to see it. I do plan on visiting the tropical nursery once winter sets in.
Exploring Dunedin Botanical gardens and seeing the rolling hills and hydrangeas.
Growing up in Hawaiʻi, New Zealand feels so familiar to me. I think of New Zealand as a bigger Hawaiʻi. The Māori and Hawaiian cultures are so similar, I can easily pick up on some of the Māori words and customs. Another refreshing similarity is the kind-hearted people I met during my travels. It has been so easy to strike up conversations. Finally, an added bonus is the beaches. Although the water is cold, I know it’s been a great summer day when we spend hours at the beach.
Enjoying the sunset at St. Kilda beach.
In my flat, I live with 5 other international students and a Kiwi host. Every night around 7 pm, we have group dinners. We each reflect on our day or strike up an exciting topic. Learning how some of our cultures overlap or are completely different is fascinating. I am teaching one of my flatmates Hawaiian as she teaches me Spanish. For my shared dinner, I cooked one of my favorite Hawaiian dishes – shoyu chicken. I can gladly say that they all LOVED it!
Cooking shoyu chicken for my flatmates.
Rugby is my new favorite sport. During O-week, a professional rugby game was taking place in Dunedin. The enclosed stadium is a 10-minute walk from my flat. The student section is called “The Zoo,” and it was filled with blue and yellow students on Saturday. Dunedin’s team is the Highlanders.
Enjoying the Highlander v. the Blues rugby game.
Thanks to the great friends I have made in 1 week, I’ve got to see some spectacular places. The natural wonders surrounding Dunedin amaze me (go to #10).
Signal Hill to see Dunedin’s cityscape
Signal Hill at night
Bike Thrifting at the Otago University thrift store. All I had to do was fix up the tire treads myself then I got the bike for $20.
The bike I thrifted for $20.
Otago International Food Festival and Saturday Farmers Market
A steep 1.5 mile hike to Tunnel Beach
Me at Tunnel Beach
Hiking down to Tunnel Beach
The stairs to Tunnel Beach.
Finally, at tunnel beach, surrounded by sea cliffs.
Chasing the Aurora Australis – Southern Lights at midnight. This was a bucket list item of mine, and seeing these lights amazed me.
Seeing the southern lights for the first time.
I am back on campus at the University of Waikato after two months away from campus, staying in Thames with people who have become so important to me. I had no idea that the lockdown, something so uncertain, frustrating, and overwhelming would end with me forming some of the most wonderful relationships with my New Zealand whanau (family in Te Reo Māori–the Māori language). I am so lucky that I had such a wonderful place to stay and was able to build such special connections. In the last few weeks that I spent with them, we went on a drive around the Coromandel Peninsula, went fishing for snapper, and played lots of games!
I am already missing the beautiful views of the ocean in Thames!
The drive around the Coromandel Peninsula was absolutely beautiful! Exploring the area had been something that I wanted to do before I even arrived in Thames, and had actually been my original plans for the Easter weekend–before the lockdown. During the lockdown, we couldn’t go out for a drive, so we waited until we finally got to Level 2 to explore. It was a perfect day with great weather. We ate a tasty fish and chips meal and got to stop for all the beautiful views.
The Coromandel Peninsula is a popular vacation spot for Aucklanders, especially during the Christmas holiday, which is summer here. During that time, the roads are packed, but when we went, it was busier than it had been in a long time due to the lockdown, but was still relatively quiet. I am so happy that I got to have this adventure, even with all of the disruption that happened during this semester.
One of the first viewpoints that we stopped at. It was a clear day, so we could actually see the Auckland skyline in the distance.Another amazing view while driving around the Coromandel. New Zealand is such a beautiful country!
The day after we went on the drive around the peninsula, we got up early in the morning and went fishing for snapper. We left at 4:45 AM and drove out to the boat launch site with the brother of my wonderful host. He took us out on his boat into the Firth of Thames, which isn’t open ocean, so luckily I did not get seasick, which I was a little worried about, since I do get motion sick when riding in the car. We went out while it was still dark, so I had no idea which direction we were going. The ocean was kind of rough while we were driving out, so I got splashed and was already wet before we had even started catching any fish, despite wearing a waterproof jacket! I was a little worried I had made a bad choice to go along, because I was already cold and wet and we were still trying to find a good fishing spot!
The sun coming up while we were out on the boat
It was then that we spotted a barge, which I expected to be like the cargo barges that I see on the Columbia River or taking goods across the ocean. Everyone was so excited to spot the barge and wanted to go fish next to it, which I did not understand, because the barges that I am used to would not make for a good fishing spot. As we got closer, though, I realized that this was not a cargo barge. This was a mussel barge, harvesting mussels from the farms that are all across the firth. They were pulling up long ropes covered in mussels, while machinery stripped the mussels, filled huge bags with them, and then dropped the ropes back into the sea. We dropped our fishing lines and within seconds, there were snappers on the hooks. The waste from the mussel barge attracts the snappers, making it the ideal fishing spot. We were the first boat out, so we had the best spot, right next to the barge. Within minutes, other boats started to show up, and there were about twenty five boats, all crowded together, trying to keep from hitting the barge and each other as the waves tossed us around and pulling up fish almost faster than we could manage. Fishing by the mussel barge lasted about twenty minutes before they finished the farm and sped off to go unload their harvest. In that time, we caught about twenty eight good sized fish. We moved into another area and reached our limit, thirty five fish, within the next fifteen minutes. I even caught a few and took them off the hook myself! In the US, I do not really fish much, I am usually the person who goes along but doesn’t fish, so this was a crazy experience for me. To fish for snapper in New Zealand, you do not have to have a fishing license, each person just cannot catch more than seven fish per day. I really enjoyed going fishing, and as soon as we started catching fish, I forgot that I was cold and wet, and by the end, the sun came out and I was warm. It was a really nice time!
The mussel barge. We got much closer to it to fish!Thirty five fresh snapper fish
Later that day, we made raw fish, which is sort of like ceviche. We cut the fish up and soaked the pieces in lemon juice and salt to cure. You could see a visible change in the fish as the color changed to a more opaque white hue, much like when it is cooked! We mixed it with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and bell pepper, and then tossed it all in coconut cream. It was delicious! We also had Māori style fry bread, eaten with butter and golden syrup, which was so tasty. I went back for seconds and thirds of that meal!
We took the remaining fish fillets and the rest of the raw fish to family and friends around town, so at the end, we had a meal of fish and then none left. This is the normal way of doing things here, if you are fortunate enough to get a large amount of a food, you share with your friends and family to make sure that they have enough to eat too. Everyone shares with each other, which means no one hoards and no one goes without. I thought this was a great way to care for others and very selfless. I asked, and was told that this is just the way they do things here, why wouldn’t you want to share with those that you love?
The delicious raw fish!Hot, fresh fry bread
Now that I am back on campus, I am focusing on finishing up the semester! My final for my Māori culture class is next week and then in the next three weeks, I have an essay and a test for my Anthropology class, and a rewritten essay for my Food Writing class. I cannot believe that this semester is already coming to an end, I feel like I just got here and the semester was so different from what I thought it would be. I have been spending so much time with my friends on campus and we have been catching up after not seeing each other for such a long time. This weekend, we are planning a night out for my birthday, since restaurants are open with social distancing guidelines.
It is getting into autumn here, so the trees on campus are turning colors. My internal clock expects spring, so this is a strange sight for me!
I am proud of myself for handling all of the disruptions and disappointment that happened this semester. A lot of positive things came from this time, like new relationships and personal growth. I wish that I could stay here longer because I could really settle in and get my plans back on track, but I am lucky to have had the time that I did! Here is to making the last month in New Zealand amazing!
A lot has happened since I last wrote. New Zealand has moved from Level 4 to Level 3. This does not change my situation much, as I am not yet allowed back to campus housing and everyone who can work and learn remotely is still being asked to do so. We can extend our bubbles by one person if necessary, and we can travel a bit more in our region if need be. In a few days, we should know if we are able to move to Level 2 and when that will be. At Level 2, I will be allowed to return to campus. I have a little less than two months left in New Zealand and I am determined to do as much as I can in the time that I have left. Since we can travel a bit more in our region, I got to go mushroom hunting and rock fishing! We went out to some paddocks owned by the family of my wonderful hosts and picked mushrooms. I don’t really enjoy eating mushrooms and I was worried I was picking the wrong mushrooms the whole time, since I don’t eat them. I was assured over and over that I was picking the right ones and that they were edible. It was such a cool experience, because I had never picked mushrooms before!
The paddock where we went mushroom hunting.Picking mushrooms!
I also got to go fishing from the rocks at the beach, which is allowed in Level 3. We woke up and drove about ten minutes to a nearby beach at 6:00 AM. I got to see the sunrise, which was beautiful. We were fishing for snapper, and we did not catch any because the season is coming to an end, but it was so wonderful to get out of the house and be in the fresh ocean air and see a beautiful sunrise.
The sunrise over the ocean at Whakatete Bay, where we went fishing.One of the surf fishing poles, just waiting for a bite when we first got to Whakatete Bay.The sun rising over the mountains. I couldn’t resist sharing one more beautiful picture!
One issue I have recently run into is that of prescription medication! I brought 90 day supplies of my prescription medicine with me into New Zealand, which is the most that you can legally bring with you. We had planned for my mom to send me refills of my prescriptions when I ran out, and her sending of the medicine kept getting pushed out due to my insurance in the US and the Level 4 stopping the delivery of packages here in New Zealand.
She went to mail my prescriptions today, and then we learned that sending prescription medicines via the mail is actually illegal! It completely makes sense that it is illegal, and so I have had to reach out to the Student Health Center at the University of Waikato to see if they can prescribe my medication to me here. Living without my medication will not necessarily threaten my life, and so I am really lucky that I don’t have more serious conditions. However, taking my medication does greatly improve my life and I need to figure out how to secure those prescriptions here. I hope that if anyone reading this story is planning to study abroad, you consider how you are going to get your prescription medicine while abroad, if you need any medications! I am going to get this figured out, so it will not end up being a big deal, but rather just something to learn from.
A new fruit I got to try! Everyone here calls these guavas, and they are not what I would think of as a guava, but I don’t know what else to call them! They are sour and sweet and so delicious!
Last week, I used feijoas, my favorite fruit here, to make a loaf (like banana bread) and a cake! I covered them with cream cheese frosting, and they were DELICIOUS!! I loved getting to make something and share it! I love cooking, and it always makes me feel better to make something in the kitchen!
The feijoa loaf, covered in cream cheese frosting.
I also made my speciality – calzones. They are my family’s favorite thing for me to make and they always request it when I am home. I used my recipe from home, but altered the fillings a little with what we had available here. They turned out amazing and everyone loved them! Usually, in the US, I serve them with a pizza style tomato sauce on the side to dip into. When I said that here, my hosts went to the fridge and brought me back a bottle of ketchup, which they call tomato sauce here. I had to backtrack and say I needed something like pizza sauce, but unfortunately, everyone in New Zealand seems to be making pizza, because tomato products are one thing that the grocery stores are consistently out of. They ended up eating the calzones with barbecue sauce, because they put that on their pizzas here. They loved them, and that is all that matters to me!
Calzones in New Zealand, fresh out of the oven!
I am hoping for good news in the next few days regarding a move to Level 2, since for the last two days, we have had ZERO new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand. That is absolutely incredible and I am so thankful to be here and be so safe during this scary time. I hope that you are all healthy and safe. Keep washing your hands and practicing social distancing!
The weather has been unseasonably warm, and the roses are still blooming!
