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Category: New Zealand

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

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Exploring Dunedin

 

Kia ora!

Wow! Time has flown by so fast this past month. Here are just a few things I’ve done over the course of my first few weeks here:

Kayak Polo:

My “kiwi host” is heavily involved in Kayak polo. If you’ve never heard of it, I suggest looking up a video on YouTube as it’s quite the sport to watch. You are basically strapped into a single person kayak, given a paddle, and are to throw a ball around just as one would do in water polo. Because of my “kiwi host’s” enthusiasm towards the sport, he made all of us play a game one night. Though our team lost badly, we still had the best time trying to figure out how to balance on a single-person kayak and throw a ball at the same time.

 

Surfing at Aramoana:

Two of my flatmates, both from Spain, were both so excited to hear that I was from Hawai’i because they had recently gotten into surfing. To their disappointment, I wasn’t a very experienced surfer. However, this didn’t stop me from going out and surfing with them a couple times.  I have seriously regretted not going surfing more back at home. Especially since it’s so cold here that we have to wear thick wetsuits. My most favorite memory surfing has been spotting a penguin swimming just ten feet in front of me!

Surfing at Aramoana; this beach is situated on the western side of the entrance to Port Otago, South Island of New Zealand. The sand bottom beach break is known for its hollow and powerful waves produced from wedging peaks.
Surfing at Aramoana

 

Skiing in Cardrona with OUSSC:

During orientation week, I went to a club fair where I joined a couple of clubs on campus. One of them happened to be OUSSC (Otago Uni Snow Sports Club). It’s one of the most popular clubs on campus and sign-ups for ski/snowboard trips usually fill out in less than ten minutes. Luckily, my friends and I were able to make the sign-ups on the first trip. We weren’t able to ski the first day at Cardrona due to weather, but the next day we were able to ski a full day. Even as a beginner, I had the best time and am already planning on going skiing again this weekend.

 

Overall, this past month has been so incredibly fun! I’ve met so many great people, seen the hidden gems of Dunedin, and am now looking forward to exploring the rest of the South Island. Even with all of this, I am still able to attend tutorials and labs for classes. Reflecting back on this past month, I’m feeling so grateful to be here and can’t believe that a whole month has already passed.

 

Best,

Mehana

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Arriving in Dunedin

Kia ora!

On June 28th, I started my journey to the University of Otago. I couldn’t believe that after more than half a year of planning and talking about studying abroad I was finally going to be there. Prior to leaving, I had run into a couple of Kiwis at the restaurant I work at over the summer. They were so excited to hear that I was studying abroad in New Zealand that they even gave me their number just in case I ran into any problems during my stay. From this experience and simply hearing other people talk about New Zealand, I couldn’t wait to finally experience it myself. Though the overall excitement of getting there, I also felt anxious about finding my way there. I was mostly worried because it was my first time traveling internationally and I was doing it alone.

The flight to Dunedin was simply beautiful. Because it was an early flight, the sun was just rising behind the mountains on the North Island and the sky was engulfed in an orange glow. Despite the scenery, I fell quickly asleep knowing that in just a few short hours I was going to be arriving in Dunedin. When I woke up, we were flying over an array of snowcapped mountains which I soon learned were the Southern Alps. Simply put, it was beautiful. The sun was just starting to rise above the peaks and it revealed the snowcapped pointed mountains of the Southern Alps and the clear blue sky above.

I was the first one of my flatmates to arrive at my apartment. It was a two-story apartment that was less than a minute walk from campus. If I could describe it in one word, it would be “homey”. My room had a window just above the bed tucked into a cubby hole that was big enough for two people to sit inside. I decorated my room with pictures and tapestries I had brought from home and settled into what would be my new home for the next five months.

The next week was spent meeting my flatmates, friends, and finding my way around Dunedin. On the first full day I spent in Dunedin, my “Kiwi host” took me on a tour of the city of Dunedin. He showed me all of the top tourist destinations in Dunedin including Signal Hill, St.Clair beach,  The Octagon, Baldwin Street, and the Dunedin Botanic Garden.

St Clair Beach; only minutes from the city centre, this sweeping surf beach is a place to walk, swim, surf or dine out.
St Clair Beach
Top of Signal Hill; compact green space offering panoramic vistas, BBQ & picnic areas & walking paths.
Top of Signal Hill

Everyone here has been so nice and everything has been so beautiful that I can’t believe I’ll be living here for the next few months! I feel so lucky to have this experience and I’m looking forward to my time here!

Best,

Mehana