1) Fiordland
I can officially say I've been on a legitimate Kiwi tramp(tramp meaning hike)! I signed up with the Tramping Club, and a group of us left last Friday for Lake Alabaster (in the midst of Fiordland) armed with only our packs and a sense of excitement. We tramped for about 15 miles the first day, crossing rickety bridges over rivers and forests and climbing around the occasional waterfall, swapping stories and passing time. We arrived at Lake Alabaster at around 6pm - and it was worth the walk! Completely untouched, the lake was nestled into huge mountains and lapping up onto a pebble beach, clear as can be.
Now, most normal people would have chosen to stay in the tramping hut provided, but my kiwi friend Jane and I wanted the full experience. So while everyone in our group was settling into the hut, Jane and I pitched our tent at the base of the lake, all too aware of the approaching storm. We cooked up some chili with the others, and compared kiwi slang words. My personal favorite is the "wop wops", meaning "the middle of nowhere". Makes me laugh as I write this!
When it was completely dark, Jane and I wandered back to our tent, to fall asleep so the sound of the lake and the occasional possum laughing...creepy little buggers. The next morning we woke early, had some Muesli (a very traditional kiwi breakfast), and tramped the 15 miles back to camp. It began raining about halfway home, and to get through the rest strong of heart I pretended (nerd alert!!) I was Frodo from lotr on my journey to Mordor. It worked!
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| Our victory photo - rain and all! |
Disclaimer: Those of you who truly know me know how much I love hedgehogs....the love(dare I say obsession) has only increased. Please keep this in mind as you read this story!
A couple of flatmates and I brought home fish&chips for dinner (classic) and decided the sunset was so lovely we would eat outside. I'm really not quite sure how it happened, but soon everyone in our complex was with us, and we spent the transition from dusk to night sharing funny stories, playing guitar, and having an all around wonderful time. When it was too dark, we brought out our candles and had a candle-lit gathering under the stars, with a sing-a-long here and there. I absolutely love these kinds of moments. We all went to our separate flats at about midnight, and my kiwi host and I hung out for a little more. And then this happened:
Kiwi host Sarah: Christina, I'm so upset you haven't seen a wild hedgehog yet! They are literally everywhere.
Christina: I know! Someday.
Sarah: Let's go now!!!
And so, we put on about 20 sweaters and strapped on our headlamps and were about out the door when we were stopped by our other flatmate Magnus. "Take this!" he said, handing us a slice of cheese. "To lure it in!" Armed with some cheddar and a lot of hope, we began our walk to the nearby botanical gardens (thinking that would be a likely hedgehog hangout). On our walk, I became a bit overzealous, commanding Sarah to "Waft the cheese! Waft the cheese!" in hopes that a hedgehog would come to us. When we got there, there was a lock on the gate. However, rules in NZ are more just guidelines, so naturally we hopped it and continued our quest.
The walk itself with Sarah was one of my favorite memories yet - it was a clear, warm, windy night, and we could see alllll the stars the sky had to offer. We walked and walked, surrounded by the wind, and talked about really everything. We stopped at a playground (at about 1AM), and went on the swings, looking at the stars. I believe we really were content if we didn't see a hedgehog at all - it was such a good night.
Plot twist!!!
As we were walking back home through the gardens, my headlamp flashed over something small, brown, spiky, and precious. It was here. We found it. I dropped the cheese (poor planning there) and ran after it in awe as it scampered to the safety of a nearby bush. After the moment passed and I realized one of my lifetime dreams had come true, I dropped to my knees in a crying/laughing state. Needless to say, not very emotionally prepared for this milestone in life. Sarah was hugging me, laughing her head off, both of us celebrating our victory! I've never felt so alive!
3) "The Bog" Open Mic Night
One of our friends from Germany was leaving to go home, so a bunch of us went out to dinner for a goodbye party. We ended up at this old pub in town called "The Bog", where it was open mic night. We hadn't intended to stay, but the atmosphere was so great and the performers were awesome (if not eclectic). One of them, and older man with a Santa beard and a hippie-esque personality bought us a pint and said "never say the older generation isn't good to you!". Of course, we all clapped for him. What a guy!
4) Hyde Street
I'd heard rumors about Dunedin being an extreme party area, but hadn't really believed them until this past Saturday. Jane, Jerry, Helen and I decided to attend the "Hyde Street" party, which is basically a crazy version of Halloween mixed with Homecoming...everyone dresses up to a theme and all the houses are decorated accordingly. We only walked through, but to be honest, walking through was enough! Never have I seen so many people in one place. We were so overcome we went back home for some tea and sandwiches followed by a movie night...good stuff! Check it out:
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| Left to Right: Magnus as a zombie, Rob, and I (note all the people on the roof!) |
I'm part of a program that matches one Kiwi student to an international student, and they put on a NZ tasting night. I met with my "mentor" Abbe who couldn't be nicer. I am glad I brought stretchy pants because everything in NZ is so darned good! We stayed for a few minutes to talk with other internationals and mentors, then went back to her flat to bake up some homemade pizza. Her housemates asked me questions about the US, and then requested that I try a kiwi accent while they tried to sound American. It was pretty unsuccessful to say the least, but also pretty funny! Its still neat to be in a totally kiwi household and just listen in to the differences and similarities.
6) African Dance and Circus
On a whim, three of us decided to join an African Dance class on Sunday afternoons. It's right at the University, and a ton of fun! Later that day, we were lucky enough to see New Zealand's traveling "Zirca Circus" which was packed with acrobats and amazing talent. Also, no scary clowns(which is a plus).
Whew! I hope I remembered everything! Cheers!
Love love love,
Christina
