Auckland 2006-2007

Travelling in NZ

The culture in New Zealand is very welcoming, so it does not take a long time to begin to feel at home, regardless how far across the globe it might be. Staying in international student halls helped, with students from America, Germany, Chile, UK and New Zealand all mixing well to enjoy the time together. As inspiring as the fresh perspective of a new university was, the geographical features throughout New Zealand were what consistently overwhelmed me with awe and were magnificent to behold.

From short breaks exploring the towns and mountains around the North Island to full week hiking excursions on Great Barrier Island (where they filmed the recent BBC show Castaway, I can say I was there first!) we had some great experiences. Doing the semesters in reverse order gave a very long summer break with which I could also explore the South Island fully. It was an unforgettable journey to traverse the country free from joining any tourist buses, from hiking on glaciers to swimming with dolphins to kayaking along the coastline to just driving through amazing landscapes, even on a minimal budget. And all that can be said without mentioning the visits to volcano islands, Antarctic centres, wild parrots, Maori culture. I have been documenting my travels online and I have yet to reach even February in my notes. Even as a brief holiday destination (as my parents can attest), I can dare anyone not to be emotionally affected by the landscape and environment.

I'd recommend picking up one of the main travel guides like Lonely Planet or Footprint etc... and any edition will do so check out those second hand book stores. As there's so much to go through it is probably best to check out those and I've put down a link to my blog for all the escapades and photos of what you can see/do.

The Start of Something - My blog for my exchange year
Gallery Slideshow - pics galore!