Kiwi Homes

I love walking around the city and just getting lost. I always seem to find my way back. I am surrounded by colorful homes, that always smell like christmas. Christmas in July. Winter hats and warm fires.

Earthquake...

So because of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, earthquakes occur pretty often down here. One happened the other night around 9:22pm. Only half the city felt the shake, it was at magnitude of 7.8 and the depth was 12 km (I learned all this in my geology class the next morning) Kind of crazy. Where was I? Dancing around my apartment.

Loving life.

I am starting to learn the lay of the land. Main streets such as Great King st, George st and Cumberland. I need to get my walking legs in shape, that’s all people do, walk, bike and hike. Today we got up early and went for a hike, it went from being sunny fall to snowy winter, in a matter of minutes. The hiking trails are a mix between the rainforest and the beach. I love how New Zealand has a mix of so many wonderful things in just one place.

Every Saturday by the train station there are farmers markets. The people of New Zealand are so friendly and want you to try and enjoy everything. I sampled it all. It is amazing how all the food is locally grown, not much is imported. The apples are delicious and the avocados are creamy.

Dunedin is a great town, surrounded by hills and the most amazing trees. I am really starting to love it here. The town is filled with hip bars and trendy shops, all in between the University, which has over 30, 000 students, oh man I am going to get so lost. I finally start my classes tomorrow. A little bit of music class, Maori studies and anthropology. Embracing my inner nerd.

Here is a mix of my week in pictures, enjoy!

Mi casa...


My bed...


The local dump, filled with treasures...


Beautiful...

Train ride...

Dunedin...

Hiking to the top...

Snow prints...

new zealand sandwich:

time is slow in new zealand

longest week of my life.

met everyone in my program at Auckland International Airport at 6am and the journey began. Took a four hour bus to Rotorua, a smelly but interesting town. It is filled with Maori culture and black birds with red beaks, that make sounds like a flute. Spent four busy days taking in everything. Went caving, became a Maori warrior, ran in the green and ate delicious food. It was incedible. We said our thank yous and good byes to the wonderful people at kiwi paka hostel and made our way to another airport, where two tiny planes waited for 20 disheveled American students, to take us to our final destination. Dunedin within the Otago Peninsula.

arrived in Dunedin, my new home for the next six months. I am living in a red flat house on great king st, with a kiwi, a new yorker, a german, a oregonian and a south carolinian. All wonderful people with great sense of humors. Lots of beers and laughs.

I am in the middle of New Zealands winter but it feels like spring to me.

Got lost in Auckland today. Auckland is a mix between San Francisco, Tokyo (never been but what I image it to be like) and an Arboretum, filled with the most beautiful trees. My favorite are the ones that look like spiders. I just want to climb trees and sit in the sun all day.

I ate lunch in a park and got attacked by birds, but had the an amazing sandwich, filled with avocados.

First Destination: Auckland