Auckland

 

            If there is one thing that I have learned while abroad, it is that I am not a city person. Cities are difficult for me to navigate and get around, see what it all has to offer, and make the most of. Or maybe I just don't enjoy staying in cities. I can, however, appreciate certain aspects of a city, but just could never imagine myself being there. Auckland was nice as I waited for friends to arrive. I was surprised to find out that Auckland has a huge Chinese as well as Indian population. Some signs in particular areas are in both Chinese and English. There was a great Asian Market a few blocks from my hostel in the CBD that was great. Although the place smelled a little funny, I found very cheap food including fruits and veggies so I was more than happy.

          While in the CBD, I walked passed an interesting Metro Retro: Second-Hand "Opshop" area with several different small shops including a café. All of the chairs, tables, registers, and some of the smallest things were all old and antique looking. The place had a very unique and distinct feel to it. I am not one for thrifty, but it was an interesting place to see.
         Auckland had a more thriving nightlife and booming CBD than what we do at school. However, we were there during weekdays so pubs were not a very successful night out. I took a walk that was recommended in my travel guide, hitting lots of major attractions/sights. The art museum had endless Maori artwork and carvings, along with others from all over the world and also specifically NZ. I always enjoy the botanical gardens of the city along with the nighttime cityscape. The skytower gave a nice overlook over all of the city. I could never jump off the tower like so many other tourists do, but it was fun to watch other people do it. I would have liked to get a look at the lava pools, but it was time to travel on.













Take Care,

Scott Morin

 

 

Samoa

       It has been a very long time since I have blogged last and have lots to catch up on. I really have not had too much going on since my last time: lots of papers and planning before leaving for my break. It was so nice to finally have off.The first trip on my break was to Samoa. I chose Samoa because I have always wanted to experience a tropical place since I was young, and Samoa is a third world country, giving me the experience of both a tropical paradise and a country very different from my own. For those that do  not know, Samoa is just a little North and East of Fiji and also near the Cook Islands.

http://www.beautifulpacific.com/samoa/samoa-holidays.php

       Samoa has lots of attractions other than resorts. While in Samoa, I went to the To Sua Ocean trench. This was the highlight of that trip. It was amazing. Volcanic activity created a tunnel underground that filled up with water from the ocean. The trench allows you to swim underneath the ground with a cathedral rock ceiling to another opening to the ground surface. It sounds kind of dangerous, but it is not I promise. The tench is owned by a family village and require a donation as entrance. 

We had also went to an island nearby that was owned by a family to go snorkeling and to also see sea turtles, sadly we saw none. Snorkeling was successful, seeing sea horses, sea cucumbers, fish of all sizes and colors, and coral of all types.




    The sunsets every night were such a picture perfect sight. The night before my birthday, there was pink moon that lit up the sky. The moon was huge coming up the horizon. Pictures could just not capture the view. Later that night, my friends and I swam in the warm waters of the ocean while the lunar eclipse illuminated the night. At dinner I was given a banana cake and sang to by many different strangers and the workers, in both English and Samoan. It was very neat and uncomfortable at the same time haha. It was different from any other birthday I've had.





Take Care,

Scott

The West Coast: Westport, Greymouth, Hokitika, and Franz Joseph

Bazils Hostel; Facebook Photo

          This past weekend was well spent on a "Hello New Zealand"  tour to the west coast. It was very nice to have a break, yet not so nice to come back to school work that had to be done. The tour was lead by a wise and humble kiwi who was more than willing to answer any questions. He is a retired teacher and had lots of interesting information and he was also great company for the group with all kinds of quirky remarks and jokes as we drove across the countryside. We started in Christchurch at the University and made our way in a 13 passenger van. Half of the crew were american and the rest came from Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, China, and Japan.

Bazils Hostel; Facebook Photo

         

        Westport was first on the agenda. Friday was mostly spent traveling to our hostel. I really enjoyed this hostel. The hostel was so unique and had a very distinct personality. Bazils was also a surf school. Some of the artwork on the walls was just awesome. I did not get a chance to take pictures of the place, but check out some of the pictures from their facebook page: Bazils Facebook I was only here for a night, but it was such a great place to stay. The rooms and living areas were spotless, the beds were very comfortable, and the place just had such a great feel to it. I wish I could go back and go surfing! Bazils is a must if you stopping by the area.



                  

       The next day we started off bright and early to head to the coast. This sight was beautiful with the fresh morning sun. The coast often has cloudy and rainy weather, so we were quite fortunate. We were walking along the trails to see the scenic overlook where seals played below us. The rest of the day was filled with stops to various scenic beaches and the pancake rocks. I was intrigued how round the rocks were at the beach from the infinite numbers of powerful waves. While taking tons of pictures, I accidentally got too close for comfort and ended up getting soaked. The waves at that beach were very strong and huge right on the shore.

        Later, we went to shops in Hokitika filled with all different types of Maori orientated souvenirs, decorations, and jewelry.  Pounamu pendants ring up quite the price. A tv presentation explained that pounamu is found in a river valley near the mountain range. Only descendants of Maori can collect pounamu and non Maori must be escorted to the river, only taking what is approved. I thought it was so interesting. The tale/legend behind pounamu was something along the lines of a tribal conflict involving a woman. Facing defeat, a tribal warrior threw the woman off the edge, for if he cannot have her no one can. Her remnants then turned to stone and now lie throughout the mountain range. Pounamu has a very significant spiritual significance, hence why only Maori decedents are able to collect. I wish I knew more, but that is about all I gathered. 

         I really like the look of tribal designs, such as the tiki carvings. They often had pieces of shiny, colorful paua shell as eyes or accents. I can remember growing up and wanting to make some of my own. I wanted some of the ones in the shop, but was not willing to pay the price. Guess I will just have to carve my own haha. After looking around, we had some lunch. Fish and chips is very common and you will see shops everywhere. I definitely ate my share of it for the week. Later that night we settled in Greymouth at our hostel for the night; again, another great hostel. The next day we hit the trail and took some pictures of the Franz Joseph Glacier. The conditions were not ideal, but you can't have it all in a trip. The glacier illuminated the clouds with a deep blue aura.

       The trip on the way back to Christchurch after the glacier included several quick stops here and there. The roads were thin and windy, conforming to the shapes of the land. The view from the van was almost always something special to see. The rolling hills were a perfect sight in the setting sun. The hills glowed of gold from the grasses. The powerful ocean, rolling hills, and pounamu shops just about sums up my weekend. I apologize for the disheveled arrangement of pictures at the end. Blogger is very fussy with the pictures. I am trying to find a way to put my pictures on an online album and would be open to suggestions! Thanks. 

Take Care

-Scott

 

 

Samoa and the West Coast

          I have officially booked my trip to Samoa for the mid semester break! I am really excited to have some warm tropical beach weather that I haven't received yet and have been craving ever since leaving home. I am going with two friends that I have met and the three of us will be staying in a hut near the coast! It will also be my birthday during that time. Happy birthday to me!
           We settled on Samoa because we all wanted the tropical beach scene like Fiji. However Fiji is really expensive with all kinds of fancy resorts and highly developed. Samoa is north of Fiji and is less developed, leaving more room for culture experience as well as outdoor adventures. It will be a great trip. On the fly back, I have a flight connection in Auckland and planned to just stop there where I will be meeting another group of friends. They plan on renting a car and I will join in, making our way down the entire north island back to Christchurch. It will be a trip full of adventures, relaxation, and great times. It cannot come soon enough. It will definitely be different from any other birthday I have had.
Check out the To Sua Ocean Trench that is near our resort!
http://onebigphoto.com/to-sua-ocean-trench-samoa/

I will really be looking forward to this!

          This weekend I will be going to the west coast with a guided tour. It will be nice to get away from school. Even though I have asked for help, my essay is still stresses me out. It has also been too long. Lately I have just been exploring near town. Mountains, glaciers, and some of the most well known areas of the coast will be a nice change of scenery.

Take Care


-Scott

Mullet Man

         


           A trip to City Centre this past week resulted in an encounter with the one and only: Mullet Man. There was a big crowd of people surrounding an open space and I had no idea what was going on. I found mullet man in the center on an abnormally tall unicycle working the crowd for some tips. This man was hysterical. I could not stop laughing. He juggles torches, knives, and I believe that's a wrench? The participant from the crowd was asked to take a leaf blower to get his mullet to blow in the wind: business in the front/party in the back.

       


         I just about lost it at this point. I could not stop laughing. After he was done, he got off his unicycle that was around 6 or 7 feet tall. He asked for tips and a surprising amount of people contributed. After that crowd dispersed and the tips were just about done, Mullet Man said: "Okay, now row two can come up". Mullet Man was such an interesting fellow.

                          After being thoroughly entertained, I managed to find my way to the Canterbury Museum. There was more than enough to see. On display were many tools, equipment, and other items created by Maori. Pounamu is a type of stone that is very valuable in New Zealand. It was often carved into tools, decorations, and weapons. Some of them had been inherited and then donated to the museum. The Maori wood carvings on display were so neat to see. I love design of them.There was an art exhibit there as well.



     In the City Centre, there are box shops everywhere. The area is also referred to as the container mall. Built out of shipping containers, the mall was easy to construct and brought back businesses that had been destroyed in the earthquakes. 


Take Care

-Scott

Semester Break and Taylor's Mistake!

         I don't have too much to share about this week so far. I am starting to feel the workload of some of my classes. One of my classes, Maori Health Issues and Opportunities, is giving me somewhat of a challenge. The class has all kinds of Maori terms, concepts, history, and ideas that are all new to me. Some of the material is expected to be common knowledge among New Zealanders. At times I am confused, possibly embarrass myself, but I ask and catch up on what I am missing out. The class is all essays, which makes me really uneasy.

        I am hoping all will be well with plenty of visits to the instructor's office. I do, however, find it very interesting despite the challenge. I am learning about the health issues of the minority and how to address them. This will be very useful for my degree in Health-Promotion Wellness. New cultures and new ideas in the class excite me, just not so much the workload. 

       The Mid-Semester break is coming up soon around April 12th! I am getting very excited for that. I would love to go to Fiji, Cook Islands, or another tropical Pacific Island for almost a week, and then fly to Auckland and explore as much as the north island as I possibly can. Auckland will definitely happen, it is just Fiji I am still working out. I don't know when or if I ever will be this far away from home again so I definitely want to take full advantage of it. 

       Tonight I found my way to a recreation center a short bus ride away from the University and joined a Men's Volleyball League. I am excited and slightly nervous at the same time. I have never played competitive volleyball before and I am not very familiar with the positions. I just smiled and nodded, pretending to know what was going on. It seemed to work perfectly haha! I couldn't understand what must people were trying to tell me because of the mumbling and dialect differences. Hopefully next week I will make my way to a team! It will help keep my active in a social environment. I am so excited. 

      Lastly, I have to briefly mention my trip to Taylor's Mistake two and a half weeks ago. I became busy, forgot, and need to have some sort of pictures on this blog! Taylor's Mistake is about an hour bus ride away from the University to Sumner Beach. From there you have to hike a ways up a very steep incline. For those not use to hiking, this will be quite the treck. Several of us were quite sore after, but it was so worth it. We also were kind of lost getting there, but that makes it all the more fun. Some of the common trails were closed down. I would just recommend looking firstor having someone who knows where they are going. 

      When we got there it was so rewarding. It was a nice sunny day and the water was the deepest blue. The ocean was blue like wine is red; so rich and bold in color. The air was slightly breezy and not too warm. The ocean laid flat as glass. It is really some place you should see while here. Highly recommend it. Enjoy!

Take Care

-Scott

Prospective Students

After completing my first blog, I realized I should have shown pictures of where I am living!


Compared to other apartments on campus, I like Ilam apartments the best. It is very open and social. The fridge in the kitchen is rather small. I went all out grocery shopping today and now there is no room for anyone else haha.

The kitchen comes with basic cookware, microwave, bowls, cups, silverware, etc. Basically everything you need to get started. Most people end up buying a couple more dishes of their own. I did wish I had a nonstick pan for eggs. Also, there is no oven, but my flatmates were considering buying a toaster oven together.  

As far as cleaning supplies, there is a mop and vacuum in the closet. The TV in the living area is rather small, but I have no complaints. The sliding door is nice to hop in and out on a nice day. 

The bedroom came with a complete sheet set, comforter, and extra blanket. There is also a nice big wardrobe against the back wall that has more than enough room for all of your clothes. Most of the wardrobe is hanger space. It did not take me long at all to get comfortable in my new flat. I have lived in the dorms for the past 3 years and have really enjoyed my experience in a flat for the first time. My flatmates make it all worth while.

This past week, I went to the Sunday Market at the Riccarton Racecourse. It is a great place to buy cheap second-hand pots, pans, and towels if you need more as well as tons of produce.


They had avocados, beets, carrots, and bananas. I liked walking around and seeing all of the plants for sale. There were lemon and peach trees, and all kinds of roses. Vendors included coffee stands, Chinese food, and fried foods. It was a Sunday well spent.










Take Care
-Scott