Hey everyone, I just got back from an incredible 10 day trip to the South Island of New Zealand. This has most definitely been an amazing and memorable spring break. There are so many things to share, and I obviously can't say it all..but over the next two posts I will give you the highlights of my Spring Break abroad!
One of the reasons I chose to study abroad in Australia was the relative easy, albeit expensive, access to New Zealand! I had heard from multiple people to check out the country's South Island for its beauty and adventurous true kiwi spirit, so I had to see it for my self. Needless to say, I will now be passing this same message forward to other people...so be forewarned this post may be a bit of a promotion for New Zealand Tourism!
Anyway before I left for New Zealand, I had the first few days of break to chill back in Sydney. For one of those days, me and a few friends decided to take the university sponsored tour of the South Coast stretching from Sydney to Wollongong. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and the drive took us right along the coast, offering great views! Along the way we toured the oldest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere..a very unique building surrounding a very interesting culture. After learning about the temple and a little of the Hindu religion, we ventured further down to Wollongong and Kiama. Both were awesome coastal cities, with everything from lighthouses to ocean blowholes. Kiama, especially was memorable for the small town Aussie vibe that it promoted. A cool, laid back "downtown" area with great local shops and cafes. Overall, it was a great day, and a nice chance to explore outside the hustle and bustle of Sydney.
On Thursday, it was time to fly out to NZ. My flight didn't leave until the evening, so prior to flying out I was able to meet up with an old high school buddy who happens to be studying in Sydney at the same time I am! It was great to catch up and hang out in the city before I flew out.
I flew to Christchurch with a friend from my program, and met a few others from our group upon arriving at our accommodation. On very little sleep, we started out early the next day on our tour. We traveled with the Topdeck tour company with about 25 other 20-somethings from all over the world. Everyone was super friendly, and our tour guides were really cool, funny guys who helped make the trip what it was!
The first day of the tour took us across the Canterbury Plains to a family run sheep farm about 2 hours outside of Christchurch. We had a wonderful morning teas made for us by the "mother of the farm", and spent a little while meeting everyone while looking out over the lush green landscape. Afterward, we were able to play with and feed the sheep....which believe it or not, was a lot of fun. Considering New Zealand has heaps of sheep, I figure this was kind of a necessary experience. That evening we rolled into Lake Ohau which is a stunning mineral lake nestled along the majestic Southern Alps Mountain Range. The towering snow capped mountains are completely reflected in this alpine lake. That evening we stayed at a ski lodge along the lake, watching America lose badly in the Rugby World Cup (actually hosted in NZ this year).
The next day we set out for the Doubtful Sound. The sound is set in Fiordland National Park and is very remote. A few hours drive down the Island was followed by a ferry ride, and another bus trip around a mountain pass! After the long journey we boarded an overnight cruise to take us through the magnificent sound. The Doubtful Sound is a winding body of fresh water that flows into the Tasman Sea. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Lush green--yet snow capped--mountains, jutted straight out of the water, almost appearing as an array of islands throughout the sound. To top it off, the mist and low laying fog set the scene for a true Lord of the Rings backdrop.
Anyway, this post is long enough as it is. So I will have to save my talks of bunjy jumping, glacier hiking, and the likes for next post...stay tuned!
One of the reasons I chose to study abroad in Australia was the relative easy, albeit expensive, access to New Zealand! I had heard from multiple people to check out the country's South Island for its beauty and adventurous true kiwi spirit, so I had to see it for my self. Needless to say, I will now be passing this same message forward to other people...so be forewarned this post may be a bit of a promotion for New Zealand Tourism!
Anyway before I left for New Zealand, I had the first few days of break to chill back in Sydney. For one of those days, me and a few friends decided to take the university sponsored tour of the South Coast stretching from Sydney to Wollongong. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and the drive took us right along the coast, offering great views! Along the way we toured the oldest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere..a very unique building surrounding a very interesting culture. After learning about the temple and a little of the Hindu religion, we ventured further down to Wollongong and Kiama. Both were awesome coastal cities, with everything from lighthouses to ocean blowholes. Kiama, especially was memorable for the small town Aussie vibe that it promoted. A cool, laid back "downtown" area with great local shops and cafes. Overall, it was a great day, and a nice chance to explore outside the hustle and bustle of Sydney.
On Thursday, it was time to fly out to NZ. My flight didn't leave until the evening, so prior to flying out I was able to meet up with an old high school buddy who happens to be studying in Sydney at the same time I am! It was great to catch up and hang out in the city before I flew out.
I flew to Christchurch with a friend from my program, and met a few others from our group upon arriving at our accommodation. On very little sleep, we started out early the next day on our tour. We traveled with the Topdeck tour company with about 25 other 20-somethings from all over the world. Everyone was super friendly, and our tour guides were really cool, funny guys who helped make the trip what it was!
The first day of the tour took us across the Canterbury Plains to a family run sheep farm about 2 hours outside of Christchurch. We had a wonderful morning teas made for us by the "mother of the farm", and spent a little while meeting everyone while looking out over the lush green landscape. Afterward, we were able to play with and feed the sheep....which believe it or not, was a lot of fun. Considering New Zealand has heaps of sheep, I figure this was kind of a necessary experience. That evening we rolled into Lake Ohau which is a stunning mineral lake nestled along the majestic Southern Alps Mountain Range. The towering snow capped mountains are completely reflected in this alpine lake. That evening we stayed at a ski lodge along the lake, watching America lose badly in the Rugby World Cup (actually hosted in NZ this year).
The next day we set out for the Doubtful Sound. The sound is set in Fiordland National Park and is very remote. A few hours drive down the Island was followed by a ferry ride, and another bus trip around a mountain pass! After the long journey we boarded an overnight cruise to take us through the magnificent sound. The Doubtful Sound is a winding body of fresh water that flows into the Tasman Sea. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Lush green--yet snow capped--mountains, jutted straight out of the water, almost appearing as an array of islands throughout the sound. To top it off, the mist and low laying fog set the scene for a true Lord of the Rings backdrop.
Anyway, this post is long enough as it is. So I will have to save my talks of bunjy jumping, glacier hiking, and the likes for next post...stay tuned!
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