Orientation Album

Orientation

Car Craziness and Orientation Number One

On the fourth of February I got back into Auckland for a UC wide orientation. It lasted four days and hosted about 70 students… so yes it was crazy. Very fun, but crazy. They kept us on an extremely busy schedule, which was a huge change from traveling by myself. I loved staying in Raglan and was a little sad to leave, but I know that I will go back before this trip is over.
During the course of the orientation we attended numerous lectures that discussed things like differences between NZ and the US, academics, sports, and all sorts of things. We also did a bunch of fun activities like throwing a big BBQ, going to a museum to see a Maori (New Zealand Native) show, catching a ferry over to a bird sanctuary called Teriterimatengi and hiking around, going across the city to eat a nice dinner with the whole group, and we even found some time to check out the bars (especially karaoke). Somehow, during all this madness Billy, Tara, Ashley, and I found a good deal on a 95 Subaru legacy and bought it for 3000 NZ dollars (roughly 1600 US dollars). And yes Dad we got insurance, which made me feel better considering I was driving a car on the left side of the road for the first time in a big city. To say the least it was scary, but honestly it was also really fun.
Right now I am writing this from a hostel in the Coromandel peninsula. We are right on the beach and it is so beautiful here, even tho it is raining. We are leaving tomorrow for Lake Taupo to go skydiving and bungy jumping with some friends we met at orientation who are actually living in Raglan, and stopping on the way at a natural hot spring touristy spot. After a night or two there we are going to Gisborne to see Tara’s family friends and check the surf! We may possibly go wine tasting in Hawke’s Bay which is just south of Gisborne one day, but we eventually will head down through a town called Napier to Wellington. Once there I have to find some housing and then we are off to the South Island! So many adventures, so few days.

From Karioi Peak Karioi Peak

Oh, and thank you to everyone who has shown concern and support for my overly traumatic experience with gingerism in Auckland. with a little luck and a lot of love I WONT be scarred for the rest of my life. :)

Raglan

Scrumptiously Salty Sea Snacks

Two days ago I took a bus to a little surf town called Raglan. It’s a laid back place with amazing waves. I decided to buy a surfboard, but as my French traveling companion Alex pointed out, I was too gung-ho and didn’t realize that the price I paid was completely negotiable. Even still, the board and board-bag was at least $200 less than I would have paid in California.
I met Alex in a hostel in Auckland along with two other guys who are coming to Raglan today. I also met a surfer from Maine named Erin, here in Raglan, who has been nice enough to drive me to the surf beaches twice a day.
The first day out riding, the conditions were epic. Although Erin told me that the swell was fairly small for Raglan, compared to Santa Barbara the waves were not small at all. 3-4 foot swells rolling in consistently = Happiness, and although I struggled riding a different board than I am used to, I had a great day. Getting out of the water proved to be a bit tricky because low tide left 100 yards of treacherous tide pools and malevolently mossy rocks exposed. As I was precariously balancing/falling on the rocks, two Kiwi men noticed I was having a hard time. They were fishing for pāua and uni (Abalone and Sea Urchin) in the tidal pools and felt bad for me when I ate it hard on some rocks. They offered me some tasty samples of their catch and I have to say that having never eaten sea urchin or Abalone before, getting them five minutes after they were caught was quite an experience. We chatted for a while, mostly small talk, but I noticed that as soon as I mentioned that I had just come from Auckland a slight sense of bitterness emerged in the overly friendly Kiwis. It has become apparent to me, not only from this experience but others as well, that while people who live in Auckland love it quite literally most everyone else in the country hates not only Auckland, but also the people in it. These particular Kiwis told me that they thought that Aucklanders were extremely snobby and “high to do” and one said “I regret it every time I go there”. Alex told me that in France there is a similar feeling of resentment towards Paris. My own opinion is that Auckland is no different than any other big city in the world: there are more people so generally people are less friendly.

Auckland Days 1 & 2