Ok, I'm here in a hostel called Bay Adventurer and I have two days before school starts. We left Auckland 2 days ago and have made it to the Bay of Islands. It's awesome. The hills are sooo stickin' green it's unreal. Then these jungles pop up out of nowhere and you think you're in Jurassic Park 4! Plenty of pictures and video have been taken, but I can't upload on the hostel computer. We're heading up to the tip tomorrow (Saturday). I think it's called Cape Anne. There should be some sweet-as (a New Zealand term for "cool") sights. I went explorering a bunch on beaches and got out to these rock islands. It looked like a movie, holes carved out by pounding waves and pirates raiding the closest harbor pub. (I made up the part about pirates....)
I went diving today, Ryan it's just like home, vis was real bad today and not too much fish... It was nice to finally be in the water though. It was my first dive, but definetly not my last. I also saw the oldest church in NZ. It's in Russell and has been well kept. I've been walking so much lately. My legs look like Lance Armstrongs. My apartment is located on the top of a hill (more like mountain) and everything else (supermarkets, stores for windowshopping, and restauraunts/pubs) are at the bottom. Jeremy tell mom and dad we should road trip around both islands when you guys come over, I think that's the best way to experience NZ. You meet people from all over the world at these hostels and most of them are nice places to stay. You also see everything NZ has to offer.
I got 1 minute left on the machine. Miss most of you guys and I'll continue writing to say how awesome it is here. Peace out!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Masters of Metal
I went to this sick concert on Saturday Night. These guys were called the Masters of Metal. They did covers of Iron Maiden, Manowar, Guns and Roses, Bon Jovi, Judas Priest, Ozzy, and a ton more! They wore pink spandex outfits with mullet wigs- these guys were the epitome of cheesy and metal at the same time! It was one of the best shows that I went to, unfortunately Pat Lech wasn't there. (I miss you dude). It was like watching Spinal Tap in real life. Rock and Roll, ROck and Roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
(L) If you look hard you can see my food selection as a student, 5kg of rice, PB, Ramen, Soy Sauce, and Bread. (R) A few friends of mine in Rotorua. 
(L) Dominos Pizza- They only have one size, it's about 10 inches and they call it a large. It's pretty small, but it has better flavor that in the states. Kinda funn that I ate here in the first few days. (Below) The Zorb, it's amazing to roll down that hill in a huge plastic ball.
(L) The 19 different types of sheep at the Agrodome. Picture 3 dogs running over the backs of those sheep. You'll see the video soon enough. (Below) A sheep and me
(L) Dominos Pizza- They only have one size, it's about 10 inches and they call it a large. It's pretty small, but it has better flavor that in the states. Kinda funn that I ate here in the first few days. (Below) The Zorb, it's amazing to roll down that hill in a huge plastic ball.
(L) The 19 different types of sheep at the Agrodome. Picture 3 dogs running over the backs of those sheep. You'll see the video soon enough. (Below) A sheep and me
(L) The Tukatuka posts represent the ancestors and former cheifs of the Maori tribes. They show certain charateristics of the cheifs, and have sweet facial tatoos.
(R)Here at the airport I sat with about 20 girls, a sweet ratio to start off my trip!
New Zealand, it's been a few days
Sunday- We had orientation for about 3 days in Rotorua. While in Rotorua we were able to go through sessions were we learned New Zealand customs and how to "have a better semester." The sessions were fun mainly because Eilis, our coordinator, is sooo excited about study abroad students and opportunities. We also went to the Agrodome. It was a show that showcased the 19 different types of sheep here in New Zealand. Sooo funny to see Kiwis and those at the show get soo excited about sheep. Lamb is cheaper than chicken here. The dogs were called in and they began to run across the sheep's backs. One of the coolest things I've ever seen. We were able to watch a sheep get sheared and listen to his jokes about which ones made a better roast.
Australearn then had the option to go Zorbing, Looshing, or take a walk through a Redwood forest. It was hard to pick which one, but I went with Zorbing. $44 NZ to roll down a hill in a plastic ball, funner that it sounds. I'll be sure to post the video once school starts. Another selling point was that you can only Zorb in NZ in Rotorua. Each Zorb costs $12,000 to make. A ridiculous amount of money for a plastic ball.
That evening we went to the Tamaki Village. Similar to Plymouth Plantation, but way cooler! It goes over Maori culture and their history. We were able to go through, and like the Indians at PP, ask questions about there history. All I could think of was Ryan reinacting and how awesome it would be to do the Haka- the warrior dance done before battle. It's truely intense to watch, especially when the warrior is waving a huge stick in front of you and his face is tatooed with traditional markings and then he stickes his tongue out at you to tell you he's going to eat you. (Similar to what Dave and I did in my facebook picture). Woo-ha! We also where able to eat a traditional meal called the hangi. It's food cooked in the ground for about 6 hours. Similar to what Jeremy, Dad, and I had in Peru. They cooked lamb, chicken, sweet potatoes, potatoes, fish, and carrots. We also had some salads, but they weren't cooked in the ground. I was a great cultural experience. We learned how to make a hangi, so when I get back, get ready to have a party!
On the way home from the Tamaki village we did Karaoke on the bus ride home. I busted out Ice, Ice baby and Twist and Shout by the Beatles. It was B-E-A-utiful. There was a hot tube at the KiwiPaka, where we stayed for those 3 days.
The terrain here is amazing. Great for four wheelers and dirt bikes. The hills just continue to roll and hills come out of other hills. Robby, you would have a great time here.
I'll be posting later on, so keep watching! And tell everyone you know to check it out, for those of you who aren't on facebook. Keep in touch
Australearn then had the option to go Zorbing, Looshing, or take a walk through a Redwood forest. It was hard to pick which one, but I went with Zorbing. $44 NZ to roll down a hill in a plastic ball, funner that it sounds. I'll be sure to post the video once school starts. Another selling point was that you can only Zorb in NZ in Rotorua. Each Zorb costs $12,000 to make. A ridiculous amount of money for a plastic ball.
That evening we went to the Tamaki Village. Similar to Plymouth Plantation, but way cooler! It goes over Maori culture and their history. We were able to go through, and like the Indians at PP, ask questions about there history. All I could think of was Ryan reinacting and how awesome it would be to do the Haka- the warrior dance done before battle. It's truely intense to watch, especially when the warrior is waving a huge stick in front of you and his face is tatooed with traditional markings and then he stickes his tongue out at you to tell you he's going to eat you. (Similar to what Dave and I did in my facebook picture). Woo-ha! We also where able to eat a traditional meal called the hangi. It's food cooked in the ground for about 6 hours. Similar to what Jeremy, Dad, and I had in Peru. They cooked lamb, chicken, sweet potatoes, potatoes, fish, and carrots. We also had some salads, but they weren't cooked in the ground. I was a great cultural experience. We learned how to make a hangi, so when I get back, get ready to have a party!
On the way home from the Tamaki village we did Karaoke on the bus ride home. I busted out Ice, Ice baby and Twist and Shout by the Beatles. It was B-E-A-utiful. There was a hot tube at the KiwiPaka, where we stayed for those 3 days.
The terrain here is amazing. Great for four wheelers and dirt bikes. The hills just continue to roll and hills come out of other hills. Robby, you would have a great time here.
I'll be posting later on, so keep watching! And tell everyone you know to check it out, for those of you who aren't on facebook. Keep in touch
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