Goodbye Australia, Hello New Zealand!

I cannot believe I am typing this from New Zealand and that my study abroad experience is over. Yesterday I finished my last final - Contemporary Health Issues. Besides learning the names of bones and muscles, the test was not too bad at all. I was really excited to be done with all of finals, and at the point I was pretty much packed up as well and ready for our Harbor Cruise! All of the study abroad students met Amy, our ICMS coordinator, out front of the castle to get our study abroad certificates and shake the hand of the ICMS president. From there, we got on a bus and drove about 20 minutes to Mosman Wharf, where we got on our cruise. The ship was nice, it had three levels. The first was a dance floor and bar, the second was tables for eating, and the third was a viewing deck. All of the food and drinks were free, so we all took advantage of that to celebrate our last night together! We also watched the Term video that features students and is put together by one of the teachers at the school. It’s mostly funny, but the end definitely brought that bittersweet feeling of leaving all of my friends and Australia. In the middle of the cruise, we switched boats “because we were such a special group of students” or because the other boat was having engine problems. The second boat was even bigger, and we spent the rest of the evening out on the dance floor.

These past three and a half months have been amazing, and the people who I have shared it with are spectacular. I am going to miss Australia and the friends I made, but I will hold the memories dear to my heart forever! I am excited to go home and see family and friends that I have missed while being abroad - hugging my parents at the airport will definitely make me incredibly happy!

However, before I arrive home on May 15, I have a lot to see!! Our flight was bright and early at 7:15 from the Sydney Airport. Once we arrived in Christchurch, we grabbed our bags, went through customs, and caught a taxi to our hostel. Our taxi car was a Hyundai, and I immediately thought of my dad! It was interesting to be in a Hyundai that had the driver’s seat on the right. The taxi driver was an older man who thought it was great that we came to New Zealand and told us a little bit about Christchurch. Once we got to “the Base” (our hostel) we rearranged our luggage so that we could put the majority of it in storage for the week so that we don’t have to lug it around New Zealand. Mike and I had no plans for the day, so we ended up wandering because everything is walking distance. Our hostel is right near Cathedral Square, which just like the name, Christchurch Cathedral is right in the middle. It is a beautiful church built in the 1880’s, and we walked around inside as choir boys sang songs. In one corner of the huge sanctuary was a candle tree, where you could light a candle and say a prayer for someone. I specifically thought of my family who I will be seeing soon, and Mary who is currently flying home.

After seeing the cathedral, we hung out in the square for a bit and got Starbucks to help keep us awake. A few things I noticed while being in the square: just like the taxi driver said, all school kids wear uniforms, and we saw a lot of really tacky school uniforms on kids of all ages! also, there were little food stands and a market in the square, which really gave me a small town feel to the city. as we looked at souvenirs, everything was focused on the kiwi bird and sheep as opposed to the kangaroo and koala that I have been used to seeing! The money features famous “kiwis” (New Zealand people) on one side, and birds on the other!! Of course, my favorite is the 5 dollar note... penguins! I think my mom would REALLY like to have this kind of currency. One other thing we saw was the cable trolley system that does a loop around the town. Mike considered taking it until I saw the price - 15 dollars! No thank you. At least the currency exchange is pretty good here: 1 US dollar is about 1.35 NZ dollars.

Mike and I both have terrible direction, while looking at a map we discussed which way we felt we needed to go to head towards the gardens. We were both wrong, but we got there anyway! First, we stopped in at a free museum and learned a little bit about the native people of New Zealand - the Maori. There was also an exhibit on their emergency services - instead of 911 it is 111. After looking around the museum, we walked around the gardens until it was dark. Something strange is that it is autumn here, so all of the leaves on the trees are changing colors and falling off. It’s weird to compare that to the thought of everything becoming green and blossoming at home. The last stop was the rose garden - it was beautiful!

When deciding on where to eat for dinner, we stopped and looked at a map. A girl about our age stopped and asked if we needed any directions and recommended a place called Dux de Lux that Mike had also read about. It is a restaurant and brewery. We shared a calzone pizza and walked back to the hostel. Even though it’s only about 7 pm in Sydney, and 9 pm here, we are both exhausted from traveling early and finals week. I look forward to our trip - we are supposed to see a lot in 7 days! I hope to post a few times throughout the week, depending on the internet situation. Also, pictures will be added later to this post! Cheers from New Zealand!!