Dearest Readers,
I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post. I have been meaning to write on this poor neglected blog for a long time, but somehow I never managed to sit down and get to it! Ah well. Better late than never, right?
So let’s backtrack to around August 20. Around this time, I was thrilled to be on a two week break from school with ample to time to explore the gorgeous South Island…my first stop: Dunedin. I had heard mainly two things about Dunedin – that it was a student/party town and that it gets really cold. Nevertheless, I know some friends who went to the University of Otago (located in Dunedin) and they seemed to have an incredible time. So I jumped on a bus and blissfully slept and relaxed on the 6 hour journey down the south coast. My first day I was struck by the wonders of having a city centre that was vibrant, alive, and in-tact. Living in Christchurch has been a unique experience post-quake, but since there is no central gathering area here, I suddenly realized how much I LOVE having a downtown area to hang out, drink coffee, share meals, and connect with people. I also fell in love with the architecture of Dunedin. Here’s a glimpse:
I spent the first couple days exploring the city. I checked out the stunning University of Otago campus and even sat in on a free public lecture about Islam and Interfaith movements (an incredible talk). I met some new friends, enjoyed some delicious free food, and hung out at a very friendly hostel that night. The next day I climbed up a hill behind the city centre and enjoyed the view and the tranquility of the forests… and marvelled at many lovely character homes dotted around.
Some friends from Canterbury came down the next day and since they had a car (yay wheels!), we had an awesome time visiting Long Beach and the Otago Peninsula. Some highlights including the beautiful dunes of Sandfly Bay, a hike to the “pyramids,” feeling very tentative walking a few meters away from some huge seals, and seeing little blue penguins come to shore at dusk. Overall it was a fantastic trip! Here’s some photos, and I promise there’s more to come regarding travels in the South Island. 🙂
Emmy's Adventures in New Zealand 