Only One Month Left in NZ!

The number of weekends left to spend in New Zealand is slowly dwindling, but we are still doing so many fun things! On Friday Laura's internship placement was having a gallery opening on K Road to feature a local artist. It was such a unique exhibit and the wine and cheese platter was definitely a good perk! There happened to be another art gallery across the street that was having an event so we got to see that as well. Straight from there a few of us went to a concert. The bands were Kids of 88 and The Naked and Famous, which are currently two of the top New Zealand bands. I didn't really know the music very well, but it was so much fun! The picture shows the lead singer of Kids of 88.


On Saturday we started off by walking to the Auckland Farmer's Market, which takes place every Saturday near the Harbor. They have so many good things to buy like fresh fruits, vegetables, pastries, homemade pasta, hummus, olive oil, honey, fish and meats. All of the food looked so good! It was such a beautiful day so we had to spend it outside. When we got back, UniLodge was hosting a big barbecue for all its residents. We all sat by the pool in the warmth and sunshine enjoying a free BBQ. We ended up staying outside by the pool for the rest of the afternoon talking and relaxing. It was such a wonderful day!

A few of us decided its important to experience the cuisine of Auckland before we leave. A majority of Auckland's population has come from different countries in Asia, so authentic and delicious Asian food is literally everywhere! We started our Asian tour of Auckland officially last weekend when we went to a Korean restaurant. I had the most delicious sweet beef with rice that came with a whole bunch of Korean side dishes like kim chee. This weekend we decided to go to this Malaysian restaurant on K Road. I had never eaten Malaysian cuisine so I was open to pretty much anything. I got Mee Goreng, which is a fried noodle dish kind of like pad thai. It was delicious! Next stop on our list is a Chinese hot pot restaurant...

On Saturday night it was Jonah's 22nd birthday so most of us got together to celebrate his birthday. It was so much fun to be with everyone in the group and spend time together.


We have a lot to look forward to this coming week as we're going on an organized BU trip to Rotorua for 3 days. It should be a lot of fun! I hope everyone is doing well!

Love, Dafna

My Relaxing Vacation in Auckland

For the past two weeks I have had a vacation from my internship because of their school break between terms. In the beginning I thought it would be a nice time to travel, but after being here and traveling around New Zealand for about 3 months now, I was in need of some relaxation. I was able to finally sleep in most days and enjoy the beautiful spring weather that Auckland was finally getting. It was warmer and barely rained at all. So with my newfound free time I did some walking around Auckland. First there's K Road, which is a fun part of town that has tons of shops, great nightlife, art galleries, and restaurants. It's such an eclectic area with mostly ethnic restaurants like Japanese, Thai, Korean, Indian, and Chinese. You're always bound to find something good to eat on K Road. Then there's Queen Street, which is always fun to walk around. There's tons of shops to walk into and a huge Borders that I spent time reading in.

Although I had a lot of free time during my vacation, I had a lot of work to do as well. I was working on essays for my classes that are due at the end of the month. For my gastronomy class we had to choose a cuisine and research it. I obviously chose the cuisine that I love and miss the most: Louisiana cuisine! It was so fun to write a paper on the history and influences of Louisiana cuisine. I was able to research some of my favorite dishes like gumbo, red beans and rice, and crawfish etoufee, and see how they came about. It definitely made me hungry though!

Last Thursday a bunch of us went to the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra (APO) as an organized BU affiliated event. The concert was Vivaldi's Four Seasons and it took place at Auckland Town Hall. I didn't know what to expect going into the concert, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was an all strings concert so there were tons of violins, violas, and cellos. The music was beautiful and I really enjoyed it. We were even invited to have wine and cheese with the APO Guild. It was a very classy event and we all had a lot of fun. The picture is of where we were sitting inside the Town Hall before the show while a few people were practicing. We weren't allowed to take pictures during the concert.


Today Rachel and I spent the day at the Auckland Zoo. It was a beautiful zoo with so many interesting animals. We saw elephants, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, hippos, orangutans, otters, baboons, kangaroos, emus, tortoises, sea lions, spider monkeys, tigers, cheetahs, lions, and even the famous kiwi bird! We were also able to see two animal encounters, one with the elephants and one with the orangutans. It turned out to be a warm, sunny day and we had a great time!


Now, my vacation is over and I have to go back to work. I only have three more weeks working at Oranga before it's over. We also only have two more weeks of school. It's crazy how everything is coming to a close. The next few weeks will be spent finishing all my work and planning my upcoming trip to Australia! I hope everyone is doing well!

Love, Dafna

Coromandel, Pinnacles Hike, Cathedral Cove

We were finally able to go to the Coromandel Peninsula this weekend, after our trip was cancelled the first time. The Coromandel is a peninsula to the east of Auckland that is known for its mountain range, and beautiful beaches. It turned out to be amazing weather so I was glad that we ended up going when we did. We started by leaving Auckland and heading to the town of Thames, which is the first town in the Coromandel, and the closest one to our hike. We stuck to our original plan for the weekend, which was to do the Pinnacles Hike. The hike is through the Coromandel Forest Park and basically takes you to the top of the mountain range to the Pinnacles Hut, which is where you can spend the night. 11 of us started the hike at around 1:30PM on Saturday. It was a gorgeous day and the scenery was amazing!



Then, we started hiking progressively uphill over hundreds and hundreds of stairs. It was so incredibly difficult and the stairs never seemed to end. We hiked for over 4 hours continuously uphill. The track was a loop track and it turns out that we went up the long way, which was a whole hour longer than the other route. I was so proud to make it to the Pinnacles Hut, a camping hut in the middle of the mountains that was about 2,650 ft above sea level. Once we got to the Pinnacles Hut we had to make the extra effort to climb to the top of the Pinnacles, which is the peak of the mountain. That was another 1 km of steep hiking over stairs and giant rocks. We took our time and made it to the top at around 6:30PM. It felt great to be at the top of the mountain, with the most incredible views. We could even see all the way to the ocean on the east coast.




Our evening at the hut was spent relaxing and boiling water to drink. There were so many other hikers at the hut that we got to talk to and share experiences with. It was really cool to spend the night in the middle of the mountains. We woke up bright and early on Sunday so we could make it back to town for lunch. The way down the mountain went fairly quickly. We took the short way and made it down in a little over 2 hours. Unfortunately I sprained my ankle on the way down, but it wasn't too bad. We made it to the cars and drove back to Thames to meet up with the rest of our group. The first thing we did in town was eat a delicious lunch! Then we drove to Cathedral Cove, which is on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula. The drive was absolutely beautiful through rolling hills, green pastures, and great ocean views! When we got to the Cathedral Cove carpark, we had to hike down 45 minutes to get to the secluded beach. When we arrived I was stunned--the beach was gorgeous, unlike anything I had ever seen. It was also warm outside so we were able to relax on the sand for a few hours in paradise!





It was such a wonderful weekend and I look forward to other amazing adventures to come! I hope everyone is doing well!

Love, Dafna

Exploring Waiheke Island!

This weekend we decided to explore Waiheke Island, which is an island in the Hauraki Gulf outside of Auckland. It's pretty close, only a 40 minute ferry ride away. The island is known for its beautiful scenery, beaches, and world class wineries. We went to Waiheke with hardly any expectations and no planned activities. We had a place to stay and that's basically it. When we first arrived we explored around Onetangi beach, which was near our hostel. We ate lunch at a nice cafe (actually the only cafe!) along the beach.

Later in the day we bought ingredients for dinner and relaxed at the hostel where we met some nice people also studying abroad in Auckland. Our greatest adventures came on Sunday when we rented scooters! It was pretty spontaneous but it's definitely the best way to get around the island so we decided to go for it. It was really scary driving the scooter for the first time, but we were given a lesson by the owner and once we practiced a little bit in a parking lot we were good to get on the road!


Our first stop was Kennedy Point Winery. We were able to taste three different wines, as well as olive oil, avocado oil, and honey! It was such a beautiful winery and the wine was great! Afterwards we drove to Oneroa, which is the main town on the island. We got our lunch from a small fish and chips shop and sat on the grass overlooking the beach to eat. It was such a sunny day and it was so fun relaxing and eating delicious beer battered fish and chips. Then we drove to another winery on Waiheke Island called Cable Bay Vineyard. It is a huge winery on a hill that overlooks the ocean and has views of Auckland. There is also a beautiful sculpture garden next to the vineyard. We were able to taste six of their wines. It was great!


Our next stop was Palm Beach, which was a gorgeous, secluded beach. We basically decided that Waiheke Island is a beach paradise. We ended the day by driving to Whakanewha Regional Park for some scenic views and Goldwater Estate Winery to take a picture of the sign. It was a wonderful day on the scooters! I really wish I had one to scooter around Boston.


Once we got back to Auckland it wasn't really a regular week for me. Oranga School, where I work, is on spring break for the next two weeks so I have a break from my internship. Luckily, this gives me a chance to catch up on all my schoolwork. On Wednesday we are going to see a contemporary Ballet performance called Rise. It should be fun! This weekend we are planning to go camping in the Coromandel Peninsula. Last time we tried this, the weather was terrible, so hopefully we'll have a sunny weekend!

Otago, Mt. Cook, Lake Tekapo, Akaroa

Once we left Dunedin, our first stop was the Otago Peninsula. Otago is known for being the "Wildlife Capital" of New Zealand. Otago is home to many different rare and beautiful birds and animals, such as the royal albatross, hooker sea lion, yellow-eyed and blue penguins, and southern fur seals. We wanted to see as many of these unique animals as possible so we drove throughout the peninsula to the various spots that these animals would be. We first went to Taiaroa Head, which is the home of the royal albatross colony, an endangered species. The wingspan of a royal albatross is usually around 10 ft! It was such a beautiful bird. Afterwards we drove to Sandfly Bay, which is where the sea lions and penguins usually hang out. I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't massive 400 lb sea lions basking in the sun. There were so many of them. We must have seen about 15 sea lions on this small stretch of beach. I had never seen such a unique animal in it's natural environment. At some points the sea lions were moving around a lot and fighting with each other. We had read that the yellow-eyed penguins usually come ashore after 3 pm, so once it hit 3:00 we began anxiously waiting to see a penguin. And just like clockwork, we saw a penguin bobbing in the water. We waited and it slowly came onto the beach and was just walking around. It was amazing!




After we left the Otago Peninsula, we drove north to Mt. Cook, which is the highest mountain in New Zealand at 12,316 ft. We drove past the beautiful Lake Pukaki, a glacial lake, whose waters are this unbelievable turquoise color.


Once we got to Mt. Cook we hiked around the Tasman Glacier area before retiring to our sheltered campsite near Mt. Cook Village. We cooked a really fancy dinner of pasta, broccoli, and hot dogs topped with tomato sauce. The next day we did the Hooker Valley Track, which leads you throughout a valley to Hooker Glacier and gives you incredible views of Mt. Cook. It was a beautiful hike and it was even quite warm for a change.



We drove straight to Lake Tekapo after finishing the Hooker Valley hike for a relaxing evening. It was sunny day and most of us spent the afternoon writing postcards and enjoying the scenery. Lake Tekapo is well known for the small Church of the Good Shepherd, that sits on the shore of the lake. The Lake Tekapo area is also known for having the clearest skies, and it was definitely true. At night we could see millions of stars and even the milky way. It was so cool to become familiar with different constellations only found in the southern hemisphere. The night sky at Tekapo was unlike anything I have ever seen before.


We ended our trip in the South Island by driving to a small town called Akaroa on Banks Peninsula, which is just south of Christchurch. We camped at this eclectic backpacker's place called Purple Peak Retreat. But it was a great last night as we all relaxed and drank hot chocolate and watched The Hangover together. Overall, it was a wonderful trip!

Milford Sound, Catlin's Coast, Dunedin

One of the main things I was looking forward to on my trip of the South Island was a trip to Milford Sound. Milford Sound is thought to be New Zealand's most famous tourist destination as well as the 8th wonder of the world. We decided to take an organized tour that left out of Te Anau, the closest city to Milford Sound. When we were in Te Anau we stayed at a really nice holiday park that had a great kitchen, cable TV, and a fireplace that was always working. Rachel, Chrissie and I cooked an amazing steak dinner before relaxing in front of the fire to watch a movie. We were joined by a lovely Swiss couple that gave us slices of their cheesecake. It was a wonderful night. The next day, as we drove from Te Anau to Milford, we passed giant mountains filled with snow and beautiful lakes. The scenery on the drive was just beautiful. When we arrived in Milford we boarded our cruise boat for a 2 hour cruise throughout Milford Sound, all the way to the Tasman Sea. We saw gigantic waterfalls, towering cliffs, and seals! The first picture is of Mirror Lakes, the second is of Mitre Peak at Milford Sound, and the third is the group of girls on the cruise boat.




After our exciting trip to Milford Sound we continued driving south towards the Catlin's Coast, which is the southeastern coast of the South Island. It's known for its scenic coastline, so we would drive and stop periodically at different landmarks. Our first stop was Curio and Porpoise Bay, which is a petrified forest area that is home to penguins and dolphins. We also stopped at a bunch of waterfalls including MacLean Falls, Matai Falls and Purakaunui Falls as well as some beautiful beaches! We camped at a beautiful campsite at Purakaunui bay right by the beach. The next day we ended our driving tour of the Catlin's Coast by driving to the Nugget Point Lighthouse. before driving up to Dunedin.



The first thing we did when we got to Dunedin was visit the Cadbury World Factory. It is one of 18 Cadbury factories in the world. We did a tour and got to taste a ton of free chocolate. It was a lot of fun! In Dunedin I got to spend a lot of time with Daniel Kahn, a good friend from Year Course. He is studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin. It was so great to see him and he showed us all around Dunedin. We had a huge dinner at his apartment and had a great time!

Wanaka, Queenstown, Fiordland National Park

Once we finished climbing glaciers on the west coast, we drove towards Wanaka, which is considered to be the smaller, less touristy version of Queenstown. We just drove straight to the I-Site, which is the information center located in every city. There was so much to do in the city, so all of us just split up to do different activities. I decided to go kayaking on Lake Wanaka with Chrissie, Zach, and Rachel. It was a beautiful day and I loved being out on the water. We kayaked to a small island in the middle of the lake, had lunch and kayaked back to town. Afterwards, we drove to Rippon Vineyard for wine tasting! It was such a beautiful winery and the wine's were so tasty! Then, we explored Wanaka for a bit before driving down to Queenstown.



After some trouble finding our campsite in Queenstown, we ended up at the local holiday park, which is basically like an RV park. The holiday parks are all around New Zealand and allow you to park in a spot and have access to hot showers, cooking facilities, electricity, and lounges. We were happy to have a hot shower and cook a great dinner. I loved being in Queenstown. It is such a beautiful town that is surrounded by giant snowcapped mountains. It's also really touristy because it's known to be the "adventure capital" of New Zealand, so it's filled with shops advertising activities like jetboating, skydiving, and bungy jumping. Because of the city's reputation, a bunch of people in my group decided to go bungy jumping. Even though I had no intention of bungy jumping, I was able to join them as a spectator and witness them jump from within the launch pad. It was so much fun because I got to be there with them without having to jump! Here's a picture of Queenstown and of Zach bungy jumping!



The rest of our time in Queenstown was spent exploring the town, eating at Fergburger (the best burger place in the South Island), and relaxing! From Queenstown we made the trek to Fiordland National Park. We also camped near a few lakes in Fiordland, and when we woke up at the Lake Monowai campsite it was snowing! One afternoon we hiked part of the Kepler Track, which is one of the "Great Walks" of New Zealand. It was a beauitful hike through rainforest that brought us to a great beach!



Our next adventure was Milford Sound!