NZ: Bridging Cultures Program

I have only been in New Zealand for about a week, but it has already started to feel like home. In fact, I think New Zealand looks a lot like Wisconsin on a gorgeous summer day with the inclusion of some tropical trees. This past week I have been busy participating in the Bridging Cultures Program (BCP) that the program I am studying abroad through (AustraLearn) puts on for its participants. Here’s what this last week has all entailed for me. DISCLAIMER: Not all of my weeks in New Zealand will be this exciting.

The plane ride was approximately 12 hours and I didn’t sleep the greatest, but the free wine and ice cream given to me really helped in keeping me happy. Unfortunately I didn’t have a window seat so you can probably imagine my excitement when I felt the plane officially land. After exchanging some money, picking up my bags, and going through customs I was able to meet two of my group leaders for the week: Ella and Gavin. Our rooms were not ready because it was only 8:30 a.m. so we “killed” time by visiting Mt. Eden. I’m not entirely sure if it was a former volcano or a giant hole of some sort. It looked like a giant hole, but the coolest part of it all was that we were able to overlook Auckland. Seeing the landscape of New Zealand was something highly anticipated on my end so I was thrilled to get a view so quickly. After grabbing my first bite to eat (a BLAT Sandwich: Bacon, Lettuce, Avacado, & Tomato) at a small café a block away from our hotel, we were able to check into our hotel. A shower has never felt so good at any other point in my life especially after carrying around my “mobile” home for over an hour, and I packed light!

We had our first session at the University of Otago where we were able to learn more facts about New Zealand. The Prime Minister is John Key; The All Blacks are the World Champion Rugby World Cup team from New Zealand; and there are 9 sheep for every one person. To be honest, the session was boring because I already had to research a lot of this as a requirement to study abroad through UW-La Crosse. After the session we had an amazing Italian meal at a restaurant called La Porchetta. I somehow managed to misread the ingredients of my spaghetti and was not pleasantly surprised to find muscles, squid, and clam in it. Luckily, the personal pizza’s everyone else ordered were equivalent to a medium pizza in the states so I did not go hungry.

On Wednesday we left Auckland around 8 a.m. for Rotorua which was about a four hour bus ride. What better way to see this country than to drive through it?! I honestly feel like I am not even in a different country, rather I am on a completely different planet. This place is beyond gorgeous. The hostel we checked in at was the KiwiPaka and I was surprised by how nice it was. I never have had a hostel experience prior to this week and it’s been positive. After check-in we had another boring session about culture shock, which I’ve heard about 13 times now since I decided to study abroad so I’ve got it down pretty good at this point. We also learned the Haka, which is the Maori war dance. The Maori are the native people of New Zealand. We also visited Blue Lake in Rotorua which was beautiful, like everything else is here.

Thursday was adventure day. I was able to go in an ogo, which is a giant ball filled with hot water. Once in the ogo, we were rolled down a hill. It was “sweet as” like everyone says here. Who would have thought warm water and a giant ball could allow a girl to have so much fun? After ogoing, I was able to go white water rafting for the first time ever. We went on the Rangitaiki River. It rained the entire time which made the experience surreal when we were not going through rapids. I am so glad I went. I was beyond terrified once the safety talk was finished and honestly felt like I was going to die. They gave all the worst case scenarios in this talk so you can imagine my fear. Our rafting guide, Joel, was super cool and it was awesome hearing his stories from rafting all around the world. Thursday night we visited a Maori Village which was unique. We had to be accepted to come into the village by the chief before experiencing educational stations on their culture, watching traditional performances consisting of song and dance, and eating a traditional meal. The experience was cool and it made me even more thankful for my culture.

On Friday I was able to explore Waitomo Caves. I chose the Tuma Tuma Toobing Adventure package which involved seeing glow worms and going black water rafting. It was beyond cool; caves have always fascinated me. Our tour guides, Chris and Ryan, were really cool. Everyone in NZ so far has been welcoming, relaxed, and fun. We stopped at a water hole outside of Rotorua on our way back. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my suit on anymore so I didn’t go. I feel like it will be something I will always regret not “living in the moment” at the time I was there. I mean who needs a suit? My clothes would have been just fine. Friday was a fun night out as well, although drinks here are anywhere from $7 to $10. I am not in NZ to drink; I am here to travel, learn, and experience a different culture.

Saturday was our volunteering day. We trimmed brush in areas were the Kokako bird is found. It’s a native bird of New Zealand that is nearly extinct. It was a neat experience to be a part of and wished I could have seen one of the birds. It is always sad to me that more people do not make an effort to prevent losing beautiful animals that fill our world. We had one last session on Saturday afternoon and then had about 4 hours to ourselves. I chose to explore the hot water springs that were in Rotorua. They were pretty neat, and the smell wasn’t all that bad. The Bridging Cultures Program concluded with a fun talent show. We left today (Sunday) for the airport and I’m officially in Wellington. My next blog post will provide more details about attending school here and what my new home is like. I’m anxious to get out and explore Wellington.