Fall Break

Image from Lonely Planet.

Kia Ora!

I wanted to just post a quick update about my fall break plans! (And yes, I do mean fall break! Being in the Southern Hemisphere means our seasons are opposite of those in the Northern Hemisphere and our stars are upside down from what you see back home!)

For the first week I will be visiting the capitol city Wellington. I will be taking the train the whole way across the North Island and have the opportunity to see Mt. Tangoriro, or as some of you may know it, Mount Doom! Wellington is really a cultural hub here on New Zealand, featuring many museums and botanical gardens as well as a famous cable car system! I am looking forward to the opportunity to explore a new city! Additionally I have a really good friend from field camp who is studying at the University in Wellington and I am looking forward to seeing her!

Following a week in Wellington I will be coming back up to Auckland to attend a Geology fieldtrip to Muriwai beach, a relatively famous location here nearby Auckland. That evening I will be flying to the South Island into the city Christchurch.

**I know some of you may worry about this because of the recent large earthquake in Christchurch. The city is safe and power has been restored. All buildings have been reevaluated for their structural integrity and some of the city remains blocked off to promote safety. I will be staying with friends in Christchurch so will be taken care of at all times! **

Leaving from Christchurch I will be going on a 6 day tour of the South Island.

http://scenicpacific.co.nz/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=1150979 That is the tour that I am doing and I'm really looking forward to seeing some great sights as well as traveling all around the island. I will be visiting Dunedin, Queenstown (famous for bungee jumping, though I'm not sure I'll be doing any!), Milford Sound and Franz Joseph. Returning to Christchurch I will be staying with a friend of mine for a few days before returning to Auckland.

I'm very excited and look forward to sharing pictures and memories with you all!

Cheers!