My semester started with two essays due within three weeks, and the others basically as soon as the grades for the first ones were returned. Generally not a bad thing - it means that the final grade does not depend on the last exam and it gives you the chance to learn more equally. It is very different to what I am used to, much more stressful in my opinion, but once it´s all over (like 3 days ago) it is such a relief. Knowing that you have completed the biggest part of the semester.
On the 1st of May I had four essays due, all for different subjects, different levels of difficulty (I am taking a paper (course) of each level - that is 100, 200, 300 and 400) and different referencing styles. All in all very confusing. Plus, I had a visitor coming for the (extended) semester break - so hey, no pressure!! I managed to hand them all in - though to be honest, they are not very good probably. Knowing that you only need to pass a class because the grades are not transfered anyways, makes it very hard to want to put a lot of work in it if there are nicer things to do.
Onto the nicer things:
I went up to Christchurch (a much longer drive than I expected), just to drive back an hour later. Obviously not without a purpose, but to pick up Keldan. So prepared with a pack of LLB (Lemon, Lime and Bitters) and a sign I went to greet him. Food in the car, all prepared for a night drive back.
The next day we set out to explore the Waipori Falls - beautiful, very hidden waterfalls near Dunedin. Luckily we still had the car, so it was just a quick drive and the weather was beautiful.
The days after that we spent exploring Dunedin, the lagoon walkway, the city center, the Botanical Garden, Games Night at a friends place, pot luck at another friends place, slacklining, the Farmer's Market. All the little gems that a city has to offer. A friend took us up to Mount Cargill, the perfect lookout spot!
Check out these beautiful pictures of sunsets, slacklining, the Botanical Garden and the walkway.
And the last three days were reserved for some camping, as New Zealand has to offer really good campsites at reasonable prices. So we picked two on the way to Christchurch and decided to take the days as they came, we only had two set things we really wanted to do:
1. Cheese Factory
2. Elephant Rocks (interestingly most people don´t know about them)
Apart from that we had no real expectations or plans, which led us to Warrington Beach very close to Dunedin by just following the signs to the beach. Then we took the scenic route instead of just the SH1 and came past Karitane. A beautiful penninsula with interesting rock formations whose land was given back to the local Maori iwi (tribe) Ngai Tahu in the 1990's during the settlement process. Following a trail you can learn a lot about Maori legends and stories along the way.
We did not take any picture at the Cheese Factory - mainly because we only saw the shop - but we bought two really good cheeses and spent the next three days eating it! Struggeling with the cheese you can buy here in New Zealand, I have to say their Brie is very very good and basically like any Brie cheese from France or Germany.
Our campsite was right next to a stream so we spent some time skipping stones, and the next morning we played with the little dog in the river. It was freeeeeeezingly cold, we tried it out! But the setting was just so beautiful that we did not want to leave. We had to at some point - main determined by when the tent was dry again - and set off for the Elephant Rocks. We had a little picknick - with cheese of course - and did some bouldering, explored the area and got blown away by the wind. After that we discovered the Moeraki Boulders (we were the only ones walking to the Boulders - probably because of high tide and got completely soaked :D - but you can see all the other visitors standing on the stairs taking pictures in the distance) and Shag Point with all its seals and penguins. We got surprised by a seal who was heating up in the grass next to the walkway. Our next campsite was at Waihi Gorge and we got there just before sunset, pitched up our tent and walked up the hill to enjoy the lights. Later we met a nice German who had made a campfire and let us sit with him.
We set off early the next morning to go to the Farmer's Market in Christchurch, so we had no time to dry our tent. It would have been a bit uncomfortable to do that in the hostel later, so after the Farmer's Market we decided to go to Hagley Park and dry it there. We noticed that it was a Golf Course we were at, but saw nobody playing, so we just set it up at one end in the sun. After that quite a few people came by asking whether we were planning on camping there or advising us that it is a golf course. Telling them that we were only dry the tent made them laugh but we had to leave at some point when actual golfers were coming closer.
That was our two week leisure time - well deserved and very exciting.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures.
Until next time!
