Orienting to a New Home

Taking a walk around the Kaikoura Peninsula was an orientation highlight for many students. Our good friend and Department of Conservation (DOC) officer, Bret, provided insights along the way, teaching us about the peninsula’s flora and fauna, geology, and even Maori stories of it’s creation. Bret then visited us back at the Old Convent later in the week to introduce more Maori culture. Who knew learning to count to ten in another language could be so much fun?

One of the most unique characteristics of any culture is its food. With that in mind, we shared an iconic New Zealand dinner. We stuffed ourselves with Jaffas, pineapple lumps, mince pies and pavlova. Of course, we washed it all down with some L&P.

At this point, we all needed a little rest and relaxation. So off to Hanmer Springs we went for a splendid day soaking in the naturally fed hot tubs.

A community barbeque followed, which allowed us to meet many locals and dear friends from the Kaikoura community. Even with poor weather, we had no problem filling the Convent with laughter and conversations about our families, friends and dreams.

The weather stayed wet for a couple more days, but we wouldn’t let that stop us from learning more about our new home, which included hiking through native forest and visiting the Resource Recovery Centre, where we were astonished to find out that 72% of Kaikoura’s waste is diverted from landfills and reused or recycled in some way. Everyone found the RRC thrift store a fantastic place to stock up on warm clothes and other unique fashion accessories. What a special place to call home.

With orientation under our collective belt, students left to spend a weekend exploring some of the nearby cities, towns and wilderness before academics begin on Monday. We look forward to the challenges, adventures, friendships and so much more during our time together.