Did I Mention I'm in New Zealand??

Between finals, packing, and graduation, there was little time for anything else. So sorry for the late notice...I'm in New Zealand!! It is another May Term class through Coe [I'm completing it as post-graduation education].

It was nearly a 24 hour trip from Cedar Rapids to Auckland, New Zealand. Here we are 17 hours ahead of the central time zone. Which is why the entire group went to bed last night around 7:30, lol. Our two days in Auckland have been spent seeing the sights of the city. These included a trip up the Sky Tower (similar to the Space Needle), a hike up Mt. Eden to see the volcanic crater, a visit to the Auckland Museum, and a lot of wandering about the busy city streets. My favorite thing so far has probably been the accents of the locals [called kiwis]. We haven't had too many interactions with any yet, but am looking forward to speaking with people while we are here. The frozen Coke at McDonalds also ranks pretty high on my list of favorites :).

Tomorrow we leave Auckland for Wellington--a 12 hour train ride south. We are going from the very north of the north island to the very south of the north island. We will have one night in Wellington and then travel by van to Masterton where we will spent 4-5 days hiking and whatnot [I'm not exactly sure]. While I'm not looking forward to 12 hours on a train, I am looking forward to viewing the landscapes. Hopefully I don't sleep too much on the train. The jet lag is still getting to me a bit. The train ride will also provide a much needed opportunity to catch up on my writing. I am, afterall, here as part of a writing class and our professor expects that we complete our work.

Here are a few pictures below:

Aerial, Taylor and John with downtown Auckland in the backgroud.

City of Auckland from the top of the Sky Walk, seen it the left of the first photo.

Me on the top of Mt. Eden--an inactive volcanic crater in the middle of Auckland.

My favorite house in Auckland...they are all this pretty.