Ladies & Gentlemen, Physiology 222 has been completed! Another week and another finished exam means that there's only one more to go during my semester as a Scarfie (Otago University student). It also means that I can take a moment out of studying for exams to enjoy the wonderful spring weather! Observe:
Since the beginning of the semester, we wanted to visit Tunnel Beach. Because of lambing season, we had to wait. Well, we finally made it to Tunnel Beach and here are the pictures from that trip (taken on the afternoon after my 222 exam). This view is from above the beach near the trail head. It's known as Tunnel Beach because one of the rich guys back in the early days of Dunedin decided to give his young daughter a private beach. This was the perfect spot for that private beach but it was surrounded by cliffs so he had to dig a tunnel through the solid rock. The end result was this beautiful beach which was accessible via the tunnel he had made. What was originally a gift to his daughter is now there for everyone to enjoy (when it isn't lambing season).
After a walk down a relatively steep trail through farmland, you reach the tunnel that takes you through the rock and down to the beach.
And when you step out of that tunnel and look towards the ocean, you get this gorgeous view and you can understand why the guy went through all that effort. You'll also notice how beautiful the weather is. Finally! Sun and warmth has made it to Dunedin!
Here's that very same view but with the 3 of us (Stu, Ryan & Me) obscuring some of that lovely scenery.
A look up at the cliffs which surround the beach with a neat little eclipsing of the sun thrown in for good measure.
We climbed this rock near the center of the beach for this cool pic. I don't think there's any real significance to the rock but it's there and was just asking to be scaled.
We went back through the tunnel and out around the edge of the surrounding cliffs to get a better view of the beach from above and also to look out towards the horizon.
The three of us, once again, standing near the edge. Behind us, the cloudless sky and beautiful ocean stretch onwards.
And there you have it. Warm sun, clear skies, beautiful beach, the fellas and a box of ecclairs makes for a fun afternoon (particularly after finishing an exam). Let's hope the weather stays beautiful! See you all later!
Physics 132 is in the books! I must say, the Otago Final Exam system is quite a bit more formal than what I'm used to. Official Otago Answer Booklets & "Scantron" sheets as well as a "tear-off" attendance slip so they know you showed up (in addition to them knowing you were there if you turn in an exam). They also had about a million proctors roaming the room during the 3-HOUR examination. In any case, it's over and done with and I have Physiology 222 to look forward to next week. But just before I move on...gotta enjoy this moment...
My "celebratory" dinner of sorts: Chicken, mushroom & asparagus risotto with chicken, spinach & cheese filo "rolls." What a treat. I should use yummy dinners as motivation for doing well on the remaining finals. In any case, I hope everyone is doing well and I apologize for the less than spectacular material. Look forward to the end of exams when more exciting pics & stories will come!
New post just after this one so don't forget to check it out if you haven't yet. I, however, couldn't help but let you all know about my lab class today...
When I walked into my last Physiology lab for the semester and saw "Drinks" written on the board under the agenda, I was just a little bit confused.
No need to take another look at the picture, those are beers on the table. I kid you not, after our final lab, the students were treated to beers* (coke, sprite & OJ for the non-alcoholics), chips & dip. Even the prof & TA took time to enjoy the moment and mingle with the kiddies (my TA is the tall guy in the pic).Finally, a school that understands real college students. The University of Otago Department of Physiology is ahead of its time. Perhaps USC could learn a thing or two.
*Drinking age in NZ is 18.
So, for the second straight weekend in a row, weather has thwarted our plans. This time around, however, we were well prepared with a back up plan that turned out to be incredibly fun!
Our destination for this weekend's travels was Te Anau. It is the doorstep of the Fiordlands National Park and the location where the Kepler Track (a Great Walk managed by the Department of Conservation) begins. The above picture of the setting sun was taken near our the Henry Creek campsite (our resting spot for the first night) on the shores of Lake Te Anau.
Thankfully, this was not my shelter for the evening. It was erected on our campsite by either the previous tenants or some active possums.
Ryan poses with this incredibly large (and heavy) log that he tried to pick up.
In need of some big eats before the big day on the trail, I decided to order lamb shanks for dinner. I definitely needed something tasty since I'd be surviving on granola bars and tangelo marmalade & peanut butter sandwiches (definitely a winning combination) for the next couple days.
After a night's rest, we set off on the Kepler Track, "blessed" with a light, constant shower and breezy winds. Here I am, bright orange poncho and all, overlooking Lake Te Anau after passing the "Control Gates" which marks the beginning of the Kepler Track.
It never ceases to amaze me how wickedly beautiful and fun these trails are in New Zealand. While there's a certain familiar character common to each trail, they have their own unique charm.
The Kepler Track followed the coast very closely all the way up to Brod Bay where we stopped very briefly to catch a breath. I tested out the "panoramic" feature of my cameraphone and was very impressed with the results. The above is a view across Lake Te Anau from Brod Bay. While the track had been relatively flat most of the way so far, we were about to begin the 1000m climb from Brod Bay to the Mount Luxmore Hut.
I finally got a picture of "koru!" That's the Maori term for baby fern fronds which are not only cool looking, but also a common design element in Maori art.
After snaking our way upwards for a good long while, we reached the Limestone Bluffs where we paused for a moment to grab a snack and take a photo. We were making excellent progress!
A while afterwards, we cracked the treeline and were exposed to cloudy mists and a snowy, alpine landscape.
After a trudge through some snow & mud, we arrived at the Mount Luxmore Hut!
Looking down from the hut (through the thick cloud cover) you can see part of South Fiord which extends towards Lake Te Anau. Beautiful, beautiful sights!
Inside the hut, it wasn't quite as warm as I would've liked. There was a weak little cast iron fireplace that didn't help much and, as you can see from the photo, snow could get inside through the upstairs door just in front of the bunkrooms & washroom. Brrr...
Our late afternoon and early evening adventures took us to the Luxmore Caves just 10 minutes away from the hut. Rumor had it that the caves go on for beyond 200m and there are glowworms at the end...
There were some really tight spaces and unusual rock formations in the cave that made the exploring fascinating and just a bit spooky.
You can see that the first cave chamber is quite spacious and Ryan is resting only about halfway down. Going into the cave was a pretty slow process whereas getting out took about half as long.
Here's a pic of me in front of some cool looking stalagtites.
The end of the trail was marked somewhat disappointingly by a sign saying you can't go any farther. No glowworms, but it was a great experience and loads of fun!
The night wasn't too pleasant for me since I wasn't well prepared for the cold weather. My toes were pretty frosty and it's safe to say I didn't sleep very well. When I finally awoke in the morning, I was pleased to discover that much of the clouds had rolled on by and revealed a beautiful view of the surroundings. This is another panoramic shot from the Hut down towards the South Fiord as it stretches into Lake Te Anau. New Zealand is damn gorgeous.
Here's a shot of a fair amount of cloud rolling through and beyond the South Fiord (just moments before/after the previous shot). The Maoris didn't call New Zealand Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud) for nothing!
Icicles greeted us along the beginning of the trail as we headed back down the hill and back to the car. It was a reminder of the previous night's cold weather and an indicator of the current, much more pleasant, conditions.
The clouds cleared just enough to offer a great view down to the South Fiord again. You can see some islands in this shot!
A fallen tree that I remembered from the previous day's hike.
A view, through the trees, of Lake Te Anau and the town of Te Anau.
Another picture of taken at Brod Bay. The scenery is the same but the weather differences are striking. Sunshine & blue skies are such beautiful things.
Here we all are after a wonderful hike on the Kepler Track. We didn't do the whole thing but we did a good chunk of it! L->R: Ryan, Stuart, Me, Jon & Ben.
A view across Lake Te Anau of the area through which we had just hiked. The peak of Mount Luxmore is partially obscured by the larger of the 2 green peaks. We covered quite a bit of distance & elevation in our short time on the track!
Finally, here's a pic of a Street sign in Te Anau near the bakery/coffee shop where we picked up snacks just before leaving.
I hope you all enjoyed the pics. With classes finishing up this week, I have 3 finals to "look forward" to in the coming weeks and, finally, a schedule that allows me to devote quality time to each exam. There probably won't be any big trips over the next few weeks but I would assume we've still got a lot of sights to see in and around Dunedin town. Then it's back to the North Island and home sweet Auckland. Stay tuned and, until next time, take care!
First of all, if you've made the trip down to your local theater to see the cinematic masterpiece that is Serenity, then you get a gold star and a kiss from Summer Glau (she plays River in the film - I also got to meet her at the first Serenity screening I went to in Vegas). If not, you owe it to yourself (and to me & Summer) to mosey on over to Consolidated Ward Theaters or The Grove or Century City (or whatever is closest to you), buy a ticket to Serenity and enjoy one of the best movies of the year. Take it from me, it is an excellent film. You won't be disappointed.
Okay folks. Let us move on with the post. This past weekend was meant to be our big trip to Aoraki Mount Cook. When all was said and done, it turned out being our Friday afternoon adventure at Aoraki Mount Cook. Observe...
So we left Dunedin just after 7 am expecting to roll into the Mt. Cook area around lunch time. The sun was out in Dunedin town, I had my Oakleys on and it was all looking pretty sweet. Well, it all started out fine and dandy but it sure didn't stay like that for as long as we would've liked. Three+ hours on the road and we made it to the beautiful Lake Pukaki, which is situated just outside of the Mount Cook region. We started to get a little worried since we could see a bit of grey cloud invading the clear blue sky. Arriving at Mount Cook, we were greeted with a completely overcast sky and a bit of a drizzle. After checking in with the Department of Conservation Information Hut, we ate a quick lunch of peanut butter sandwiches, muesli bars and hit the trail. The Hooker Valley Trail that is. Then, the skies opened up...
About 15-20 mins in, we hit the first swingbridge and my pants and hair were completely soaked. It's a miracle that my adidas ClimaWarm fleece had resisted the elements so well. Ryan & I crossed first while Jen & Stuart were not far behind. We tried to move as quickly as possible despite the rain that poured down onto us from above.
The cloud and rain really limited our views of the surroundings, but you could make out that it would've been beauty of the "jaw-dropping" magnitude. The Hooker River was looking particularly fierce today. The sound of the rushing water was impressive as well.
We hit the second swingbridge and the rain was not letting up. In fact, it turned up the intensity just a little bit. Even the wind chimed in with some forceful gusts here and there. Mother Nature, in one of her prettiest locations, was putting on a bit of a show just for us.
It just isn't a good sign when the trail you're supposed to be following starts looking like a stream. When the rain turned to hail and the wind maintained its strength, we decided that it was time to turn tail and rethink our weekend plans.
While it was nice being outdoors, the weather certainly wasn't going to let us enjoy the scenery. You can barely see the Southern Alps through the rain & clouds. You certainly couldn't see Mount Cook though we definitely should've been able to. As sad as it made me feel to turn around, it was the right decision. We climbed back into the car, drove on over to the Hermitage (a posh hotel with beautiful, public, marble bathrooms and a nice cozy fireplace) to change into some dry clothing and thaw out a bit. We ate a little snack at the Old Mountaineers Cafe just down the road from the Hermitage and unanimously decided to return to Dunedin. We weren't going to have a good time out here so we might as well head on home...
About three hours after that ordeal, we made it back to the East Coast and back to the sunshine. That was probably the most frustrating thing for me: seeing the variability of New Zealand weather at work. In any case, we stopped off at Oamaru to try and see the Blue Penguin colony. However, they asked for NZ$13.50 to see the penguins. Like your typical, cheap college students, we didn't go. Unlike your typical college students, we found a better alternative...
But first, we saw this bit of grafitti and knew we had to pose for pictures.
Stuart sure loves the penguins.
Ryan loves the penguins too.
And just to complete the triumvirate, I must admit, I also love the penguins.
Moving right along... With dusk fast approaching, we drove up the hill beside the penguin colony and found a trail that led through a military reserve. Apparently, it's open to the public...well, there were no signs advising otherwise...
We kept on going towards the ocean, knowing that we would have to get just past the building so we could look down and see the penguins. A couple of these bunkers were scattered around overlooking the ocean, built not long ago to protect New Zealand from invading forces (whomever they might be). Victory was near...
The purply-pinkish hues of the sunset upon the eastern horizon was quite a beautiful sight. Simply lovely.
And finally!!! We are victorious. A bit of trailblazing led to this amazing vantage above the penguin colony amphitheater. Losers!!! Haha. We win! We are better than all of you!!! This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Unfortunately, the penguins didn't come out like they were supposed to. We did, however, get pointed at by the spectators down below. At least we know where to go next time instead of paying!
With Friday in the books, and since we were back in Dunedin, we decided that we would go see Otago's last home game against Canterbury at the 'brook. It was a lot of fun and I finally got decent seats! It was also a beautiful day in Dunedin. Quite a contrast from the horrible weather we were treated to at Mt. Cook.
Here's an Otago lineout late in the first half. Otago jumped out to an early lead and was able to hold off a late Canterbury comeback to seal a 24-19 victory and a place in the semifinals.
Feeling like we had to make up for not being able to experience Mount Cook, we decided to do a night hike up Nicols Creek to see glow worms.
Speaking of Nicols Creek, here it is. We just couldn't escape the rain this past weekend and even though the day was gorgeous, it began to drizzle early in the evening. It was nowhere near the intensity of what we experienced at Mt. Cook but just enough to be annoying.
Once we were well up the trail and we turned off all our lights, the glow worms appeared. It was amazing seeing them line the sides of the trail like stars in the night sky. However, it is so difficult to get a decent picture of the glow worms. You can't use the flash because it'll just over power the faint glow, so you have to trust in your camera's abilities in low light. Try as she might, this is as good as my P8 could do. I'm actually quite impressed considering I couldn't see anything on the display. It was only after I loaded the images onto the computer that I caught the unmistakeable blue glow of the glow worms. Sorry I couldn't do any better, you'll just have to see them for yourself one of these days.
Sarah, Stuart and I paused for a pic while Ryan and other Sarah explored a bit farther down the trail. Despite the weather, it was well worth the effort.
All in all, the weekend didn't turn out exactly the way we had planned it but it was pretty darn fun nonetheless. I'm quite pleased we were able to figure out alternative activities although a proper trip to Mount Cook will have to come in the near future. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the pictures. I'm not sure what exactly is on the cards for this weekend. We are hoping that the weather is nice enough to go to Stewart Island but it's all really up in the air. Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned for the next post! And go see Serenity already!!!
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