We started our journey by getting a rental car in Auckland
and driving out of the city and into rural New Zealand. Our first night was
spent on a quaint farm at the base of what I would’ve incorrectly referred to
as a mountain (later on in the trip I learned what real mountains look like).
This farm doubled as a hostel and one of the rooms was rather unique because it
was housed inside an old school bus. I was so tired though that the bus seemed more
than hospitable enough. The sunrise brought the next day in and we left our bus
and farmer friends behind and took off for Hobbiton. I am a HUGE Lord of the
Rings fan so this was basically heaven for me. I could’ve probably spent all
day chillin at the shire but after a few beers at the Green Dragon it was time
to take off again.
Driving through New Zealand was as exciting as the
destinations we were trying to get to. The highways would run along cliffs
overlooking the ocean and then they would divert into the mountains just to
open up to huge valleys covered in sheep and cattle farms. One of my favorite
drives went through Mount Aspiring National Park. To this day it is still hard
to believe that it is a real place. The road follows a river between two
mountains. On either side of the road there are waterfalls which empty into a
teal blue river lined with banks of perfectly round, white river rocks.
New Zealand was absolutely filled with amazing landscapes
but few are as magnificent as Fiordland National Park. I had to climb a
mountain to get to the best views but it was absolutely worth it to be so high
up and completely surrounded my amazing views. For me that moment summed up my
time in New Zealand perfectly.
Carter Bodinger--Chemical Engineering, University of Newcastle Exchange Spring 2016
--Don't miss out on your chance to study abroad!
Find out more about the University of Newcastle exchange at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/exchange/newcastle
Search for additional study abroad opportunities in over 50 countries at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
