Submitted by Andrew Gorski on the 2024 Winter KAAP program in New Zealand…
This week was my first week in New Zealand. We arrived in Dunedin on January 3rd and got dropped off via shuttle at St. Margaret’s College in the University of Otago. Immediately after arriving, I was able to see the differences in New Zealand culture compared to America. The residents of New Zealand, or “Kiwis”, open to tourists with welcoming arms and gratitude.
On January 4th, the last students arrived at St. Margarets where we immediately clicked. We toured around the city of Dunedin and got our first impressions of the city: a peaceful environment with friendly people and hospitality. The dining hall is a beautiful room with New Zealand’s best meals. For dinner, we went to a restaurant that sold burgers and I ordered a “ferocious beast” which consisted of a beef patty, fried chicken breast and bacon.
The day after, we went on our first hike at Signal Hill. The long preparations of physical activity before the trip finally paid off after this tiring, but rewarding, hike. The experience itself was overall beneficial to hear from some of the students in our program and what background they come from. We followed up with this intense exercise by playing a round of basketball in the courtyards. At the end of the day, I had walked 26 kilometers and 33,300 steps.
We started our big scavenger hunt project on Saturday, January 6th. We were divided into groups of four and were instructed to create a presentation about some places and facts we found interesting in Dunedin and Otago. This was another long day of walking with 34,562 steps and 27 kilometers. Otago is mostly known for the Octagon, an eight-sided plaza in the center of the city with a passage that leads to the harbor. In the center is a statue of Robert Burns, a scottish man who is pointing towards the harbor to welcome newcomers into the country of New Zealand, but also has his back to the English Church as a sign of disrespect for the english building without the Scots permissions.
Throughout this trip, we are to keep a daily log of our physical activity with a description of what we accomplished. Many of the New Zealand residents enjoy getting their exercise and walking around the city is the most popular way to burn calories here. We have only been here for a couple of days, but I am excited to see what the future holds for us. (Submitted on January 9, 2024)
