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In every city, Andy gave us a long list of restaurant suggestions. However, in Queenstown we were repeatedly told by many more people than Andy that Fergburger was a MUST. Known for its long lines and funky menu, business is constantly booming at this place, morning, day and night. I’m not even that much of a burger girl, but I thought that I might as well give it a shot.

I. was. impressed. For someone who rarely enjoys a burger, I finished this gigantic thing and still wanted to go back for a second.

Specializing in gourmet hamburgers, this restaurant is well known internationally, despite having only one location worldwide! Opening in 2001 on Cow Lane (an obscure location), they were able to move to Shotover Street, right in the center of down town. In addition, FergBaker opened in 2011, right next door, with the same owners, but selling pies, pastries, sandwiches, breads, cakes and gelato (which I also frequented far too often during my stay in Queenstown!).

The best part of this fabulous lunch? The thirty second walk from the store to Queenstown Park (the small beach and one of the most spectacular views of my life). Eating this burger was good, but eating this burger sitting on the beach with this view and good company? Priceless.

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Although I just said Tunnel Beach was my favorite part of this trip, I have to say Queenstown was by far the most beautiful (and fun!) city we visited! It is known as a resort town and that is exactly what it felt like too. Surrounded by mountains (like The Remarkables, Cecil Peak and Walter Peak) and built around an inlet (Lake Wakatipu), Queenstown is unbelievably scenic no matter where you go or what time you’re there.

Queenstown is known for is commerce oriented tourism, especially adventure activities. Although for these reasons, this was an expensive spot to visit, it was by far the most fun and worthwhile.

Something interesting I found in my research about Quenstown is how it was named the way it was. Settler and discoverer William Rees first came to mine in this part of the country. At the time, a small cove in Ireland had just recently been named Queenstown in honor of Queen Victoria, and similar ceremonies took place in New Zealand as well. Afterwards, the town was officially named Queenstown in reference to Ireland’s Queenstown and because the beautiful location was “fit for a Queen.” This is definitely fitting in my opinion!!! The Maori name “Tahuna” is also quite fitting meaning shallow bay, describing the water you’d encounter downtown (where we experienced a beautiful sunset every. single. night.

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Although I saw some amazing sights and did some amazing things in New Zealand, I would venture to say that Tunnel Beach was my favorite part of this entire trip. Just look at these pictures and try and show me a more breathtaking beach. Even if you could try and compare to this beach, the path you must take to get on this beach made it stand out even more.

Tunnel Beach is known for its sea-carved sandstone cliffs, rock arches and caves.  To access the beach, you must hike a trail that typically takes about thirty to forty minutes, winding downhill and giving you several beautiful views of the Ocean and other nearby Dunnedin shores, such as St Clair. Tunnel Beach's most popular feature: the tunnel from the overhanging cliffs down to the hidden and serene beach. While this pathway is dimly lit only by natural light and also that it gets quite slippery from either rainy weather or frequent beach goers, it is well worth the visit.

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While in Dunnedin, we were given the amazing opportunity to check out Signal Hill Reserve and then hike Mount Cargill. Signal Hill Reserve was a beautiful overlook where you could get a great view of the Otago Harbor. It reaches 393 meters, and with a panoramic view like we had, you can see other beautiful scenery and landmarks, such as North East Valley, Lindsay Creek and State Highway 88.

After we got our share of scenic pictures and group shots, our bus took us on a short drive to Mount Cargill, where we would begin what Adam quantified as a “4/10” but I would definitely say was much harder! The hike itself was clearly popular, as we passed numerous locals going out for a daily stroll. It was also beautifully scenic along the way, with fresh greenery, beautiful wildlife, and plentiful trees providing a fair amount of shade on this sunny and warm day. Once we FINALLY got to the top of the mountain, I realized what the hype was all about. It was beautiful. A few of us decided to hike even further than the spray painted white line warning of “extreme danger beyond this point” and climb up the jagged and natural rock forms to get an even crazier and more scenic view, although it was quite andy up that high!

I did some research, and learned that the peak was named for Captain William Cargill, early leader of Otago. The mountain is said to show the profile of a prominent warrior, according to Maori legend. At the top where we finished, we stood 676 meters, or 2218 feet high! Theres also a large transmitting station atop this mountain on a smaller peak, which provides for a lll broadcasting of television and FM radio for Dunnedin and Otago. Nevertheless, despite being such a difficult hike, the view (and sore body) was so worth it!

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Competition

During class, one student brought up a particular idea that I thought was particularly interesting. While professor Dr Mike Sam was lecturing on the ways in which New Zealanders are known for their passive attitude and agreeable nature, one student asked how that plays itself out during competitive sports games. In other words, how do New Zealand sports players balance being competitive and aggressive during sports games, but also still come across as passive and levelheaded both on and off the field.

While Dr Mike Sam did not have a definitive answer, it did open up quite an interesting discussion. He pondered his own comments about how “no one likes conflict in New Zealand,” yet there is still quite a competitive nature that comes along with sports.

Dr Mike Sam started by saying that competition and sports seem to be one in the same in the United States. So many athletes in America show a competitive drive accompanied by some disrespectful celebration methods, inappropriate relationships with competitors, and altogether rowdy individuals.

In New Zealand on the other hand, teaching respect is of utmost importance to coaches at all ages, from young adolescents to professional players. As is common policy around the country, athletic prowess weighs in almost equally with decorum and personality. However, this does not come without cost. New Zealanders get hammered for being too polite, but at the same time Americans get hammered for being too aggressive. Where is the middle ground? Similarly, the way you react when you are successful is very overanalyzed. You can talk about being a winner, but you cannot brag about being a winner, or else you will be judged.

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Criiiiiiinggggeeeee

New Zealanders have long been embarrassed about their own native culture. Only recently have they started playing TV shows with their own accents and wearing New Zealand flags on their t-shirts. This is known as cultural cringe, and is an internalized inferiority complex that causes people in a country to dismiss their own culture as inferior to the cultures of other countries.

This is a strange concept for me to grasp, since patriotism and nationalism in the United States is so extreme. New Zealand cultural cringe has also been lessening since the release of Lord of the Rings, which boosted international awareness of the country and showcased the beautiful scenery which exists there.

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2degrees

Have you ever heard of the phrase “degrees of freedom?” Maybe you learned about it in mechanics. But it takes on a unique meaning for local New Zealanders.

The number of degrees of freedom is the number of stopping or reference points in between you and another individual. For example, I want to determine the number of degrees of freedom between myself and Emily. I know Bob who knows Jane who knows Bill who knows Dan who knows Kelly who knows Emily. Therefore, there are six degrees of freedom between me and Emily because there are six stopping points.

The popular saying in New Zealand is that there are always only two degrees of freedom between any two individuals, seeing as the country is so small. In other words, if you don’t know someone, odds are they you know someone who knows that other someone. Confusing, huh?

Theres also a New Zealand specific phone company called 2degrees. I guess they advertise communication beyond that connection.

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New Zealand’s Chicken Nugget

Battered, breaded and and freshly fried fish with a side of steak fries. That’s probably the way you’d see fish n chip’s listed on an american menu. It’s basically New Zealand’s version of a chicken nugget, but arguably better and definitely more beach-y! A quick and yummy take away food, this dish is also popular in the UK, Ireland and in some parts of the US.

I had my dry first fish n chips in New Zealand and I was hooked! “Chips” are just french fries, but this has become an established part of New Zealand cuisine. You cannot go to New Zealand and not at least have a try! After getting my fix in nearly every city, I can say for sure that Mission Bay has the best version of this classic!

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Eden Park is New Zealand’s largest stadium, home of the All Blacks New Zealand national rugby team and found right in the middle of Auckland. Also home to some cricket matches in the summer, this gigantic arena can hold up to 50,000 people and is beautiful inside and outside. With minimal decorative design on the interior, there are still clean and newly renovated bathroom and locker facilities, an ample weight room, amenities for both male and female teams, and some tremendous statues and figures along the outside.

This location hosted the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final and has a beautifully manicured lawn and stadium seating. One of my favorite statues outside is of Dave Gallagher, captain of the original All Blacks. Theres also another awesome status of a rugby player (presumably also Dave Gallaher, although I didn’t get a good enough look at the sign) making a great diving catch, flipped totally horizontal!

We also got to go inside and check out not only the facility, but also have a Q&A with a coach and regional manager. He elaborated on the All Blacks beliefs in “BLUE” aka belief, leadership, unity and excellence. He taught our class about the different hierarchical structures related to development of youth sport, especially rugby, and the steps taken to become an All Black.

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10 Foods I Ate In New Zealand (click on the pictures for descriptions!)

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The Kiwi Way

In Dunnedin, we were fortunate enough to hear a lecture from Dr. Mike Sam, who spoke about the similarities and differences as well as the benefits and disadvantages of being from America vs being from New Zealand. He elaborated on the ways in which New Zealand capitalizes on being considered “unimportant” on a world scale and the benefits of being a vulnerable nation.

He also made a very interesting point, noting the difference in the ways New Zealanders handle confrontation, even within sporting and competition situations. In America, we see sporting confrontation regularly. Fist fights are expected in hockey, basketball brawls break out often, football players mock and intimidate each other, soccer players shout profanities at one another, etc. In New Zealand, although competition is taken seriously, it is also handled respectfully.

Sam gave an interesting example, referencing a television commercial comparing a New Zealander and a German. In a locker room, a german athlete finds a dirty wash towel and screams “this towel is dirty! i need a new one now!” the camera then flips to the same scene but with a kiwi who stumbled upon a dirty wash towel and says "could you perhaps maybe possibly think about potentially providing me with a clean towel if it’s not too much trouble.” This was a comical way of addressing the differences in the ways in which New Zealanders avoid confrontation.

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When we travelled to the Breakers Basketball training facility, I found it very interesting the ways that the marketing coordinators referred to different levels of players and the ways in which they used social media and online communication discourse.

“Development players” were those who are up and coming, new to the team, and might be referred to as a “rookie” in America. These players could easily generate massive media followings because of their young age and distance from the spotlight due to their recency. Obviously in addition to developing skills, these athletes also need to focus on aligning themselves with different brands and values in rider to attract the right type of following.

“Career players” were those who have been playing basketball for a while, are more well known as Breakers players, are typically starters or featured on advertisements and commercials and are widely recognized by the general public for their successful performances. They might be referred to as “professionals” in America. These types of players use different marketing and branding tactics. Many companies reach out to them hoping to use their fame and notoriety to promote their brands, they are required to keep up a positive image, not necessarily create a new image for themselves, and spend a lot more of their marketing time on how they became so successful and their love for the sport.

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“World” Series?

On the ferry boat home from Waiheke Island, I had a local come up to me and ask me a question I haven’t yet found the answer to but I thought was interesting enough to share here. He asked “If the Major League Baseball association includes only American teams, why is the championship series called the “World Series?” Is America really that conceited?” A question I would love to have an answer to!

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While there is a completely different language spoken by some in New Zelanad (Maori), there are several slang terms used by English-speakers in New Zealand that take some getting used (or some that I’ll need get used to!).

Words and phrases such as “kiwi,” “dairy,” “chilly bin,” “chips,” “sweet as,” and “choice” seemed unavoidable and if you weren’t going to use these slang options, you better at least understand them! Here’s a list of other popular slang words that I found in the Dunnedin dining hall that I thought would be interesting to share.

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Surfing (“whakahekeheke”) has been part of Maori culture even before Euuropean invasion. Water sports in general are extremely popular in Maori culture and considered important for ensuring children were uncomfortable in water. In fact, pakhea influence has created a decline in national surfing participation. The West is known for big swells and high winds, the East is known for cyclones. The North Island is known for warmer waters than the South Island.

We got the opportunity to go surfing as a class on St. Clair Beach in Dunnedin. This is a top surfing beach, home of many major surfing championships, but oftentimes crowded and sometimes experiences sharks and riptides.

There is concern, however, with beach erosion making St. Clair Beach too dangerous for people. Waves hitting the sea wall bounce off with more energy, natural sand is becoming sparse and massive sinkholes exist. There is an ongoing call for council action to save the beach and remedy these issues so that traditions of visits and championships on this particular beach may continue.

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After hiking Rangitoto in the morning, the group took a different ferry to Waiheke Island, a much larger and more populated land. Waiheke is the second largest in the gulf, is the most populated island in the gulf, and was rated the fifth best destination int he world to visit in 2016 by Lonely Planet. Needless to say, it was a great place to spend a free afternoon in Auckland with a big group of friends!

With about 10 different beach options on this island, we chose to hang out at Onetangi Beach, Maori for “weeping sands” and the site of horse races (although we weren’t lucky enough to experience this). This beach was also clothing-optional, another feature we did not partake in.

While we decided to spend our day tanning, climbing rocks, eating and drinking, there were several other activity options on this island. There are World War II fortifications, the ferry terminal and port at Matiatia, outdoor sculpture exhibitions, vineyards and wine tastings, and great restaurants and bars! Although we almost missed the last bus off the island, it was well worth the multiple ferries and busses over!

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On our free morning, we decided to wake up early and take the ferry to Rangitoto Island, home of the youngest volcano in New Zealand. With the peak at 259 meters high, the cloudy day and misty weather made for a beautiful but not so difficult hike. Rangitoto island is home to the world’s largest pohutukawa forest and several volcanic caves.

Rangitoto is Maori for “Bloody Sky,” named after the Maori captain and settler who was badly wounded on his way to discovery. Despite a few tumbles and the less than clear view from the summit, this was a great way to spend our first full free day in Auckland.