Sara and Samwise in New Zealand!

How To Be a Kiwi in 6 Easy Steps

Step 1:  Travel (to the FUTURE)

           

As much as I love flying, 16 hours in a plane can make anyone a bit stir-crazy.  Add the excitement and anxiety of going to a different country to the mix, and it’s a wonder I was able to sleep at all on the flight!  I also thought crossing the International Date Line would be a bigger deal.  Not that I was imagining a bright dotted line in the middle of the ocean, but I thought someone would at least make some kind of announcement.  I did get to see quite a stunning sunrise from the plane, complete with a lightning storm in the distance!  

Sunrise over Australia

One of the many famous sculptures on the Wellington Waterfront

A bit of the scenery on my walk to school

Step 2: Meet the locals

New Zealanders on the whole are quite friendly and always willing to help out their neighbors.  They have also done well in respecting the Maori community and culture here, and kept many of their traditions alive even in a modern, more Westernized perspective.  Wellington is known as the “artsy” city, and Kiwis get creative when there is little space to work with.  About half of the buildings have old, elaborate architecture (as you would expect in the city’s center), but with more modern and minimalist buildings and skyscrapers sandwiched in between or even added to the top.  It makes for an interesting mix.  Most walls are covered in murals and colorful graffiti.  You can also find festivals, fairs, and markets nearly every weekend!  I’ve noticed that people (including myself) feel very safe here.  Children and teenagers are often seen running around the city on their own or with friends in the afternoons and early evenings.  I haven’t travelled to the South Island yet, but the North Island feels like one big community.  I think because the country is quite small and isolated, it gives New Zealanders a more immediate connection that larger countries don’t have on the same scale.

The famous Colossal Squid on exhibit at Te Papa Museum of New Zealand

An old Maori saying.  They believe in honoring their connection with Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, and Ranginui, the Sky Father.

The view of Wellington City from Mount Victoria's summit

Step 3:  Have a love-hate relationship with hills.  And wind.

Almost everything is within walking distance, despite all of the hills.  There are so many in and around the city that it is impossible to see far ahead unless you’re at the very top.  Once you do get to the top, the view suddenly hits you out of nowhere, knocking out whatever air is left in your lungs.  It’s full of strange, abrupt changes in scenery that somehow fit and add to the city’s charm.  

 

They don’t call it “Windy Wellington” for nothing.  A typical day can have average winds up to 40kph, and if you happen to be hiking in the mountains on a particularly windy day, it can easily reach 100kph or more!  When I was tramping outside Wellington with a group of other international students, we had to crouch behind rocks during gusts of wind to avoid falling off the trail!  I’ve heard several stories of Kiwis in Wellington going about their business as usual during hurricanes because they are so accustomed to strong winds!

Along the Skyline Walkway just outside of Wellington

On the way to Martinborough, about two hours east of Wellington City.

Welcome to Wellington!

Step 4:  Enjoy the nightlife

Wellington has a sanctuary for plants and animals native to New Zealand called Zealandia.  I went on a night tour with a few friends and learned a bit about the different animals that have live here, as well as the new ones that have arrived in the past 400-500 years.  The first foreign animals to arrive were rats when the Maori people made it to Zealandia in canoes.  Then the British came and brought dogs and cats with them to hunt all of the strange birds they had heard so much about.  This caused a huge problem for the native species.  The only predators they had adapted defenses against were birds, so freezing in front of a cat or dog meant an easier target instead of camouflage from watchful eyes.  That’s why Zealandia was created.  On the night tour, we had the opportunity to see tuataras, reptiles that are very similar to lizards, but are as old as dinosaurs; the morepork owl, aptly named for the sound of its call; and the famous kiwi bird! 

 I promise there is a kiwi bird in this picture.  We used red flashlights on the tour to avoid harming any animals' night vision.

A bust of Maui in Pepitea Marae in central Wellington (Marae means "meeting house").

Bungee jumping in Taupo!  The river below me is the Huka river,

Step 5:  Learn the history

  

The Maori were the first people to live in New Zealand and have their own legends about its formation. The legend begins with Maui, who performed several magical acts to help his village.  He allegedly captured the sun with a hook made from his grandmother’s jawbone to slow its transit through the sky.  He was also an amazing fisherman.  When the people in his village were going hungry, he suggested sailing so far out that there was no land in sight.  He used his magic hook, and he and his three brothers easily caught enough fish to fill their canoe.  Then, Maui cast his magic hook once more, and pulled up what the Maori call Te Ika a Maui (the Fish of Maui), the North Island.  The South Island is said to be their canoe.

Solace in the Wind, another sculpture on Wellington's Waterfront.

The famous Gondola and Luge in Rotorua

 

 

This odd creature can be found at CubaDupa!  It's a festival on Cuba Street in Wellington.

Step 6:  Learn the lingo

Jandles = Flip-Flops

Papers = Courses, not essays

Tramping = Hiking

They ask, “How are you going?” instead of “How are you doing?"

“Mate” and “Cheers” are their favorite words (although, “G’day" isn’t that common).

Canadians aren’t the only ones who say “eh?”

“Sweet as” and “choice” are similar to “awesome”

A few Maori phrases: 

Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand.  It means “Land of the long white cloud.”

 “Kia Ora” means hello, and “Nau mai, haere mai” means “welcome”

There are two ways to say goodbye.  The person leaving says, “E noho rā,” and the person staying says, “Haere rā.”

The phrase, “Tēnā tātou katoa,” which is a formal greeting to a very large group, is usually added to the end of a speech, especially at important events.

Craters of the Moon in the Taupo Volcanic Region

Mount Ngauruhoe (aka Mount Doom!)

The Beehive, sometimes known as Parliament.

Bonus Step:  Go on an adventure!

I’ve had countless adventures so far, and my time here is only half over.  I’ve been on fishing trips, visited active geothermal zones, tramped across mountains, and I’ve even gone bungee jumping!  Despite the stark differences in these expeditions, I have noticed a common theme: the best thing you can do when you’re experiencing something new or out of your comfort zone – whether you’re eating strange food or hiking Mount Doom – is to dive right in!  You’ll be making the most of your experience, and you might even have some fun.

The Highlighter Yellow Pool at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.  It's an even brighter yellow in person!

Cheers!

Sara and Samwise the Dragon

Massey University

New Zealand