“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

Sorry for the delay in new posts, but I've been busy doing numerous activities :)

Raglan

Pinnacles

• Raglan-- We took a weekend trip to the west coast, a little south of Auckland.  Raglan is a small town known for its black sand beaches and surf spots. My friends all had long boards and I was borrowing a short board from my friend.  It took me two days to barely get up on it until I caved and tried the long board, which was much easier.  After a long day battling the waves and getting tossed into the sand, we went to THE pub in town and watched some rugby.  Unfortunately, Ireland lost to wales :(  
• Waiheke Island-- went to some wineries, walked along beaches, and explored underground tunnels from World War I
• Coromandel Peninsula--- We hiked the Pinnacles in one day, camped that night, and headed to Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach the next day.  The view from the top was sweet as--you could see rolling hills on one side, and the ocean on the other.  At the Hot Water Beach, we dug ourselves a hot-tub in the sand and water from the thermal vents poured in.
• My parents were here for two weeks.  We tasted kiwi dishes, visited Motuihe Island, and my dad and I tramped through Mordor (Tongariro Crossing).

Sadly, my experience here in New Zealand is coming to a close.  In two days, I'll be getting lost, walking the streets of Sydney.  This semester has been heaps of fun, but it flew by too quickly!  I've made some amazing friends, climbed a lot of mountains, and seen too many sheep.  Hopefully this won't be the last time I step foot on New Zealand soil.  It's not goodbye, it's see you later.

Cheers