farewell to new zealand

Sadly, this will be the last letter I post from New Zealand. Here are a few odds and ends, some final photos, and some goodbyes. But despair not! For I will continue to update this site with more photos and adventures from Georgetown, Halifax, and wherever else I end up. This letter is unfortunately rather brief. While I want to post something for you folks to read, life is rather hectic and other things are much higher on my list of priorities : )

A brief note on the audience for this website. Originally intended for family, friends, and Rotarians. But check out the guestbook! Maurice, a 68-year old viewing this page from Arc Cafe. Got an email from a Berlin filmmaker asking for information on Felix Graf von Luckner. Eric looking for information on the Pyrenees, and Karena and "Dunners boy" looking for Kiwiana. In some respects, it's a bit weird to have my personal life accessible to so many strangers, but in others, I suppose it's pretty cool. Anyway, nothing TOO personal on here, since websites are for exhibitionism not intimate details : ) If you want the goss, you'll have to ask for it, though I might not reveal what you're looking for...

Weather starting to warm up. Lots of great afternoons spent in the Botanic Gardens.

The Botanic Gardens

Exams ended around the end of October and beginning of November. A flurry of activity as people were busy studying, and others were moving out of Dunedin. I was able to say goodbye to some, but others just left town, and I suddenly realised one day that they were gone.

Student life - a trolley in the Leith

Since exams ended I've been working madly on my MPH dissertation (we will also be submitting a paper to the New Zealand Medical Journal). Sorted out funding for my MSc thesis, and prepared my BSc thesis for publication. My research now spans two countries and two provinces. Sheesh!

Me in front of PrevMed

On November 5 I did my second presentation for the Dunedin East Rotary club. Went home and celebrated Guy Fawkes' Day with my flatmates by setting off two whole boxes of fireworks. Petra left for Greece and Turkey the following morning, and left us a grand breakfast of bagels, soy cream cheese, strawberries, pineapple, orange juice...

On November 9 Courtenay had her BSc graduation party. Hung out with the five Rotary girls for the last time. Sniff. Said goodbye to the Rotary girls, Jo, and Pauline. Met Damian, Pauline's Australian man (not the professor) who had arrived in Dunedin that day.

Five Rotary chicks - Beccy, Cate, me, Courtenay, and Maureen - together for the last time

On November 10, Simon helped me to burn CDs of photos to give to my friends. What a fiasco!

November 11 Steve dropped Simon and I off at the train station to catch a bus to Invercargill. Said goodbye to Steve, and spent November 11 to 22 on Stewart Island with Simon. Stories and photos are already posted.

November 29 said goodbye to Emma and left for a weekend in Wanaka with Pip and Karen Chapman. On the 30th, I climbed Mt Roy (about 1580m) for some superb views of Lake Wanaka. Lost the track on the way down, and ended up trudging through sheep paddocks, scaring many sheep, straddling barbed wire fences, and stepping in more sheep poo than I'd care to remember. Back at the Chapman's, Pip and I went for a tour of the new housing developments in Wanaka in Pip's 1951 MG (he also owns an Austin 7, two Model As, a Chrysler, and a Volvo). Later on I worked on my dissertation while Pip and Karen went to a friend's for dinner. On the 30th, I spent about half an hour helping out in the yard, poisoning some docks (weeds) in the lawn. Then I worked on my dissertation while Pip and Karen did more yard work, and later went for a tour of Glendhu Bay in Pip's 1951 MG.

Pip near Glendhu Bay

Left Wanaka around 4pm. Stopped by friends of the Chapman's outside Cromwell who own a Tuscan house surrounded by olive groves. We were welcomed with some white wine and French stick with salmon and basil. Mmmm! Then stopped by other friends outside Ophir (a tiny village with lovely old houses) who live in a wee stone cottage and grow heaps of flowers. Were given a huge bunch of flowers including peonies to take home, some of which Karen gave me for the flat. Stopped at a hotel in Ranfurly (as in the beer, Ranfurly draft) for dinner. The whole town is known for its art deco architecture. Drove home via Palmerston, with mist flowing like water over the mountains.

Went to my last Rotary meeting at the Shoreline on December 3. Goodbye to Gareth, the best waiter in the world!

On December 6 had our Preventive Medicine Christmas party at Jo Mackenzie's place on Allen's Beach. On the way there, got horribly lost with Louise and Quentin on the Peninsula roads. Had some yummy food, then went down to the beach where a few hours of patient watching was rewarded with one yellow-eyed penguin sighting, and at dusk a small group of elusive blue penguins!

On December 7 Simon and I were supposed to cycle out to the Peninsula, but I felt stink. Instead, we had a movie marathon to educate me about New Zealand film. Watched Scarfies, Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring), and Came a Hot Friday (with Billy T James). Heaps more films I've been told to see but haven't, including Once Were Warriors, The Piano, Goodbye Pork Pie, An Angel at my Table, The Castle, Rain, Quiet Earth, Footrot Flats, Utu, Heavenly Creatures, Mad Max, Braindead, and Meet the Feebles.

Had my last Rotary meeting on December 10, a Christmas party at Knox College. Met my Rotarians' partners for the second time. Was given a pounamu (greenstone) necklace from the club as gift. Exactly what I wanted (OK, Russ asked me first)! Got fined (for the second time) for having the best midriff in the Rotary club. Said my thanks and goodbyes to Rotarians. Lost (for the umpteenth time) the heads and tails raffle for Polio Plus. Pip Chapman has won it quite a few times, and always gives me the bottle of wine. Unfortunately, Pip didn't win either so I went home empty-handed.

On December 12 had my final night out at the Robbie, and said goodbye to some of the remaining OUTC members in Dunedin. Cate arrived with some photos from Beccy. Said goodbye to Cate as she was leaving on the 14th.

On December 13 dropped off the heinous amount of recycling and left Dunedin with Simon. Checked out a view of the peninsula, then walked up the slopes of Mount Cargill to the Organ Pipes. In the rush of the morning, I had forgotten we were going to do this, and was wearing a long skirt and teva sandals. No serious problems walking, although a very strong wind made things rather breezy : )

The Organ Pipes - a bunch of really cool rocks

Drove through Mackenzie Country to Lake Tekapo, where we camped near the lakeshore (quite comfortably I might add, with a futon, duvet, and pillows in the tent). December 14 explored Tekapo village, the hydro dam, and the Church of the Good Shepherd. Had coffee at the Observatory Cafe and checked out all the space posters.

Lake Tekapo

Drove past Lake Pukaki to Mt Cook Village. Walked up to Hooker Lake (3 hours return) in what started off as rain and soon turned into snow and hail. Not 20km away the weather was bright, sunny, relatively warm, and quite dry.

View from the track in Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park

What? It's snowing?

After sussing out various accommodation options, we settled into Unwin Hut. Met some Alpine Guides sitting their exams (4 two week long exams over 10 years!). Chatted with Anna, a Kiwi who lives in Utah but works in Alberta, and got some good climbing contacts in Canmore. The next morning we had beautiful, clear views of the mountains, but my camera battery died. Drove into Mt Cook Village, where Simon gave me a lesson on how to drive manual (standard). Explored the village and walked nonchalantly into the Hermitage, a flash hotel in the village that costs > $240 per night. Bought a disposable camera and took shots of Mt Cook and the surrounding mountains. Drove home to Dunedin through Twizel and Omarama (where we stopped for a short black), across Lindis Pass, through Cromwell and Alex, and then along the north route through Ranfurly and Middlemarch. Stopped to take heaps of photos of Central Otago, including the barn at Wedderburn. Driving through this country, it always occurs to me that the sheep like lice or maggots. Ha. Paki paki for Simon for driving over 1000km since I am still incapable of driving a manual. Was reminded of another Kiwi word - poncy, which means facetious, uptight, usually used in reference to bloody Poms (Brits).Watched "The Price of Milk" on TV Sunday night - a really good Kiwi film!

This Tuesday the 17th went out with Russ and Pam to Filadephio's for some yummy pizza. Gave them some goodies, and said my thank-yous and goodbyes. Got some *kiwi* body scrub from the Body Shop as a goodbye gift!

December 19 Simon took me out for a fancy dinner at Palms, then out for coffee at Metro. AT midnight we headed over to the Rialto and saw the premiere of The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers... before it was released in Canada!

Friday the 20th cleaned up the flat, submitted the final draft of my dissertation (will still make revisions from Canada though), packed up my stuff, and posted this, my last nzletter!

Tomorrow I'm spending the day with Simon and celebrating an early Christmas. VERY strange to have 25C weather but Christmas cards decorated with snowflakes and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" on the radio...

On Sunday I leave Dunedin at 9:30am.

On August 1 I had a shocking dream. I was flying home to Toronto, although I didn't recognise the city I flew over as such, just that we were zooming very low and very quickly between some tall buildings headed towards a landing strip of sorts. My overwhelming sentiment was not gladness that I was home, but regret that I had not accomplished in New Zealand what I had set out to do. The next morning I tried to figure this out, precisely because I had had a similar dream about a month earlier. What was it that was missing? Was it important for me to accomplish it before returning to Canada? I'm still not sure what precisely was missing, but for some reason I think I've done what I've come here to do. Still much, much more to experience, more room to grow, people I'd like to get to know better, tramps I'd like to do. In any case, while I'm stoked to return to Canada and all things Canadian (including my friends and family but not my MSc thesis!), I will miss everything and everyone here in New Zealand. So instead of goodbye, I'll just say see you later. Mate. Bro.

Love Christine