My Stay in New Zealand

I am leaving soon and I do not want to. I had a wonderful stay here in New Zealand. I did go to Hobbiton to see the hobbits' houses and to see where the Hobbit movie is going to be filmed. That was a great day. I got to meet some new people. I did take pictures, but I signed something that says I cannot put any on the internet so I can;'t show them.  I love the internship, it helped me considerable. It was very educational and socially inspiring. My last weeks here with Butterfly Creek were busy with taking care of the animals and visitors; making sure they are happy. The baby crocs have become increasingly bigger since the first time I saw them and eating very well. I did measure them on my last day at Butterfly Creek and I am proud that they are growing. I hope to hear more and more about them. On my last day I got to go in with the big ones... that was fun but they did not eat me which is a good thing. It was very nice of the Butterfly Creek staff to have afternoon tea and presents on my last day. I very much thank them and appreciate what they have done for me. Also every time I go on the farm there are more rabbits...its insane but good. The pigs a huge now, but one of them did die sadly. I loved spending time there and learning new things everyday and even demonstrating what I already know to others. Overall, my experience at Butterfly Creek certainly did its job and enhanced me academically and personally. I am glad that I had this opportunity to come here and being part of something like this is really a once in a lifetime opportunity that everyone should get a chance to experience because its worth every penny. What is also really great about an internship alone is that you also get a chance to become employed within the internship site. I certainly have that chance with Butterfly Creek. Both studying abroad and an internship are very important in your resume. I really do not want to leave...I had a awesome as time here and again it was worth every penny I spent to just go and experience something I would not get a chance to experience later. This was a great time to go and I hope I will visit again soon!!!

Queenstown...a town of beauty and wonder!!!!

Kia Ora,
Well to start out...my internship is going very well. The last two weeks have been hectic. It was the school holiday so a lot of people came and we also had junior keepers which is where kids get to be zoo keepers for the day. I got to teach them what I do and how to be a keeper of Butterfly Creek. It was fun to boss kids around but also fun to see how much they loved it. I loved seeing that!!! Other than that the baby crocs are being displayed and shown to the public. They of course don't like that but the public loves them. They are also doing better with their eating habits and are becoming more aggressive. I love it here at Butterfly Creek as well as New Zealand and never want to leave which will happen in about 2 weeks.
Queenstown is the reason why I want to stay forever. I went there for a long weekend and came back in awe. When I first arrived in Queenstown, I came out of the airplane with huge snowed mountains in front of me. Even in the beginning I was in awe. During my first day I walked around and went luging  (so much better than Rotorua...sorry)  and explored some more. That night was amazing as well. The next day I went to Milford Sound. Let me tell you that there are no words to how much I loved this place and to prove how amazing it was see my pictures on facebook. Unfortunately, the two days that followed did not come out as planned because of a snowstorm. I still got to see the beauty form Queenstown. If I could I would go back there and do the things I didn't or couldn't. I was going to go horseback riding and see Lord of the Rings sights, but since the storm was really bad I couldn't. Just means I need to go back there. Queenstown was a fantastic weekend and I wish that I could of spend more time there. I loved it!!!!
Hope the next couple weeks go well with exploring and work.Talk to you later.
Cheers
Siobhan

Experience the Auckland region

Kia Ora,
The last couple weeks I have not been so busy on the weekends. I did go see bridesmaids and Transformers 3. Bridesmaids was funny as, but Transformers 3 could of been better. I also went back to Mission Bay and got some Swiss Ice Cream. It was good as. And went to the beach. This week however was super fun as. Two interns came in from the south part of the North Island and we partied it up. First night we didn't really do anything special. We played beer pong with water and we tried to go out, but no such luck. The next day we went to the zoo and we saw a encounter with rare species here in New Zealand such as a Kiwi bird. It was so cute and it is so rare to see them because they are up at night. We saw other animals as well that can be seen in the US. Then we went to Mt. Eden. It was really windy up at the top. We tried to go get meat pies, but it was closed. Instead we went to a Thai restaurant in our apartment. After a long day we went all night at the bars by the harbor.That was a awesome as night with dancing and Denny's afterwards. The next day we went to Waiheke Island to show our visitors the beauty. On a different note, work has been getting a lot better with me knowing the routine and also getting involved with the public more with talking about the animals. I hope that the rest of the time here will be just or more fun as.
Cheers
Siobhan 

My Expereince in New Zealand so far

Kia Ora,
I am in my fourth week here in New Zealand going on my fifth. I am having loads of fun here. I went to some Islands off of Auckland which were called Waiheke and Rangitoto. They have beautiful scenery. The Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island so I climbed to the top and my breathe was taken. My work at Butterfly Creek is also going well. I am getting into a routine there. I take care of pretty much all the animals. The last two weeks I was on the farm and I took care of rabbits and baby goats. The baby goats are crazy and need to watched carefully. I also took care of baby pigs that were from a litter of 17. They are cute. The baby crocs that Butterfly Creek gave birth to are doing extremely well. From last week they grew 3 to 6 grams bigger and their teeth are certainly coming in and coming in fast. I am looking forward to what there is more to bring from this experience. I am planning a trip to Queenstown in late July and I hope to also see Milford sound because I know that it is a gorgeous scenery. I can't wait!!!
Cheers
Siobhan 

In New Zealand

Kia Ora Everyone,
I am in New Zealand having a great time so far. My first couple of days here I was in Rotorua. There I had my introduction to New Zealand and some activities. Such were caving, luging and Maori village. Caving was hard but exciting. I saw glow worms that were cool but not very fun if you got stuck by one because they eat you. Luging is like carting but faster and the Maori village was very cool. I got to learn a lot these couple of days and now I am in Auckland getting ready for my internship at Butterfly Creek. I can't wait until I get going but I at least have a day or two to get settled before I start on Tuesday.
Cheers
Siobhan 

On my way to New Zealand

I am on my way now. I am in San Francisco now getting ready to leave in less then a week. I am done with my pre-session and moving on to when I am in the country. That will not start until after I get into the country and more secure what is going on. I will however post other things such as pictures and some great adventures I will have. I hope you have enjoyed my blog so far and there will be more to come for sure.

New Zealand Enterntainment

Entertainment and lifestyle

If you’re coming to New Zealand be prepared for fun-filled study breaks in the country where bungy jumping and jet boating were invented.

Outdoor adventure

New Zealanders love the outdoors. We spend our hot summers and mild winters exploring beautiful national parks, beaches and rivers. You can go kayaking, mountain biking, surfing, abseiling, parachute jumping, swimming with dolphins, caving, and, of course, bungy jumping.

Sports

New Zealanders’ national sport is rugby – many play it and just about everybody enjoys watching it. Other popular sports include cricket, cycling, hockey, soccer, netball, horse riding, tennis, touch rugby, golf, basketball, badminton, bowls, yachting, volleyball, squash, cycling, mountain biking, trail biking, motor racing, skiing, shooting, rowing, fishing, swimming and aerobics.
All sorts of watersports are enjoyed in our famously clean rivers, harbours and lakes.

Arts and culture

Most New Zealand towns have cinemas, art galleries and museums. Professional theatre companies operate throughout the country and many major rock and pop acts tour here. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand String Quartet tour frequently. Film premieres for locally made blockbusters attract thousands of people.

Find out what's on

It’s easy to access sport and recreational activities - and relatively affordable. Look in your local library or check newspapers for up-to-date information on gigs, shows, and exhibitions at local galleries. Local authorities (councils) provide information on their websites listing local sports clubs and recreational facilities.

Free events

Most cities have a summer festival with lots of free events at public venues. Look out for things like bands, night-time walks to see glow-worms, food and cultural festivals and dance performances. Public libraries are a good place to find out about these and other community events.

Orientation week

Your tertiary institution will run an orientation week full of free and paid events, shows and gigs. See Induction and orientation

Discounts

Remember to ask whether there is a student (or Youth Hostel Association) discount at events you attend. Discounts often apply at orchestra concerts and theatre performances, as well as outdoor adventure tourism activities.
http://www.newzealandeducated.com/de/guide/settling_in/entertainment_and_lifestyle