Arthur's Pass National Park

On Friday afternoon, I met up with my Williams College Geosciences friend Dan Walsh, who is currently spending the semester at University of Canterbury, and his roommate Chris, who is from Germany and is studying Business/Industrial Engineering. Once they arrived in Lincoln - only a short bus ride from UC - we piled into my car and headed out towards Arthur's Pass. Arthur's Pass is a winding roadway that cuts through the Southern Alps and reaches the west coast. It is the only route to the west coast for about a thousand kilometers in either direction (north or south). So, it has some historical significance. The three of us, however, were heading to Arthur's Pass to go hiking in the national park which bears its name. On Friday, we drove into the little village of Arthur's Pass around 7:00pm and everything was already closed, so we went to find a spot to spend the night. About 10km back, there was a nice bare-bones camping area (no water, no electricity, no numbered sites, etc.), and that's where we decided to spend the night. We set up a tent in case of rain, but our plan was to sleep under the stars. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, so we slept in our sleeping bags out in the field. The stars were incredible. It did get down to about 40 degrees, but we came prepared so we were fine. Check out the pictures of Friday night here:

Driving to Arthur's Pass

I awoke just before sunrise the next morning, ready for the day. We went to the park visitor center and asked about some good day hikes; we decided to take the Avalanche Peak track, a strenuous 6-8 hour return hike that would bring you to the summit of Avalanche Peak, the second-highest peak in the area. It was an incredible hike: challenging climb, great weather, great visibility, and wonderful views. See these awesome pictures here:

Avalanche Peak track in Arthur's Pass Nat'l Park

That night, we stayed at a really inexpensive, but homey hostel. We made grilled cheese for dinner, and played Pictionary with a French-speaking family on holiday, who were also staying in the hostel. The next day, we drove back towards Christchurch, but stopped in the Castle Hill Basin first to hike around for a few hours and eat lunch. Castle Hill is awesome because huge limestone boulders and outcrops dot the surface of this basin, which is surrounded by scenic ranges. We ate lunch on the slopes of a large hill, and then we played a game of cribbage when we got to the top. Pictures:

Castle Hill Basin

We got back to Lincoln U around 4:30 today - what a weekend. I don't know what I will be up to this weekend, but I plan on traveling and hiking again. Hope all is well with you back home!

Much Love,
-James

Campus Happening and My First Adventure

So, it's only Thursday, but I have done so many things since Monday. On Tuesday, I went to my morning classes, which were good, and then I went to my first Viticulture lab in the afternoon. I was assigned to manage row 35, which has Chardonnay grapes growing on it, with another study abroad student from Michigan Tech. We did some density sampling, and then did some leaf plucking to expose the grape clusters to more light and air. I hope I turn out to be a good viticulturist, otherwise someone in the wine-making class is going to bad grapes because of me! In any case, I'm excited for the opportunity to manage it further. The vineyard is very scenic, and across from us was a small sheep station run by Lincoln U. I ran back there after class and took some pictures.

Around the Lincoln Vineyard

Wednesday made Tuesday seem like a boring, uneventful day. First off, I have no classes on Wednesday so I had the whole day to myself. I woke up bright and early and took a bus into Christchurch, and after some final paperwork, I picked up my CAR that I had purchased on Saturday. Sorry that I forgot to take a picture, but it's a 1988 Mitsubishi Galant, 5-speed, 4-door. It's white, and it's drives much more smoothly (and with almost no rust) than the dream-machine - more recently renamed the scream-machine due to its lack of a muffler. Anyway, driving on the right side of the car in the left lane is pretty cool, especially when the speed limit is 100 (that's km/hr, but its alarming at first watching the speedometer get so high). I came back to campus in my new hip ride, complete with A/C, power steering, power locks and a nice radio around 10:30am. At about 11:30, I picked up two new friends, Matt and Marina, and we headed out to Akaroa. Akaroa is a small little beach town in the center of Banks Peninsula, which is an ancient volcano that has been heavily eroded. Akaroa lies along the side of a giant crater which blew out on one side, letting the pacific come rushing in and forming Long Bay. I wanted to go to Akaroa, because the pictures I had seen made it look like a little beach town in the Caribbean. You won't believe the pictures. We went swimming at the beach and it was awesome! The water was like the temperature of Westport Beach or Horseneck Beach in the summer time. We had some fish and chips. And, we went on 2 hour boat cruise around the bay for sightseeing. The main attraction was the Hector Dolphin, an indigenous species to New Zealand and the world's smallest dolphin. We saw tons of them! We also saw penguins and seals, but, for me, the best part was seeing the cliff faces along the water's edge, displaying distinct lava flow strata. The lava flows were so easily seen because most were followed by a layer of ash, which had eroded along the edge of the cliff (because ash typically erodes more easily than volcanic rock), creating little ledges between each lava flow. Birds nested all along these. Also, we got a free drink on the boat so we all opted for New Zealand's famous Sauvignon Blanc - it was indescribably good. After, that it took us an hour drive to get back to Lincoln and we arrived around 6:30, just in time to catch dinner. You've got to look at these pictures - I couldn't believe this place when I saw it.

Akaroa and Banks Peninsula

Hope all is well. I've got to go do some homework now. After all, I am in school. This weekend, I may go tramping (the kiwi word for hiking) up in Arthur's Pass with my Williams College geology friend Dan Walsh, who goes to University of Canterbury, which is about 30minutes down the road. Take care, and feel free to comment/email me

First Day of School

Today was the first day of classes, and they didn't disappoint. My intro soil science class has more than 150 people in it, which is not desirable, but the outline of the course material, as explained by the professor (who is Scottish and has a ridiculous beard), gave me the impression that I will really enjoy the lectures. My viticulture class has about 60 students, and about half of them are from the U.S.. I have learned that, as part of the course, I will be assigned two rows of grapes in the university-owned vineyard to manage and care for with a partner. The professors mentioned that, often, we will have to go to the vineyard and provide maintenance outside of lab time (i.e. late afternoons and weekends). I'm pretty excited for that opportunity/responsibility! One of the highly recommended, but not explicitly required, course materials is a pair of secateurs for vine pruning and management (I figured out after a few confused minutes that "secateurs" is the British name for hand/pruning shears).

My "Environmental Analysis with GIS" seems like it will be really informative. The lecturer is a cool guy who I really believe will be able to make each lecture entertaining. A susbstantial part of our grade for that class is a final project. Our Professor knows that the students in the class come from many different academic backgrounds (environmental/agricultural sciences, landscape architecture, urban planning/transportation), so he wants our final projects to be related to common applications of GIS software in our respective fields. This is great, because I will have the opportunity to do a GIS project specifically related to geology, or at least environmental science.

My last class, SOSC342 - Soil Resources, is the most advanced class in my schedule. Based on today's opening lecture and course outline, I think it will be the most rewarding. The lectures cover units that I am specifically interested in (Soil Genesis, Soil Classification/Taxonomy, Soil Data Interpretation) and all within a framework that examines soil as more than just a medium for agricultural production and worthy of study independently. I was thrilled to hear that. The class, like many of my other classes, is very practical and has a significant field component. We have two big field excursions, one of which is an all day trip to a catchment in the Canterbury mountains where we are examining mineral leaching in higher precipitation and elevation soils. Soil test pits have already been dug out there, as one of our Professors is currently conducting research at the site. The other trip is a 5-day research project (during our spring recess) at a Dairy Farm outside of Ashburton, where we are working with electromagnetic field monitoring to make a detailed soil map of the area. I believe the project is associated with government research in some way. More on that when I know.

Right now, I am pleased with the way my classes look. All I can do is wait for tomorrow, and see how the REAL first day of lectures goes.

Christchurch, Sun Exposure, and Local Peaches

On Friday and Saturday I went to Christchurch, which is the big urban center of Canterbury. It really isn't that big, however, and has a very welcoming "classic" feel. I'd like to say it's European, but my never having been to Europe prohibits me from doing so through lack of genuine comparison. Christchurch is about a 55-minute bus ride from Lincoln U, but that is due to the many stops and heavy traffic. On Friday, I came into Christchurch to explore the city and also get a wrist watch (without my cell phone I never know what time it is). The first stop was Cathedral Square, where the Christchurch Cathedral stands and is surrounded by a large paved courtyard, which is used for merchant space and entertainment. The courtyard was packed with people, but had a very laid back feel. After that, I went searching for a simple wrist watch. It was harder than you think, as most of the stores near Cathedral Square were brand-name fashion stores, thus the watches there were well out of my price range. I eventually found a place (A jewelry store, of all things) and got a simple Casio. I was happy to go with a dependable brand name. At that point, I had done a lot of walking and was ready for lunch. Lo' and Behold! Right across the street was a place called Burgers and Beers, Inc. The place could be described as having a "Classic horror film" theme. See the pictures. Anyway, it was a real nice place to relax and watch the city operate. As one would assume, I had a burger and a beer (both delicious).

Christchurch for a day

Saturday I went into Christchurch searching for an automobile. More on that later. Today has been great. I woke up, ate breakfast, went to the gym, showered, then went to the supermarket for a mid-afternoon snack. It's a 15-20 minute walk, so I put sunscreen on my face and neck which got some good sun yesterday. At the supermarket, I bought a few fresh, ripe and locally grown peaches (That's right, they are in season right now) and some roasted chicken that had been picked off the bone already. On the walk back, I took my shirt off and exposed my whiteness to the world. It was awesome. And yes, the peaches were delicious.

Tomorrow is the first day of classes. I'm really excited to see what it's going to be like. Also, I have no classes on Wednesday (I didn't plan on it, but my schedule worked out that way), so I think I'm going to head towards the coast. Swimming at the beach in February! Imagine that.

Compare & Contrast

Hey all!
So I'm finally in New Zealand. After my flight got canceled from Auckland to Christchurch, I had to wait an additional 6 hours to get the next available spot on a flight (they run every hour from Auckland to Christchurch, but they were all booked). Thankfully, I got picked up in the airport by someone from Lincoln. Registration was slightly confusing, but now I'm all set with a student ID, gym membership, meal plan, and of course a dorm room. I live next to a few other Americans from Colorado State and Michigan State.

So having been here for day and a half, I've decided NZ is definitely not the U.S.: The faucets turn the other direction, they drive on the other side of the road. Some of the kiwi accents are barely discernible. People love to walk around barefoot, even when its raining. Also, the drinking age is 18, so all the freshman (the only other people on campus right now) have been having a really good time. I can't say I haven't had a brew or two myself. The kiwis are all very friendly, and "cheers, mate" seems to be the appropriate response for an infinite number of situations. Anyway, I hope this message finds you happy and healthy back home. Tomorrow, I'm off to Christchurch to explore the city.

See some photos here:

New Zealand Blog Photos

Pre-Departure

Less than a week to go! Excited - yes. Nervous - yes. All packed - nope.

I'm leaving Monday morning and when I arrive in New Zealand it will be Wednesday morning over there. Who cares how long the flight is? I certainly don't. Quick facts:
Swansea latitude is about 42 degrees north. Lincoln is about 44 south. It is currently 21 degrees F in Williamstown, MA; It's 69 degrees F in Lincoln, New Zealand right now.

More last minute paperwork to do so I have to go. But look out, more post are on the way!