Steep Streets and Ice Cream

We don't start classes for another week and a half, so it's kind of strange not having anything to do here, but it's been great just exploring Dunedin. The past two days I've run to (and walked up) Baldwin Street which is the world's steepest residential street. It's killer, but the view from the top is great.


Abby, my Kiwi host, has been very good about taking us to see various parts of Dunedin. Two days ago, she drove a few of us to Sandfly Bay, which is a beautiful secluded beach in South Dunedin. It's known for its sea lions and penguins, and we were lucky enough to see three sea lions basking in the sun on the beach. They're BIG. And according to Abby, they can move very quickly, so I didn't get too close. No penguin sightings though. We had to walk down an incredibly steep sand dune to get to the beach, and there were sheep grazing in pastures on all sides. Go figure.

Yesterday, we went to Signal Hill Lookout, which gave us a beautiful view of a good portion of the Otago Peninsula and of Dunedin. The weather has been really warm and sunny the past couple of days, and even though I put on sunscreen, I managed to get burned yesterday while playing pick-up soccer at a nearby rugby pitch. Walked around in town today, and got mint chip ice cream from a "dairy" which is basically just a corner store. Delicious.

I really love the vibe of New Zealand. Everything seems so much more relaxed in a sense. Maybe that's just because it's summer and classes haven't started, who knows. The one thing I'm having trouble getting used to is the driving on the opposite side of the road. It's absolutely bizarre! I've gotten pretty used to looking right and then left, though, so hopefully the rest will feel more natural soon.

Loving Dunedin, excited for classes to start, and looking forward to meeting my other flatmates!